I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra) novel Chapter 165

I didn’t pull away. Instead, I studied his handsome, deep-set eyes and the straight bridge of his nose. Seeing him again after my rebirth, I felt like his whole aura had shifted. He was still the warm, gentle, and charming guy I knew, but sometimes a flicker of sadness would appear in his eyes, as if he’d been through a great deal.

“Right now,” I said honestly, “you’re both gentlemanly and badass.”

Horace reached out and pinched my cheek, a smile breaking across his face.

“Glad you see it my way. Get on.”

He swung his leg over the bike, and I followed, instinctively reaching for the grab bar behind me. But Horace caught my hand and pulled it to his waist, his voice a low reminder.

“Hold on tight. If you fall off, the only crawfish you’ll be eating is the hospital’s.”

I froze for a second. His waist was firm and solid, just like Steven’s. A strange feeling washed over me. Why was I even thinking about that? But a person’s waist was an intimate area. Horace and I had always joked around and roughhoused, but we’d never been this close. It felt a little awkward. Seeing his calm expression, though, I decided not to make a big deal of it and wrapped my arms around him.

The moment he gunned the engine and shot forward, a terrified scream escaped my lips. I clung to him tighter, my body practically plastered against his back.

“Horace, slow down!”

He didn’t ease up on the throttle at all. His low voice was laced with laughter.

“Don’t be afraid, Zephyra. Just feel the autumn wind. Live your life, season by season.”

For some reason, his words calmed my racing heart. The cool wind rushed past, refreshing but not cold. The motorcycle sped through the city, and I turned my head to watch the bustling streets, the crowds of people all going about their lives, all striving for their own futures.

I watched, mesmerized, as a chord was struck deep within me.

Maybe you only appreciate how beautiful life is after you’ve died once. The scent of spring flowers, the buzz of summer insects, the falling leaves of autumn, the winter snow—life is full of things to look forward to.

I needed to do what Horace said: live my life, season by season. I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, let my life end in lonely desperation in a hospital again.

That’s why I had to divorce Steven. No matter what it took, I had to be free of him.

We soon arrived at the old food stall. It was a simple, open-air joint. When the owner saw Horace and me, he broke into a surprised grin.

“Hey, you’re the kids from the summer program, aren’t you? Haven’t seen you in years! Sit, sit!”

“Seriously, it’s hilarious. If she liked Horace all along, why did she get married in the first place? Does she have no morals? What about her husband?”

A chorus of catty, mocking voices followed.

I calmly turned my head. There stood Antonia Lopez, dressed to the nines in a floral dress, looking like a gaudy peacock. Next to her was a woman with a plain, round face and a smattering of acne. She looked familiar. I couldn't remember her name, but I knew she was one of my high school classmates who I hadn't gotten along with.

My gaze settled on Antonia, and a slow smile spread across my face.

“Looks like your face has healed. Are you itching for another beating?”

Antonia seemed to remember the last time I’d outed her mother as a mistress, an incident that had earned her a slap or two. Her pretty face instantly darkened.

“What are you so smug about, Zephyra? If Steven hadn’t protected you last time, do you really think you would have walked out of the Jones family home in one piece?”

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