Chapter 312 Illusion
Being too close made me feel awkward, so I took a step back and pulled myself together
enough to mumble, ‘thanks‘.
I reached up to swipe at my face once more. He let out a gentle laugh, his gaze sincere
and open. “No worries, I’ve got the picture. You should head home. It’s getting late.”
He gave a laid–back wave, signaling the driver, and off they went.
I was totally baffled by his reaction, and for a second, I was convinced I had something
smeared on my cheek. I touched my face without thinking and started walking toward the
yard. I had not made it very far when something made me freeze in my tracks.
The dim light of a streetlamp cast a soft glow over the yard, where a man’s figure lingered
next to a shiny black Bugatti. Squinting a little, I could make out the frustration and
confusion that seemed to be playing across his face. Our gazes met, and for a heartbeat, I
felt like I had been busted, like I was the star of some gossip–worthy–drama. That weird
guilty buzz faded fast, however. After all, Idris and I had signed the papers, so we were
nothing more than two strangers now. Swallowing the mess of feelings inside, I squared
my shoulders and asked him, a bit unsure, “Did you want to talk about something?”
The guy took what felt like forever to finally say something, his voice all rough and low,
“Are you two… together now?”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtUs?
Suddenly, it clicked that he was talking about Charlie and me. I could not help but frown,
and I almost started to set the record straight, but then I thought, why bother? I switched
it up, “Do you need something?”
He just clamped his mouth shut, going back to his silent brooding.
When he did not add anything else, I spun on my heel to leave. Far had I not made it when
he snagged my wrist, his voice tight with emotion, “What am I supposed to do?”
I stood there, totally lost, and turned to look at him. His eyes were rimmed with red, as if
he had been crying or had not slept in days. Suddenly, my heart did this weird little jump,
and there was this ache in my chest that I could not explain. I took a deep breath, feeling
as though I was about to give in to something I was not sure about, and started, “Idris,
we… uh…” Then, his lips were on mine. My breath hitched, and I could not even think.
While I was still reeling, he softly ran his fingers over my lips. I tried to push him back, but
he was not having it. His arms wrapped around me in a vice grip, pulling me into a hug
that felt like it could
swallow me whole.
Everything was a blur. My head was spinning, my thoughts wiped clean, and for a second,
it was like I was being consumed by the moment.
I snapped out of it and pushed him off with all the strength I had.
Slap! In an instant, my shock exploded into a fiery rage, and my hand flew out, striking his
face. I was seething, my thoughts a tornado of fury.
I shot him a glare that could melt steel, my heart hammering in my chest. How dare he?
His cheek was red from the slap Instead of reacting with anger, he just ran his tongue over
the sting and met my gaze, his eyes like stormy seas. We were both too proud, too heated
to utter
a word.
There we were, a pair of statues, each marinating in a cocktail of anger and frustration.
At last, I could not take the silence. My voice came out gravelly. “Idris, I really don’t want
this to go down with us hating each other.”
His lips were pressed tight, and his eyes, intense and silent, were fixed on me. It felt like
forever before he shattered the quiet, his voice a low, husky whisper, “Yvette, promise me
you won’t fall for anyone else.”
A shock zipped through me, leaving my arms buzzing and my heart throbbing, my voice a
faint echo.
I could not deny it: my heart had already done a somersault for him. My feelings for him
could not just be shut off.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmI pushed through the tightness squeezing my chest, inhaled a shaky breath, and managed
to say, “I don’t just give away my love to just anybody.”
He stopped short. His eyes–a deep, inky black–rested on me, searching, as though he was
trying to read secrets in the stars. Time stretched on until, at last, he broke the silence. His
voice was still a bit gruff, but gentler. “Good.”
“Yvette.” The voice seemed to come from thin air, cutting through the thick air between
us. It echoed from the yard.
I spun around to find Maxwell, casually standing with his hands in his pockets, leaning
against a pillar like he was front row at the most interesting movie.
Seeing him there, I could not help but frown. Just how long had he been eavesdropping?
I shook off the annoyance nipping at me, turned back to Idris, and kept my voice steady,
“It’s late. You should go sleep.“.
Turning on my heel, I strode off, not even glancing back as I made my way into the yard.
Maxwell was lounging like he did not have a care in the world, with a smug grin plastered
on his face as he watched the show. “Oops, did I just walk in on something juicy?” he
teased.
I shot him a withering look but did not break my stride, heading straight for the hall. His
voice trailed after me, dripping with mock concern, “Oh, what’s the deal? Are you two
caught in a love triangle? Is that old spark getting a reboot, or are you just in one big,
tangled
mess?”