Trading My Ex for His Uncle (Nyla)
Chapter 827

Brandon's gaze deepened as he stepped into the hospital room, shutting the door behind him and settling onto the couch.

Valarie adjusted her blanket, then looked up, only to catch him staring intently at her. The gaze made her bite her lip unconsciously. "There's no extra blanket," she murmured. "If you're really tired, maybe you should just go home. I'm fine on my own now."

After Nyla's visit, she did feel much calmer.

"It's alright. You go to sleep. I'll stay here," Brandon replied.

Valarie glanced at him for a moment before quickly looking away. "Alright. I'll try to sleep then..."

"Okay," Brandon answered.

Valarie pulled the blanket up, hiding beneath it, yet sleep wouldn't come.

The room was quiet, but she couldn't stop thinking about Brandon sitting just across from her on the couch. Her heart pounded, and her hands clenched the blanket, as a faint sheen of sweat dampened her palms. "Can't sleep?" Brandon's gentle voice broke the silence from the couch.

Valarie hesitated, then threw back the blanket and looked his way. "How'd you know I was still awake?"

The room wasn't too cold, and she had been hiding under the covers. Her face was flushed, and her hair was damp with sweat.

The delicate blush on her cheeks reminded Brandon of the first blooms of spring-alluring and tender.

He looked away subtly, his voice steady. "The blanket was moving around quite a bit."

"Oh..." Valarie replied, her cheeks burning.

She wanted to vanish right then and there. Instead, she laughed awkwardly. "I can't really sleep, but it has nothing to do with you. I guess I'm a bit too awake now that t's past my usual bedtime." FindNovel

"Mm, I know," Brandon replied.

The glimmer in his eyes made

Valarie feel seen in a way she wasn't prepared for. She recalled Nyla's words to be honest about her feelings, but this situation was the last place she'd envisioned o

confronting them.

In the past, she had always felt comfortable with Brandon, treating him as a friend and nothing more. Now, even just meeting his eyes made her nervous. This wasn't like her at all.

At the thought, she summoned her courage and looked over at him. "Brandon, do you... want to try things out with me?"

Silence filled the room as her words sank in.

Brandon's gaze grew intense as if the clear sky had turned into a deep ocean, ready to pull Valarie under.

When he didn't respond immediately, her face burned, and she turned away. "Never mind if you don't want to. And just so you know, nothing happened with Zayn. He didn't get the chance..."

Seeing her tense expression,

Brandon sighed and moved closer. "Valarie, it's not that I don't want to× be with you. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here tonight. I just want to make sure this isn't a rushed decision for you. Your emotions are still raw, and I don't want you to regret this."

When Valarie didn't answer, he crouched down to look into her eyes. His voice softened. "Valarie, let's wait until you're out of the hospital. If you still feel the same way, we'll talk then-" Before he could finish, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.