SWNOVELS Chapter 20
Chapter 20
“Charles, you-“Naomi gaped at the hampers strewn across Charles’s trunk, unsure of how to react. She did not expect him to prepare such lavish gifts when visiting her parents; she simply invited him for a simple meal! Although she knew that Charles was just doing this out of courtesy, she could not help feeling this was a little much.
Charles prepared so many items that both his hands were soon full. When he noticed the look on Naomi’s face, he realized that he must have come off too strong and quickly explained, “I didn’t know what your parents liked, so I bought a little bit of everything. I hope that’s alright.”
Naomi never met anyone who would go to such great lengths to treat her parents like this, so she was a little stunned. Finally, after a long pause, she replied, “Of course it’s alright, Charles. Thank you.
“No, don’t thank me. In a way, I also wanted to thank you for helping me this time.”
Naomi, knowing Charles, tried to distract him so they did not need to linger on this subject any longer. “Come on, I’ll bring you upstairs.”
“Okay.”
The two of them made their way up to Naomi’s floor.
Meanwhile, on the balcony, Donna and Dean grinned as they watched this scene unfold beneath them. Donna was beaming so hard her face was about to split open. “See, I knew it! That boy likes our Naomi!”
Although Dean tried his best to stifle his excitement, he could not hide the smile on his face. “Come on, they’re coming upstairs now. We’d better get ready.”
“Okay!”
When Naomi and Charles entered the door, Dean and Donna were busying themselves in the kitchen. They emerged from the kitchen as soon as they heard noises.
Charles greeted Naomi’s parents obediently, and Naomi quickly introduced them to each other.
“Why did you buy so much stuff, Charles? You didn’t have to!”
“Of course, I had to. I wanted to pay my respects, Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin.”
“You didn’t have to, Charles. You’re Naomi’s friend, so we treat you as a part of our family. Please
dor be so courteous to us!”
“No i
fine, Mrs. Goodwin. I didn’t know what you and Mr. Goodwin liked, so I bought a little of everything. I hope you like it.”
“Of course we do, darling! We appreciate the effort you put in!”
For some reason, Naomi could not help feeling that her parents were acting exceptionally friendly toward Charles, even more so than usual.
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The four of them shared a peaceful breakfast, and soon it was time for Naomi and Charles to set off.
The moment Naomi picked up her suitcase, Charles snatched it out of her hand. “I’ll get it.”
“No, it’s fine, Charles. It’s not even that heavy.”
“I’ll help you with this, Naomi. It’s okay. There’s plenty more chances for you to help me when we arrive in Ditch County later.”
“Okay.”
Dean and Donna were beaming from car to car at this sight.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin. Naomi and I have to get going now but don’t worry, I promise to take good care of her.”
“Yes, we trust you. Have fun!”
Naomi bade her parents goodbye and left with Charles.
The moment they walked out the door, Dean and Donna sprinted onto the balcony to watch Naomi and Charles get into the car. When the car finally peeled out of the gate, Donna finally let slip a giggle. “My dear, what do you think of that boy? He seems like a nice man.”
“I agree.” Dean nodded, smiling.
“That boy’s very considerate. He put a lot of thought into buying those gifts for us. Did you notice
that?”
“Yes, I did. It’s clear that he likes Naomi very much.”
“He’s a marvelous young man! He’s even better than that boy Naomi married–kind, considerate, and he seems to like Naomi very much. I’m certain that Naomi will be very happy if she chooses to settle down with him!”
Dean, however, frowned when he heard this. Donna noticed this and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“This boy’s from Willowstown too.”
“Is he? Well-”
“We’ll just have to see how this goes.”
“You’re right. It’s no rush. I can’t believe she’s found another man from Willowstown. I can’t bear for her to leave us again.
As Charles pulled onto the speedway, Naomi booked their hotel room from her phone.
Ditch County was a popular tourist spot that attracted people from all over the country with its magnificent mountain views. Since it thrived on tourism, there were naturally a myriad of hotels and resorts to choose from, and Naomi spent a lot of time sifting through the various options.
Charles could not help glancing at Naomi out of the corner of his eye as he drove.
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She was scrolling on her phone, her eyes fixated intently on the screen.
Charles was exceptionally nervous that morning, especially at the moment when he stepped through the front door. However, Dean and Donna’s warmth gradually cased his anxiety and he was able to converse with them very well. He could tell from their reactions that they liked him very much, as he
did them.
Charles could not help letting out a sigh of relief at this thought.
Ditch County was about two hours away from Horizon City, and although it was not too far, it was still a long distance to drive. As soon as she finished booking the hotel, Naomi turned to Charles and said, “Charles, you must’ve woken very early today. I can switch with you at the next rest station so you can get a nap.”
Charles smiled at this. “It’s okay. I slept quite early last night so I’m very well rested today. How about you? I’m sure you must’ve gotten up early this morning to wait for me. Why don’t you take a snooze and I’ll wake you when we’re there?”
Naomi shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I don’t feel tired.”
“Alright then. Why don’t you keep me company? Can you tell me a little bit about Ditch County and its culture?”
Since it was boring having to drive for two hours straight, he wanted Naomi to keep him occupied by chatting with him.
Naomi nodded. “Okay.”
The two of them engaged in conversation about their destination, and along the way, Naomi played the role of a responsible passenger and guided Charles in the right direction toward Ditch County. Two hours passed by in the blink of an eye.
They rolled in at the hotel Naomi booked around 10 a.m.
Although Naomi hailed from Ditch County, she and her parents moved to Horizon City when she was young, so they did not own any property in Ditch County. Not to mention, Ditch County’s flourishing tourism made it increasingly hard to buy any property here.
Charles handed his identification card to Naomi so she could check them in.
Naomi still had no idea that Charles had a crush on her, and she treated him like a friend. Charles knew this, but he did not mind. He did not want to showcase his feelings toward her in such early stages for fear that she would be put off by his feelings.
Therefore, he was content with continuing to remain friends with Naomi.
By the time they finished settling in, it was already 11 a.m. Naomi and Charles decided to go for lunch and then visit Azalea Hills, which was one of the most famous attractions in Ditch County, known for its array of beautiful azaleas and other botany. Azalea Hills had unique soil conditions which was conducive to the growth of a beautiful myriad of fauna. Therefore, millions of avid botany and
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agriculture fanatics would visit Azalea Hills every year.
Charles already told Naomi of the plants he needed, and after doing some research, Naomi decided that Azalea Hills was the perfect place for them to get these plants. Therefore, she already bought the tickets to Azalea Hills online to save them the hassle.
After a quick lunch, the two of them hiked up to Azalea Hills.
However, not long after they departed, Charles received a call from Sean.