Shawn, equally startled, had managed to retain some clarity despite the alcohol haze. The moment Agate entered, he instinctively turned to shield them, trying to cover up.
âOh, dear!â Agate exclaimed, spinning around and hastily covering her eyes. âSorry! Shawn is here too! Iâll just leave you two alone! You continue, donât mind me!â
Katherine scrambled to adjust her clothes, quickly hopping down from the shoe cabinet.
âMom, what are you doing here?â she asked, still trying to gather herself. Agate kept her hands over her eyes, clearly flustered.
âI had a disagreement with your dad, and I thought Iâd come to chat with you for a bit. Itâs nothing, really! Iâll head home now!â Agate quickly explained.
Shawn, seeing the situation, realized he should be the one to leave.
âDarling, Iâm not worried about you not getting married; Iâm worried about you getting hurt. People change, and although Shawn seems like a good guy, I fear you may end up wasting precious years of your life. Katherine had once struggled to understand why her parents were so adamant about marriage, but now she was beginning to see their point of view.
âMom, I understand. Iâll feel him out.â
âAlright, itâs getting late,â Agate said, patting Katherineâs hand. âWash up and get some sleep.â
After her shower, Katherine had just lain down when Shawn called.
âNot asleep yet?â he asked.
âNeither are you,â Katherine replied.
Shawn complained, âI thought I could hold you while sleeping tonight.â
âBlame my mom?â
âHow could I dare?â Shawn said. âYou owe me one.â
Katherine couldnât suppress a smile. âYouâre quite the businessman. Itâs not as if I invited my mom over, after all.â
âBut you still have to take responsibility. I was already aroused and had to suppress it. Do you have any idea how uncomfortable that was?â
âAs if I wasnât feeling it too.â
âFeeling what?â
Katherine didnât answer, thinking of Shawn lying in bed, sleepless and alone, which was both pitiful and amusing.
âAlright, Iâll make it up to you next time, okay?â
âReally?â
âOf course.â
âLove you, my dear wife!â
Katherineâs heart skipped a beat. âWhoâs your wife? Weâre not married yet, donât call me that.â
âIsnât it just a matter of time?â
Katherine sat up. âDo you really want to marry me?â
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