LILITH

It was fair to say that Silvio didn't even stay to have lunch with me after that candy incident. I wasn't sure if I would be able to face him after that.

I am not sure if I should come to the conclusion that Silvio has feelings for me just because of that small incident. And just thinking about him having feelings for me seems impossible.

So yeah, no. He doesn't have any feelings for me. End of story.

As for me, I am not sure. I mean he is still my best friend but is my best friend supposed to make my heart race like that? To be the reason I felt butterflies in my stomach after so long?

Just thinking about all that gave me a headache so I put a stop to my thoughts. I couldn't even focus on my classes after lunch.

When I was done with my last class for the day, I found Silvio right outside it, leaning against a wall, waiting for me.

I walked to him and murmured, "Hi."

A few of the girls paused to stare at him but his eyes were fixed on me. Without any word, he started to walk and I fell in step beside him.

In my first year here, he walked me back to my dorm every day but it eventually stopped in the second year when he was sure that I am comfortable there now. Still, he does it sometimes.

We walked in silence, I didn't dare bring up what happened earlier and neither did he.

Our phone notifications went off at the same time and since mine was in my hand, I checked who it was and of course, it was Cyrus sending messages in the group chat.

I opened it and there were two pictures of him wearing different tuxedos.

Cyrus: Which one should I wear for the wedding?

Chiara and Ezekiel were getting married in two weeks and Cyrus was too excited about it, even more than the bride and groom.

Chiara: At least someone's excited about the wedding. Maybe I should marry you, after all, Cyrus.

Cyrus: Ha! Do you hear that, brother? #buurrrnnn

Ezekiel: Careful, fiancee. You don't wanna provoke me.

Marcelo: Don't threaten my sister.

Chiara: No need to defend me, Marc. I can kick Ezekiel's ass any day.

Silvio was reading all those messages through my phone and I said to him, "You are not worried about Chiara? I mean she is being married to someone she doesn't want to. They both bicker so much, what if they kill each other on their wedding night?"

He rolled his eyes and kept walking. "They do care about each other. And I don't trust any other man to keep my sister safe."

Well, he might be right about trusting Ezekiel.

I hummed in response.

I suddenly remembered about the party Charlotte and Colette were talking about and I did feel like going there after all so, I informed him, "I am going to party with my friends tomorrow."

"No." His reply was quick and firm.

"But why? I am about to turn twenty-two soon, I can go out and party and drink and do whatever I want."

He fixed me with a cold glare. "No."

"Why?!" I whined so loudly that a few students turned their heads in my direction. I cleared my throat as my cheeks burnt with embarrassment.

I lowered my voice. "Please. What's so wrong with me going to a party? It's Saturday tomorrow anyway, you can join too if you want."

He just continued walking. "I don't like parties."  Of course, he doesn't.

We soon reached my dorm and stopping outside it, I clasped my hands together and pushed my bottom lip out.

I fluttered my eyelashes at him. "Pretty please?"

This bastard didn't even show a little sympathy, usually, this method works on him and he grants me anything I want but this time it didn't seem to be working.

When he didn't change his decision, I huffed. "Fine. You won't come to the party with me nor let me go myself, I am going to remember this unjust behaviour of yours for the rest of my life."

I was about to go inside but remembered one last thing and said to him, "And I am going shopping tomorrow afternoon and don't you dare try to tag along with me." With that, I walked inside and slammed the door shut in his face.

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Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned my shopping plans to Silvio, I should have just gone ahead with it.

Because as I walked out of the main gates of the campus, I found the familiar, black Aston Martin waiting for me. The windows were tinted so I couldn't see inside but I knew it was Silvio.

Huffing, I folded my arms across my chest and started to walk along the road.

The car trailed behind me at a slow speed until it was right beside me and the window rolled down. "Get in, Lilith."

Exasperated, I faced him. "You don't need to accompany me, okay? I am going shopping, not on some mission."

"Get in."

"Silvio, I am going lingerie shopping, do you still wanna go with me?"

I actually saved some money and thought of buying a nice, branded set of lingerie for me. It's not that I am going to wear it for anyone, it's just for myself.

To be honest, I don't really care if he comes with me to shop for my undergarments but the thing is if I take him along with me, he will insist on paying for them which I don't want because I want to buy this from the money I saved.

Every time I buy anything, he shoves his card at the billing counter.

He leaned over and pushed open the passenger door from the inside.

