CHAPTER 9

ROHAN waited for Yvonne in the kitchen as he prepared dinner. It took her almost an hour before she got dressed and faced him again.

“Have a seat,” he told Yvonne when she arrived at the kitchen. He then served her the molo soup he had just finished cooking.

She silently sat on one of the stools while he helped himself to a bowl of soup before joining her.

Rohan didn’t talk about their issue yet because he wanted to eat dinner in peace. However, it looked like Yvonne wanted to talk about it as soon as possible.

“You said we’re going to talk. Why are we just eating right now?” she asked before taking a spoonful of her soup.

He slowly turned to her. “Do you really want to talk about it now?”

“Hm.” She nodded consecutively.

“Fine.” Rohan put his spoon down and folded his arms across his chest. “Now tell me… why are you here?”

“I have a deadline for my novel, and I’m trying to overcome my writer’s block. A good friend of mine told me about this villa on a private island where I can spend some alone time and maybe find the inspiration and concentration I need to finish my novel.”

“Ah.” He raised a brow. “But who is this friend that told you about this place?”

“Madam Edwina.”

Rohan’s eyes widened. “Y-you know my mom? You’re friends with her?”

“Hm… yeah. I guess we’re good friends now.” Yvonne said, beaming.

“Wait.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is…”

If Yvonne and his mother were friends, could it be that the girl his mom was talking about recently was her?

He looked at her straight in her eyes. She didn’t even blink and stared back at him. But Rohan didn’t like the way she looked at him. There was something in her eyes that told him that soon he’d be in big trouble if he didn’t put a stop to it.

Rohan shut his eyes for a moment and heaved a sigh. He had a hunch that his mother set them up. It was impossible for Yvonne to be there in his family villa without a connection. And she mentioned that she was friends with his mother, so it was enough confirmation.

“I came here for vacation.”

“That’s great, we can—”

“You must leave, Yvonne.”

Her eyes narrowed. She looked like she wanted to snarl at him, but she didn’t. “Why would I leave?”

“Because this villa is mine, and I want to be alone,” he said politely.

“Well… we have a problem,” Yvonne countered.

“If your problem’s the boat, I’ll take care of it. I’ll call Eddie—”

“I can’t just leave this villa just like that, Rohan. I’m staying.”

“What?” His forehead creased.

“I paid for a month’s stay here.”

“Then go refund it to whoever accepted your money. “I want to be alone for the whole course of my vacation.”

Rohan left the stool and strode out of the kitchen. But he didn’t call the caretaker yet and just went out of the villa to get some fresh air. Yvonne was quite stubborn ever since they were students, and she still had it in her. It seemed that it would be hard for him to drive her away.

He tilted his head backward and let out a sigh. It was a test of patience for him once again.

***

SHE followed Rohan to see what he was doing. He was pacing back and forth on the poolside and seemed to be invested in deep thoughts. Ah, she was dying to know what was on his mind at that moment, but there was no way to find out. She could talk to him, but it wasn’t the best choice right now. She knew he was somehow annoyed by her existence in the villa. Yvonne couldn’t blame him, though. He thought he’d be staying there alone, but there she was. She even arrived there ahead of him, just as planned.

However, Rohan was one intelligent guy. He must’ve realized by now that his mother had something to do with what happened.

She slapped her lips upon realizing that she had made a mistake when she mentioned she was friends with Madam Edwina. It gave him a clue, for sure. But what could she do? Yvonne suddenly got excited and couldn’t control her mouth. Yeah, she spilled some tea a little earlier.

“I must be careful from now on,” she told herself.

But first, she must convince Rohan not to kick her out of the villa. They should stay together, spend some time with each other and get closer. Most of all, she must make him fall for her.

Yvonne made a promise to Madam Edwina when they met before she went there that she wouldn’t only date her son… she’d make him her husband.

Rohan suddenly halted from pacing and turned in her direction. She was quick to hide behind the door, so he wouldn’t see her. But maybe he already knew she was there because he suddenly strode toward the door.

“Shit,” she whispered as she started to walk away.

“Yvonne, wait for a second.”

He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back. Whoa, he caught up with her that fast.

She slowly turned around to face him. “W-what?”

“Did my mother tell you…” He paused and met her gaze.

She tried to read his mind, but Rohan masked whatever emotion he had at that moment, leaving her with nothing but assumptions. And they stayed that way for a couple of moments more.

“Rohan…?” Yvonne was the first to break the silence because she just couldn’t stand there and stare at him. If that staring session continued, she could’ve melted. “You’re asking me something. What is it?”

He heaved a sigh and shook his head afterward.

“Nothing. Never mind,” Rohan said as he let go of her wrist.

He walked ahead of her and went back to the kitchen. Yvonne wanted to follow him, but she decided not to. Maybe what he needed now was space, so she better give it to him before she pissed him off.

Sighing, she went upstairs.

She found herself drafting a new story to write despite having a novel in progress that she must finish as soon as possible because her editor had been waiting for it for almost half a year now, which was very unusual because she used to finish one in just a matter of weeks. Ah… it was her writer’s block to blame, and maybe the recent events. Yvonne needed that vacation as well. It wasn’t a lie when she told everyone she needed one.

She was almost half the plot when her cat jumped up on the bed and stood across from her. Bean meowed as though he was talking to her.

“Hmm? What is it, honey?” She reached for her cat’s cheek and gently caressed it. “You like this much, eh?”

Yvonne grinned widely when her cat started purring. Bean then plopped down on the bed and rolled over. She was laughing at the scene when she suddenly heard consecutive knocks at the door. There was no need to ask who it was. Of course, it was Rohan.

“Coming,” she said loudly when the knocking didn’t stop. Yvonne then pulled the door open and was greeted by Rohan carrying a tray of food.

“You barely ate downstairs,” he said nonchalantly.

“O-oh… yeah.”

How could she eat properly after what happened?

“Here, take this.”

She immediately grabbed the tray when he handed it to her, making their fingers touch. Yvonne noticed how he flinched. She couldn’t help but think that he wasn’t really immune to her. Rohan must’ve been hiding something. Could it be he was shy?

Without a word, Rohan turned around and walked away.

“Thank you!” she said as she watched him walking briskly down the stairs.

Yvonne was humming on her way back to the bed.

“This looks delicious.”

Bean immediately approached her the moment she put it down on the bed.

“Uh-oh… this isn’t for you, honey,” she told the cat.

It meowed at her and jumped off the bed.

“Ah, Bean… don’t be mad. I’ll feed you later, okay?”

It meowed again, like a child talking back.

“This one’s made by Rohan, so I can’t share it with you.” She took the first bite. “And besides, you can’t eat too much table food because it ruins your digestive system, remember?”