"By the way, you're right, but I envied the luck of that witch Katrisha! I don't know how he got such a hot and adorable cousin of yours. Can you ask her for tips?" Kacy laughed, her voice echoing through the car.

Lea couldn't keep up with her laughter. She lost track of her statement, and it made her stomach churn. There was a part of her that hurt to think that he already belonged to someone else.

Freaking cake! Those irrational thoughts wrecked her conscious thinking! She couldn't find the precise words to describe her emotions. She even wondered if there was an exact word for what she was feeling.

Kacy's laughter died. Confused, she glanced at Lea.

"Is there something wrong?" Kacy asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

Lea forced a smile, trying to hide the darkest thoughts that were stirring a disturbance within her. "No. I just don't like bringing that kind of topic especially if he's involved with it."

There was no alliance between her mind and heart at this moment. That was a fact because what she had said to Kacy was a mere lie.

"Sorry, Lea. Are you not in good terms with him?" Kacy asked, her voice laced with concern.

Were they really getting along? To recall it, he always liked tricking her. Playing with her innocence, deceiving her, and outwitting her at some point.

Her cousin lived to enjoy mocking her. The real answer was absolutely absurd to think that they were close. No. They weren't.

Nah. Never.

Lea shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know too. Sometimes... we're okay, but mostly, we're not."

"What do you mean?" Kacy inquired once again, itching to fulfill her curiosity.

"Fine. We're okay, but that doesn't mean that we're comfortable with each other's presence."

If only she knew how much Lucian's presence bothered Lea so much.

A hushed atmosphere wrapped around them after that, but it didn't last long. They soon arrived at the mall. Kacy found a space to park her car in the parking lot.

Lea stepped out first and waited for Kacy to finish. After a few minutes of fixing something inside, Kacy got off too.

They walked into the mall together. Lea's eyes prowled around, taking in every stall. She had been here last time with her mother.

She wouldn't admit it, but a part of her missed her mother. It wasn't that bad to feel that, right? After all, she was still her mother.

"Where should we eat?" Kacy asked, her eyes scanning the mall's directory.

"In Uncle Brew," Lea replied, her eyes already scanning the shops for anything that might catch her attention.

As they walked, Lea continued to browse the stores, hoping to find something she wanted to buy.  To her dismay, they reached the restaurant without anything capturing her interest.

After settling onto a stool, the waiter instantly arrived and presented them with the menu.

Lea ordered milk tea with a small slice of cake. Kacy's eyes lifted and gave her a scrutinizing stare. Kacy immediately pouted when Lea caught her staring.

"I can't choose. Everything looks delicious!" she ranted like a child whining, making Lea chuckle.

"Just pick what you think is the best," Lea said, her voice laced with amusement.

"I don't know what to pick!" Kacy exclaimed, scratching her forehead while frustratingly staring at the menu.

"What should I do to you?" Lea sighed deeply, her eyes filled with amusement. Kacy looked like she was about to cry!

Lea chewed on her bottom lip, trying to hold back her laughter. She handed the menu back to the waiter after placing her order.

"What's your order?" Kacy asked.

"Milktea and cake,"

Her eyes widened in shock. "Are you on a diet?!"

Lea was maintaining her figure, of course. If she gained weight, her mother would surely freak out. She needed to preserve her weight, or else, a single mistake would put her in a danger zone she didn't want to experience.

However, everything was out of alignment, and she found herself laughing loudly at Kacy's words, a mistake she shouldn't have made. Everyone in the restaurant was staring at them.

Lea's cheeks flushed as she mumbled an apology for her reckless act. This was a disgrace! That was a first!

Finally, Kacy made her choice. The waiter left to pick up their order afterward.

Lea glared at Kacy.

"What? What did I do?" Kacy asked, her voice laced with innocence.

"Whatever." Lea spat, rolling her eyes at her.

"It's okay, Lea. You're actually cute while laughing earlier. It's like an angel sent from heaven to give peace using your laugh," Kacy chuckled, wiggling her brows.

Lea glared at her, pretending that her eyeballs were about to fall off because of her statement. "Stop sugar coating things. I embarrassed myself, okay? That's it."

This day would forever be engraved in Lea's mind! She was mortified!

"Lea... do whatever makes you happy! Gosh. You might be called a fool for it, but at least you're a happy fool, not an empty, wise person," Kacy said, her voice filled with earnestness.

Lea looked at her incredulously. "Is that you, Kacy?"

Kacy rolled her eyes at her. "Of course, duh."

"Why? When did you become sober?" Lea winked at her, adding spice to her mocking.

Their conversation halted when their order came. Lea almost dropped her jaw when she saw Kacy's crammed plate!

She gasped, not believing what she saw. Were her eyes tricking her?

