PAMPERED

326 I found her

Meanwhile, in the backseat of the car, Penny sat quietly on one side while Zoren occupied the other. Ever since they got in, there had been nothing but pure silence. She could hear their own breaths echoing in the confined space.

“Have you ever been on a date before?” he suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

“No,” she replied quickly.

“You’ve never had a boyfriend?”

“No.”

“I see.”

Silence descended once more, prompting Penny to secretly pinch the bridge of her nose. She had acted differently when she parted from Zoren yesterday, but now her strong side was taking charge, whether she wanted it to or not.

“This isn’t a business deal,‘ she chided herself silently. ‘He’s clearly trying to start a conversation. Don’t try to kill the conversation before it even starts!‘

But why did he have to start with that line of questioning? She felt a little defensive because of Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

1. it.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Zoren said, catching her peeking at him. 2

Deep lines formed on her forehead as she noticed the slight curl of his lips. He was looking straight ahead, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that he could see her.

“My first date is with a blind man,” she blurted out, not regretting her comment. “Have you been

on a date before?”

“Many times,” he replied. Her expression twisted with his answer. “I was on a date the day you followed me. Do you remember?”

“And it ended so quickly,” she remarked. “I pity her.”

“I pity her too.”

“Then why end the date so abruptly if you pity her?”

“Because prolonging it when I know she’s not the one I’m looking for would be cruel,” he answered calmly. “Time is precious, don’t you think? If you’re not interested, why waste their

time?”

“If you care about their time so much, you shouldn’t have asked them on a date in the first place.”

“Then, I wouldn’t know if I’m interested or not,” he argued back calmly. “I hope you do not hate

me for it.”

“Why would I hate you for it?” Penny chuckled, shaking her head. “How long do you think this date will last?” she quipped.

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326 I found her

“Until I mess up and you end up splashing me with a glass of water?” Zoren shrugged, making her bite her lip to stifle a laugh. “But one thing’s for sure, it’ll set a record.”

“A record?”

He nodded. “The longest date I’ll ever have.”

“If that’s a compliment, I’m flattered,” she returned with a smirk. “Don’t mess it up, Mr. Pierson.”

He chuckled softly. “I’ll try.”

‘Goodness,‘ Penny thought, pressing her lips together and clearing her throat, feeling more relaxed in his presence now. ‘I don’t know if he’s funny or I just laugh because I like him.’

The earlier awkwardness between them had dissipated, replaced by a sense of peace. Even in

silence, they both felt at ease.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked, casting a sidelong glance at him.

“Would you be mad if I said it’s a surprise?”

“Try me.”

“You’ll find out when we get there.”

Penny chuckled briefly. “Fine. But you should know, I don’t like surprises.”

“Neither do I, usually. But there are exceptions, I believe,” Zoren replied, his eyes now focused on the passing scenery outside, a subtle smile still on his lips. “We’ll get there, eventually.”

“Mhm.” Penny casually gazed out her window, watching the roadside scenery pass by. She blinked slowly, then a question slipped out before she could stop it. “Why was your date plus–sized that day?”

His eyebrows lifted as he glanced at her, finding her still staring out the window on her side. “I was searching for someone, and I thought if I dated all the plus–sized women in the world, I might eventually find her.”

‘Fool,‘ she thought to herself. “May I ask who she is?”

“A past lover.”

This time, Penny looked back at him incredulously. By the time she did, he was already looking at

her.

“Kidding,” he chuckled gently. “Did that make you jealous?”

Penny scrunched her nose in dismay. ‘Why would I be jealous of myself?‘

“I have a friend who means the world to me,” Zoren shared, turning his gaze back to the window, a soft, warm smile on his face. “When I was a child, trapped in a dark tunnel with no way out, she appeared out of nowhere in that darkness. Even without a light to see her way, she took my hand and guided me out.”

“She’s a bit plump and eats a lot. So, I thought of looking for her in that plus–sized group first.” His voice softened as he thought of Penny in his memories. “I made a promise to her, and I

intended to koon it D..t avon I crow tired and imnotiont waiting for her So I thought I’d ha a

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326 I found her

little proactive. Maybe, if I put in some extra effort, we’d eventually meet.”

Penny fell silent as she stared at his profile, an indescribable emotion welling up inside her. She didn’t know how to feel in that moment – touched, sad, angry? Would she cry and tell him the wait was over?

‘I shouldn’t have lost so much weight,‘ she reminded herself, recalling why she had been reluctant to lose too much weight. After all, he had asked her not to lose any weight before.

“She sounds very important to you,” she finally said, forcing a smile and watching him nod. “She means everything to me.”

“Now I feel jealous,” she joked lightly, trying to lighten the mood, hearing his soft chuckle in response. “So, I guess you didn’t find her since you asked me out?”

This time, Zoren didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he took a moment to gaze out the window, as if lost in thought. When his smile grew wide, he turned to face her squarely.

His thick lashes fluttered softly. Zoren stared into her eyes deeply, as if he could see right through her. His gaze carried such intensity, that one might wonder if he truly had vision problems.

“I did,” he whispered, his voice low and cool, his dark eyes shining. “I… found her.” (10