Wills’s warm hand gripped my waist, slipping swiftly under my shirt, sending a jolt of panic through me as I tried to push away his wandering hand.
Finally, he broke the kiss, supporting me as my legs nearly gave out.
What was happening?
I had no idea I was this affected.
“And how long are you going to just stand there and watch us?
Would you rather come in and see more?”
Before either Dylan or I could react, Wills pulled me inside the room and slammed the door shut.
Immediately, Dylan’s angry shouts erupted from the other side.
Wills chuckled softly, cupping his hand over his ear to mockingly listen to Dylan’s rant.
“Seems like he’s going to drop dead from anger,”
Wills said, smirking before he stepped away from the door and folded his arms, looking at me with an intimidating gaze.
All I could do was kneel before him again.
“I’m sorry.
I know I’ve made you so frustrated, but please, just let me stay here one more night,” I pleaded, casting away any last shred of pride.
I had already made up my mind.
Between Wills and Dylan… who I would choose.
Wills glanced at me with mild disdain, then looked back at the door, seemingly amused by Dylan’s continued shouting from the other side.
It seemed I would always be tangled in chaos with these two, no matter where I turned.
“I want to see just how much patience that guy’s got,” Wills sneered, gesturing for me to get up off the floor.
“You’re a woman; how can you just sit on the ground like that?
It doesn’t feel right.
Get up already,” he said, then turned to walk in the other direction.
I glanced back at the door uneasily, still hearing Dylan’s muffled shouts on the other side.
“Get up!” Wills barked, making me stand reluctantly.
He had no idea my entire body ached and it was all because of him, last night.
Gee…
I could not stop thinking about it again.
I had been trying to forget, but every time I saw Wills, memories of last night invaded my mind.
Maybe I really was some frustrated lunatic or repressed perverted, like he had said.
“Forget him.
You’ve got things to clear up with me.
Come here,”
Wills ordered, beckoning with his finger.
Somehow, he reminded me of someone calling a puppy to heel.
But I should not delay any longer; any hesitation would just make him angrier, so I walked over to him, as if I had any choice.
Out there, I had face Dylan, who seemed to be everyone’s golden boy but might as well drag me down with him.
Staying here with Wills was not much different, though.
And I had already decided…
“So, what’s the deal, exactly?
With him, with you, and with me,”
Wills said, listing topics one by one, it made me more nervous, as he waited for my answer, how scary he was.
“And that thing where we slept together.
Explain why you wanted to sleep with me, Wanjan…”
I lied, saying I was drunk…
Of course, someone as sharp as Wills did not buy it.
He looked at me, dissecting my face, as though searching for every shred of truth.
“Drunk?
Don’t kid yourself.
You didn’t touch a drop of alcohol.”
Wills said, tapping his foot as though it was all a game to him, while I sat there feeling utterly cornered.
With the background noise from outside, Dylan’s angry ranting drifted in relentlessly.
“That jerk…” Wills muttered, glancing at the door in irritation, as he could still hear the commotion.
“If he doesn’t stop, the neighbors might step in,” Wills mumbled.
Then, shifting his gaze back to me.
“Forget him for a minute.
What’s really going on here?”
With Wills’s intense look, I swallowed hard.
“I was dizzy from the medicine.”
“Wanjan!” His voice dropped, dangerously firm, signaling that if I kept dodging, he would not hesitate to put an end to it himself.
“I was just crazy…”
I admitted, clenching my fists against my knees, embarrassed to my core at being here like this.
But what else could I do?
I had made my choice.
“Is that so?”
Wills asked again, watching as I nodded.
“Then let me ask one more thing.
Besides this so-called craziness, is there anything else!?” His voice grew tenser with each word, making my pulse quicken.
And the sound of Dylan’s yelling outside only increased my anxiety.
Maybe it would be better if I just went with Dylan and dealt with everything on my own to avoid causing Wills more trouble.
At least then, Wills would not be looking at me like he was now.
“I just lost my mind, that’s all.
Sorry again, I’ll go now.”
As I spoke, I got to my feet, determined to pack my things and leave as quickly as possible.
But Wills was too fast—he grabbed my arm and held it in a grip so tight it hurt.
“This is so typical of you.
