Chapter 437

**Chapter 437**
**Gavin’s POV**

I never expected to see my mother here. I stood there, staring at her in disbelief while she looked back and forth between me and Judy.

Judy was frozen in place, a mix of shock and confusion on her face. We both tried to process what was happening. It felt surreal.

I stood a good distance away from her, and it took all my strength not to reach out and pull her back into my arms. I wanted to hold her tightly and never let her go. But I held back because my mother was watching me.

I stood in front of my mother, and it felt like she had just slapped me. We hadn’t spoken in almost a month since she tried to set me up with Daisy for the hundredth time. Now, here she was, looking at me with a mix of concern and frustration.

I knew there would be questions I needed to answer, but right now, I was on a date, and she needed to respect that.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” I said to her.

“I didn’t think fairs were your thing,” I said, raising my eyebrows.

“I could say the same to you,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “I would ask what made you decide to come, but I think I already know.”

“To a place like this… but I see the answer is standing right next to you. It’s nice to see you again, Judy.”

“Nice to see you again.”

Have they met before?

When did this happen, and why didn’t either of them mention it?

“Did any of them say anything to me about this?”

I turned to look at Judy. Her cheeks were red, and she seemed to struggle to keep her eyes from drifting toward my mother. Instead, she stared at the ground, clearly feeling uneasy.

Judy was nibbling on her lower lip, a sign of her nerves. I had begun to notice this habit of hers.

“It’s good to see you too,” she murmured, but I could tell she didn’t really mean it. I noticed how she was avoiding eye contact, which made it clear she was uncomfortable.

Her cheeks were flushed, and it was clear that their last meeting hadn’t gone well.

“I didn’t know you two knew each other,” I said directly, hoping to encourage one of them to speak up and explain what was going on.

“Oh yes. We met at the Whimsical Whisk the other day,” my mother said. “We exchanged some pleasantries while passing by.”

I clenched my jaw. I recognized the look on my mother’s face. Their exchange was anything but casual.

I wanted to find out exactly what was said, but I decided to keep quiet for now. I would ask Judy about it later to get all the details. Right now, my focus was on getting Judy away from her current situation because she seemed overwhelmed.

She looked like she might faint at any moment.

“Oh, Gavin. It’s great to see you,” another voice said as someone stepped beside my mother.

I froze when I saw who it was.

Daisy handed my mother a bottle of water and turned to face us, her smile brightening her face. But when she noticed Judy standing beside me, her smile faded a little.

“And Judy… I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to see you here,” Daisy said.

Daisy looked at Judy and said, “You’re hanging onto his arm like a lost puppy.” She narrowed her eyes, clearly not impressed.

“That’s enough,” I said as I stepped in front of Judy. I wanted to block her view of Daisy and her companion, and their view of Judy. I knew this was going to get messy if I didn’t intervene.

She wasn’t going to let them make fun of her or embarrass her. “What are you two doing here? This isn’t Landry’s place, so I figured you had no reason to be here,” she said firmly.

“Can’t we just go to a fair because we enjoy it?” they replied.

“Do you really like roller coasters and cotton candy?” Daisy asked, raising her eyebrows.

“I absolutely do!” I replied, a smile forming on my face.

As I listened to her, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at her enthusiasm. Then, I turned back to my mother.

—

Chapter 437

I was lost in thought, thinking about all the fun times I had at the amusement park. Daisy’s excitement reminded me how much I loved those carefree days filled with laughter and thrills.

“I’m not buying it,” I said firmly. “What are you up to, mother?”

“I’m insulted that you think so little of me,” my mother replied, her brows furrowed. “We are here to enjoy…”

ourselves together, just like you are. It’s a complete coincidence that we all happen to be here at the same time.”

“The firework display is about to begin,” Daisy told my mother. “We should go and get a good spot.”

“Good seats. We’ll see you later, Gavin.” She started to walk away, brushing past Judy, but then paused. “It was so nice to see you again, Judy. I really hope we can talk again soon.”

My mother started to leave, but before she did, she gave me a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. As she turned to Judy, I could have sworn I saw Judy flinch, as if she thought my mother might hit her or something.

“I’ll see you later,” my mother said.

“I’ll find you soon,” she promised before turning and following Daisy away.

I watched them go, my lips pressed into a scowl as they vanished into the crowd. Once they were out of sight, I turned to look at the surroundings.

Judy looked very pale. Her breathing had worsened, and for a moment, I feared she was about to have a panic attack.

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