The Forgotten Love ✔

19 Dannie

Dannie POV.

Summer is approaching, but this week's weather is unusually cold, and it has been raining continuously.

As I open the door on Saturday, David greets me with a "good morning." like every other Saturday,. He looks a bit flushed, not in good spirits.

I ignore him, about to close the door, when I suddenly hear him answering a phone call.

The voice on the other end seems to be urging David to come back, but he seems reluctant, saying, "Didn't I already take care of the company matters? My situation here is important too."

There's some conversation about his health, and then he says, "I just have a fever, I'm not going to die."

Outside, it's still raining, and the rain soaks the pink roses in the garden. The petals fall to the ground, and mix with the mud.

I feel like David has gone crazy. His determination scares me a bit.

"Are you out yet?" Asher sends a text in the afternoon.

I freeze for a while, then suddenly remember that we have planned to have dinner together.

"I'm heading out now," I reply to the text, adding, "My treat."

It's been my first time visiting downtown after moving to New Hope for so long. The Peruvian restaurant Asher mentioned is hidden on the corner of the street. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but it's packed with diners inside.

The waiter brings us a plate of grilled corn called Cancha as a snack, followed by a potato-based appetizer, then fried chicken and beef. I point to a piece of meat that looks a little strange and ask Arthur what it is; he says it's beef heart. I'm hesitant to eat it, but he suggests I try it with some chili sauce and says it's delicious.

Other than that, we barely speak. I eat slowly and Arthur finishes his meal and stares at me from across the table.

I feel very embarrassed and ask, "Why don't you play with your phone?"

"Huh?" Asher pauses and shakes his head, "No, it's impolite to play with the phone at the dinner table."

"You can if you want," I insist, "I know it must be boring to eat with me."

Asher thinks I'm blaming myself and replies: "It's not boring. When my classmates and I come here, they're very noisy. Eating quietly allows us to enjoy the food."

I don't respond and dip a piece of meat into the chili sauce.

Then, Asher clears his throat and suddenly asks, "The old... man at your door today, is he your friend?"

"No," I don't look at him, "His friend bought one of my paintings."

"Oh, I see," Asher nods, seeming relieved, "You're really talented at painting."

After a few seconds of silence, Asher puts a piece of fried chicken onto my plate, "If you can't handle spicy, you can try the pink sweet sauce, it's delicious too."

I put down my fork and look at him, "Asher, I'm five years older than you."

Asher is stunned at first, then suddenly embarrassed, "So what if the girl is older than the guy? You look very young, you could say you're a freshman at college, and people would believe it."

I remember when we entered the restaurant, one of Asher's classmates was here eating, and he kept winking at Asher an turning his eyes towards me, but Asher didn't seem bothered.

I sigh, changing the subject, "Is Sara not home today?"

Asher pauses, then nods, "Yeah, she went shopping with her friends."