Chapter 184
184 The Familiar Taste of Home
Gill’s voice rose sharply, full of confusion. “Why not?”
Finished
Yunice wasn’t married to Wyatt yet–she could still walk away from the Saunders family. This was the perfect time to run!
When Yunice stayed silent, Gill knew there had to be more. “Ms. Saunders, I know you’ve got your own plans, and may
there’s a lot you can’t tell me, but you’ve got no one backing you; no
one standing behind you. How could I possibly walk away knowing that?”
Yunice lowered her eyes. “You’re not working for my family anymore; we don’t have any relation.”
Gill stood there quietly for a moment. When it was clear Yunice wasn’t going to change her mind, she sniffled and turned to leave Virtue Hall.
Footsteps faded into silence. Only then did Yunice slowly lift her eyes, tears brimming in her lashes .
She’d been alone for so long. She couldn’t bear dragging Gill into more danger.
If something really went wrong, she wouldn’t be able to repay her…
After Gill left, the clinic didn’t see a single patient all day. Yunice busied herself with sorting herbs and reading to pass the time.
The day slipped by in complete quiet. That night, she curled up on the camp bed Gill had left behind.
Somehow, that made her feel like she wasn’t completely alone.
Even in sleep, she couldn’t rest easy. Her dreams kept circling–Lauren, the bizarre, chaotic scenes from the asylum.
Distorted and oppressive images flashed through Yunice’s mind. Her body twitched without warning, like it was reacting to real pain.
It felt like sleep paralysis–her mind was awake, but she couldn’t move.
Or like she was drowning in wet concrete; every time she pulled one foot free, the other sank deeper. Trying to move only made her lose balance.
Her arms got stuck next, and then she was being smothered–mouth and nose sealed off while her limbs were trapped.
That suffocating feeling pressed in on her; even asleep, her face turned pale from the lack of air. Finally, her mind went completely blank with a sudden crash.
She shot upright, gasping, haunted by what she’d just seen.
184 The Familiar Taste of Home
Finished
The next day, life carried on in silence. Yunice lived like someone the world had forgotten, she wasn’t in any hurry to step outside.
and
The peace wasn’t bad. She sat in the sunlight by the shop’s entrance, sorting herbs. Her hat and mask were pulled snug, but on the ground before her stretched a long shadow.
Thinking it was a patient, Yunice looked up–only to see Gill, back again.
Gill was holding a thermos and grinning so wide her eyes disappeared.
Yunice blinked, about to ask why she’d come back, but Gill had already dropped into the seat across from her like nothing ever happened. “You used to love the meatballs the Saunders family made. He’s been swamped lately and figured you’d be craving them, so he taught me how to
make ‘em.”
Gill opened the thermos, and the savory aroma instantly filled the air.
“Try it–see if it tastes just like his,” Gill said, smiling as she handed her a spoon..
Yunice’s brow twitched. She tried to keep a cold expression, but Gill was quicker–she stuffed at meatball right into Yunice’s mouth.
Tears always seemed to know when to follow taste.
The familiar flavor hit her tongue, and Yunice couldn’t hold it in anymore. Was it really so wrong to want someone beside her?
She wanted someone to stay, to hold her–but some people couldn’t be relied on. Others didn’t want to protect her. And the ones who truly cared–she couldn’t bear dragging them into her pain.
Gill said, “I thought about it all night yesterday. You’re right. I’m just one person, and at best I’m cannon fodder. I can’t help you the way Mr. Cooper or Mr. Quinton can. But I still want to stay with you. Like when we were kids…”
At those words, the tears Yunice had been holding back finally fell.
Gill continued, “Hey, good thing I can cook. I’ll open a deli right next to Virtue Hall! Sure, it’s out of the way and foot traffic is light, but that just means I won’t be too busy. I can help watch the clinic too. And whenever you want that taste again, it’ll be right here, waiting for you.”
Yunice’s lips trembled; she looked at Gill with emotion she could no longer hide.
Gill sighed. “You’ve got your little secrets–fine, keep ‘em. I don’t know many people in Silverburgh either. I just wanted something that felt like home, close to you. You called me your sister, so I’ve always thought of you as my little sister.”
Yunice couldn’t hold it in anymore. She buried her face in Gill’s shoulder and tried not to sob.
And that was that.
184 The Familiar Taste of Home
The days passed slowly. Her wedding with Wyatt crept closer and closer. Whether Wyatt genuinely couldn’t find her or just didn’t care to look–no one came to bother her.
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