Chapter 564: Thank you for being my friend.
[FLASHBACK]
"Penny, you shouldn’t let your own family do that to you." Nathaniel reclined, resting his hands on either side of him. He gazed up at the bridge not far from the short slope where they were drinking beer. "Why do you even stick around when you know they wouldn’t appreciate you?"
He cocked his head back, snapping his eyes at her. All he saw was her smile as she hissed after chugging down the cold beer.
"You’re drinking too much tonight," he pointed out. "I knew it. Something happened tonight, didn’t it?"
Penny looked at him and scrunched up her face. "Do I drink when things go south?" she clicked her tongue. "I’m drinking because I feel like celebrating."
"Why? What are you celebrating, huh?"
"Well." Penny shrugged, looking away from him, smiling. "My brother told me I did a good job."
"Huh?"
She smiled, almost as if she was suppressing a giggle. "He even patted me on the head."
"..." Nathaniel crinkled his nose in disbelief at watching her so gleefully after getting a pat on the head. "I can pat your head too, and it wouldn’t mean anything to me!"
"Who said it would mean anything to me if you did?"
He frowned at that quick change in her expression. Just moments ago, she had been giggling in happiness after receiving a pat from her brother, but now she was looking at him with disdain.