Chapter 14 It’s Inappropriate
Chapter 14 It’s Inappropriate
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Dawn was briefly caught off guard. She furrowed her brow and sat up. “Uncle Austin, why didn’t you knock?”
Austin studied her face. Apart from a slight irritation, there was no other emotion in his expression.
<i>Why </i>haven’t I <i>knocked</i><i>? </i>
Because, in the <i>past</i><i>, </i><i>I’ve </i><i>always </i><i>just </i><i>walked </i><i>in </i><i>without </i><i>thinking</i>.
His expression darkened, and he replied coldly, “It’s broad daylight–what’s the problem with meing in?”
“It’s inappropriate,” Dawn responded calmly. “I’ve grown up now, haven’t I? If you keep doing this, Ms. Peay might misunderstand.”
At her words, Austin’s brief difort shifted into irritation.
So, it’s <i>about </i><i>Sydney</i>.
No <i>wonder </i><i>Dawn </i><i>has </i><i>started </i><i>caring </i><i>about </i><i>these </i><i>little </i><i>details</i>.
His
eyes narrowed as he prepared to lecture her. “Just speak normally. No need to get sarcastic. I’m just here to tell you to join us in the dining room. Why are you talking about appropriateness?”
Dawn sighed lightly. “I’m not being sarcastic.”
“I don’t want to argue about this at home,” he snapped. “Dawn, enough already.”
Dawn watched as he walked away, feeling speechless.
<i>He </i><i>didn’t </i><i>believe </i><i>me </i><i>when </i><i>I </i><i>told </i><i>him </i><i>I </i><i>had </i><i>feelings </i><i>for </i><i>him</i><i>, </i><i>and </i><i>he </i><i>still wouldn’t </i><i>believe </i><i>me </i><i>when </i><i>I </i><i>told </i>him <i>I’ve </i><i>moving </i><i>on</i><i>. </i>
<i>Is </i><i>he </i><i>sick </i><i>in </i><i>the </i><i>head</i><i>? </i>
A soft sound from her phone interrupted her thoughts, and Dawn realized she hadn’t hung up
yet.
She picked it up again and murmured a quiet “Hello.”
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Chapter 14 It’s Inappropriate
Ethan’sugh was light and easy. “I thought you forgot about me.”
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“You can hang up first,” Dawn replied, sinking back onto the couch. “So Uncle Austin said just now?”
you heard what
“Why, can’t I listen?” Ethan teased.
“I didn’t say that.”
She absentmindedly started picking at her nails. “It’s just that I’ve been having some disagreements with himtely, so I might not have been very friendly. I was worried you’d mind.”
“I don’t mind.” Ethan’s tone grew a little darker as he thought about Austin’s tone earlier. “You’ll be leaving Trifton in a couple of days, so you shouldn’t let that bother you, Ms. Porter.”
With Ethan, Dawn always felt genuinely cared for. It was something she couldn’t fully exin.
A smile tugged at her lips. “Yeah. I’m the bigger person here. I’ll just assume he’s going through a midlife crisis.”
They talked for a little longer before Dawn hung up and went downstairs for dinner.
Everyone was already seated at the table.
Dawn quickly scanned the room before sitting beside Sandra.
“After all that work this afternoon, you must be starving, sweetheart,” Sandra said with a smile,dling some soup for her. “Jessica made this hearty meatball soup, since she knows it’s your favorite.”
“Thanks, Grandma. Thanks, Mom.”
Dawn thanked them both before taking a spoonful.
Sandra looked at her with affection for a moment before remembering they had a guest. She quickly served Sydney a bowl of soup as well. “Sorry, Ms. Peay. Dawn’s been spoiled by us since she was little. I hope that’s okay.”
Sydney’s smile faltered slightly, and she forced out a response, “Of course not. It’s clear that you really love Dawn.”
“Yes,” Jessica added, “She’s our darling, so of course we treat her like a princess.”
She shot Austin an annoyed look. “Unlike some people, who im they treat Dawn like a
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daughter, but just end up making her feel hurt.”
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Austin frowned and instinctively nced at Dawn, as if asking, <i>Have </i><i>you </i><i>been </i><i>talking </i><i>trash </i><i>about </i>me behind <i>my </i><i>back</i><i>? </i>
For a moment, Dawn felt a surge of anger, but then she realized this was how Austin had been actingtely. Every time something went wrong, he would automatically point fingers at her.
