Soon, the food arrived, and Uncle Austin began encouraging everyone to eat. We all listened and started to eat.All four parents had different expressions on their faces as they ate quietly. Even Uncle Austin and my dad, who would often drink together, were exceptionally quiet as they looked at their food."Lili, the fish and chips here are delicious. Have a bite." Felix broke the silence and gave Lilac some of his broccoli.He told her about the fish and chips here. Yet he gave her broccoli instead.It looked like Felix wasn't as calm as he appeared to be.Lilac didn't eat the food on her plate. Instead, she was staring at Colin. "Felix, is this your big brother?"Felix's hands froze as he looked at Colin. Then, he said, "That's right. He's my brother. He graduated from Lincoln University. It's the same school that Lulu goes to. Don't you know my brother?"Lulu, didn't you bring Lili to meet Colin when she went to your university?"I paused. I felt awful and couldn't swallow t
"You were busy with your studies. It wasn't a big deal, so I didn't tell you about it. You just need to focus on yourself and take good care of Lulu. "You don't need to worry about anything else. Me and your dad are still here. There's no need for you to worry about our family." Aunt Melida had just finished cutting her steak. Although she sat far away from me, she passed a slice to my plate and gestured for me to eat it. Uncle Austin looked at the plate and said to Aunt Melina, "Melina, you can cut a few more slices for Lulu. She likes to eat steak."Also, Colin, we've watched Lulu grow up. You must take good care of her there. You don't need to come home anymore if anything happens to her.""Alright. I'm still cutting the steak. You could help if you think I'm too slow.""It's alright. Mom, Dad, you two can eat. I'll cut it."The three of them began to discuss who would cut the steak for me. As the center of attention, I felt happy and worried.Lilac had already been wary
However, it made sense why Lilac had suspected me. Only I knew about what she did at Lincoln University.The atmosphere around the table was heavy and tense. It was uncomfortable. I wouldn't have come if I knew things would turn out like these. The whole dinner felt meaningless.I talked to Uncle Austin and Aunt Melinda before I left.Lilac could think whatever she wanted. I didn't do anything, so I was not afraid she would misunderstand me.The restaurant had a cozy vibe. There was even a garden behind the restaurant. The garden had a small stream, dividing it in two. Vegetables were growing on the left side. The weather was cooler now, so the vegetables looked healthy.There was a small table and chairs on the right side. The chairs were made of stone. There was even a well with a wooden bucket. The whole garden felt cozy.I was bored and sat on the chair, looking through my phone. I just wanted to stay away from that table.After a while, I saw something move as someone s
"Where were you? Wait, you look upset. Did someone piss you off?" I ran into Colin on my way to the bathroom. He dragged my elbow and asked me the question."Yes, I met a jerk," I scrunched my nose and ranted.Colin's expression darkened as he proceeded to scan my body. "Did he bully you?"I shook my head. It wasn't that he bullied me per se. I just couldn't stand the way he talked. It was no wonder he was cheated on. Hmph."Then?"I kicked the wall out of frustration and said, "He's a prick."Colin understood who I was referring to right away. He walked past me and took a quick peek at the garden before patting me on the shoulder. "Didn't I tell you this would happen? Kindness is not necessarily repaid with kindness."I didn't know what happened after I left the party, nor did I know how Lilac left or why Felix sat on his lonesome in the garden for a long time. The gathering ended on a sour note.Back home, Mom and Dad whispered among themselves, making sure I couldn't eavesdr
"So this is what you want to tell me? Lilac, the cat will eventually be out of the bag. So count your blessings now.""Lulu, we're classmates. You should know that Shawn is just a good friend of mine. We have a platonic friendship. Also, I was supposed to tell Felix everything. But I changed my mind because it isn't something that will affect my relationship with him."Felix and I will be together in the future. No one can change that."Lilac's shameless excuse rendered me speechless. If being platonic friends meant they could make out or she could yank out Shawn's shirt, then going to a love hotel must be a staycation too according to her logic.Talking to somebody like her was such a waste of time. "Save your explanation for Felix, Lilac. Yes, Felix will be yours in the future. No one can change that. I hope you'll keep your promise and never make a decision you regret."I got up to leave, not wanting to deal with her anymore. "Luna!"I stopped in my tracks. "Yeah?""I'm spend
We told Aunt Mel that we were spending Christmas abroad a week before Christmas. She cried a lot, so much so that she had to cover her mouth.Mom was very upset too. She kept Aunt Mel company for the whole morning, and her eyes were all puffy.Aunt Mel went on about how disappointed she was regarding Felix. She couldn't understand why he became so inconsiderate about his family's feelings. She also mentioned that Lilac looked like a cunning woman, and that she feared that she might hurt Felix.There was nothing much Mom could do except offer words of consolation. She could empathize with Aunt Mel very well. After all, we had been neighbors for 20 years—we were like a family now.We treated each other like a part of our lives, but Mom couldn't do anything about Lilac's visit. For the first time in 20 years, we had our Sunday roast separately. I didn't know how the Whites coped with that, but my family was enjoying ourselves.Mom cooked a delicious meal, and Dad opened a bottle of r
Admiring Colin's soft hair, I had the urge to pet him the way he petted me."What are you doing?" Before I could raise my hand, Colin held my head in place, stopping me from advancing.I struggled and broke free from Colin's paws before leaning in. "Nothing. I just want to know what you mean."Colin gazed at me for a while. Then, he grabbed my chin before closing in. A shadow flashed before my eyes. His handsome face was inches away from mine. With this distance, I could see his long eyelashes and cupid bow. His Adam's apple rolled in place, as if he was suppressing something.I sniffed. Ah. It was the wonderful scent of alcohol again. I had never been this close to a guy, not even with Felix. My heart was racing, and I began to panic. My head jerked backward, but I overdid it and hit the bookshelves behind me. "Ow!" I cried out.Colin sat back in his seat. Unable to deal with my tearful expression, Colin gave the back of my head a gentle massage. Then, he cooed, "Should've been m
When I left all the fun reluctantly and returned to my room, it was already 9:00 pm. Looking at the fireworks and festive lights outside the ceiling-to-floor windows, I felt oddly at peace.Suddenly, I received a video call. Needless to say, it was from Colin. He was lying on his bed gloomily, one hand cushioning his head while the other holding the phone to talk to me.He wished me Merry Christmas and asked if I had any wishes. I told him that I wanted everyone to be happy, to attend a concert for once, to earn more money for my parents, and that he would become more and more handsome next year.Colin chuckled and doted on me. He then told me to come back as soon as possible because Lilac was such an eyesore. He even said that if we didn't come back sooner, he would move out and sleep on the street.It was a joke, of course. And I laughed out loud. He then lamented how dull the Christmas dinner was. Lilac was rude during the dinner. Other than Felix, no one wanted to talk to her.