Chapter 324: More Than Just a Friend
He noticed the way some of the male staff had been eyeing her whenever he was around, but he’d always brushed it off, telling himself they wouldn’t dare approach her while he was there. Still, the thought of another man getting too close to her unsettled him.
He knew this feeling all too well, it was the same kind of helplessness he felt back when Rain had been caught in her own mess, and he’d been too late to make her see how much he cared.
Now, he didn’t want to make the same mistake again. He didn’t want to let his feelings remain buried deep inside him without confessing them to the one person who mattered most to him.
His hands paused mid-motion as he peeled another piece of fruit, his gaze lingering on Kelly. "I can’t let myself be late again," he muttered under his breath, barely aware he’d said it out loud.
"What?" Kelly asked, her voice light with curiosity. Clifford snapped back to reality, the heat of his emotions simmering just beneath the surface.
"Nothing," he replied quickly, though his voice sounded more strained than he intended. He couldn’t deny the urgency building within him, the need to tell her, to make sure she understood just how much she meant to him.
But as his gaze met hers, the words stuck in his throat, caught between his desire to protect her and his fear of admitting the depth of his feelings.
"Hm, you look distracted," Kelly commented, her sharp gaze studying him so intently that Clifford felt exposed, as though she could see through every wall he’d built around himself.
"So... you’re getting anonymous letters too?" he echoed, his voice a touch sharper than he intended. He forced himself to stay composed, even as a storm brewed inside him.