“Have you calmed down?”

I nodded and breathed a mouthful of air since that hearty laughed just depleted my reserved oxygen.

“Ehehehehe, sorry ‘bout that. I already forgotten when was the last time I had laugh like that. Ah… it felt refreshing.” I wiped away my tears and smiled at him.

Lawrence returned my smile and slowly walked towards me.

My smile froze when he softly wiped away the flour on my face while chuckling.

“Heh, you have the guts to laugh at me when you look like this.” He grinned and continued to gently caress my face, so gentle that I thought it was feathers that had been touching me.

I pouted and also began to wipe the flour from his hair and then his face.

“It’s your fault to begin with. I can’t believe how stubborn and annoying you are. You were never like this in the past.” I pouted some more while he softly snorted.

“What’re you talking about? I’m always like this. It’s you who just left me and didn’t even bothered to get to know me.” He jokingly rebutted, yet I could still hear the pain and accusation in his voice.

I stopped and stared at him.

Although his eyes were playful, it still didn’t hide the hurt in them.

Hurt?

Why was he hurt?

He was the one who left me at that hotel the first time we met. He was the one who said sorry and didn’t as much as stop me from leaving him.

I bit my lips when anger rose inside me.

Lawrence must have felt it too. He immediately grabbed my hands and squeezed it.

“Sorry… Don’t take to heart what I just said… I’m not here to ruin your life… I’m just… I just…”

He trailed off as his voice became raspy while his eyes tried to capture mine. However, I lowered my head, afraid that he would see the glistening tears in them.

This man can easily make me cry or make me laugh.

I felt my heart twisting as my hands turned cold when he didn’t continue what he was about to say, and I knew he was just staring at me with a complicated look on his face while his hands squeezed my cold somewhat trembling hands.

Part of me anticipated what he was going to say and wanted to hear it… but part of me also didn’t want to.

Finally, it was Lawrence who broke the silence as he released my hands.

“Sorry, forget what I said… I’m happy that you’re happy, Zoe… Truly.”

Then he turned around, his back facing me.

“I gotta’ go. Sorry about the mess.”

Was all he said before he took long strides towards the door and out of my unit in a hurry.

W-wha… what just happened?

We were openly laughing a while ago, and now it turned into this?

What is he trying to say?

Why didn’t he say it?

Lawrence…

Stop it!

Get your act together!

This is for the better.

Stop cheating on Elliot’s back.

I gasped.

Now that I was alone and somewhat could think again, I recalled the events that happened a while ago. No matter how you saw it, I was flirting with him. No matter how much I deny it. The attraction was still there and didn’t diminish one bit.

I still love him.

My tears fell.

Why only now Lawrence?

You’re too late.

You’re too late.

I can’t betray Elliot.

I pressed my palms on the countertop as different emotions battled inside me.