"But I can't help it. My feelings can't magically disappear." Jasmine sobbed even louder, her tears gushing out incessantly."I'm sorry," uttered Colin.That was the end of the conversation. There was only Jasmine's stifled and helpless sobbing on the balcony. For a moment, I felt sorry for her.I had been squatting for so long that my legs went to sleep. I wanted to stand up to peek through the glass panel above me to see if they hugged or not. However, I lost my balance and stumbled forward, pushing the door to the balcony open.A hilarious scene then ensued where I half-knelt on the floor, one hand trying to close the door while the other hand steadying my body against the floor. Colin leaned against the concrete railing and grinned at me.Jasmine was crying in her wheelchair. When she saw me, her sadness turned to fright mixed with something else. Resentment, perhaps."Uhm, I heard someone talking and I thought we had a break-in. Don't mind me. Please continue with your hug.
"You're cruel. You made a pretty girl cry." I suppressed my jealousy and tried to sound indifferent. But even I wasn't convinced.What was I supposed to do? No woman would not get jealous when another woman confessed to her boyfriend and even asked him for a hug. My reaction was any other woman's reaction in this situation.As for what Colin would do… That was his decision. I couldn't tell him what to do. However, his decision would affect the way I approached our relationship. Jasmine came to take him away. I foresaw that there would be more in the future. I needed reassurance from him.He squeezed my palm and turned to me. "Yeah, I can't make a girl cry. Maybe I'll say yes to her?"What the heck? I immediately fought back, saying, "If you hug her, I'll… I'll…""What will you do?" Colin glanced at me with a cheeky grin. He was waiting for me to finish my sentence."I'll break your leg!" I hollered, trying to make my threat as scary as possible.Perhaps I was too loud. Colin ten
"She's not free in the afternoon," Colin finished my sentence impatiently before I could continue.Not one to make my boyfriend look bad in public, I said wryly that I would be busy in the afternoon and that we could take the discussion tomorrow.Colin's attitude told me sufficiently that I might not be able to visit Crystal House as frequently as before anymore. Therefore, I wanted to go there as much as possible before the ban came into effect. After all, I truly loved that place.Winston only smiled and left when he heard that I wouldn't be there in the afternoon. However, there was a hint of anger beneath his smile.He respected Colin a lot, like a student who admired his teacher. Perhaps I was overthinking it, but I felt that under the reverence was contempt that he hid masterfully. Colin must have sensed it too because he stared at Winston's silhouette disdainfully.When we arrived home, it was around 11:00 am. Laura wasn't there. Queenie and Andrew were eating. When they le
I didn't walk in on my tip-toes, so I was sure that he heard me. I stood next to him, and my shadow was slightly above his shoes. There was no way he didn't notice my obvious presence. That said, he sat upright and focused on his work. He wasn't distracted at all.I admired his work for a while before returning to my seat. I flipped over the cover and finished up Rise of Glory, most of which I had completed before I returned to Southsville.It was a painting with a strong, dimensional presence. Other than the women, there were lakes, corridors, houses, and rocks—everything. I composed the whole framework after I studied Tudor paintings and their cultural-sociological settings.To accentuate the aesthetics, I used a different kind of drawing technique so that the details could pop out. The person in charge of Dreamlight placed extra emphasis on this painting as it would be displayed in the showcase room. That was why the timing was a bit rushed.Returning to Southsville took a few d
Still, deep down, I hoped that he would stay to keep me company. Ever since I began painting in Crystal House, he had never once stayed with me here.Colin headed toward the exit and looked like he was about to leave without saying anything. I felt slightly disappointed. He had never been this obedient before.Right when his silhouette was about to disappear and I could focus on my work, Colin grabbed a stool near the door and walked back toward me. He then sat next to me.Smirking, he rubbed my neck when he saw me staring at him. "Paint. I'll keep you company."The gloom in my mind vanished immediately. I blushed and planted a peck on his cheek to reward him. He, however, seized my head and kissed my lips instead.My heart pounded faster as I allowed myself to be carried away by the sensation. When he let go of me, I saw my reflection in his eyes. My eyes were glossy, and my cheeks were scarlet. I was so timid."You can kiss me later when we're back. Do your work now," teased Co
Colin liked lighter food. He didn't like greasy food at all. That small plate of pasta he was eating was just the excuse he used to put himself between Winston and me. Otherwise, he wouldn't even have touched it at all.That said, he only took two bites before he stopped eating. He already had dinner, so he was full. He just wanted to sit between Winston and me. In other words, he didn't want Winston and me to hang out alone.I was surprised that the reliable Colin would pull off something childish like this. But I could understand why he did that. Winston wasn't dumb either. As a man, he knew what Colin was doing to him. And he wasn't too pleased to be on the receiving end.After all, he did go out to buy me a sumptuous meal. But now, the mood was ruined because of Colin. I ate a lot of food until I felt bloated. Then, I returned to my easel stand to continue painting.When I was done, the moon and the stars had already come out to greet me. I looked at my phone and saw that it wa
Queenie saw that I was irritated, so she sat up and asked me what happened. Before I could begin my rant, the door to the apartment flung wide open once more. Colin walked in with an air of nonchalance. The jealousy and grumpiness from before were all gone.What? So he acted like a child before me, and when there were others around, he would act like a gentleman. How cunning! I was even more annoyed now.Andrew went to the kitchen to prepare our food. Colin said no need for the hassle since he had already eaten. Then, he sat next to me like nothing had happened. Didn't he just give me the cold shoulder on our way back? It made me look like I was angry for no reason at all.Oh, boy. Look at him. He really knew how to act like the victim. He should be an actor instead. I knew how to act mean too.So, I approached Andrew and asked if it was okay that he didn't go to the office. He said that he took leave. Plus, he was a contracted worker. Since the school would reopen soon and he had
Colin had been exercising all year round. So, his muscle lines were perfect, especially his abdominal muscles, which were nice to touch.I felt his scorching skin and shrank, subconsciously wanting to withdraw my hand. As a result, I was too weak to do so despite struggling.I finally understood why some people claimed that men in the early morning were untouchable."Baby, I miss you so much. I almost went crazy," Colin said hoarsely. His voice was so pleasant to hear that my heart raced."What are you doing? Let me go," I complained lowly, struggling to withdraw my hand.However, his strength was beyond me, not to mention what he intended to do with me. It was tough for me to take back my hand."Be good, baby. Help me. I've been waiting for you for so long. You should reward me with something. Kiss me, baby." Colin panted, his breath hot.My blood instantly heated. I forgot I initially wanted to deal with him. I felt drunk under his passionate kiss and gradually became engrosse