Chapter 18


    After dinner. Daisy helped tidy up a bit and nced at the closed bedroom door,menting, “Usually,


    the room door is left open for venttion. It’s not good if the air can’t circte.”


    Jocelyn, afraid that Daisy was going to open the door for her, quickly went over and did it herself.


    “Yeah, I just closed it while cooking. Didn’t want the cooking smell to get in”


    Her eyes swept the room and caught sight of Melvin, frozen in ce by her dressing table, looking like


    a deer caught in


    Têxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    the headlights


    Just by watching his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously, she could tell he was on pins and needles


    She found it both amusing and a bit heartbreaking


    It was amusing seeing him trying to make himself invisible in the corner, but it was heartbreaking


    realizing how scared he was of their rtionshiping to light.


    Their so-called rtionship only applied to the two of them; to everyone else, it was still under the


    radar.


    Jocelyn saw her parents out of the building and watched them leave. Turning back to Preston, she


    said, “I don’t have your address so you’ll need to hail a cab yourself. I’ll cover the fare.


    Preston has grown up now, right in the thick of adolescence and all the lovey-dovey stuff that goes with


    it


    Add to that the inte age we’re in, kids grow up fast these days, so he was pretty clued up about the


    birds and the


    bees


    “Aren’t you bothered by how my uncle treats you? Preston was only now getting the picture of how little


    respect his


    uncle had for Jocelyn.


    Jocelyn smiled helplessly. “We agreed from the start.


    “Is this what you call dating? Preston asked, cutting to the heart of the matter.


    Jocelyn looked down, pressing her lips together, feeling a tightness in her chest.


    Preston’s cab arrived. He looked at Jocelyn and sighed softly. “I’m off then.”


    Mhm. Drop a message when you get home, or call your uncle.”


    After Preston left, Jocelyn didn’t rush upstairs. Instead, she took a seat on a bench.


    shes of her and Melvin together ran through her mind, crystal clear.


    Falling in love is a two-way street, but what she had with Melvin was a case of a one-sided crush.


    He didn’t need affection; he made that clear right from the start


    And she had bravely epted that


    So now, it was her who wanted to break the rules of the game, her who wasn’t content with the status


    quo


    She bent over, covering her face, feeling utterly frazzled.


    Her phone buzzed in her pocket Taking a deep breath, she pulled it out.


    It was Melvin calling.


    Hello?


    “Have they left yet? His tone sounded harsh.


    Maybe because of his hide-and-seek act tonight, plus her own irritation. Jocelyn’s response was


    equally frosty. “What’s the much? Can’t I spend some time with my parents?”


    There was a beef pause on the other end.


    Then enjoy I’m hanging up.”


    Jocelyn was left staring at her phone.


    She stayed downstairs for another fifteen minutes before heading up. Opening the door, she found


    Melvin munching on


    their leftovers.


    He barely nced up as she came in, not a word said.


    Jocelyn thought for a moment, then sat down opposite him. She waited until he finished hisst bite


    before speaking up, “We’ll probably have a lot more days like today. My folks are really poking into my


    personal life, likely to drop by unannounced now and then.”


    Melvin lit a cigarette, took a drag, and leaned back in his chair. “So what?”


    “It’s just a matter of time before…”


    “‘Get to the point


    Jocelyn wasn’t sure if he was ying dumb or genuinely didn’t catch her drift. “What if they run into you


    here next time?


    How do we exin it?


    Melvin’s eyes locked onto hers, a gaze that should have been filled with passion but now felt


    oppressive.


    At least, Jocelyn felt incredibly on edge.


    Somehow, even though it was his issue, why did it always feel like she was the one with the problem?


    “Exin however you want, Melvin said, puffing away; the smoke created a haze that obscured his true


    feelings.


    Jocelyn took a deep breath, stood up, and poured herself a ss of water. She stood opposite him and


    asked, Then why did you hide?”