Let him <i>me </i>me all <i>he </i><i>wants</i><i>. </i>
<i>I </i>didn’t <i>do </i><i>anything </i><i>wrong</i><i>, </i>so I <i>have </i><i>nothing </i><i>to </i><i>be </i><i>afraid </i><i>of</i><i>. </i>
I’m <i>leaving </i><i>soon </i><i>anyway</i><i>. </i><i>I </i><i>don’t </i><i>mind </i><i>if </i><i>he </i><i>picks </i><i>a </i><i>fight</i>.
She picked up a piece of tender, fatty pork and took a bite, savoring the vor.
Austin almostughed at her carefree attitude. He exhaled sharply, clearly irritated, and muttered, “Grandma, let’s eat. The food’s getting cold.”
He continued to serve Sydney, making sure she was well taken care of.
Meanwhile, Jessica and Sandra’s attention remained on Dawn.
The meal passed without any real awkwardness. Afterward, Austin took Sydney upstairs to show her the rooms.
Jessica leaned in and asked softly, “Dawn, what do you think of Uncle Austin’s girlfriend?”
Dawn nced toward the stairs before answering quietly, “She seems nice.”
“Pfft, nice? What’s so nice about her?”
Jessica didn’t seem impressed. “You’re too innocent. You don’t understand.
“That girl has been sizing everything up since she walked in. Her eyes lit up when she saw the M painting, and when she saw all the stuff Harry collected, she nearly drooled.”
Dawn hadn’t noticed any of this.
“Ms. Peay is a journalist, so she’s probably just attuned to these things.”
Jessica sighed deeply when she heard Dawn’s response. She took Dawn’s arm and led her out toward the garden.
“Dawn, even though I’m not that old, I’ve seen enough to know how things work. They say the
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eyes are the windows to a person’s soul. People can’t help it, but their eyes can reveal their deepest desires. I can tell Ms. Peay is very impatient.”
Dawn wasn’t sure she understoodpletely. “But isn’t it most important that Uncle Austin loves her?”
“Oh, you’re still young, so of course you think that’s the most important thing. But as you grow older, you’ll realize that character is what really matters.”
She poked Dawn’s forehead gently, a smile filled with affection and a touch of indulgence. “You’re so pure, maybe too pure for your own good. If only everyone’s heart was as simple as yours.”
Dawn stayed silent for a moment, resting her head on Jessica’s shoulder.
“Grandma, it’s not that I don’t understand.”
She looked up at her with a soft expression. “I just want to live simply. I don’t always need to figure everything out, you know?”
Jessica nodded and smiled. “You’re right.”
They talked for a while, and suddenly, Dawn was hit with a wave of sadness.
<i>Once </i><i>I </i><i>leave </i><i>for </i><i>Northville</i><i>, </i><i>how </i><i>long </i><i>will </i><i>it </i><i>be </i><i>before </i><i>I </i><i>can </i><i>return</i><i>? </i>
Jessica said something, but when Dawn didn’t respond, she turned to find her lost in thought.
“Sweetheart, what are you thinking about?”
“Grandma…” Dawn snapped out of her daze. She hugged Jessica’s arm as they walked back and sniffled. “If I’m not around, make sure to take care of yourself, okay?”
Jessica gave her a yful re. “What’s that supposed to mean? You’re staying so close. Are you not nning toe back often?”
“But I’ll be working soon,” Dawn replied, unsure of how to exin further. She smiled and added with a yful tone, “But I’lle back whenever I can. Just make sure you take care of yourself.”
From the upstairs window, Sydney happened to see this moment.
<i>I </i><i>already </i><i>knew </i><i>that </i><i>the </i><i>Osbornes treated </i><i>Dawn </i><i>like </i><i>their </i><i>own </i><i>daughter</i>.
<i>But </i><i>I </i><i>didn’t </i><i>expect </i><i>that</i><i>, </i><i>even </i><i>in </i><i>front </i><i>of </i><i>Austin</i>, <i>Jessica </i><i>and </i><i>Sandra </i><i>would </i><i>still </i><i>show </i><i>such </i><i>open </i><i>affection </i>
Chapter 14 It’s Inappropriate
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What makes Dawn so special?
Sydney clenched her fist, silently vowing to use the next few days to strengthen her rtionship with Austin.
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