Anne's thin smile tugged along with a faint blush on her cheeks. "Sometimes I feel like what you said back then was just a joke."
"A joke?" Eland blinked in disbelief. "I joked about my feelings? Wow!" The hands that were once holding each other were released just like that.
Anne was immediately taken aback by the unexpected response Eland gave. She shouldn't have spoken without thinking, right? But what could she do when the truth had been bothering her since the first time Eland expressed his feelings?
"I wasn't joking, An." Eland sighed deeply. "Why would you doubt me when I genuinely like a girl?"
"That's not it."
Eland chose to remain silent, making Anne regret expressing her doubts. No one spoke after that. The atmosphere that should have been enjoyed with joy by Anne was ruined, right? The girl sighed several times, sometimes glancing at the man who remained unmoved. Leaning against the fence, Anne occasionally noticed Eland's sharp gaze scanning the surroundings.
This shouldn't be like this, right? So Anne mustered the courage to speak, "I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable, Eland. But... I didn't expect that you would have feelings like that for me. As far as we know each other, you also know exactly who I am, right? And if I recall correctly, you saved me at the police station. Isn't that right?"
"I haven't forgotten that day, An," Eland replied with a faint grin. "The girl they called a little thief. Who turned out to be skilled at manipulating the working system of people in suits."
Anne laughed at that remark.
"I don't have an answer as to why the liking is there. What I said wasn't a joke. You don't know how much I agonized after expressing my feelings, only for you to respond casually."
Is it okay for Anne to laugh? She herself was completely flabbergasted at that time. There was nothing she could say except remain silent until this moment.
"I know myself that maybe you still haven't forgotten about Tony. It doesn't matter. I'm not asking you to forget him."
Suddenly, Anne's tongue loosened.
"I don't know why, but I feel like I want you by my side. It's not a problem if your liking for me arises later, as long as I'm not asked to stay away from your life." Eland ended up laughing. "Seriously. This has been on my mind for days while I was at the border. I thought it was just a fleeting liking that would eventually fade away. But it's not as simple as that, the liking I have for you, An."
Eland knew that the scenery in front of him was beautiful, but Anne's eyes were far more beautiful and captivating for him to explore.
"I really like you, Anne. Don't ask for the reason. The only thing is, I just want to spend a lot of time with you. That's it."
"If you get bored?" Anne asked softly. Eland knew his track record very well. Many women around him were just temporary comforts. Who knows, maybe he often used expressions of liking to trap women under his charm. Anne couldn't deny that Eland was handsome. His allure was much stronger than Hugo's, who was more manly and friendly.
All the girls at Twin Dragons often talked about the two of them. If they talked about Sam, they had to deal with Bella at that time.
"Bored?" Eland frowned. "You're not a toy to me, Anne." He laughed. "But it's okay. I don't mind if you don't believe me. Doubting me and overthinking because of my behavior. I understand." Eland ended his words with a thin smile. "But I'm not a man who easily gives up. What will happen is that I won't let you escape my presence in your life, Anne. Just be prepared."
Anne felt a sudden shiver down her spine. Eland and his words were rarely contradicted.
"Want to go home now?" Eland looked up at the sky, which suddenly lost its starry display. "I'm afraid it will rain without us realizing."
"But there were stars earlier," Anne quickly scanned the sky with her eyes. "Oh... they're gone now, right? The wind is getting colder too."
Eland agreed with Anne's statement. Unfortunately, before he could take a step to retrieve their helmets, the raindrops started falling. He pulled Anne to take shelter in the small gazebo nearby. The atmosphere suddenly became much darker than before. Rain accompanied by wind and thunder, it felt like a fitting end to their supposed sweet date.
Eland muttered softly as he assessed the gazebo's condition, which wasn't very helpful. He had already lowered the curtains, but the rainwater easily soaked the edges of the gazebo.
