Chapter 18: Claiming Single Status

After dinner, Matilde helped clear the table and, looking at the closed bedroom door, said, "Usually, it's good to leave the door open to air out the room. It's not healthy to keep it shut all the time."

Worried that her mother might open the door, Livia quickly went ahead and did it herself.

With a swift glance, she saw Angelo sitting stiffly by her vanity, completely startled.

Seeing his Adam's apple bobbing nervously, she knew how tense he was.

She felt both amusement and disappointment. She was amused by his reluctance to be seen and the disappointment over his fear of their relationship being exposed.

Their so-called boyfriend-girlfriend status was just between the two of them, not to be revealed to anyone else.

After seeing her parents out, Livia turned to Luke. "I don't know your address, but you can take a cab home. I'll cover the fare."

Luke, being a teenager exploring love and relationships and having access to the internet, was quite understanding of these matters.

"Are you really okay with the way Angelo treats you?" Luke knew now just how disrespectful Angelo was toward her.

Livia let out a resigned laugh. "We had an agreement from the start."

"Are you guys, like, dating or something?" Luke probed into the depths of her soul.

With her eyes downcast and lips pursed, Livia felt a pang of dejection.

Luke's ride arrived, and with a glance at Livia and a soft sigh, he conceded, "I'm out of here."

"Just shoot me a text or call Angelo when you get home, okay?"

After Luke left, Livia didn't rush upstairs. Instead, she found herself sitting on a bench near the building, lost in thought.

Flashes of her moments with Angelo seemed to play vividly in her mind. Dating—real dating—was something ignited by mutual feelings, yet what she had with Angelo felt more like a solitary illusion on her part.

Angelo never needed love. He made that crystal clear from the get-go.

And she had bravely, perhaps foolishly, accepted those terms.

Now, it was she who yearned to break the rules of the game, who felt restless with the status quo.

Burying her face in her hands, she bent forward, her mind a whirlwind of turmoil.

Her phone, buried in her pocket, began to buzz. Taking a deep breath, Livia fished it out. It was Angelo.

"Hello?"

"Has he left?" His tone came across as terse.

Perhaps it was his aloofness tonight, coupled with her own irritation, that caused Livia's response to be equally sharp. "What's the rush? Can't I spend some time chatting with my folks?"

A pregnant pause filled the other end of the line before he retorted, "Then enjoy your family time." And with that, he hung up.

Livia was silent.

She lingered downstairs for another fifteen minutes before finally heading up. As she opened the door, she saw Angelo eating the leftovers from dinner.

He didn't say a word as she went in.

After pondering for a moment, Livia sat across from him, waiting until he finished his last bite before speaking up. "You know, incidents like today are bound to happen more. My parents are getting nosy about my personal life and are always dropping by unannounced."

Angelo lit a cigarette and, reclining in his chair, took a drag. "So, what's your point? Cut to the chase."

Unsure if he truly missed the meaning behind her words, Livia pressed on. "What if they walk in on us next time? How do we explain it?"

Angelo's gaze fixed on her. What should've been a look of affection felt heavy and oppressive, at least for Livia, who was fraught with unease.

'It's strange, isn't it? The issue lies with him, yet why does it feel like I’m the one at fault?'

"Explain it however you want," Angelo said. The smoke swirled before him, obscuring his intentions.

Livia took a deep breath, stood to pour a glass of water, and positioned herself opposite him. "Then why did you hide?"

Silence. He continued to puff on his cigarette, not uttering a word.

The silence was unbearable, fueling a surge of frustration within Livia. She looked down at her toes, her eyes misting until tears began to spill, splattering against the floor.

Angelo, who was acutely perceptive, caught the sight of a tear dropping. His brows furrowed in frustration as a wave of despondency washed over him.

He flicked his cigarette out and pulled her into his embrace, his arms encircling her. "Why are you crying?"

His kisses landed on her eyes, gently licking away her tears.

His hands began to wander around her waist while he buried his face in the nape of her neck, planting kisses all the way up. As he lightly teased her sensitive ear and felt her slight shiver, his movements becoming more intense.

Driven by impulse, Livia arched her face upward, and he seized the opportunity to kiss her throat, trailing downwards.

Sometime during their embrace, she found herself straddling his lap, facing him.

His face plunged lower, and Livia swallowed hard, her heart tingling.

"How long are we going to keep up this kind of relationship?" Livia asked, her voice trembling.

Angelo's kisses were fervent, each one setting her skin ablaze, igniting her heart.

She despised how she had no self-control around him, always so easily conquered.

Angelo didn't respond, his heavy breathing and the urgency of his actions communicating his eagerness.

When he finally entered her, Livia couldn't help but arch backward, losing herself slowly to his rhythm.

Livia lay flat on the bed as though she was floating on water, listening to the even breaths beside her, a cool tear tracing down from the corner of her eye.

Turning her head to look at the man beside her, she shifted slightly, to look at his contours with her gaze.

Livia had fallen for Angelo at first sight.

Pining for two years and in love for three, she couldn't bear to let go of the man she adored.

Today, once again, she realized he would never give her what she wanted, and she wasn't satisfied with that.

How could it last, with one willing and the other withholding?

That night, Livia found sleep elusive.

As dawn approached, she felt the person beside her stir.

Then, a cool, soft touch brushed against her forehead.

All her resolve to ignore him melted away in an instant.

Often, she was subdued by these small gestures.

In the end, Livia compromised.

Perhaps the one who loves more is the most pitiful.

Livia didn't expect Valentia to invite her out.

In the café, Valentia sat there as pretty as a picture, beautiful and dignified even behind her sunglasses.

After Livia took her seat, Valentia removed her shades.

Livia asked for a glass of water.

"If you went into show business, even just as a model, you'd make it big," Valentia said with a twinkle in her eye, her innocent beauty compelling.

Livia slightly curled her lips, indifferent to her sarcasm. "Did you want to see me for a reason?"

Valentia stirred her coffee with a light smile. "Angelo is my man."

Livia paused for a moment and then took a sip of water to moisten her throat. Leaning back in her chair with a composed expression, she asked, "Is Angelo your man, or just the man you want? Are you sure you're using the right words?"

"Are you living with him?"

"We're both consenting adults in a normal dating relationship. What's wrong with living together?" Livia calmly retorted.

Valentia's pretty face quickly clouded over, and her once sparkling eyes dimmed.

Livia was upfront and not at all worried about losing to her on this matter.

"So what if we live together? He claims to be single in public," Valentia said, stirring her coffee with a hint of disdain in her eyes. "So, in his eyes, you're nothing more than a tool for sexual gratification."

It was hard to believe that such a cruel comment could come from a seemingly innocent and successful actress.

The statement was like a sharp knife plunging into Livia's heart, leaving her slightly breathless with the pain.

Her hand clenched under the table as she forced herself to stay cool and respond indifferently. "Isn't it normal for adults in a relationship to use each other for their physical needs? Who says that love has to be public knowledge?"

With that, she felt the scales tip back in her favor.

After all, Valentia hadn't even made it into Angelo's bed.