Wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, Misha snickered at the leopard before beckoning it to come over with his fingers. It had been following him everywhere he went for a while now, but it was a pity it couldn’t get close enough to sink its teeth into his flesh, even though it craved to. Misha didn’t know why that big cat had taken a “liking” to him; however, it sure was fun to taunt it.
But unfortunately, his physical constitution still wasn’t optimal; running left and right tired him out a lot more than he wanted to admit. Well, it was always better than before. He hadn’t had a fever for weeks now, and his lungs weren’t trying to kill him as soon as he started to move about. The summer heat also didn’t make him feel lightheaded, unlike last year.
Of course, playing around with the leopard did make the sweat bead on his forehead, and his mouth had long turned dry, reminding him that he couldn’t go on without drinking. No one was safe from heatstroke, after all.
Licking his lips, Misha spun on his heels, wanting to walk up to his sister and Yuki to ask for a bottle of water. But the moment he turned his head, he forgot what he wanted to do and froze. His brain had to take a second to process what he was seeing—the image of his sister’s ex-girlfriend clinging onto Gabriel’s step-brother’s arm was quite shocking. Like, shocking enough to shut down his brain.
The last time he had seen Jake was almost a year ago, but even so, Misha hadn’t forgotten that heinous face of his, and seeing it again made him wrinkle his nose in disgust. His facial features looked a little like Gabriel’s, but Gabriel was ten times more handsome (according to Misha). Maybe if Jake weren’t wearing that haughty smile, he’d look better in the boy’s eyes. But sadly, he just had to wear the expression of a shit-eating playboy.
Misha took a deep breath, telling himself to calm down, and pushed his disgust aside for the time being; Jake was the least of his problems right now. The one who currently irked him to death was Camille.
What was that girl doing, talking to his sister and whatnot?!
All right. It wasn’t that surprising to meet her at the zoo because Camille was an animal lover and often visited the place in summer. However, Misha would never have expected her to be so shameless as to strike up a conversation with Masha! Did she forget how she had broken her heart via text message half a year ago? Was her memory really that bad?
Fume seemed about to escape from his ears as Misha took a step forward, determined to give her a piece of his mind. Previously, he hadn’t had the chance to do so because his sister had stopped him, insisting on letting the matter go. Apparently, it wouldn’t do to storm at her house to make a scene. Back then, Misha could only bottle up his anger and silently curse Camille out, hoping bad luck would plague her and make her life a living hell. But now…. Hehe.
The moment Misha moved toward the group of four, a hand grasped his shoulder, holding him in place. Gritting his teeth, Misha glared at Gabriel, ready to shout to let him go. What was that guy going, interfering now?!
Noticing he was about to snap, Gabriel quickly put a finger before his lips, silently asking him to stay quiet. Then, he bent over and whispered, “Wait a bit.”
“…?”
The boy pulled a puzzled face, making Gabriel clench his jaws to stifle a laugh. Really, that cute expression of his was a deadly weapon, softening the heart a bit too much.
“Let your sister vent her pent-up anger first,” he winked. “You can vent yours afterward.”
“But…”
“Don’t worry. Yuki is by her side, and you know she won’t let your sister be wronged. And if by any chance something happens, we can always intervene.”
Chewing on his lower lip, Misha hesitated, looking back and forth between Masha and Gabriel. Ultimately, he decided to trust the man’s judgment and nodded, but not without casting a worried gaze at his sister. He couldn’t help but nibble on his thumbnail, hoping nothing would go wrong.
***
On Masha’s side, the atmosphere between the four people was awkward. Jake had an ugly expression plastered on his face as if he had swallowed a fly, while Camille was acting like an innocent maiden, fluttering her long eyelashes. Sitting on the bench, Yuki was expressionless, just like a doll, making it hard to figure out what she was thinking, whereas Masha seemed a little ill at ease, not knowing how to react after suddenly meeting her ex-girlfriend.
Seeing Camille again made her heart throb. Despite everything, she was still the woman with whom Masha had all of her firsts, and it was hard to forget such a thing in the span of only a few months. However, that was all. Now, the one who filled her heart with happiness was Yuki, not Camille. At the thought, Masha smiled faintly. The turbulent emotions storming about in the pit of her stomach finally settled down, and her mind cleared up, becoming calm and serene. Yes, this girl was nothing more than a shadow of her past, and nothing she could say or do would affect her.
“You look well,” Camille commented after a short silence, a stiff smile on her lips.
“Well, I am,” Misha replied, cocking an eyebrow.
Don’t tell her she should still be feeling depressed over their breakup? That was months ago! And by the look of it, Camille had also found herself a new lover, happily showing off their love to the world. Wait. Could it be that she had the right to find happiness, but she didn’t…?
“Babe, you two know each other?” Jake asked, throwing a disdainful look at Masha that made her mouth twitch.
