Whispers Turn to Whimpers: Could He Ever Change? novel Chapter 1163

As soon as those words left Joyce’s mouth, Galen’s face darkened by several shades.

He already had a pretty deep complexion, so it wasn’t easy to tell. But Sherilyn—being his big sister—caught it immediately.

“Hey, let’s not—”

Sherilyn quickly snatched the menu from him and flashed Joyce a smile. “Come on, he’s not a kid—he’s only two years younger than us! He’s a grown man now. And a real gentleman always lets the ladies go first, right? So, why don’t you pick?”

“Uh, are you sure that’s okay?” Joyce raised an eyebrow, a little skeptical.

“Absolutely,” Galen said, finally relaxing a bit, and nodded at her with a small smile. “Go ahead—order what you want.”

“Well, if you say so…”

Joyce, never one to overthink, just shrugged it off.

“I’m starting, then…”

Sherilyn sat back, quietly watching the two of them, feeling the mood shift in a way she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

Once they’d put in their orders, the food came out—burgers, fries, a big Caesar salad, the works. The three of them laughed and joked as they dug in.

Then Joyce’s phone rang.

“Gimme a sec, I gotta take this…”

She glanced at the screen, took a deep breath, and slid her finger across to answer. “Hey, Mom…”

On the other end, her mother’s voice was muffled, but whatever she was saying, Joyce was clearly not impressed.

“Mom! How many times are you gonna say it? I got it, okay? It’s tonight, right? Don’t worry, I won’t forget. Yeah, yeah, okay. Bye.”

She ended the call and dropped her head into her hand, looking miserable.

Sherilyn shot Galen a look and then asked gently, “What did Jacquetta want now?”

Joyce sighed, scrunching her nose. “Mom set me up on a blind date. Tonight.”

“A blind date?” Sherilyn glanced over at her brother, eyebrows raised.

“I’m fine…” Galen shook his head, obviously lying.

Sherilyn let it go with a raised eyebrow. If he wasn’t ready to talk, she wouldn’t push him.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Yeah…”

They’d barely made it two steps before Galen stopped again, calling out, “Sis!”

Sherilyn turned back, already guessing what was coming. “What is it? You know you can tell me anything, right? Need a favor? Don’t get all shy with me.”

Galen hesitated, struggling with himself, his heart thumping like a drum.

Finally, he took a deep breath and blurted out, “Sis…what do you think of me, as a person?”

Sherilyn blinked, then let out a laugh. “To me? You’re great, obviously. But it’s not my opinion that matters, is it? It’s what Joyce thinks.”

Galen stared at her in shock—he hadn’t even said anything, and she’d already guessed what was on his mind.