The second something gets uncomfortable, you close up and run, not caring how the person waiting for answers feels.
You asked me for help, but when I try to understand why, you just want to bail.
What’s the deal, Wanjan!!”
He was louder now, and his face was filled with a fury I had never seen before.
“I’ve just caused you too much trouble.
So I’ll just go.”
“Shut up!
And tell me why you came here in the first place.
Why did you ask me for help?
Is it because of that guy waiting outside the door?”
He spat out the questions, glaring at me until I looked down, feeling more trapped than ever.
Why did nothing ever go as I had planned?
“I’m going out for a bit.
Think about what you really want to tell me, what you really want to do.
I’ll drag that guy out of here too.
But when I get back, you’re giving me an answer.
Got it!?”
With a look of pure disgust, Wills let go of my arm and turned to grab his jacket, leaving the room with a slam of the door.
Exhausted, I sank to the floor…
What was I hoping to gain here, anyway?
Did I really need his help, or was I just bringing him more problems?
Maybe he already knew the answer to that.
Maybe he was only asking because he wanted me to admit it.
But what if he actually needed a real answer?
And if so, would he even be able to accept my reasons?
After all, I was not even sure if I understood them myself…
This tangled mess inside me seemed endless, and I had no idea when would it be gone, and which path I should take next.
I just did not know…
The silence confirmed that Wills had gone, and with him, Dylan’s yelling had finally stopped.
In the meantime, I slowly packed up my things.
I had no doubt that Wills had a girlfriend; someone like him probably had ten of them.
The thought left me feeling pathetic and disgusted with myself.
The more I thought about it, the more I hated myself.
It was as if I had become everything I once despised, and I could only laugh bitterly at the mess I had made.
My self-hatred doubled.
I did not know how long Wills had been gone, but it was eerily quiet outside, save for the hum of the air conditioner.
When I looked up at the clock on the wall, I realized it was nearly midnight.
Had I really lost myself in thought for that long?
There was no way I could leave now.
There probably were not even any buses running at this hour.
I had meant to pack up and go stay at the apartment my mom, Friday kept…
It was a place she had bought back when she first started dating my dad.
In fact, it was so long ago, I had not even been born yet.
Although it was not exactly furnished, it would be less complicated than staying here and burdening Wills with my problems.
Click…
The soft sound of the door unlocking snapped me back to the present.
I turned to see the door slowly open, and as my mouth dropped open in shock, I quickly pressed my lips shut.
Wills had returned—with a beautiful woman by his side.
See…
He already has a girlfriend.
“Who’s she, Wills…” the woman asked, her eyes widening as she looked to him for an answer.
Once again, I had managed to get him tangled up in my mess.
I hated myself so much I could not even begin to describe it…
“Oh, just a cousin.
Don’t worry about it,” Wills replied in a cold tone.
Right…
I should be grateful he respected me enough to introduce me as a cousin instead of calling me some shameless woman who had thrown herself at him.
“But why is she here?” the woman continued, her gaze turning hostile as she stared at me.
“She doesn’t have anywhere to stay, so she’s here temporarily,” Wills said without glancing my way once.
I forced a smile and gave her a small nod, inching my box of belongings closer to myself.
Maybe I should leave tonight or at least first thing in the morning…
My mind was jumbled.
“Take your things to the other room, you know which one,”
he instructed, noting my uncertain expression, then walked pass me to the kitchen.
The woman who came with him kept her eyes on me.
She slowly put her coat down on the sofa that I was sitting on, discreetly shooing me away.
Hoisting the box, I quickly made my way to the spare room to hide myself and my stuff there, hoping I would not annoy him any further.
“Wills…
Angie’s hungry.
Make something for me.”
I could hear her sweet voice as she called out.
I sat on the floor, hugging my knees tightly.
Somewhere along the way, I had started crying without even realizing it.
“I don’t know how to cook.”
I never should have come here.
And after last night
—oh, what a fool I am, truly the most foolish person alive.
Lost in my thoughts, I felt nauseated as a small tremor of anxiety take over.
Then, I heard my name called out. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“Wanjan!”
Startled, I quickly wiped my tears away when I realized Wills was calling me.
“Come on out here.
