Lily woke up and stretched her arms, her movements sluggish from sleep. As she lazily turned on the bed, her hand brushed against the rigid body of a man lying next to her. The lingering haze of sleep in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a rush of alertness.
In shock, she instinctively rolled back to her original position, only to misjudge the edge of the bed and tumble to the floor. Pain shot through her knee as she hit the ground, but it was nothing compared to the sudden flood of memories from the night before. "Oh no, how did I fall asleep like that?" she muttered under her breath, clenching her teeth and squeezing her eyes shut as if to block out the reality.
"Lily, are you alright?" Kelvin's deep, masculine morning voice broke through her panicked thoughts, grounding her back to the moment. She pressed her lips tightly together to stifle any sound, trying to ignore the throbbing in her knee and his presence just a few feet away.
"Lily. Lily, are you not going to say anything?" Kelvin's tone grew more frustrated with each passing second. With a sigh, he got out of bed and walked around to the side where she lay sprawled on the floor, her eyes tightly closed in a futile attempt to avoid the situation.
"You know you can't keep this up. Stand up. Let's talk," he said, his voice softening to a calm and measured tone. Lily exhaled shakily, knowing there was no point in pretending any longer. They both knew a conversation was inevitable.
Slowly, she pushed herself off the floor, her gaze fixed on the ground to avoid his. Relief washed over her when she realized her clothes were still intact. A small, forced smile tugged at her lips as she tried to muster the courage to face him.
Suddenly, Kelvin gently grabbed her wrist and guided her toward the cushion in the room, his touch firm but not forceful. He urged her to sit down, then crouched in front of her, his movements deliberate and calm. With his index finger, he tilted her head upward, attempting to meet her eyes, which were stubbornly fixed on the floor.
Lily quickly pulled her head away from his hand, refusing to meet his gaze. Her mind was a haze, and she couldn't recall the events of the night with clarity. However, seeing him shirtless sent a wave of unease through her—something must have happened.
"Lily, please don't look away," Kelvin pleaded softly, taking both of her hands in his. His voice held a sincerity that tugged at her resolve. She knew deep down that shutting him out wouldn't help, and trying to act tough was pointless in the face of his persistence.
"Nothing happened, believe me," Kelvin said, his tone earnest. At those words, Lily's head snapped up, her eyes locking onto his for the first time that morning. His gaze was steady, his expression filled with reassurance.
Noticing that he finally had her attention, he continued, choosing his words carefully. "Nothing happened, Lily. Yes, we had a few drinks, but that's all. You were so drunk, and there was no way I could take you home in that state. What was I supposed to tell your father?" He paused, his voice lowering slightly. "So instead, I texted your parents, telling them you were staying at a friend's place, and brought you here."
Kelvin hesitated, his cheeks flushing slightly as he reached the more uncomfortable part of the story. "Unfortunately, you were completely out of it… and I think it led to you k-kissing me," he admitted, stumbling over the last words.
"Kissing you? I kissed you?" Lily exclaimed, her voice rising in shock. The revelation hit her like a bolt of lightning, leaving her momentarily speechless as she processed the implications.
"How is that possible? Then why are you shirtless?" Lily asked, trying unsuccessfully to keep her eyes from lingering on his abs.
Kelvin sighed softly before responding. "You really want to know? Fine. It's because you threw up on me," he said, his tone calm but laced with a hint of embarrassment. "We were kissing, and at some point, you started feeling nauseous. The next thing I knew, you vomited all over me. That's why my shirt is off. I took it off to clean myself, and just as I was about to leave to take a shower, you grabbed onto me and wouldn't let go. And that's how we ended up here."
His explanation was straightforward yet gentle, as if he wanted to avoid embarrassing her further. Hearing the full story, Lily groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Ugh, I really messed up," she muttered under her breath, her cheeks burning with shame.
"Lily, no, you didn't," Kelvin said firmly, his voice steady yet warm. "I loved every minute we spent together. Honestly, I love spending time with you." His confession came with a confidence that surprised even himself. It was as though he could no longer hold back the feelings he had been suppressing for so long.
