Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 1232

Iris waited, expecting Audrey to say more, and nearly lost her mind with frustration when she didn’t. Usually, after denying something, wouldn’t most people go on and explain who they were spending the evening with? Why did Audrey just leave it at that?

Of course, Audrey was doing this on purpose. She had no interest in getting close to Iris, so why should she open up to her? They barely knew each other anyway. Plus, not that long ago, Iris had tried to throw some not-so-subtle shade at her. If Iris wanted to compete for someone’s attention, Audrey saw no reason to make things easy.

***

Audrey and Walter finished going over the event details, and by the time everything was settled, it was already past nine. Audrey stretched and let out a long breath. “Finally, everything’s taken care of.”

Walter handed her a bottle of water and smiled. “You’ve done a lot tonight.”

She took a sip and shrugged. “It didn’t feel like work. I just hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow.”

The campus had quieted down. Most students had gone back to their dorms since it was cold outside. Audrey and Walter walked by the lake, where the wind picked up and bit through their coats. Audrey instinctively wrapped her coat tighter around herself.

Walter noticed and stepped ahead of her, blocking the wind. “Let me call my driver. We should head back.”

He always remembered that Audrey’s health wasn’t the best, so looking out for her came naturally.

“Sure,” Audrey said, not protesting.

They strolled down a path lined with trees, the lights overhead glowing warmly. Ornaments and strands of twinkling lights hung from the branches, and the whole place felt wrapped in Christmas spirit. Every now and then, Audrey spotted couples tucked away in the shadows, some even brave enough to kiss behind the trees.

Audrey watched them with curiosity, but Walter just laughed and gently pulled her along.

“What, you’re interested in this kind of thing now?” he teased.

Audrey grinned, completely unbothered. “It’s not about being nosy. I just think college romances are sweet. I never got to experience it myself, so why not take a look? It’s not like I’m bothering anyone. Besides, what they’re doing is nothing, really.”

It was Pearson Ham.

Audrey blinked in surprise. Pearson was holding a pretty gift bag, and he was a little out of breath from running. “I’m glad I caught up! Audrey, happy Christmas Eve. I got you a little something.”

Audrey froze for a second, caught off guard. She hadn’t expected him to chase her down just to give her a present.

“I didn’t get you anything, though…” she said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Pearson smiled, his eyes sincere and warm. “That’s fine. It’s not about exchanging gifts. I just wanted to give you something. There’s an apple inside, and a scarf I designed myself. I hope you like it.”

Audrey’s eyes widened in surprise. “Thank you, really. I’ll happily accept the apple, but I can’t take the scarf. You should keep it.”

She’d seen students exchanging apples all evening for Christmas Eve, but a scarf, especially between a guy and a girl, meant something different. She didn’t think she and Pearson were close enough for that, so she decided not to accept it.