"The rain is too heavy," Eland complained. "I'll ask someone from Sakha to pick us up."
"Sakha?" Anne furrowed her brow. She had never heard that name around Twin Dragons before.
"One of Mr. Hamada's men."
Anne chose to nod. She sought more shelter from the wind, which carried the raindrops. The tips of her shoes were getting wet, and the jacket she was wearing couldn't shield them from the cold that had been enveloping them since earlier. The once brightly lit road now only left distant lights below. Perhaps the fog was starting to descend along with the heavy rain tonight.
"That's why I wanted to come here by car. The weather here changes so quickly." Eland took off his leather jacket. He used it to shield Anne's head from the splashes of rain that were becoming more agitated. It felt like a large storm was happening right there.
"You'll get cold, Eland," Anne protested against Eland's actions. "It's not raining too much here." She then pulled Eland towards the inner pillar of the gazebo. It could provide temporary protection from the rain. "Put on your jacket again, Eland. You might get sick."
Her words made Eland laugh, but since Anne looked at him displeased, he decided to give in. The air was indeed very cold on their skin, and when he put on his jacket again, it somewhat reduced the dropping temperature.
They sat with their knees bent, letting the wind accompanied by raindrops dance like a performer showing off their skills. Eland started to get restless and occasionally grumbled in frustration because there was no response from Sakha. The signal on his phone also affected the messages he sent.
"Let it be," Anne seemed to understand Eland's agitation. Although her body language was calm, the gaze in her eyes could already guess that she was waiting for news about their pickup. They were in a highland area that was currently experiencing heavy rain and wind, which could cause phone signals to malfunction. She chose to lean comfortably on Eland's shoulder.
Due to Anne's recent actions, Eland adjusted his sitting position, bringing the girl closer in his embrace. He protected her behind his back, feeling that Anne fit perfectly in his arms. Her body was small, almost drowning amidst his sturdy frame.
"I'm just worried that you'll get sick, An." Eland rested his chin on Anne's head. Occasionally, he played with her smooth hair. With a faint smile and a sense of Eland's, Anne seemed to be snuggling deeper in his embrace. Adjusting her position to be more comfortable. Eland allowed Anne to do whatever she wanted now. After all... he felt that he needed Anne tonight.
"What if Sakha doesn't come to pick us up, An?"
"We can stay around here. Is that okay?"
"Are you... serious?" Eland lowered his head slightly.
"The journey back could be more dangerous. The roads are slippery, the air is too cold, not to mention other risks. It's better to go back tomorrow. Let's just wait for the rain to stop if Sakha doesn't come to pick us up."
"Okay." Eland actually wanted to suggest staying overnight in the area they were visiting. No. Eland wasn't cunning enough to bring Anne to his temporary residence at the border, even though he really wanted to. Their relationship was still not too clear. Even if it were clear, Eland seemed to find it difficult to treat Anne as the woman who used to be his date.
No one spoke after that. The thunder roared, and the wind made enough noise to accompany them tonight. Occasionally, the sound of branches breaking could be heard.
"I like the rhythm of your heartbeat, Eland."
"Can you not tease me, An?" Eland lowered his head and found Anne's eyes closed as she hugged him. Part of her head rested on his chest. Perhaps because Eland had been observing their surroundings and chose to stay alert, he hadn't paid much attention to what Anne was doing.
"I'm not teasing," Anne laughed. "It's the truth. Your heart beats so strongly. It makes me feel comfortable and calm being close to you."
"So I can get closer now?" Eland asked, intermingled with laughter.
"We've been close since earlier," Anne chose to open her eyes, slowly lifting her head so their eyes met again. This time, it was much more intense than before. They scanned each other, delving into the depths of their eyes until Eland lowered his head further.
His gaze was now focused on her slightly parted lips. Eland's lowered posture didn't receive any rejection, and finally, their lips met. Never before in Eland's life had he kissed a girl's lips so gently. More often, he didn't care how tempting those lips were when he was with a woman for the night.
