Husband With Benefits-Chapter 599: Does He Know

"Arabelle..."

Autumn and Nora spoke up at the same time, then looked at each other. Autumn wondered if Nora had some sort of sixth sense. How did she know that Autumn was thinking about Gabe’s first wife and wanted to talk about her?

She looked at Nora eagerly, hoping for any information, while Nora stared back at her with the same anticipation. This made Autumn frown. Why was Nora looking at her like that?

"What about Arabelle?" Autumn asked curiously. Would Nora tell her that Gabe was probably missing his wife at this time? He hadn’t even looked at her once since coming here. She had read rumors that his wife had been pregnant when she passed away. That would have been so painful.

Nora’s eyes widened slightly before she spoke while looking at Autumn carefully. "I was actually asking about your sister- Arabelle. I’m sure you didn’t leave her in B-town. So, where is she?"

Autumn gave an embarrassed smile. "Oh, right. We left little Arabelle at the daycare downstairs. She was really tired and needed some rest."

Nora’s expression softened. "That makes sense. She must have been exhausted after all the travelling."

"Yeah, she was," Autumn replied, relieved but also worried that the conversation wasn’t about Gabe’s first wife after all. She glanced at Nora, feeling a bit more at ease. "I’m sure she’ll be full of energy again after a good nap." And then looked away.

It was why she missed Nora sending a considering look her way and staring at her carefully. Nora noticed the slight tension in Autumn and the way she kept darting glances at Gabe with that confused look on her face...

Nora then looked to turn at Gabe who had yet to look at Autumn even once and then... a small smile graced her face. So, something was bothering Autumn and it was probably related to Arabelle. And Gabe knew something was bothering his wife. He was keeping an eye on her... or at least on her reflection from the glass on his side. Idiotic but also smart.

And then it struck her... Arabelle! Autumn had not known Gabe’s dead wife’s name the last time they met. And knowing Gabe, he’d probably not taken the name for any reason. But now... Autumn knew...

"Autumn? Can I ask you something?," Autumn turned her head to look back at Nora who’d called out her name and raised her brows.

"Hmm.. Arabelle..." Autumn stiffened. Usually she was happy to talk about her sister but just now she was too antsy... However, Nora seemed to be unaware of her turmoil and continued," The name is quite uncommon, isn’t it?"

Autumn nodded but then shook her head. How was it uncommon. Gabe knew two people by the same name. She looked at Nora carefully and realized that the woman knew. And that look gave her the courage to blurt out," How is it uncommon? Gabe’s wife also had the same name."

Nora smiled then, a beautiful smile that even had Autumn blink as she put her arm through Autumn’a and leaned in conspirationally," So, you do know her name."

"Did he tell you about her? Has he opened up?"

Autumn shook her head," Someone else told me that his wife shared the same name with my sister... They implied that... the name was the reason he is..."

Nora’s smile disappeared at that as she questioned Autumn quietly," I see. And what did Gabe say when you questioned him about this?"

"I didn’t."

Nora breathed in deeply then. So this was what the tension was about. "Why not? Do you also think that the implication is correct?"

Her head snapped up at this and as she looked at Nora, she shook her head," No. I didn’t think that. When we met, he had not known that Arabelle was my sister."

"But now you think that could be the reason he is staying together? That he is so intent on protecting her?"

Slowly, Autumn nodded her head. "I see. But isn’t that why you married him in the first place? For Arabelle. So why are you uncomfortable with Gabe having the same sentiment. He has formed a bond with your little sister and even if he is part of this temporary family because the little girl shares her name with his dead wife, what is wrong with that?"

"Nothing is wrong with that..." Autumn answered with irritation. What was wrong of course. It was wrong somehow, she wanted to scream!

"Actually, I think something is wrong with that thinking..." Nora said and as Autumn turned to stare at her, she continued," The reason for the marriage matters, of course it does. But you said yourself he married you not because of Arabelle. So of course reducing his decision to just this because of a name is wrong. He cars about you as much as he cares for the little Arabelle."

Autumn blinked at this as she tried to understand what Nora was saying. But, she whispered," How do you know he cares for me?"

"Because he hasn’t taken his eyes off you for a single moment."

Autumn scoffed at that as she looked at Gabe, whose head was even now turned away as he was talking quietly to Ian.

"Unless he’s got eyes on the side of his head as well, he hasn’t looked at me even once."

"You’re wrong, babe. He’s been keeping an eye on you from that mirror on the opposite side. You want to bet?"

"You’re wrong. Okay, I’ll bet." Autumn decided, somehow taking up the challenge that Nora had thrown her way.

Nora nodded and quickly laid out the terms," If I win, you’ll ask him about Arabelle tonight itself. And if you win, I’ll tell you about her. Agreed?"

Autumn barely thought for a moment and nodded," Agreed. But how are we going to know..."

She’d barely finished talking when Nora subtly pinched her on the arm causing her to jerk her arm away. She was about to question her about what that was for when a shadow fell over her," Are you okay? Why did you pull your arm suddenly? Is there something..."