Chapter 7

As I sulked, Blake glanced over at me and shook his head with a smile. Then, he started the car and left Willow's apartment.

"Stop the car! I want to get out. I don't want to ride with you!" I was terrified of being alone with Blake. The thought of what had happened the previous night filled me with fear.

Blake shot a sidelong glance at me and said, "Nate, don't you consider me family anymore?"

"So, you do know you're family... And yet you... you..." I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence.

Blake touched his nose, feeling a little embarrassed, and said, "What did I do? Nate, this is perfectly normal. You'll have to get used to it."

I reacted like a cat that had its tail stepped on. I was very agitated as I retorted, "How is this normal? This isn't normal at all! And what do you mean by 'get used to'? Blake, stop talking nonsense and pull over. Let me get out!"

Blake relented, seeing that there was no other option at the moment. He drove his car to the side of the road and pulled to a stop there.

Then, he turned to me and said seriously, "Nathan, you'll have to get used to it. I've decided that I want you."

I was taken aback by the seriousness and determination in Blake's voice and expression. I was speechless, and my mouth hung open as I stared at Blake.

"Nate, if you don't give me your exact address, I'll just take you to my place."

Blake's words jolted me into action, and I blurted out, "379, Lumina Park of Northdale Street."

Throughout the ride, I was tense and on edge. I was terrified Blake would say something weird or, even worse, do something inappropriate. Blake didn't say anything else the entire way as if he could guess my thoughts.

"Nate, stop picking at your fingernails. Your nails are nearly bare. Which building do you live in?" Blake said, feeling helpless.

I had a habit of picking at my fingernails when I was nervous. I seemed to have had the shock of my life last night. Hence, a change in strategy was necessary.

"Building 15!" I uttered, picking at my fingernails even more aggressively.

"Alright, go on up. Wash up and get some rest." Blake couldn't resist reaching out to ruffle my hair—it felt just as good as it used to.

"Aren't... Aren't you coming up?" I asked.

Blake's actions had caught me off guard. I had been thinking all the way about how to refuse him and how to guard against him. I didn't expect Blake to take a different approach entirely.

"Would you let me come up?"

"Of course not!" I blurted out without thinking.

"Then you should go up. Hopefully, you'll invite me in next time I drop by." As Blake said that, he patted me on the head again.

I pushed away his hand and grabbed my backpack from the back seat. In one swift movement, I turned and hurried to get out of the car.

Blake couldn't help but laugh because I was running away as if some kind of monster was on my heels. He then took a pack of cigarettes from the glove compartment and pulled one out. He lit it and began to smoke.

The smoke blurred the scenery outside. It reminded him faintly of the past when a teenage Blake would walk hand in hand with little me.

He didn't stub out his cigarette until he saw the light of a seventh-floor window turn on.

Upon making sure that I had reached my unit safely, Blake started his car and drove away. Upstairs at the window, the corner of the curtain that had been discreetly lifted now quietly fell back into place.

Even after washing up and lying in bed, I couldn't fall asleep. The events of the previous night kept replaying in my mind with the details magnified. My thoughts became increasingly tangled and chaotic. It wasn't until my phone chimed with a new message notification that I was pulled back to reality.

Silent Willow: "You're home, right? Have you washed up?"

Spring Breeze: "I'm home and getting ready to sleep."

Silent Willow: "Can't sleep, huh?"

Spring Breeze: "How did you know?"

Silent Willow: "You can't sleep because of your cousin, right?"

I was shocked. Could she have heard something last night?

Silent Willow: "Why'd you go quiet all of a sudden? Did I hit the nail on the head?"

Spring Breeze: "How did you know?"

Silent Willow: "I could tell just from the way he looked at you. There's definitely something unusual going on between you two."

I was at a loss for words.

Silent Willow: "Aren't you going to share your story with me, Sis?"

Spring Breeze: "No. I don't wanna. And I'm not your 'Sis'!"

Silent Willow: "Come on, tell me. Your cousin is good-looking and has a great body—he's prime boyfriend material. You should seize the opportunity!"

Spring Breeze: "Have you forgotten that he's a man? Also, aren't we about to get married? Do you realize what nonsense you're saying?"

Silent Willow: "Sorry, your cousin fits the main character in my new story so well that I couldn't help myself."

I found myself rendered speechless once more.

Silent Willow: "Tell me more about your cousin. I'm thinking of shaping the main characters in my new novel based on you two."

Spring Breeze: "I have work tomorrow. I'm going to sleep now."

Silent Willow: "But you can't sleep, remember?"

Spring Breeze: "Thanks for your concern. I can now."

Seriously, even if I couldn't sleep, why would I spend the night chatting about Blake's life? Besides, I knew very well the kind of stories Willow would write about two guys.