Knowing that he won't give up, I sat inside with a sigh and he put on the seatbelt for me.

"Why do I have a feeling that you are being too overprotective these days...?"

He drove in silence, ignoring my question.

Soon we reached the mall and Silvio followed me inside as I walked to Victoria's Secret store. I have never bought anything from here but I always wanted to.

I glanced at Silvio who was staring at the store with a bored look. Only he can stare at a lingerie shop without any emotions.

"You can still go back." I offered.

He grabbed my hand and led me inside the store and suddenly I felt shy. As I looked around I found that there were hardly any other men there but Silvio didn't seem to care.

Fine.

I left his hand and started to explore around, picking up different bras and panties to see if anything catches my attention.

I didn't need to buy anything extremely sexy like the ones I found in the store, I just wanted something simple yet hot.

I soon found a set of a bra and a thong, one in red colour and the other in black and I held them both up, deciding which one would look better. It was even in my budget and only two of them were left and coincidentally it was of my size.

I tried not to focus on how Silvio's gaze was burning the side of my face.

All of a sudden, Silvio's hand reached forward and he grabbed the black one and started to inspect it himself.

He took a step back and held it in front of me and cocked his head as if---

I snatched it back from him, my cheeks burning. "Are you imagining me in it?"

He shoved his hands inside his jeans pockets and gave me a slow nod.

I blushed harder and looked away. He can be so blunt sometimes.

I just grabbed the black one and made my way to the billing counter, ready to leave this store as quickly as possible.

So that we don't create drama at the counter, I whirled around and warned him, "Don't you dare try to pay for it."

I noticed that he had already taken out his wallet and was in the process of pulling out his card.

He paused midway. "Why?"

"Because I want to buy this with the money I saved. So, please." I said softly giving him my puppy eyes.

While I was busy battering my eyelashes at him, he snatched the set from my hand and took long strides towards the counter and shoved his card to the cashier.

I stomped over to him but since there was no one else at the counter, the girl had already scanned the items and swiped Silvio's card.

I stood beside him, my lips pressed into a grim line and I pinched him discreetly on his forearm.

He didn't react and kept his card inside and took the bag from the girl.

He walked beside me as if he did nothing and I was thinking of ways to get back at him.

Outside the store, I stepped in front of him and shot him a glare. "Till when will you keep paying for my stuff? Tell me, will this continue even when you will get a girlfriend or a wife? Will she like it if you spend your money on me?"

"What girlfriend? What wife?" He asked coldly.

"Your future girlfriend or wife, obviously. Now answer me."

He stepped closer and cupped the back of my neck firmly. "Whom I spend my money on is no one's concern."

"But--"

He squeezed my neck lightly, cutting me off and releasing it. "Let's go."

I sighed and grabbed his arm. "You know what, I am going to buy you something too. Your birthday is coming up soon anyway. Consider it a gift."

This time he didn't argue and I dragged him into some random clothing store. He already has a lot of branded clothes, he won't care if I buy him something cheap.

We strolled through the men's section and kept looking for something nice for him, something colourful, not the whites and blacks and all the dark colours he owns.

Then I found a sweatshirt. The moment I pulled it out, Silvio narrowed his eyes at me. "No."

"But it is so cute." I pouted.

It was of the lightest shade of pink with a cute white bunny in the middle of it and over it, it was written: Certified Cutie Pie

"What the fuck is this even doing in this section?" He mumbled.

"Don't be stereotypical. This is so cute. Please, try this."

"Put it down, Lilith." He gritted his teeth.

I held it over his shirt, trying to see how he would look in it and of course, he looked freaking cute if you minus the scowl on his face.

"Please try this for me, Silvio. Please." I said in the most innocent and softest tone possible.

His features softened and he grabbed it from me and grumbling, he walked over to the trial rooms.

Grinning I followed behind him and waited for him right outside it.

He came out a moment later, wearing that and I gasped. "Aww...you are looking so cute. Definitely a certified cutie pie."

It was a huge surprise when he didn't kill me though he looked like he wanted to with that scowl on his face and the way he was glowering at me. "Be glad that I consider you my friend."

"You mean best friend." I teased.

I ran away from there before he could actually kill me and waited for him to change out of it.

He came back with the sweatshirt bundled up in his hand, already wrinkled as if he did it deliberately.

I took it from him and paid for it and then happily exited the store.

"Please wear this to your class on Monday," I said to him playfully as we sat inside the car.

And he flipped me off.