    Melvin continued to smoke in silence


    The quietness stretched on until Jocelyn felt a surge of old grievances. Looking down at her toes, her


    eyes misted over, and soon enough, tears started to drop onto the floor.


    Melvin was quick to notice. His eyes caught a tear as it fell, and his brow furrowed. He crushed out his


    cigarette, pulled her into his arms, and hugged her tight. “What’s with the tears?”


    His lips kissed away the tears from her eyes, his hands roaming around her waist, his face buried in


    her neck, and his kisses moving up to her sensitive earlobe. He felt her shiver, then his actions growing


    bolder.


    Jocelyn couldn’t help but tilt her head back, and he promptly moved his kisses down her throat.


    Before she knew it, she was straddling him, facing him.


    His face buried lower, and Jocelyn swallowed hard, feeling a tingle at the tip of her heart


    “How long are we going to keep up this… arrangement? Jocelyn asked, her voice trembling.


    Melvin’s kisses were intense, setting her skin aze wherever he touched, stirring her emotions.


    She hated how easily he overpowered her and how she had no self-control or boundaries with him.


    Melvin didn’t answer, his heavy breathing and increasing urgency spoke volumes.


    And when he finally conquered herpletely, Jocelyn’s body arched back uncontrobly, losing


    herself to his rhythm


    Jocelyny t on the bed like still water, listening to the steady breathing beside her. A chill traced


    down the corner of her eye


    She turned her head to look at Melvin beside her, tracing his outline with her gaze.


    in ancient times, they said a beauty could captivate a heart


    To her he had captured her heart at first sight.


    After two years of crush and three years of love, how could she let him go?


    Today’s events had once again made it clear to her he wouldn’t give her what she wanted, and she


    wasn’t satisfied with


    that


    One yearried, the other withheld, then how could such a rtionshipst?


    Jocelyn couldn’t sleep that night.


    As dawn approached, she felt him move beside her. And then a cool, soft touch pressed against her


    forehead. Her


    resolve to y it cool crumbled in an instant.


    Too often, she found herself disarmed by his little gestures.


    Ultimately, Jocelyn gave in.


    Perhaps the one who loves is always the most vulnerable


    Jocelyn never expected Willow to ask to meet her


    In the café, Willow sat poised and elegant with her sunsses on, looking every bit a work of art,


    utterly stunning


    Jocelyn sat down across from her, and only then did Willow take off her sunsses.


    Jocelyn ordered a ss of water


    “Man, if you ever got into showbiz, you could totally set the world on fire, even just as eye candy”


    Willow’s pretty almond-shaped eyes sparkled with mischief, her innocent charm totally captivating


    Jocelyn smiled slightly not giving a hoot about the dig. So, what’s up? You asked to meet for a reason,


    right?”


    Stiming her coffee leisurely Willow shed a coy smile. Melvin’s my man.”


    Jocelyn blinked, a bit taken aback, but quicklyposed herself, taking a sip of water to soothe her


    throat, leaning back in her chair cool as a cucumber, Melvin’s your man, or just the man you’re after?


    Are you sure you got your words straight?”


    “Are you living with him?


    “We’re both adults in a normal rtionship. What’s the big deal about living together? Jocelyn shot


    back, unbothered


    Willow’s pretty face suddenly became gloomy, her clear eyes no longer sparkling.


    Jocelyn was upfront and fearless, not worried about losing this battle.


    Ha, living together so what? He’s still iming to be single in public” Willow continued stirring her


    coffee, looking up with a hint of scor. So, in his eyes, you’re just a booty call.”


    It was hard to believe that such mean words coulde from a starlet known for her pure and innocent


    image


    Gotta admit, those words were like a knife, stabbing right into Jocelyn’s heart, making it hard for her to


    catch her breath. She clenched her hand under the table tight, forcing herself to keep cool. She said


    with feigned indifference. In the world of grown-ups, being each other’s booty call is pretty standard,


    isn’t it? Who says a rtionship has to be public knowledge?”


    With thateback, she evened the score


    After all, Willow couldn’t even get a foot in Melvin’s bed.