After the brief exchange of texts with Willow, I couldn't help but recall my childhood memories with Blake.

As expected, I couldn't sleep that night. When I finally did, I started having those strange dreams again that nearly drove me crazy.

In the morning, by the time I was done washing up, I was almost late for work. I grabbed my backpack and rushed downstairs. When I got to the lobby, I froze up in disbelief.

Was I still dreaming? Why was I seeing Blake here so early in the morning?

Blake was casually leaning against his car, smoking a cigarette. Clad in a white shirt and black trousers, his long legs and broad shoulders exuded raw masculinity.

"Why are you standing there, Nate? Get in the car. You're running late, so I'll take you to school." Blake grabbed my backpack.

Caught up in my thoughts, I went after him and tried to retrieve my backpack. "There's no need! I can take the subway and get to work in no time."

"If you keep dawdling, you really will be late!" Blake ignored my request and opened the car door, gesturing for me to get in.

With my backpack held hostage, I had no choice but to get in the car. If I delayed any longer, I would indeed be late.

Blake put the backpack in the back seat. Then, he took a paper bag from the back and handed it to me.

"Since you left in such a hurry this morning, you probably didn't get to eat breakfast. Here, eat this," he said, pushing the paper bag into my hands.

Now that he mentioned it, I realized that I was indeed hungry. While Blake was focused on driving, I sneaked a look inside the paper bag. I swore that I wasn't planning to eat it—I just wanted to see what was inside.

The moment the sealed paper bag was opened, a delicious aroma wafted out. There was a cup of milk and some waffles inside.

Waffles were my favorite. At that moment, I was torn between what to do. Should I or should I not eat it?

Blake noticed me holding the bag and gulping hesitantly. He held back his laughter and coaxed, "Go ahead and eat. I got it just for you. It won't taste as good if it gets cold. It'd be a shame if I ended up throwing it away."

Throw it away? A teacher would never allow such wasteful behavior! Soon, I lowered my head and surrendered to the delicious food.

"We're here. You should go in."

"How did you know I work here?"

"Now only you're asking that?" Blake smiled at my bewildered expression and reached out to ruffle my hair.

I started moving my head away from Blake's hand. So, Blake clenched his hand and held back. He then said with a smile, "Naomi mentioned it to me before. Go on in, or you'll be late."

After taking my backpack from Blake, I hurried out of the car and ran toward the school building. I arrived right on the dot.

Upon finishing my classes for the day, I walked to the school gate leisurely with my backpack slung over my shoulder. My appearance was that of a college student, but my movements resembled an elderly man taking a stroll in the park. It was an unbelievably stark contrast that would make one do a double-take.

When I reached the gate, my jaw dropped. I checked the time on his watch and saw that it was only 3:00 pm. What was Blake doing here again?

"Get in the car, Nate. I'll give you a ride home," Blake said as he reached for my backpack.

"N-No thanks. I still have some errands to run." I made up an excuse.

"I'll take you there. Where do you need to go?" Blake pressed on.

"I…" I was drawing a blank as to what to say.

"If you can't think of it now, that's fine. Get in the car first. When you remember where you want to go, I'll take you there." With that, Blake pulled me toward the car.

Unable to shake off Blake's grip, I reluctantly got into the car. To ease the awkwardness of being caught in a lie, I tried to make conversation.

I asked, "When did you come back to Southvale? And you got a car? Why aren't you at work today?"

"I came back at the end of last month. The car is a company car, and I'm still technically on leave."

"Oh…"

The atmosphere turned awkward, and some words were left unspoken between us. I didn't want to force myself to strike up a conversation with Blake.

Hold up! What did he say just now? Did he just say he was still on leave? I wondered if this meant Blake intended to continue giving me rides for the foreseeable future.

No way! Absolutely not! Over my dead body!

"We're here. Thanks for the ride, Blake. I'll be going now. Goodbye!" I said hastily as I tried to open the car door, only to find it locked again.

Blake was such a jerk. How long was he going to keep using this trick?

I gritted my teeth and said, "Could you unlock the door, please?"

"Nate, aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?" The sudden shift in topic threw me off.

"It's been days, and we haven't exchanged our contact information. Let's add each other on WhatsApp," Blake said, holding up a QR code for me to scan.

I reluctantly added him. Once the contact information was added, Blake finally unlocked the passenger door.

Without looking back, I grabbed my backpack and rushed out as if I was on the run. Just as I opened the door, I received a new message on my phone.

NatLiebe: "Nate, I'll pick you up at 7:30 am tomorrow."

"In your dreams!" I sneered inwardly. I decided to go to bed early tonight and leave the house at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.

If Blake liked waiting for me so much, he could wait all he wanted!