Chapter 3 The Taste of What Changed

I glanced at Jace. Then, I lifted my glass and took a small sip, brushing him off. "Jet lag. I just got back to the country. I'm a little tired."

Simon, who had seated himself across from me, leaned over and handed me a slice of cobbler, smiling gently. "Have some. It's good and your favorite peach cobbler."

I knew he was trying to ease the tension between us. I reached out and accepted it, but didn't eat right away. Instead, my gaze drifted to Brooke, who was taking small, delicate bites of her cobbler across from me.

She ate quickly, though still moving with a certain refinement. However, a bit of cream accidentally brushed against the corner of her lips without her noticing.

Simon noticed almost immediately. He shook his head fondly as he picked up a napkin and carefully wiped it away for her.

Simon had always been good at making desserts.

Back then, I would pester him endlessly whenever I craved something sweet. I wouldn't stop begging until he made it for me. He never got annoyed. Instead, he took lessons from pastry chefs.

In the beginning, he had been clumsy, and I always found him hurt. Nevertheless, he would personally serve the desserts he made with his hands wrapped in layers of bandages from burns to me.

There had only ever been one portion—mine, never Brooke's.

It had belonged to me alone.

It was only later that he reluctantly started making two portions. That only happened after I had felt a little guilty and begged him repeatedly to make one for Brooke too, so much so that he nearly got upset with me.

Back then, Simon would always say, "If you like it, I'll make desserts for you every day from now on."

When I gobbled up the tasty treat, I had once asked him quietly, "What happens when I get married? No… what happens when you get married? Will I still get to eat them?"

Simon had laughed, bending down to ruffle my head. "I'll still make them for you even if we do get married. I'll make desserts for you forever."

Forever.

People really did change far too quickly.

"Grace?" Simon called out softly.

He seemed to think I was overthinking, noticing I had been staring blankly at the cobbler in Brooke's hand. So, he quickly explained, "I got the same peach cobbler for both you and Brooke. There's no difference. Aren't you going to try it? I remember you used to love pea—"

I set the cake back on the table, cutting him off flatly, "You remembered wrong. I'm allergic to peaches. The one who likes peach is Brooke."

The gentle expression on Simon's face froze. He paused for a moment before it seemed to register. "Sorry. I must have misremembered."

Jace, who was sitting next to me, said nothing. Instead, he stood up, clearly about to get me a different slice of dessert.

I stopped him.

The atmosphere had become unbearably strange. Then again, how could it not be when it was suffused with Jace's heaviness, Adrian's complicated looks, Simon's awkwardness, and Brooke's hesitant, almost guilty glances.

I was already tired of it, and I'd barely been here for five minutes.

"If you have something to say, just say it," I said plainly. "I won't be staying in the country for long. I'll be returning to Westeria once holiday's over."

Jace blurted almost immediately, "You're going back so soon? You're not planning to stay longer this time?"

I shook my head and answered decisively, "No. I'll be finishing my PhD next year, and I still have research to complete. Even if I do return in the future, I'll probably stay in Liberty Falls more often. I won't be coming back to Creston."

Silence fell over the group.

Then, a soft, fragile voice broke in.

Brooke took a deep breath, as if finally gathering her courage, and apologized. "Grace… I'm sorry about that dress back then. I know you couldn't have ruined it. I was just too upset at the time. I didn't mean for them to misunderstand you or isolate you.

"By the time I calmed down and wanted to apologize, the housekeeper told me you had already left the country."

As she spoke, Brooke grabbed my hand, crying hard. Tears fell one by one onto the back of my hand. They felt warm at first, but those droplets quickly turned cold.

They felt just like the rain that had poured down the day I left in disgrace.

Simon was the first to shove me to the ground. "Look at how you've frightened Brooke! She's been defending you this whole time, saying you didn't do it on purpose! You need to reflect on yourself, Grace!"

Then, Adrian looked at me grimly and forced me to apologize to Brooke. "You need to be reasonable, Grace. Apologize to Brooke and promise her that it won't happen again. Only then will I calm Simon down."

And finally, Jace, who had been my boyfriend at the time.

I had believed he would trust me. We had been together for three years, which meant over a thousand days and nights. We had loved each other deeply, even promised to get engaged after graduation.

Yet, Jace hadn't looked at my disheveled state when he arrived; he hadn't reached for my cold hands. Instead, his gaze had fallen first on Brooke, who was crying on the sofa. He had lingered there for a few seconds in concern before finally turning to me.

When he saw me dragging my suitcase along with me, his brows had immediately drawn together. "Grace, don't try to run away from your mistakes by running away. That's not how you solve anything."