You know how to cook, right?
Angie and I are hungry!”
And so, I found myself in the kitchen, a silent bystander in the cozy, love-filled atmosphere between Wills and Angie.
They chatted away as if they were the only two people in the world, while I busied myself in front of the stove, making a simple dish on my own.
Actually, it was Angie doing most of the talking; Wills barely responded.
I could not believe how aloof he was with his girlfriend.
“Oh, by the way… You didn’t tell me you’d be having a cousin over,”
Angie commented, her words pulling me back into the conversation.
My whole body tensed with anxiety.
I could not say what I feared more—Angie’s curiosity or Wills’s response.
“She just showed up unexpectedly.”
His answer hit me like ice water.
It was true, and that truth stung, even if I could not argue with it.
“Oh… And what school do you go to?
What’s your name?”
“Oh, I’m Wanjan.
I go to MU,”
I replied, managing a polite smile.
But as I answered, my gaze accidentally met Wills’s.
Damn…
He was staring at me without blinking.
“Wanjan!”
Angie repeated, her voice jumping an octave, causing me to look her way in surprise.
She started me.
Right… My name was unusual, and most people reacted like this when they first hear it.
“Yeah, um… My mom’s name is Wansook (Friday), and I was born on a Monday, so my dad named me Wanjan.”
“No, no!
That’s not it.
I mean, I’m surprised because—at MU, there’s only one person named Wanjan, right…” Angie pressed, eyes wide.
“Yes… I think so,” I said, turning back to stir the pan.
“Dylan’s girlfriend…”
As soon as Angie finished speaking, the spatula slipped from my hand.
At the same time, Wills slammed his glass down hard on the table.
“Uh…” I mumbled, unable to find any words as I bent to pick up the spatula.
“I can’t believe I’m actually seeing you in person,” Angie exclaimed, her voice high-pitched with surprise.
I dared not look back at either of them.
“Why’s that?”
Wills asked, his tone unreadable, causing me to furrow my brows and let out a quiet sigh.
“Well, Dylan is super possessive of his girlfriend.
Only his close friends even get to meet Wanjan.
Everyone says he’s totally serious about her—they’ve been together for almost two years now, but hardly anyone even knows who Monday is since he’s always afraid his fangirls will cause her trouble.”
Angie had laid it all out there.
I had no idea how Wills would take it.
“Fangirls…?” he muttered.
“Yup…
Dylan’s practically the campus heartthrob and a major flirt too.
He’s rarely seen without a girl by his side, but he’s only serious about Wanjan.
All his friends said that he doesn’t even touch her.”
“So, while he’s stringing along half the campus?
Hey!
Wanjan, aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”
Wills’s last remark was directed at me.
I bit my lip hard, struggling to hold back the emotions welling up inside.
Because it hurt…
“But no matter how many girls he dates, Dylan’s never called anyone else his girlfriend.
And any time one of those girls even hinted at bothering Wanjan, he’d shut it down fast.
I didn’t understand it, but now I kind of do—she’s clearly the old-fashioned type, one who’s big on keeping her distance.
While hundred others want even just one night with him.”
The more she talked, the more I felt trapped and utterly defeated.
Wills scoffed.
“Old-fashioned and protective of herself, that’s rich.”
Right…
it was laughable.
I had done the most reckless thing of all.
“Right?
Wills, don’t you think so too?
I mean, Dylan’s gorgeous.
Sure, he’s a bit intense, but his appeal is off the charts.
All the girls are crazy about him.
You’re really lucky he’s so crazy about you, Wanjan.”
“Really?” Wills turned his gaze on Angie.
“Definitely.”
“So, what would happen if he found out someone else had laid hands on Wanjan?
How do you think he’d take that?”
At this, I looked up in horror, silently pleading with Wills to stop, but he pretended not to notice.
“Dylan would probably go mad,” Angie said, glancing between Wills and me with growing unease.
“Why, though, Wills…”
Angie asked, her voice uncertain as Wills continued to smile that cold, unsettling smile.
“Wills…” I whispered, catching a dangerous glint in his eye.
“What, why!?” Angie glanced between us with irritation and confusion.
“What do you think Dylan will say if he finds out I’ve already slept with Wanjan…”