Colin tilted his head to look at me with a smile, listening to me yap about everything like an excited girl. Tenderness threatened to overflow from his starry eyes.I was 22 years old. I was an adult now. In front of my classmates and lecturers, I behaved like a gentle, elegant woman. Some of my juniors even followed me around just to learn my mannerisms.Unbeknownst to them, I behaved like a spoiled fool in front of Colin.To our surprise, we ran into Felix.His eyes fell on Colin's and my interlocked fingers. Subconsciously, I tried to withdraw my hand, but Colin wouldn't let me go. He grabbed my hand tightly as we walked toward Felix."Hey, Colin," greeted Felix."Hey, have you eaten? Do you want to join us?"Felix hesitated for a while. He then took out his phone to send a quick text before joining us.Jinovy was way more prosperous than Southsville. I found many high-end restaurants here, and out of them, Colin picked a seafood restaurant.The establishment was well-decor
Felix was surprised to see Lilac outside. He grabbed his phone and left immediately.I was so annoyed by Lilac that I blurted out something rude, "Felix, let's not hang out again."He replied with his silent silhouette. Then, he left."It's over. Finally," said Colin as he turned to me, a glass in his hand."Tsk, it already ended a long time ago. It was over when he called me shameless and asked me to stay away from him that Thanksgiving.""So what's your plan now?""I'll make myself available and make many friends." I placed my palm above my brows while pretending to scan my surroundings. Then, my eyes lingered on Colin. "Then, I'll settle down with someone I like and who likes me back."Colin's hand froze mid-raising his glass. He turned to face me, his eyes glimmering. Then, with a smile, he said, "Sure."Oh, that smile. That lethal smile! My heart skipped a beat.Colin was hired by Jesselton College to be a lecturer. It was his first day, so he was too busy to hang out wit
Felix's lanky frame faltered, and a deep sense of sadness filled his eyes. It wasn't until I finished my sentence that I realized I had returned the exact same words he told me back then.But why was he sad? Forget about the past—we were young and naive back then. He was now dating Lilac. Why was he hurt by what I said?Because he cared about me? No way. Back then, he viewed me as an eyesore, a pest.And more importantly, I couldn't care less if he was upset or not.They said time could heal everything. And indeed, I had completely moved on from the pain my tragic past brought me.Felix was now a stranger in my life.The pain he had once inflicted on me and the tears I had once shed were nothing but part of my growth.That was all."If there's nothing else, goodbye. And quit bothering me." Turning, I left angrily."Stay, Lulu," Felix called out. He sounded vulnerable and sincere."Just spit it out now. I don't have time for you. You're getting on my nerves."He was irritat
I was overjoyed. From now on, Colin would take care of me, and I no longer needed to worry about food. Oh, c'est la vie!But life, as usual, was fond of cracking tasteless jokes. I often ran into those who I absolutely abhorred.I woke up early the next morning. For the first time in forever, I was motivated enough to go for a jog. Unfortunately for me, I bumped into Felix and Lilac.I was jogging on the running track and they were walking in the opposite direction. There was no way to avoid them.I thought I could pretend they were not there and jog past them. But Lilac approached me with a bright smile and clung to my arm.I shuddered, not liking the sudden physical contact. I took a few steps back to create some distance between us. Warily, I eyed her and said, "You can speak to me from that distance. We're not close enough for any physical contact."Lilac, as shameless as she was, paid my aloofness no mind. She approached me, forcing me to retreat a few more steps. "Today is
I sniggered internally.So this was why they invited me out for lunch!They wanted to find me a boyfriend. Why? Did my being single somehow bother them? Felix had told me yesterday that Colin wasn't the right guy for me. And today, he wanted me to date someone as soon as possible.Was he somehow afraid that I'd date Colin for real, so he wanted to hook me up with someone else instead?Regardless, after the weird speech Felix gave me last night, he wanted to set me up on dates tonight. His back-and-forth decision was perplexing, to say the least."What is wrong with the two of you? My love life doesn't have anything to do with you, so mind your own business. Also, I don't need to go through you before I date someone now, do I? Who do you think you are? Stop flattering yourself."Furious, I toppled the glass of water on the table, spilling its contents on the surface."Calm down, Lulu. Lili just wants some reassurance because we used to… I'm not forcing you to find a boyfriend rig
I was mad. Why was Colin taking their side? It must be because Felix was his younger brother, while I was just an outsider. Infuriated, I tried to pry Colin's hands off my shoulder in an attempt to struggle free.But Colin's hands were glued to my body. No matter how hard I fought, they wouldn't budge. Instead, they held me even tighter. My face was inches away from his chest."Let go of me. You're one of them! Stay away from me!""I'm taking nobody's side, Lulu. I'm just trying to reason with you. Girls your age should look for a boyfriend. It has nothing to do with whether I agree with Felix and Lilac's demand or not. You're single by choice. But others might think that you're single because you still have feelings for Felix, no?"People would interpret it that way? That was news to me.But if that was true, I should start looking for a boyfriend. Queenie and Jade had moved in with their boyfriends. Some of my friends were taken as well. I was the only single woman. That made me
Colin liked me. And all this time, I wasn't aware of it.I was shocked. I found it hard to believe.But now that I thought about it, he pampered and spoiled me. He cared for and protected me. He even risked his life to fight Shawn. He did everything he could for me. All of this was hinting at me that he liked me.Yet in the past three years, I simply thought that he was being a good friend, that I was just his sister from another mother.I recalled what Helen told me two days ago. I recalled the moment when Queenie and Julia rolled their eyes on me. Everyone knew that Colin liked me, except for me.Was I that oblivious?My brain had trouble processing the shocking revelation.While Colin was right, I found it rather awkward to regard one of my best friends as a boyfriend.I panicked. The hands on my sides fumbled for reassurance."Lulu, do you think I'm not as good as Felix? Is that why you want to reject me now?" Colin lamented."No, not at all." This was too much for me to
No! They were brothers!I had a sudden realization and quickly pushed him away with my hands. "Colin, give me some time to think this through."Disappointment briefly flashed on his face, but a smile quickly took its place. "Okay, you have five seconds to think this through. If you don't say no, I'll take it as a yes. One, two, three, four, five. Time's up! You didn't say no, so from now on, I'm your boyfriend!"Congratulations, Luna. You're no longer single."Before I could react, Colin leaned in once again. I could smell his warm breath on me, and I panicked.My mind was messy. My limbs acted on their own as I began to thrash about.At first, Colin tried to contain me. But as my movements became more and more violent, he let go. He was afraid that I might get hurt.Colin, standing there like a Prince Charming, slowly put down his arms. His straight back was slightly hunched, as if he was in pain. The glimmer in his eyes dimmed until there was nothing. The corners of his lips