Kelvin had been crushing on Lily for what felt like an eternity, but he had always been too afraid to act on it, especially considering her older brother Ford was his closest friend. He had always worried about how Ford might react if he found out. But everything changed the day Kelvin witnessed another man propose to Lily. The sight of it had broken him.
To his shock, Lily later told him that she had turned down the proposal. He couldn't understand why she would share something so personal with him, but deep down, he hoped it meant she felt something for him too. Encouraged by this possibility, he decided to take a risk and express his true feelings.
Blushing at his words, Lily felt her heart race. She had always harbored feelings for Kelvin, but he had seemed so distant, as though he didn't care. It was even more difficult because he was constantly around her older brother Ford. However, something in Kelvin's behavior toward her had begun to change recently. He had grown warmer, more attentive, and her heart couldn't help but respond to him, melting faster with every kind gesture and lingering glance.
Lily couldn't help but feel shy around Kelvin, her cheeks warming as she stole glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking. Her heart raced at his proximity, but her growing happiness quickly faded when a troubling thought entered her mind.
"What about my brother? How is he going to handle this?" she asked, her tone shifting to one of concern as she wrung her hands nervously.
Kelvin gently placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, his voice calm and steady. "Lily, it shouldn't bother you. Let's not worry about Ford right now. For now, let's just enjoy the time we have together," he said, pulling her into a gentle hug. "I promise I'll talk to him soon."
——
Meanwhile, as Ford drove Elena home, he couldn't help but glance over at her nervously. She sat in the passenger seat, biting her nails relentlessly, her anxiety filling the air. The tension was unbearable for Ford, and he couldn't stand to see her like that.
Earlier, Elena had tried to storm off, but Ford had chased after her, practically begging her to get into the car. Now, as they drove, the silence between them was thick and heavy.
"Elena, you have to calm down," Ford said, his tone a mix of frustration and concern. "Please, just tell me what's going on. What's prompted you to act like this?" he asked, glancing at her briefly before returning his eyes to the road.
Elena hesitated but eventually realized there was no point in keeping it from him. With a sigh, she handed her phone to him. "Here, read it yourself," she said quietly.
Ford took the phone, his curiosity piqued, but his caution remained. Keeping one hand on the wheel, he quickly skimmed through the message displayed on the screen, careful not to lose focus on the road.
His expression darkened as he read aloud, though in a low, seething tone: "You piece of trash, you better come back and explain to us how you know Mr. Ford, or it will be your last day in this house!" His jaw tightened, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel.
He murmured under his breath, the anger bubbling just beneath the surface, but his focus remained on getting Elena home safely. Whatever was going on, he was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Smiling, Ford handed Elena back her phone and pressed down on the accelerator, increasing their speed toward her house. Elena couldn't help but wonder why he smiled after reading the message. His reaction confused her, but she quickly brushed it off. All that mattered now was getting home and clearing up whatever mess had caused this chaos.
Ford, however, had a very different reason for his smile. The threatening message amused him in a dark way, feeding his simmering disdain for the people who dared to treat Elena so poorly. Deep down, he hoped they would follow through on their threat to throw her out. If they did, he wouldn't hesitate to step in and take her under his care.
What angered him most was the way they treated Elena, as though she were nothing more than an outsider. "You honestly call these people family?" he asked, his tone laced with sarcasm and disgust. Though he didn't expect a reply, the question hung heavy in the air.
As they reached the house, Ford had barely come to a stop when Elena flung the car door open and bolted inside. He watched her go with a sinking feeling in his chest, hating how unsettled and anxious they always made her. Sitting in the car, he debated whether to follow her in, but what would he even say? He wasn't sure how Elena would react to his interference, and the thought of making things worse kept him rooted in place.
But just as he resolved to leave, a commotion near the front door caught his attention. He saw Elena's stepmother angrily tossing bags onto the driveway, with Elena trailing behind her, begging and pleading. Ford's frustration reached a boiling point as he watched the humiliating scene unfold.