CHAPTER 89: CHAPTER 89: PRETEND COUPLE

When the two of them returned, Erin Bishop went home to move some things again. Mia was left in her mother’s care, and she was going to live with Shannon Quinn from now on.

On the way back, they got some things from the supermarket, bought a large bag with food, daily essentials, and some odds and ends. They still had to ask the supermarket staff to help carry it to the car.

"Shannon, why don’t you teach me how to cook? We can eat at home together from now on."

"Sure, I’ve been staying in more often now and cooking for one feels like quite a hassle."

"Ah, Vincent Rhodes is really missing out. He married such a virtuous woman but doesn’t even realize he’s lucky, leaving you alone."

Shannon glared at her: "Stop mentioning him."

"Tsk, tsk, still telling me to stop mentioning, but since we got in the car, you’ve peeked at those two pocket watches countless times. Who knows if he even appreciates it, while you’re here beaming like anything without a clue!"

Shannon pouted, put the pocket watch back in its box, and turned to look out the car window, imagining the scene of giving him the gift in her mind.

With Vincent’s personality, he probably won’t show any emotion. But he shouldn’t dislike the gift she gave.

Though the couple’s pocket watch idea was a bit cheesy even to her now, would Vincent think she was immature?

As they reached the parking lot and were worrying about how to carry all the stuff up, they saw Ronan Rhodes returning from somewhere.

Without thinking, Erin Bishop waved him over, without any reservation: "Hey! You there, come over."

Ronan locked his car door, saw them, and walked over happily: "You guys going out or just got back?"

"Bought some things, just got back," Shannon answered.

Erin Bishop opened the trunk and patted Ronan on the back saying, "We’re counting on you, handsome, to help us two weak ladies with this."

"Knowing you’re weak and still buying so much?" Though he said this, Ronan very gentlemanly carried the large bag out of the car and asked Erin, "You’re moving in here too?"

"Yeah, remember to bring anything tasty to your sister’s place next door."

"I’m a twin with my brother, came out just seconds after him, calling me brother is more apt."

Mentioning his brother made Shannon glance worriedly at Erin.

Thankfully, she seemed to have adjusted and didn’t show any emotion, instead asking, "Your brother lives here too?"

"No." As they reached the elevator, Shannon pressed the button and as they entered Ronan joked, "But I don’t get it, why are you so infatuated with my brother, that old-fashioned guy? He has no sense of humor, I can’t stand being with him for more than a few minutes, really don’t understand you women."

"Tch, you’re all the same, no good men in the bunch!"

"If men aren’t a bit bad women don’t like them, right? I look quite similar to my brother, didn’t you mistake me before too? I think maybe you should try being with me instead."

Ronan joked, and Erin Bobby slapped his back: "Outrageous! I might end up being your sister-in-law; you better watch your words."

Ronan teased her: "If you want to be my sister-in-law, good luck with that. My brother and the woman now, sweet and loving, stuck together all day long; even if you were to have an affair, you likely wouldn’t stand a chance. The type my brother likes isn’t your feisty style, completely different from your type."

"Who are you calling feisty?!" Erin said, also kicking lightly, but not really. "You’re not your brother; how do you know what his type is? What if he gets tired and wants a change?"

"Even if he changes taste, he wouldn’t pick a retread."

Erin knew, even though Ronan was joking, there was truth in what he said. She knew the odds between her and Zane Rhodes were slim, almost nonexistent.

After a two-second silence, she stubbornly asked Ronan again: "Are they living together then?"

"Why is a boyfriend and girlfriend living together strange? My brother is nearly thirty; you can’t expect him to be a virgin, can you?"

Erin lowered her gaze sadly, sighing as if deflated.

Shannon gently patted her shoulder to comfort her, as the elevator door opened: "We’re here, let’s go."

Ronan carried the stuff ahead, looking back at Erin and saying, "But honestly I also hope he doesn’t stay with that woman; I think she’s not as good as you anyway, I might barely accept you as my sister-in-law."

Erin snarked back, "But your brother isn’t you."

"I’m just saying, they haven’t married or gotten a certificate yet, you’re not entirely out of the running."

Ronan’s words seemed to hit Erin’s weak spot; she paused, Shannon oddly looked at her stopping and asked, "What’s wrong?"

Erin simply smiled at her, hurried ahead to ask Ronan: "Then will you help me or not?"

Ronan stopped and curiously looked at her: "Help you? How?"

"Pretend we’re a couple."

"What?" Shannon and Ronan exclaimed together.

"Let’s bring the stuff inside first, then we can talk slowly!"

Back in Shannon’s place, they laid the items by the door. Shannon poured tea and the three sat on the couch.

Erin said, "We don’t need to meet often. You just need to tell your brother that I’m your girlfriend."

Ronan showed slight guilt, "That’s not good... Although you and my brother aren’t involved now, you were together before. Saying you’re my girlfriend now would feel like a betrayal to him."

"Right, Rona, we can think of a different way." Actually, Shannon mainly feared Erin would fall for Ronan, given he was with some dodgy woman last night.

Yet Erin seemed persistent, saying, "He has someone; would he care who I date?"

"But... this isn’t a bit underhanded?"

"I just want to see..." Erin lowered her gaze, stopping mid-sentence for fear of ridicule.

She wanted to see if Zane still cared about her...

While abroad, contemplating, she envisioned countless scenarios, mostly pessimistic, yet clinging to her tiny hope that maybe he had reasons for leaving, or had someone new because she wasn’t around. Now upon reuniting, might he fall for her again?

Though Erin’s usual love principles were robust; in Zane’s case, she abandoned her principles, even love became meek.