"C-can you eat all of those?!" Lea exclaimed, pointing at the family-sized order Kacy had placed. It was a mountain of food!

Lea covered her mouth,  trying to contain her surprise. Kacy was a petite woman, and Lea didn't think she ate this much. But there it was, the evidence waving at her, a stark reminder of Kacy's seemingly bottomless appetite.

"What? I can finish all of these, Lea. Don't worry!" Kacy said, her voice confident.

Lea hadn't noticed earlier that Kacy had picked everything on the menu because she was too busy trying to calm down from her earlier embarrassment.

Geez! Kacy looked like she was starving to death!

"Kacy, you're not on a diet?" Lea dipped her straw into her milk tea,  her eyes casting a curious stare at Kacy.

"Nope. I don't do diets. I do the things I love because it makes me happy. I love making myself free, no inhibitions, just go and go, Lea," Kacy said, her voice filled with a sense of liberation.

A wave of envy washed over Lea. She wished it were that easy. She wished she could just do whatever she wanted, without someone contradicting and criticizing her.

To be free, to truly be herself, without the constraints of expectations, was something she deeply desired.

"I wish I could be like you too..." she whispered, her voice a mixture of longing.

A pang of longing struck Lea’s heart.  She wished it were that easy, to do whatever she wanted, to be concerned only with her own happiness, to be selfish. God, how much she craved that.

She turned her attention back to the cake, her appetite waning under the weight of her thoughts.

She speared a piece of cake with her fork when suddenly, a piece of music began to boom from every corner of the restaurant.

Lea lifted her face, and she almost choked on the cake in her mouth when she met Lucian’s eyes. Those hazel orbs, staring back at her intently, were a peculiar attractor that sent a shiver down her spine, driving her into a state of near-insanity.

As their eyes locked, it felt like her world had turned upside down. An unfamiliar feeling, intense and consuming, took over her senses. It was the intensity of his gaze, howling at her, demanding her attention.

Those stares meant something she couldn't quite articulate. They were seemingly nameless, but she felt their meaning, felt how he wanted her to feel it.

She was barely aware of the sensations that nearly overwhelmed her. They were like a meaningless keen, a siren song that dragged her down, making her fall flat, unable to resist.

Lucian's pace slowed as he drew closer. His hazel orbs never broke eye contact, hooking her in the bottomless pit of a chasm. There was no rope to help her climb out of that dark abyss.

Lea’s breath caught in her throat as he pulled out a chair next to her and settled himself comfortably.

She heard Kacy’s faint gasp. Suddenly, her heart pounded so fast, for an unknown reason.

"W-why are you here?" Lea finally found her voice, but she was stuttering in front of him.

Lucian had that effect on her. He could do something to her that she couldn't avoid. His presence always dominated her whole system, even with a mere glance.

The hairs on her nape stood on end when their skin grazed!

Her palms moistened, and she could imagine her sweat pouring down her entire body.

Freaking cake! What did you do to me, Lucian?

"You? Why are you here?" she felt his warm breath hitting her cheek. That's how close they were.

She gazed at Kacy, only to find her gaping at them. Lea winced at the sight. Kacy's mouth was still full of food!

She motioned her hand to shut Kacy's mouth. Thankfully, Kacy wasn't that dumb not to get it. She was embarrassing herself as well as Lea.

"We're eating, can't you see?" Lea said, annoyance evident in her voice.  Lucian's amused face didn't budge at all.

Great.

But why did she feel different towards Lucian after seeing him?

She felt like...  she was...  don't go deep, Lea! You're angry at him, Lea. You should be angry! Her subconscious mind interrupted.

Holy mother of cupcakes! Lea almost stepped into the border of the danger zone! God, she needed someone to bang her head on the wall. Her unconscious thinking was almost entering the restricted area!

She shouldn't think like that. It wasn't healthy for her emotions. It was bad.

And so was Lucian.

She moved her chair away from him. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. It was good. She could breathe better.

"Lucian, tell me the reason why you're here?" she asked, her eyes squinting.

"I'm here to watch you."

"What?"

Lea almost suffocated.

"I won't lose my eyes off you, Lea. You can't get away from me," he said, his deep baritone tone screaming the final verdict. Even saying no wasn't a choice.

Her eyes widened in shock as she looked at him. She was slightly huffing for air because of his choice of words! She could also feel her heart beating rapidly.

"I'm always watching you, Lea," he said, his gaze intense.

Oh, my freaking cake!

"W-what?!" she stammered, her voice laced with nervousness.

"I'm watching you because I promised your mother that I'll keep you safe. I'm your babysitter, remember?"

With that, the emotions that were swirling inside her fell flat with a rapid twist.

His words. Why did it hurt so bad?