Chapter 176
During those days, because she’d been hitting the sack late and had no classes to wake
up for, Leanne often indulged in sleeping in. The sunshine had already spilled across the entire bed before she stirred, and there was Curtis, playfully tapping her side.
His lean hand appeared in the frame, teasing a strand of her hair, brushing the tips across her forehead down to the tip of her nose.
While pestering her, he whispered with a chuckle, “Sleepyhead, the sun’s got your bum all toasty.”
In her slumber, Leanne’s lashes fluttered a few times, his antics rousing her from sleep.. She reached out towards him with arms heavy with haze, still halfway caught in a dream.
Watching that scene, something inside Leanne softened with a pang of longing.
She couldn’t even remember the last time she had moments like this. Since she was six, she hadn’t reached out for an embrace from anyone.
Curtis’ light laughter filled the video before it clicked off. But she knew, after the screen went dark, he must have bent down to hold her, maybe even to kiss her.
Because Curtis, during that time, was always that tender.
As the video auto-ended, Leanne sat before her computer, staring at the media player’s dark interface. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, pulling her from her reverie. She got up to answer it.
It was Curtis calling.
For the first two seconds, she couldn’t quite discern which Curtis was on the other end of
the line.
On picking up, Curtis asked, “You’re still up?”
His tone was too casual, Leanne didn’t think much of it and replied, “Nope. What’s up? You called for a reason?”
He hummed meaningfully, “Just checking if you’ve blocked my number.”
Leanne felt inexplicably defensive, “Want me to block it now, just to satisfy you?”
“Why didn’t you reply to my messages?”
Feeling a twinge of guilt under his interrogative tone, Leanne said, “Must’ve missed them.”
She put the phone on speaker and opened the messaging app to see what he had sent.
Since returning from the Hot Spring Hotel in the afternoon until five minutes ago, he had sent quite a few messages.
[Leanne, we need to talk again.]
[I don’t believe you never loved me.]
[You don’t love my brother or me; who do you love then?]
[If only your bestie’s bones were as tough as your heart.]
[Leanne, did you ever love me or not?]
[Speak up.]
[If you don’t reply, I’ll take it as a yes.]
[Been nine hours, hasn’t your phone caught a signal from Earth yet?]
[Did you set me on ‘Do Not Disturb’?]
[Leanne is a pig.]
[Leanne is a dog.]
[Leanne is a tortoise.].
[You win, you really do.]
And the last one from half an hour ago, which was five minutes back: [Come downstairs.]
With a face full of incredulity, Leanne walked to the window and peered down, parting the curtains slightly.
It was dark below, with only the limited glow of streetlights. She could vaguely make out a black car parked beside a magnolia tree.
A tall, straight figure stood by the car, phone in hand, looking up in her direction.
Leanne instinctively stepped back, not wanting to be seen.
“Don’t hide.” Curtis’ nonchalant voice traveled through the earpiece, “I saw you.”
Leanne went silent.
“Come down,” Curtis said. “I’m waiting for you here.”
“What do you want, exactly?”
“Nothing. Just answer my question.”
“I already did this morning.”
“I don’t believe you.” Curtis’ gaze was still fixed on her window, “Leanne, you answered too quickly. You’re lying.”