Ambergris Locakboxes Traveled Salt Routes by Hugh Calder 49

Chapter Forty–Nine: My Love.

Cassienne did not push the matter anymore.

She had so many questions sitting on her tongue, especially after what Dreston had just said. She wanted to ask what happened. She wanted to know how Tina could have been pregnant and then suddenly not pregnant anymore. But the moment she noticed the change in Dreston’s mood, she stopped herself.

His face had gone cold again. And his eyes no longer searched hers like earlier. Now, the wall was back up.

So Cassienne swallowed her questions and chose silence instead.

The quiet between them stretched on, thick and uncomfortable, until a hostess finally walked toward them with a polite smile. Her presence broke the tension a little.

“Sir, ma’am, what would you like to have?” the hostess asked softly.

Cassienne glanced at the menu and ordered something simple from the available options. She wasn’t very hungry. Her mind was too full for her stomach to want food. When the hostess turned to Dreston, he didn’t even look at the menu.

“I’ll have whatever she’s having,” he said calmly. Then he added, “And a bottle of champagne.”

The hostess nodded and left.

Apart from that short exchange, they returned to silence again, sitting across from each other like strangers who shared too many memories.

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When the food arrived, Cassienne barely touched it. She ate only a few bites, drank water, then quietly brought out her laptop. She placed it on the small table in front of her and began to work, using it as a shield to avoid looking at Dreston.

As for Dreston, he couldn’t do much other than watch her work.

He did not pretend to be busy. No. He did not look at his phone or laptop. He simply sat there, sipping from his champagne, his eyes fixed on Cassienne as if she was the only thing in the jet worth looking at.

He watched the way she leaned slightly forward when she focused. He noticed how, every now and then, she pushed loose strands of hair behind her ears without even thinking about it. He studied her face, it was calm and serious, beautiful in a quiet way.

She wasn’t trying to impress anyone. She wasn’t putting on a show either.

And yet, she looked more beautiful to him now than she ever had

How did I miss this? he wondered.

How did he spend years with her and fail to truly see her?

His thoughts drifted without permission, moving backward to a conversation he had with Tina not long ago.

“Dreston,” Tina had said carefully, “don’t you think we should get married now?”

He remembered the exact tone of her voice. How hopeful and expectant she sounded.

“Your marriage to Cassienne has always been the reason we couldn’t get married,” Tina had continued. “Now that you’ve finally gotten the divorce you wanted, can we get married now?”

Chapter Forty–Nine My Love

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At the time, Dreston had been unable to answer.

That fact still shocked him till this very moment.

He had promised to marry Tina. And he had held onto that promise for years. He had convinced himself that Cassienne was just an obstacle, a barrier standing between him and the woman he was meant to marry.

So why, now that the road was clear, could he not move forward?

Tina had sensed his hesitation and quickly changed the topic to work. They discussed the upcoming launch of the software Cassienne had designed and developed. Tina gave good ideas for the event, and Dreston had asked her to take them to the PR team.

After that, Tina never brought up marriage again.

But now, sitting in front of Cassienne, watching her fingers move fast across the keyboard, something inside him felt unsettled.

Those small movements–the way her brows pulled together when she concentrated, the soft press of her lips, the calm confidence she carried–were undoing him.

Was it because of the dream he had last night?

Why did it suddenly feel like if Cassienne looked up and asked him to marry her again, he might say yes without thinking twice?

The thought scared him.

He quickly looked away, forcing his eyes toward the window. He felt like he was losing his grip on his own thoughts. Nothing made sense anymore.

The hostess returned with a trolley and began clearing the plates and leftovers. Cassienne closed her laptop briefly to allow her to work, then opened it again once the table was clear.

Dreston barely noticed the hostess.

Moments later, the pilot’s voice came through the speakers, announcing that they would be landing soon.

That announcement finally pulled Cassienne out of her work. She closed her laptop fully and placed it aside. She fastened her seatbelt quietly.

Dreston did the same.

Still, neither of them spoke.

“Are you okay?” Cassienne asked suddenly.

Dreston froze for a second. He hadn’t expected her to speak again.

He turned to her and nodded. “I’m fine,” he said. “And you?”

Cassienne lifted a brow slightly. “Why do you ask?”

“Because you’ve been very quiet,” he replied. “Keeping to yourself.”

She nodded slowly. “I was working,” she said simply.

Dreston hesitated, then spoke again. “Your mom… do you think she will recognize us?”

Chapter Forty Nino My love

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The question wasn’t random.

Last year, during their previous visit, Cassienne’s mother had spoken to them clearly for a few minutes. Then suddenly, her expression had changed. She had looked at them like strangers and asked who they were.

It had been painful. Embarrassing and heartbreaking.

Dreston remembered how helpless he felt that day.

Cassienne sighed softly. “Doctor Marvin said she’s been asking for both of us,” she explained. “She said if we show up, our presence might help her recover faster. She keeps calling our names. That’s a good sign.”

Dreston nodded slowly. “I hope so,” he said. “I really want her to be well.”

Cassienne looked at him.

For just a moment, their eyes locked.

Her heart fluttered, just like it used to. Just like it always did when she looked deeply into his grey eyes.

No matter how hard she tried to protect herself, those eyes still had power over her.

Just then, Cassienne understood something painful but honest.

She could try to hate him. She could pretend she had moved on. But the truth was simple–she would always love Dreston.

She accepted it quietly, like a burden she would carry alone.

The slight swaying of the aircraft broke the moment. They both looked away as the jet touched down and landed smoothly.

Cassienne released the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

She reached for her bag and slowly packed her laptop, tablet, and phone, taking her time while waiting for the jet to come to a complete stop.

Dreston watched her again, a small smile tugging at his lips before he quickly looked away.

Then his phone rang.

He checked the caller ID. And it was Tina.

He hesitated for a second. Then he answered.

“My love,” he said softly into the phone.

That made Cassienne freeze. The words echoed loudly in her ears.

And just like that, the fragile peace inside her shattered again.

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