When Love is a Question Mark
Chapter 150: Silly Guy

Chapter 150: Silly Guy

Timmy gripped his phone tightly, as if it were a prized possession. He couldn’t contain the joy bubbling inside him.

Before he even realized it, he let out a small cheer, pumping his fist into the air. His heart felt light, and his face lit up with an unguarded smile. He laughed to himself, a little breathless from the surge of excitement.

"I did it!" he said aloud, the words sounding almost foreign to his own ears. He couldn’t help but grin wider. It was like he’d just achieved something monumental—like a schoolboy who had finally caught the attention of his longtime crush.

Timmy stopped mid-step, feeling a bit self-conscious as he looked around to make sure no one was watching. But when he saw the empty space around him, he let out another laugh, softer this time, shaking his head at his own reaction.

"Get it together," he murmured, running a hand through his hair, though the grin stayed firmly in place. His mind replayed the way Lily had smiled at him, her calm yet teasing tone lingering in his thoughts. She hadn’t just been polite—she’d seemed genuinely comfortable with him.

That thought alone made his chest swell with a warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time.

He glanced down at his phone again, pulling up her contact. Her picture—the one he had nervously taken just moments ago—smiled back at him. His thumb hovered over her name as if testing the reality of it.

"One step at a time," he reminded himself with a small laugh. But the schoolboy-like giddiness refused to fade.

---

Lily leaned back on the bed, the soft hum of the hotel room’s air conditioning filling the quiet. The day had been long, but instead of feeling exhausted, she found herself smiling. She thought about Timmy’s reaction earlier, the way he had gone completely shy and flustered when she took his picture. It was endearing, to say the least.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, unlocking it to bring up her contacts. There it was—his profile. Timmy’s picture stared back at her, a snapshot of his nervous yet adorable expression. She had added it without thinking much about it earlier, but now, looking at it again, she couldn’t help but smile wider.

"To be honest," she murmured to herself, "he looks adorably handsome in his own way."

Her smile softened as memories from earlier came flooding back. The truth was, Timmy had caught her attention even before their island-hopping trip. She remembered the way his gaze had lingered on her that first day, his expression almost comically wide-eyed when he thought she wasn’t looking. She had glanced around the group, pretending not to notice, but she’d seen him staring.

At the time, she had brushed it off as just another silly reaction she often got from people. But there was something different about him. His nervousness didn’t seem forced, nor did his admiration feel calculated. It was genuine.

Back then, she’d kept her expression calm and professional, as always. She was on the job, and professionalism was her priority. No matter how amusing or interesting someone seemed, she wouldn’t let herself waver. But even with her strict demeanor, she couldn’t help but catch him looking her way again and again during the trip.

"I must’ve caught him at least five times," she thought with a chuckle. He hadn’t been subtle at all. Yet she’d pretended not to notice, letting him think he was sneaky.

She exhaled and sat up, brushing her fingers lightly over her phone screen. "I’ve met so many guys like him," she thought aloud. Over the years, she had learned to recognize the telltale signs when someone was interested. And Timmy? He wore his heart on his sleeve, plain as day.

Still, it wasn’t like she was a stranger to attention. She had met countless men—some more forward than Timmy, others far more confident. But none of them had ever made her feel what she wanted to feel. It always started well enough, full of excitement and interest, but it never lasted. Something would always feel off, and eventually, she couldn’t see a future with them.

Most of her relationships, if they could even be called that, had been fleeting moments. Nothing had ever stuck.

She tilted her head, studying Timmy’s picture. "He’s not even my type," she admitted, her voice soft. The kind of man she usually liked was confident, exuded charm, and carried himself with an effortless masculinity. Someone commanding, someone who could match her in both strength and presence.

Timmy, on the other hand, was... different. He was sweet, shy, and almost puppy-like in his demeanor. He didn’t fit her usual list of qualities at all. And yet... she found herself smiling again.

She couldn’t deny it. There was something about his awkwardness, his sincerity, that tugged at her. Every time he stuttered while talking to her or avoided her gaze out of nervousness, she found herself wanting to laugh—not in mockery, but because it was so endearing. He was like a shy puppy, and despite herself, she was drawn to him.

Her thoughts drifted back to that moment on the boat, when she had saved him from drowning. The memory was vivid—his panic, her desperation to reach him, and the relief she felt when she pulled him back to safety.

It hadn’t just been about saving a life. For her, it was something deeper. The suffocating weight she’d felt earlier, the pain of being reminded of James and the loss she couldn’t prevent, had been crushing. But saving Timmy... that had changed something.

For the first time in a long while, she felt like she had made a difference. She had succeeded where she once felt helpless. No one was lost this time. She had saved him, and that success lifted a heavy burden she hadn’t even realized she was carrying.

Lily let out a soft sigh and leaned back against the pillows, her phone still in her hand. She hadn’t told anyone how much that moment meant to her. To everyone else, it was just a routine rescue. But to her, it was more than that—it was a reminder that she could still make a difference.

Her fingers hovered over Timmy’s picture again. "Silly guy," she whispered, her lips curving into another smile. He wasn’t the type she usually noticed, yet here she was, thinking about him far more than she should.

Maybe it was his innocence. Maybe it was the way he looked at her like she was someone extraordinary. Or maybe it was just the way he made her smile without even trying.

Whatever it was, Lily couldn’t deny that Timmy had left an impression. And as she stared at his picture, she realized she didn’t mind that one bit.

Her moment was interrupted when her phone rang; it was Victoria calling her. Her thoughts raced—she had to solve that case first.