His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 87: A Trip to Grandma's

The coffee table was already tidied up.

Iris felt a little bummed. She stared at Julian's door, wanting to knock.

She could tell he was probably let down. He probably thought she'd made up an excuse to get out of it.

All she had to do was knock on his door and make the first move.

Then they'd be real husband and wife, like they should be.

Maybe they wouldn't have to sleep in separate rooms anymore after that.

Be brave, Iris!

Iris cheered herself on in her head, but her feet wouldn't move. That stupid shyness and second-guessing held her back.

When it came to stuff like this, she knew she was a coward.

In the end, she couldn't bring herself to knock. She went back to her room, shut the door, and climbed into bed.

She told herself it was too late tonight. There would be another chance.

*****

The next day was Saturday.

No alarm to bug her, Iris slept in until she woke up on her own.

Maybe because she was in a good mood, she got up feeling totally energized. She washed up and then tied her hair into a bun. She slipped on a white short-sleeve T-shirt and a knee-length apricot skirt. She looked simple and sweet.

She almost never wore skirts.

But today was the weekend, and Julian would be home.

Girls dress up for the people they like. She had a little of that feeling going on.

She checked herself in the mirror. She was way prettier than usual, but she still wasn't happy. She grabbed some lip balm and put a thin layer on.

She fussed with her hair and clothes for a minute and then walked out of her room.

Julian was sitting on the living room sofa scrolling through his phone. He heard her open the door and looked up.

Iris's cheeks turned pink. She walked over to him.

A soft smile spread across Julian's handsome face, his eyes warm.

He set his phone down and held out his hand.

Iris walked over and placed her hand in his.

Julian took her soft hand, pulled her gently, and lifted her onto his lap. They were so close, his warm breath brushed her face. He asked in a deep, soft voice, "You're dressed up so nice this morning. You heading somewhere?"

She wasn't even wearing makeup. She just put on a skirt and changed her hairstyle. How was that nice?

She looked shy. She answered in a soft voice, "I'm not going anywhere. I'm just staying home."

Julian's big hand gently brushed the skirt on her thigh. "It looks great. Skirts look good on you."

Iris nodded, looking right into his eyes. She felt a little guilty. "I'm sorry about last night. I..."

Julian laughed and cut her off. "It's all good. I respect whatever you want."

The way he said it made it sound like she didn't want to sleep with him.

Iris felt awkward. She blushed and explained, "After I went back to my room to use the bathroom last night, I took another shower."

Julian's smile got softer. "Didn't you already shower last night?"

"You're so picky about being clean. I had to be even cleaner, right?"

Julian shook his head, smiling softly. He kissed her cheek. "My mistake."

Iris's heart felt warm, full of happiness. Her heart started racing, her cheeks getting hot. She looked at the dining table. "Did you eat breakfast? I'll make you something."

"No need. We're going to my parents' house to eat."

"Huh?" Iris looked shocked.

Julian stroked her thin fingers, speaking softly. "Dad called me. He said Grandma's sick and wants us to go check on her."

Iris got nervous. She stood up and pulled his hand. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier? Come on, let's go see Grandma."

Julian picked up his phone slowly and stood up. "No rush. I just called Grandma. She's feeling pretty good. It's just a regular viral cold. It's contagious, so she doesn't want us over."

"Old people have weak immune systems. Even a regular cold can't be ignored." Iris pulled his big hand and headed for the door.

Julian grabbed his car keys, put on his shoes, and followed her out.

An hour later, they got to Rosehill Estate.

Julian's car drove into the villa and parked in the garage.

Iris got out of the car and walked into the villa side by side with Julian.

In the living room, Jenny was sitting with her legs crossed, holding her phone sideways. She was playing an online game, totally focused, all tensed up.

She heard the noise, turned her head, and glanced at them.

"Julian, you're home?" Jenny said, then ignored Iris completely and turned her eyes right back to the screen.

Julian walked over and took her phone right out of her hand.

"Ah!" Jenny panicked, all flustered. "Julian, what are you doing? Give me my phone back! We're about to win!"

Julian took his time. "You only saw me?"

Jenny looked confused. Normally, Julian never cared if she said hi to Iris or not.

This was weird.

"Good morning, Iris." Jenny greeted Iris without any enthusiasm, then snatched her phone back from Julian and plopped down on the sofa.

"It's all your fault." Jenny pouted. "We didn't win, and I died."

Julian took Iris's hand and walked toward Beatrice's room.

He knocked on the door, then pushed it open gently.

Beatrice was lying in bed looking at her phone. When she saw Julian and Iris come in, her heart skipped a beat. She quickly put her phone down, put on a mask, and sat up fast. "Oh! I told you I'm fine! Why'd you bring Iris here? What if you get sick too?"

"Grandma." Iris greeted her softly, walking over. "How are you feeling?"