“Casual acquaintances? I’ve never seen that guy getting serious with any woman before,” Michael snorted and would not even listen.
“You can take it however you like, but we should get back before your cousin gets suspicious of us.”
There was little else I could say to convince him of my innocence, but I was not in the opinion that I am in need of vindication.
Michael was brooding and looked as though he had something else to say, but I had already stepped around him and made my exit.
He had always been distrustful of me and never once did accept my explanations. How could I have a relationship with any other man when he was the only one who consumed my entire being?
He never understood my feelings and probably did not care even if he did.
We returned to the private room where Ronan was fiddling with his phone, one after the other. Seeing how we came back in at almost the same time had him appearing a little quizzical before he broke into a smile once more.
“What took you both so long? Don’t tell me that you’ve taken a fancy to Anna?” The cynical Ronan teased.
“Would you give her up if I did?” Michael asked, seemingly in earnest.
Ronan’s eyes widened, and his expression stiffened in some incredulity. Even I trembled inside as neither of us anticipated that particular response.
“Just kidding. As you may know, we don’t share the same taste,” the atmosphere turned awkward before Michael diffused it with a chuckle.
“You nearly had me there for a moment, but honestly, I wouldn’t fight with you over her if it were true, though.”
Ronan relaxed and recovered the smile on his face when he realized that Michael was only pulling his leg.
“Really? I think you’d be quite reluctant should that really happen one day.”
The grin faded from Michael’s lips as he regarded Ronan meaningfully.
What Michael told Ronan had me on an edge. They were relatives, and with my current relationship with Michael, I am a little at a loss for how to deal with both of them.
“Alright, enough on this subject. We should tuck in before the food turns cold.”
There was a subtle shift in Ronan’s expression as he let out a slight smile and tried to change the subject.
Still sitting across from Michael who was dining elegantly, I had conversely no appetite whatsoever.
Though unsure as to how I should navigate my relationship with the two men, I was certain that I did not want to be caught between them.
The meal ended amidst a suffocating ambiance for me. Ronan offered to drive me home afterward and bundled me into his car without giving me an opportunity to turn him down.
Meanwhile, Michael glanced over once and made no comment before he drove off on his own.
“Could you not do that next time, Ronan? I’ve already made it clear the last time that we’re only going to be friends, and nothing more. So why did you have to say those things in front of Michael?”
Ronan seemed to be in a fine mood as he drove along, but I was pissed as hell.
“You did turn me down, but I didn’t declare that I was going to give up. And with my charms, who knows whether you might change your mind one day. I’m not convinced that you wouldn’t be moved after we’ve spent more time together.”
As though the rebuke in my tone eluded him, Ronan remained as confident as ever that I would inevitably gravitate toward him.
Speechless at his self-conceit, I wonder what it would take to inject some sensibility into this guy.
“What you said today could become very problematic for me. Michael must be very upset, and things could get rough for me at work.”
I breathed out haplessly. Michael’s anger stemmed from his misunderstanding of my relationship with Ronan, but considering that I was unable to reveal the nature of our relationship, I could only cite potential issues of a professional kind.
“Why are you being so pessimistic? The company belongs to Michael, so if I was to woo you, he’d be more likely to help than to make things difficult for you.”
Those words of his made me want to smash my own head into the wall. Ugh, you dumb*ss! How could Michael possibly want to help you? If Ronan found out about Michael and myself, I was sure he would not have felt that way.
My wish was to get Ronan to keep his distance, but I did not know how to go about expressing that, as the option of telling him about his cousin and myself outright was completely off the table.
I sighed and said no more. Whatever happens, happens. There was no point in thinking that far ahead.
Ronan did intend to see me all the way to Birchwood, but I implored him to drop me off at a bus stop instead. Honestly, I would be totally done for if Michael saw that I allowed for it.
As unwilling as he was, Ronan nonetheless complied as he was unable to get around my stubbornness.
Arriving under my block made me a little afraid to head upstairs because the illuminated lights to my unit meant that Michael was definitely home. I was tempted to flee out of certainty that nothing good awaited me there.
At this moment, my cellphone snapped me out of my thoughts. Fishing it out, I panicked when I saw that the animated name was Michael’s, and it took me several deep breaths to settle myself enough to answer the call.
“Hey.”
“You’ve two minutes to get up here. Or else!”
Hearing the iciness in his inflection tells me that he already knew that I was downstairs.
My heart stopped as I began to mourn for myself, as I inferred from his tone his murderous intent.
Initially, I thought about saying a few words over the phone in appeasement, but the line went dead before I could have said anything.
Twitching my lips, I slid the phone back into my bag before I hurried along.
I could not afford to exceed Michael’s two-minute allowance and was practically sprinting while I kept track of the timing on my watch. Owing to the considerable wait for the elevator, I finally gave up and took to the stairs.
Huffing and puffing by the time I passed through the door, I wished that I could just sit my ass down there and then.
I ran like I had never run before, and the speed at which I moved could have seen a first-place finish in a hundred-meter sprint.
Heaving, I saw Michael seated on the couch, aloof as ever upon witnessing my entry.
“You’re twenty-eight seconds behind,” he said humorlessly.
“It’s just a little slower, but I’ve already come up as quickly as I could.”