But because of Anne, he felt he had to treat her as best as possible. That included when their lips met. There was nothing Eland did, whether it was pressing, sucking, or exploring, until their lips entwined with each other. Truly, it was just their lips meeting. Nevertheless, the effect traveled all the way to the tips of Eland's toes.
It was truly different.
Is this what it feels like to kiss a girl he likes?
"Can you answer my question, or should I continue to find out for myself?" Eland actually didn't want to let go of this maddening kiss so easily. But he needed one certainty. Not for himself, but because he didn't want Anne to doubt what he said or think that he was treating her like any other woman he had by his side before.
Tonight, Anne couldn't feel her heart yet. But seeing Eland looking so sincere, his words without any doubt in them, and the way he treated her, there was no harm in trying, right? Besides... Anne remembered clearly what Eland said about Anton.
"Yes, it's allowed."
"What's allowed?" Eland grinned slightly. "You can answer without lowering your head, right? I don't know where your words are going, An."
"Why are you being annoying?" Anne nestled herself in Eland's embrace again, feeling that it was getting warmer around her.
"Huh?" Eland laughed. "That's not a very good answer." He tightened the embrace even more. "But thank you, An."
Ah... whenever she remembered that night, Anne's smile never left even for a moment. The two days spent with Eland enjoying their holiday at the border were truly enjoyable. And after that, their relationship developed much faster than before. Although there were some boundaries that Anne set considering Eland's behavior with the opposite sex. Fortunately, Eland understood the reasons Anne gave.
"Are you daydreaming?" Beatrice asked with her wide smile. A tray with cups of hot chocolate was served as their company for this afternoon conversation. Anne's visit to the mansion this afternoon was to meet her grandfather. But Beatrice was very happy because Anne wasn't in a hurry to return to their base.
"No."
"Why are you not daydreaming?" Beatrice laughed. "I've noticed you smiling to yourself, Anne."
Anne chose to brush it off lightly, not wanting to talk about herself too much. "How are the preparations for your wedding?"
Beatrice's shoulders suddenly slumped. "You know, Grandfather and Abang don't see eye to eye when it comes to the wedding. I'm confused about what to do."
This time, Anne laughed. In addition to laughing at the situation Beatrice was facing, she herself was concerned because the two people mentioned by her friend were indeed troublesome. To some extent, Anne knew about the upcoming event that would be held soon. Unfortunately, Alfred, as a powerful Quasanno, didn't want the party to be as simple as Sam wanted.
"Even though it's my wedding with Samuel. Why doesn't Grandfather understand?" Beatrice folded her arms across her chest.
"It's reasonable regarding your safety, Beatrice." Anne gently patted her conversation partner's shoulder. "I'm absolutely sure Boss Sam takes into account the sudden appearance of someone like you. Who knows who's a friend or foe in peaceful situations like this? A storm could suddenly come, right?"
Beatrice seemed to be thinking. "That's true."
"That's the most basic reason I learned from Boss Sam, who only wants a simple party. It's not that he doesn't appreciate you." Anne's smile appeared faintly. "But it's all for your safety."
Before Beatrice could speak again, Anne continued her statement. "Even as the sole granddaughter of a Quasanno ruler as influential as ours, it's difficult to realize a wedding as simple as our boss desires."
Beatrice became even more troubled. "Enough, really. Let it be. I'm tired of thinking about all this. Not to mention the never-ending workload at the office."
"That's why I came here."
Initially, Beatrice leaned back while massaging her temples. After hearing Anne's words just now, she straightened her back. Then, a wide smile appeared on the corners of her lips uncontrollably. "Let's do it!"
"Hopefully, our escort won't end up fighting because of the young lady's tendency to run away for a date with Boss Sam."
Beatrice burst into laughter. "Let it be. Whose fault is it that I'm forbidden from meeting Samuel?"