James cut her off, "After breaking up, is it really okay to stay friends? And why would Esther want to say goodbye over dinner with you? The Waldorfs have nothing to do with her." His words were harsh, yet nobody could argue against them.
Mobius looked down, realizing he had stepped over a line, and chose to remain silent. However, Esther felt bad for him.
"Why not have dinner together? It's just one meal," she suggested.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtJames could tell Esther was sympathetic. "Fine, but I'm joining too," he said. He wasn't about to let them have talone, fearing they might rekindle their feelings. His years of waiting would have been wasted.
"Is that okay?" Esther looked at Mobius, seeking his consent, knowing this was James's final compromise.
Mobius, feeling a sharp pang of heartache at the sight of Esther pleading on behalf of another man, regretted his invitation. "Of course. He's your friend, so I don't see why not," he said, emphasizing 'friend'.
James caught the jab but let it slide. He took Esther's hand and led her inside, leaving Mobius to watch them go.
Pearl sensed Mobius's pain and patted his shoulder. "You need to let go and move on." "I did let go, Pea, but I don't know why I'm still sad," Mobius admitted, his eyes reflecting his pain.
"It's okay to feel the pain. It's part of moving on. Be proud you loved someone as kind as her. She still wants to be friends, even after everything," Pearl encouraged him.
That brought Mobius scomfort. "I understand," he sighed.
"Con, you're the host. Why are you still out here?" Richard's voice broke in, sounding slightly annoyed.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmMobius guèssed his brother was Pupset about Pearl velcomforting him and was thus hurrying him inside. "Alright, alright," he sighed again. Inside, they found Esther and James on the couch, with Susan chatting with them.
། Susan greeted them with a smile, not showing any sign of annoyance. Having mingled with Enswood's high society for years, she was unfazed by such situations. "It's been a while, Esther. I thought you'd forgotten about us," Susan said warmly.
Esther responded with a shy scratch of her head, recalling the el awkwardness of their last meeting, which ended with her breaking up with Mobius. She couldn't imagine having the audacity to visit again. "I've just been really busy," Esther explained.
"Then make sure to visit more often. I've missed you," Susan said.
It was hard to tell if Susant meant it, but seeing the regret in her eyes, Esther felt ashamed.
"I will," Esther promised, feeling guilty.
Susan then turned her attention to James.