Chapter 213
We ate lunch at my favorite stew restaurant.
I sat face–to–face with Colin while waiting for my food. Whenever I looked up, I would meet with his passionate eyes. Then, I would blush and lower my eyes to scroll on my phone. However, I didn’t manage to catch a single word on the screen.
It was already half past 12. The food came quickly as there weren’t many customers.
The stew here was known for being hot and spicy. Fearing I would get scalded, Mathew scooped out some stew into a small bowl and placed it before me. “Be careful. It’s hot.”
I dug into my food. Although the stew was still as delicious as before, I couldn’t eat it happily as I felt weird around Colin. Thus, I ate with small bites.
Colin looked at me teasingly for a while. It was obvious he wasn’t used to seeing me acting prim and proper. Thus, he clinked the bowl with his fork. “Be natural. You don’t need to act in front of me. I love and want the side of you that’s fearless and free.”
I tilted my head and thought for a while.
Since he didn’t mind, I figured there wasn’t a need for me to pretend.
Plus, I didn’t feel satisfied eating so gracefully. I was practically wasting such good food.
With that, I dropped the act and gobbled up my food.
“Yep, this is the you I was talking about.”
After hearing his encouraging words, I picked up the bowl and slurped two mouthfuls of
stew.
My stomach was warm, and I felt way happier after eating two small bowls of stew. The unhappiness I felt from Felix and Lilac earlier disappeared.
Colin had been taking care of me all along, hardly eating anything himself. When I asked why he didn’t eat, he laughed. “My biggest feast is right in front of me. How can I pay attention to mere stew?”
I laughed and wanted to hit him. However, he caught my hand and held it tight. He gently returned my hand to the table when my face blushed red.
I didn’t have class in the afternoon, so Colin sent me back to my dormitory after lunch. When we passed by a pharmacist, he went inside and placed an eye drop in my hand.
1/2
+35 BONUS
I asked him why he gave me this, and he explained, “Your eyes will be sore after crying. You should drip a few drops if you feel any discomfort.”
Colin was still taking care of me meticulously, perhaps even more so than before.
When I returned to my dorm and lay on my bed, I still couldn’t believe Colin had liked me for 20 years.
For the past 20 years, he had been the person I respected, loved, and relied on. He was my childhood friend’s brother who had watched me grow up. My mom even said Colin had helped change my diapers.
When I first heard that, I thought he was just taking care of me like how a brother would do for a sister. However, it seemed that he had other intentions since he was young.
Even so, I wouldn’t make a decision until I understood my feelings.
It was difficult for me to grasp my feelings.
When I relayed the news to my best friends in our group chat, the group practically exploded.
Queenie was too anxious to even text. Instead, she sent a bunch of voice messages to me. Fuck! You actually got him? I called it. He saved your life, so you must return the favor by offering yourself to him.”
Julia texted, “You’ve finally thought it through! Honestly, I wouldn’t have been able to bear it any longer if you still hadn’t found out.”
Lunar Moon, “Why is that?”
Julia, “Everyone can tell that he likes you, but you only treat him as a brother. Honestly, we wanted to give you a scolding after seeing you so clueless. Unfortunately, he asked us not to tell you. He didn’t want to scare you off, so he made us keep the secret for several years. “Honestly, it was so hard for me to stay silent.”