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“Caught in the downpour. My noggin’s throbbing a bit.” As Simon uttered these words, he delicately clasped my fidgety wrist beneath the covers. The mattress was barely 4 feet across, and Simon, being tall with lengthy limbs, occupied a considerable portion. I was practically squashed against him, my breath lightly caressing his midsection. I could clearly sense the tension in his abdominal and waist muscles.
“Very well then.”
Zack refrained from illuminating the room as well. He settled into a chair and retrieved his phone to make some calls.
After several unanswered attempts, Zack’s frustration was palpable.
“Simon, do you reckon Lola’s pulling this stunt
intentionally?”
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“What do you mean?”
“I just professed my feelings to Olivia today, and she’s already stirring up trouble like this.”
“The news just reported a female university student’s suicide by river–jumping due to romantic woes.”
“I feared she might have done something rash, so I dashed over, leaving Olivia behind.”
“But when they fished out the body, it wasn’t her.”
“I’ve been dialing her number all night, but she’s not picking up. Now she’s vanished into thin air.”
Zack slammed his phone onto the table, “She’s definitely doing this on purpose, deliberately sabotaging my date tonight.”
At this juncture, Zack let out a sardonic chuckle, “I bet she plans to cling to me for eternity.”
“Not necessarily,” Simon unexpectedly chimed in.
Zack seemed taken aback, “Not necessarily?”
“Simon, you’ve witnessed how she’s been hanging unto
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me these past couple of years.”
“You’ve been irked by her too, never sparing her a glance!”
Upon hearing this, I couldn’t resist nipping at Simon’s waist. He flinched in discomfort and instinctively moved to block it, but his fingers merely grazed my
lips.
I simply gave his finger a gentle nibble.
Simon’s entire frame suddenly stiffened, and he emitted a very low hiss.
“What’s the matter with you?”
“It’s nothing… just a leg cramp.”
Simon’s voice was quite husky, and he coughed twice after speaking.
“Alright, you get some rest. I won’t trouble you any further.”
Zack said as he rose, “I’ll just use the restroom and then take my leave.”
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As he pushed open the bathroom door, a thought struck me. Earlier when I had showered, I had washed my socks and hung them in the bathroom.
Sure enough, when Zack emerged less than two minutes later, there was a mischievous grin on his
face.
“Simon, have you brought a girl to the dorm?”
“You’ve kept it so well–hidden. Which beauty managed to captivate our ice prince Simon?”
“Don’t spout nonsense.”
Zack took a few steps towards the bed, “Turning in so early, concealing someone in bed, eh?”
“Zack.” Simon’s tone suddenly turned frosty.
“Okay, okay, I won’t approach.” Zack halted in his
tracks.
But he eyed Simon’s bed with curiosity, “Do you have protection? I’ve got extra, want me to supply you with
some?”
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Simon gently gripped the nape of my neck under the blanket, keeping me still atop him. Then he glanced at Zack, his voice somewhat chilly, “Don’t make those kinds of jests about girls.”
“Are you being serious?” Zack appeared slightly surprised.
Simon’s lips were tightly compressed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, “Mm.”
If the illumination had been a tad brighter, Zack would have noticed how pained and constrained Simon’s expression was. After all, he was gripping my neck to prevent me from moving.
But my other parts were still mobile. In any case, no one could see beneath the covers. So I thoroughly explored Simon’s abs. Each time I touched him, his muscles tensed up a bit more.
I surreptitiously moved my hand lower, and when I reached his V–line, Simon’s reaction was quite dramatic. It even startled me.
“Very well then, I won’t intrude on you two. I’ll spend
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the night elsewhere.”
Zack turned and exited the dorm.
As soon as the door shut, I tossed off the blanket, “Simon, I was on the verge of suffocation…”
Simon leaned against the headboard, gazing at me intently. The dim light fell on his handsome, chiseled features, casting large patches of shadows.
They say beauty is best appreciated under lamplight. Actually, the same applies to men. Observing a handsome guy in the flickering light and shadows certainly creates a more atmospheric ambiance.
“Lola.”
Simon slowly sat up. He reached out and brushed aside the disheveled hair by my ear. Then, cupping my face, he spoke with great seriousness.
“I wasn’t irritated by you.”
“And I didn’t give you the cold shoulder.”
“Don’t take his words to heart.”
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After Simon finished speaking, he released his hands. He got out of bed and retrieved a pack of cigarettes, “You sleep.”
“What about you?”
He pointed to the balcony, “I’ll have a smoke. Go to sleep.”
Very opportunely, I suddenly sneezed.
Simon paused in his tracks.
I clutched the sleeve of his pajamas, frowning pitifully, “I think I’ve caught a cold. My head aches.”
Simon observed me for a moment, “Let go first. I’ll fetch you some medicine.”
After I took the medicine, I still clung to him and wouldn’t release my grip, “Simon, I’m feeling a bit chilly. The blanket is too thin.”
But this time Simon pushed my hand away.
“Lola, Zack left ages ago. You don’t need to keen this up anymore.”
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“What does this have to do with him?”
Simon laughed self–deprecatingly, “What were you doing by the river tonight?”
I finally came to my senses. So the news about a girl jumping into the river that Zack mentioned earlier had led him to misunderstand. He thought I had gone to the river because I was feeling despondent and wanted to end my life. Calling him and coming back to his dorm was deliberately getting back at Zack.
Actually, I know it’s understandable for him to think this way.
For the past two years, my foster parents from the White family had been exerting considerable pressure on me. After the biological daughter of the White family was discovered, they once contemplated sending me back to my birth parents. Later, probably considering that I still held some value for an arranged marriage, they reluctantly kept me.
So Zack was like a lifeline for me. I thought since we had grown up together as childhood sweethea. .s, there would always be some affection between us.
