CHAPTER 3

Lily looked at Mykel and bowed in embarrassment.

"I am sorry for dragging you into this, Mr. Frost. I just really want him to leave and stop bothering me," Lily said, but Mykel just looked at her.

"Anyway, thank you for saving me," Lily added.

"I did not save you. I was trying to get on his nerves," he bluntly replied, causing her to nod. She did not understand why she seemed disappointed with Mykel's answer.

"Still, thank you. Anyway, we are going now," Lily said, turning to Allison. Allison nodded, indicating their agreement to leave. As Lily was about to turn away, Mykel quickly grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him. Lily was startled but could not react, distracted by the fragrant breath she smelled. His hands were gently holding her, and she could not understand what she was feeling. She felt as if she was floating in the clouds from his hold, a sensation she had never experienced before in her life.

“But you are my date tonight,” he said, surprising her.

"I just got carried away, that's why I said it. I did not mean it," Lily reasoned.

"I took it personally," Mykel said. His voice is deep. Lily was tickled by his breath, so she quickly broke free from him. Mykel then let her go.

"Excuse me? Can't you hear me? I said I did not mean it," Lily said loudly. She quickly turned her attention to Allison.

"Alli, let's go," she suggested. Since Allison kept glancing back and forth between them, Lily pulled her away. She did not let Allison go until they exited the club. They quickly walked to their car, and Lily got into the passenger's seat.

"Oh my God, is he deaf? Can't he hear me?" she complained as they were inside the car.

"Which one? Kevin or Mykel?" Allison asked, laughing at her grumbling while driving.

"I'm talking about that Mykel," she clarified.

"Then, why are you blushing?" Allison asked as she reversed the car.

"It's because of the alcohol, Alli," she made an excuse.

"Really, huh?" Allison teased her.

"Whatever." She did not engage further. Instead, she leaned on and tried to have a nap.

She woke up when they arrived at their house, and they said goodbye to each other. Allison left and she went straight to her room. Feeling the weight of her break-up with Kevin, she cried again. She did not realize she had fallen asleep from exhaustion.

The next day, Lily prepared early to go to school. Her eyes were still swollen. After taking a bath, eating, and brushing her teeth, she headed to school, driving herself. She was used to this routine.

"Hi, Lily," one of her male classmates greeted her. Instead of replying, she just smiled at him. She sat in her seat beside Allison and heard the whispering of her classmates.

"Isn’t she together with Kevin anymore?" a girl had asked.

"For sure. You saw it earlier, right? Kevin brought Glady to school," another girl said. Lily thought. That’s why the girl who Kevin hooked up with looked familiar. It is because they went to the same school. Allison was about to respond to the gossip when their professor in Bridge Engineering entered, they decided not to pay attention to them and listened to the class instead. Their final examination will be next week. Lily and Allison were taking a civil engineering program. Meanwhile, Lily’s father owned an architectural firm.

The class ended quickly. They attended a few more classes before everything was over. When they left the final class, they finally got the chance to talk about everything that happened.

"Are you okay?" Allison asked, making Lily look at her. Lily smiled.

“Don’t worry, Alli. I will be fine,” Lily reassured her.

They headed straight to the car park and immediately separated as they got into their respective cars. She drove her car slowly and enjoyed the surroundings. To her right, the sun began to descend, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, a masterpiece that changed with every passing moment. She lowered the window slightly, letting in the fresh, crisp air. It mingled with the faint scent of blossoms and earth, creating a refreshing aroma that filled the car.

She was enjoying the view when she suddenly got thrown forward after crashing into another vehicle. She quickly came to a stop. She pulled over to the side of the road, and the other vehicle did the same. Her heart raced, a mix of surprise and concern flooding her senses. She immediately got out of her car, and so did the man who was driving the Bentley. However, she did not notice him at first, focusing instead on the scratch on the Bentley's bumper. She realized she should prioritize the safety of its occupants, so she turned to face him, but he just stood there, arms crossed, looking at her while leaning against his car. She thanked him for being okay, but then she realized she had bumped into Mykel.

"Oh God. I’m sorry. I’ll just pay for it, OK?" she said directly, panicking. Mykel smirked at her words.

"Let me have your number then," Mykel replied straightforwardly, catching Lily off guard.

"What?"

"So, I can text you when we have it checked," he responded. Lily nodded.

“We?” She asked.

“Yes, we’ll have it checked together,” he responded.

“No. You can have it checked and forward the cost to me,” she replied.

Soon, a police car arrived, and two officers got out.

"What's the problem here?" one of the officers asked.

"She bumped into my car," Mykel told the police.

"Is that so? Maybe you should discuss this at the station," the other officer suggested.

"No. We can settle it here," Lily quickly said, her voice tinged with nervousness. The police officer glanced at Mykel, who nodded in agreement. Mykel extended his cell phone to Lily, who accepted it promptly. Despite her hesitation, driven by fear of the situation and the presence of the police, Lily quickly typed in her number. She handed the phone back as soon as she was done.

“Lily, right? Got you,” Mykel said, confirming her name as he typed it into his phone.

Just like that, they settled.