Chapter 426.

Chapter 426.Chapter 426. A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words, but a Picture Does Not Do You Justice. (1/3)

When I returned to Dawn’s side, she complained, “That must have been the longest number one of your life.”

“Haha, it really was. Sorry to keep you waiting. We can go now.”

“Weren’t yuh waiting for a text from an acquaintance of yours and planning to meet them here?”

“I got the text while I was in the washroom so I went and met up with them as soon as I finished. That’s what took me so long to get back.”

It wasn’t a lie. The sequence of events did sort of play out like that.

“I see. Who was it yuh met exactly though?”

“Does it matter?”

“Well, you’re being super sneaky about it. It’s like you’re trying to hide yuh went to meet up with a mistress or something. Does Rosa know about this acquaintance of yours?”

“Yeah, she knows.”

“Does she really or are yuh lyin?”

“It’s the truth.”

“Was that acquaintance a woman?”

“Yes.”

“What’s her name?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“So I can let Rosa know and verify whether you’re telling the truth.”

“Haaaah. Their name is Wisteria. You’re free to ask her if she knows Wisteria right now if you want.”

I held out Dawn’s phone to her. On my way back I’d already uploaded the video somewhere safe and deleted it from her phone. Thankfully she didn’t have a passcode set on her phone. I guess she wasn’t as concerned about people snooping since she had nothing to really hide. She also seemed to be an airhead so she might just be worried she’d forget the passcode.

“Ah. I completely forgot you had it.” She really was quick to prove my point about her being an airhead. If she was a girl living in the city, there wouldn’t be a second where she didn’t have her phone in hand.

“Let’s go now. It’s pretty late. We’ve still got to install the battery in your pickup truck.”

“Oh yeah. Hurry up, let’s go. Rosa’s also waiting for you.”

I sent Rosa a heads-up text letting her know we were finally heading back to the pickup truck and that we should be there in an hour.

I received a burst of texts back.

‘Slow!’

‘So freaking slow!’

‘It’s about damn time!’

She raised her legs straight up in the air and said, “Look, I can see them just fine if I do this.”

“It doesn’t count if you do that. You need to be standing up straight.”

“... I won’t get fat,” Dawn grumbled as her legs dropped back down.

As we bantered back and forth, I installed the battery while she relaxed on the roof of the pickup truck and watched the sun as it drifted further below the horizon. By now, only about 5% of the sun could be seen just barely peeking out over the edge.

“The view in the city was pretty exciting, but I’m much more used to this. This is the scenery I’m most accustomed to seeing every day. I’ve seen it so many times that it’s gotten boring. But today... right now at least... I can’t help but feel relaxed... and at peace...”

“It is quite a nice view. I guess if you see it every day it’d probably get stale though.”

Dawn didn’t respond.

I stood up and peeked over the hood to check on her, worried that she might have started daydreaming again. Her eyes were shut closed and her breathing was steady as her chest heaved up and down rhythmically. Thankfully, it seems she’d only fallen asleep. I didn’t bother to immediately wake her up and I continued installing the battery.

Vrrrrr. Vrrrrr. Vrrrrr.

When I only had two more nuts to tighten I heard a vibrating sound.

I pulled out my phone and confirmed it wasn’t mine. I stood up, looked over the hood again, and noticed the roof under Dawn was vibrating a bit. It seemed it was her phone.

It was likely her father. Seriously, now he’s calling her? Does this man not check his texts either? Considering his full voice mailbox... I guess it was possible.

“Hey, Dawn, your phone’s ringing. Would you wake up already? Seriously, answer it, it’s probably your father.”

“...”

“He’s going to be worried if you don’t pick it up.”

“...”

Not only a daydreamer but a heavy sleeper. Truly the worst combination. Looking at her right now, I couldn’t help but be reminded of a sloth.

I climbed up the back of the pickup truck and leaned over her body. I put my left hand down on the roof and placed my right hand on her shoulder to shake her awake. But as if the stars aligned and I was cursed, an unexpected disaster fell upon me without warning. My left hand slipped off the side, down the windshield.

Of course... of course it came.

The ironic end to this day’s encounter, right as the sun sank all the way beneath the horizon and the sky descended into darkness.

Awakening sleeping beauty with a kiss.

With our lips connected together, Dawn’s serene eyes slowly opened up.

She didn’t freak out.

But... I naturally did. I quickly pushed off the hood and pulled my face back away.

“Sorry, that was an accident.”

“An... accident?”