Chapter 3

THE varying sizes of woods dazzled me as I looked out the glass window. There isn't even a single house to be found. All I could see —since Fiore brought me here— are those tall trees.

I stopped looking outside and became aware of a sound approaching me.

"You should eat something." Xylon placed the food on the table near where I sat. I could smell the aroma of his cooked Arroz Caldo and the scent of delicious garlic.

Fiore brought this smug with us because —aside from being Fiore's best friend— he could cook well. He was an excellent cleaner and a superb driver. I'm sure everyone is aware of those facts about him. As a result, Fiore became overly reliant on him. He is forced to always say yes, whenever Fiore asked him a favour. I get jealous every now and then. As if they're into each other and I'm just a flower display between them. But I understood their closeness because they had become friends even before I met them.

"Softy, please. Eat while it's still hot."

I glanced at him. Softy. He hadn't addressed me by that name in a long time. I'm not sure where he got that name. That's how he refers to me when it's just the two of us.

"Stop calling me like that. I'm not, Softy," I retorted, clenching my teeth.

"You'll always be my Softy."

"I'm not yours!" I yelled at him right away. My blood began to boil, and my chest heaved in rage.

"I know. You're not mine," he said grimly while staring into my eyes. I resisted those sharp stares and immediately looked away.

"Good that you know. You should know where you stand, Xylon, " I said.

He sat on the couch next to where I was. "If you're going to starve yourself, just say so. I don't want to waste any more time cooking for you."

My ears tingled at what he said. "Why? Did I tell you to cook for me? You're the one who insisted to serve me. Besides, why are you still here anyway? This house belongs to Fiore and his family, not to you!" I emphasised.

"Remember what he said before he left? We can stay here as long as we want? On top of that, we're in the middle of nowhere. We have to wait for his return, so... sorry."

I want to march and run away from him. Or pour the boiling porridge on him so that the muscles all over his body melt. But I changed my mind. I don't want to waste any food. There are many hungry people all over the world.

"Sorry?" I sounded mocking him. "It's so thick of your face to say that."

"I'm sorry because Fiore has to leave you. But I won't say sorry for what I did to you." His eyes were dark. His gaze never escaped me.

My blood steams even more. He's sorry because Fiore left me. But not sorry for what he did to me? The hell with him!