Chapter 2
I stared at him in disbelief.
Kieran met my gaze and smiled faintly. “I’ll take good care of Chloe. Don’t worry about anything while I’m around.”
Just as I was about to speak, Jade sent me a video of herself clubbing with some male models. It came with a voice message that I quickly converted to text:
[Chloe Harper! Stop trying to confess to that lame childhood sweetheart! Learn from me–keep it physical, not emotional!]
[I had some rich boy asking me out tonight, but that college guy wore me out so bad I can only window shop now, checking out these
abs~]
[Thanks for today though–I’ll throw in a free class tomorrow, you good girl!]
I hunched over my phone like a student sneaking texts during class.
I typed: [Are you and that college guy… like, boyfriend and girlfriend?]
Maybe my question was too random. After showing “typing…” for a long time, she just sent back a question mark.
Looking at Kieran across the table, I suddenly felt guilty. I was about to delete my message when Jade replied:
[Are you kidding me? You think I’d tie myself down to him?]
[Making him my fuck buddy is already generous. If he wants a relationship, he can get in line behind the forty other rich guys!]
Somehow, I felt a wave of relief wash over me.
After putting my phone away, I called out to a slightly tipsy Kieran and smiled at him:
“Happy birthday.”
Whether it was the alcohol or not, Dad’s eyes went red as he kept saying “Good, good, good.”
He stood up and clapped Kieran on the shoulder. “Good kid. Uncle knew you had it in you.”
His voice was getting choked up. Realizing how emotional he was getting, he wiped his face roughly:
“I’ll make your birthday pancakes.”
I felt pretty dizzy too, leaning against Mom’s side, counting on my fingers.
“This is our… seventh birthday together…”
Time really flies. The scared, fragile boy from back then had grown into this tall, handsome young man.
That year, he lost both parents overnight and was left completely alone.
When relatives thought about the massive costs of raising him, buying him a house and car, paying for his wedding–they avoided him like the plague, terrified of getting stuck with the responsibility.
Only my parents took pity on him and stepped up. To keep him from feeling inferior, our whole family went out of our way to make
Upgraded for My Crush… Walked In on Him Nailing My Yogi! Now Watch the Burn!
12:15
11.1%
Chapter 2
sure he had everything he needed.
Fortunately, everything worked out for the better.
“Kieran’s had too much to drink. Why don’t you walk him home?” Mom nudged my elbow gently. “Go on~”
“Huh?” I looked up just as my eyes met Kieran’s dark, intense gaze.
He smiled, his voice husky and almost hypnotic: “Chloe… guess I’ll have to trouble you.”
Kieran’s place was just one building over. Over the years, except for sleeping, he’d spent all his time at our house.
I’d never felt this walk was so long before-
“Chloe Harper.”
I was spacing out when Kieran said my name lazily.
I could hear something intimate in his tone. Just as I was about to respond, he pulled me into his arms.
I found myself pressed against the cold elevator wall. I struggled a bit, but then Kieran leaned down suddenly and I froze.
He raised an eyebrow with a smirk, then leaned in to kiss me-
I nervously clenched my fists and closed my eyes.
After what felt like forever, Kieran laughed:
“You really DO like me, don’t you?”
Those beautiful eyes of his stared straight at me. “How did I never notice? How did I miss it?”
Something felt off. I blushed and asked, “What?”
“Why’d you close your eyes?” Kieran asked. “Did you think I was gonna kiss you?”
Then his voice went back to that cold, distant tone from before:
“What is this, some kind of payback scheme? I already told you I’d pay your family back double once I start making money. Why are you forcing me into this relationship stuff?”
“I don’t GET it! Am I like your family’s kept man or something? Just because you helped me out, I have to be with you? Tie myself to your family forever?”
Kieran’s voice kept getting louder. I’d never seen him lose it like this.
I was so shocked that I forgot to say: “You could’ve just said no.”
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