Chapter 132 Chapter 132
“Can’t have you ignoring me over some random idol,” he murmured huskily when he broke the kiss for a moment, piercing her with his ruby eyes. If he reacted like this when he got jealous, then maybe she should make him jealous more often… She’d keep the thought in mind, admitting that he looked devilishly handsome with his flushed lips and heaving chest.
Grinning cheekily, she said, “But I already chose you.”
“And I’m not sharing you with anyone,” he replied raucously.
—
The next evening, the doorbell was ringing, surprising Valerie, who had just finished washing the dishes after dinner. Mochi had been observing her curiously, and when the small demon heard the noise, it shot off towards the front door with lightning speed. She followed it amusedly and opened the front door to discover Vaughn and Esther, who were smiling mischievously.
“Good evening,” Esther chirped and pulled the stunned Valerie into a hug before Vaughn did the same.
“Hello,” she replied, surprisedly. “Please come in. It’s been a while since we’ve met. May I ask why you’re here?”
As they walked through the hallway to the kitchen, Esther answered, “We’ve heard interesting news from Nicholas Clarke, and we came to congratulate you two.”
They reached the kitchen the second Maxwell arrived and joined them. “What a surprise to see you here,” he said and leaned against the kitchen counter, folding his arms.
“Are you being sarcastic?” Vaughn mocked, staring him down with his eerie, piercing eyes. His red scar always made him look a bit like a daredevil, Valerie thought. “Esther insisted we should visit after she heard that you guys got bonded again.”
“Nicholas Clarke is such a damn gossip,” Maxwell nagged. “Doesn’t know how to shut up.”
“You can bet on it that the others will come by soon, too,” Vaughn smirked. “I’m sure he’s told everyone already how whipped you are.”
“Speak for yourself,” Maxwell countered, his eyes glinting evilly. “Don’t act like you’re not bonded.”
Esther and Valerie exchanged an amused glance, holding in their giggles. “You two are bickering like an old couple,” Esther commented. Their heads snapped around at the same time, and they stared at her in disbelief.
“What?” Vaughn sputtered.
“No, eww.”
“That was not necessary, Esther.” Vaughn nagged and put his hands on his hips. A gust of wind swept through the kitchen, ruffling his hair.
“I was just stating my thoughts,” she grinned. “You have an interesting friendship.”
“Who said we were friends?” Maxwell huffed.
“Oh come on, you’re close, and you can’t deny it,” Valerie teased much to his chagrin.
“Shut it.”
“I have no idea how you put up with this rude ass all the time,” Esther whispered to her, amusement plain to see in her eyes.
“Hey. I heard that.” he promptly yelled, already fuming again. Valerie grinned at his antics.
“That’s a mystery. He hasn’t even invited me on a date yet, even though we’re officially a couple now. The audacity.” she complained and shot him a very dark and pointed stare that made him flinch. His eyes widened a fraction, the spooked expression on his face amusing Vaughn to no end.
Esther gasped dramatically and hid her open mouth behind her hand. “What? He hasn’t? Unbelievable. Vaughn is much more attentive; we always go on dates together,” she said slyly and winked at Valerie.
“See, I’m better than you.” Vaughn mocked, hugging Esther from behind. “Can’t beat me.”
His ego hurt, Maxwell grimaced. “Shut up, you idiot. I’m going to prove to you that I’m better.” he yelled.
“Why is he getting so competitive over it?” Esther whispered to Valerie, who had a hard time holding in her laughter. He could be somewhat easy to manipulate when his ego got in the way—not that she would ever tell him that. It was too entertaining to watch him making a fuss over something insignificant.
“No, I’m better.” Vaughn retorted stubbornly. “You’re as romantic as a stick, and dates with you must suck.”
“No, they don’t.”
“Yes, they do.”
“Guys, stop it.” Valerie cut in. “That’s enough now. I’m sure that Maxwell is more romantic than a stick.”
He huffed and sulked. “You’re making it sound worse.”
“We should go on a double date soon, now that you’re bonded again,” Esther smiled excitedly.
“Sounds good to me. What do you think, Maxwell? Are you in?” Valerie asked.
“Of course.”
“Mission accomplished,” Esther breathed, exchanging a mischievous glance with Vaughn, who was smirking widely.
—
They agreed to meet up the following Saturday at the local amusement park. Valerie had been looking forward to it all week since she hadn’t been in a park for years, and she wanted to visit one together with Maxwell.
When she sleepily trudged out of their bedroom early in the morning, she spotted Maxwell in the kitchen, turning on the coffee machine. He was dressed for the day already—and what he wore made her freeze in her spot. Her jaw practically hit the floor when she saw him. His jacket was of a daring ruby red color, and the black belt he wore on top of it emphasized his slim waist. And as if that wasn’t enough already, its open neck let her get a good glimpse of his toned chest.
Why did he have to be so damn attractive? She inwardly asked herself how her poor heart would survive the day with him looking like this. The sly little shit must have picked this outfit on purpose.
Before he noticed her, she quickly hurried on to the bathroom to take a shower and get dressed. Because it was fall and the weather was quite cold, she put on a warm sweater and skinny jeans before braiding her long black hair and letting it fall over her shoulder. Since today was their first official date as a couple, she applied makeup for good measure, emphasizing her warm brown eyes with mascara, eyeliner, and eye shadow, as well as painting her lips a pretty pink.
She took a deep breath and headed to the kitchen, pleasantly surprised to see that he had finished preparing breakfast while she had been gone. Flabbergasted, she stood frozen in the doorway and just stared until he noticed her.
“What?” he asked her and inclined his head. “You look like you saw a ghost.”
She coughed, clearing her throat. “Um… I was just surprised that you made breakfast,” she explained.