Hm? Was that slag man still frustrated because she had refused his advances…? Not only did he try to bed her whenever they met, but he also did so while Gabriel pretended to have amnesia, telling her that going out with someone who couldn’t even remember her was oh so pitiful and lonely. Shouldn’t she try to find happiness, something Gabriel couldn’t give her? After all, such a fine woman as herself deserved to be happy, more than anyone.
Thinking back on the honey-coated words Jake had spouted the last time they met gave Masha goosebumps. First off, his sweet nonsense would have been more persuasive if his eyes hadn’t been filled with loathing. Second off, she didn’t like being cornered, especially near the girls’ restroom. Third off, courting her during Gabriel’s birthday party was in bad taste, not to say outright disgusting.
Besides, did Angela and Jake honestly think Masha wouldn’t see through their plan? The goal was to make her a cheater to break Gabriel’s heart, exposing her infidelity. At the time, Angela still wanted to separate them to gain more control over her step-son, planning to make it look like she was the one who had seduced Jake, her boyfriend’s very own brother. Too bad Masha couldn’t care less about Jake’s handsome face and sweet tongue.
“She’s, well, she’s an old acquaintance,” Camille answered, pressing her bosom against the man’s arm a bit more.
“And former girlfriend,” Masha added with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. “You know, the kind that does many unspeakable things under the blankets, especially after nightfall.”
“…”
A silence fell between the four people, and while her words sank in, Masha quietly took a sip of her juice. By her side, Yuki blinked before putting a fist before her mouth, trying not to burst out laughing. It must be said that Camille’s shocked face was quite priceless. She probably never expected that Masha, who had always been adamant about hiding her sexuality, would talk about their previous romantic relationship in such an open and explicit manner. It was as if she was talking about the weather, not bothered by it in the slightest.
If Camille’s boyfriend had been someone other than Jake, perhaps Masha wouldn’t have said such a thing. She wouldn’t have wanted to embarrass the poor lamb who had fallen into Camille’s crutches, after all. However, the boyfriend was Jake, someone she loathed from the bottom of her heart. Hence, Masha had no pity. Hell, if it were up to her, she’d have long broken his legs and buried him six feet under!
With her loved ones’ help, Masha had come to accept herself over the past few months, disability and sexuality included. What was wrong with being disabled? What was wrong with loving girls? Nothing, absolutely nothing. And without Camille constantly reminding her that they weren’t “normal” and shouldn’t spread the word, it was much easier to love herself. Now that she thought about it, Masha realized that Camille had only wanted to keep her hidden. And maybe the fake relationships she had with other boys to conceal theirs weren’t entirely fake.
“And now, if you will excuse me, I’m on a date with my girlfriend, and having you two in the picture is ruining it,” Masha smiled as she stretched a hand to take Yuki’s, intertwining her fingers with hers. “I’m sure you have other things to do than waste your time on us.”
A faint smile curled up Yuki’s mouth as she held back her girlfriend’s hand, tenderly looking at her. Although Masha was putting on a brave front, her palm was sweaty, letting Yuki know just how nervous she was beneath the cold smile. It was the first time she had ever displayed her same-gender relationship in public, and despite herself, Masha couldn’t help but feel self-conscious of other people’s eyes. It would take time before public shows of affection came to her naturally.
“Does that mean you’re cheating on Gabriel?” Jake blurted out, a sneer lifting the corner of his lips.
He had always known Camille was bisexual, and they even had fun with other girls now and then. He didn’t mind her previous relationship with Masha one bit; he’d need to love Camille first for that. He was only interested in what it meant for Gabriel, that dear brother of his. It looked like he didn’t even need to lift a finger for Masha to betray her boyfriend; what a lousy girlfriend.
“…”
Right. From Gabriel’s family’s perspective, they were still together. And considering Camille’s puzzled gaze, it seemed like she didn’t know Jake and Gabriel were related, which, in truth, wasn’t very surprising. Gabriel concealed his family background quite well at school, making it so that no one knew he was a young master. He also seldom talked about his family. Great. What was Masha supposed to say now?! Oh gosh, she shouldn’t have let the anger speak and instead thought twice before opening her mouth.
“Because you would mind it if your brother were cheated on?” Yuki finally asked, raising an eyebrow as she patted her girlfriend’s hand to comfort her.
“Of course not. But I sure as hell would love to see his face when he learns it. That precious girlfriend of his, for whom he had sacrificed his very own inheritance rights, is cheating on him! With another girl to boot!”
“…”
“…”
“…”
For different reasons, the three girls looked at him with conflicted feelings. They were all aware that Gabriel had never once been in a romantic relationship with Masha. And so, sadly for him, his expectations were doomed to be dashed; the only expression Gabriel would ever consent to show him was utter indifference.
Edited by Clozed! ♥
