Elise, like a dutiful bodyguard, drove Braden back to his place after an hour-long ride.
Braden pulled out his keys from his pocket, unlocked the door, and went straight to the couch, sitting down and closing his eyes for a quick rest. In his groggy thoughts, he hoped that when he woke up, Mylee's negativity would have toned down a bit.
Elise pretended to play with Matcha Pudding, but in reality, she was secretly watching the exhausted man sitting on the couch.
Mayra's accusations weighed heavily on Elise's mind. Growing up, just like Ruth, she had always been behind Braden. Whatever they did, he would plan ahead, and whenever there was trouble, he was the one who carried the burden, running around for the both of them.
It was just the kind of bond that was closer than friendship, like family. They had been together since childhood, and she believed that while her relationship with Braden was more than friendship, it never went beyond familial affection.
"Aren't you going home yet?" Braden rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand, his drowsy eyes glancing at Elise.
Elise was playing with Matcha Pudding's little ball. She looked up, "In a bit. What's the rush? Trying to kick me out?"
"How could I? You're the Princess. If you're not happy, I'll get hounded by my mom, aunt, and uncle," Braden said as he walked to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of warm water.
His casual joke made her pause and reflect—was she, at times, taking advantage of the fact that he always indulged her?
"Honestly, what do you really think of me?" Elise turned around and asked Braden, who was casually drinking water in the kitchen.
Still feeling a bit tipsy, a mischievous thought crossed Baden's mind. He playfully made a heart shape with his fingers, deliberately stirring up a bit of tension in the room.
"What do you think?" Baden's brows lifted into a smile, and for a fleeting moment, his eyes reflected a gentle warmth.
For a moment, Elise was stunned, as if her soul had been tugged right out of her body, leaving her feeling completely lost.
This must be a dream—or maybe Braden was drunk, she told herself.
"I'm not falling for that!" Elise quickly snapped back to her senses, refusing to believe Baden's teasing.
"You already know that. So, you should head home—I'm tired and can't talk anymore." Braden stood up from the couch, glanced back at her, and added, "Don't forget to close the door on your way out."
With that, his figure gradually disappeared from her sight.
Elise scratched Matcha Pudding's head, feeling that their conversation had led to nothing, though she had expected him to say something—maybe call her a troublemaking little sister or compare her to one of his close buddies.
She lingered alone in the living room for another half hour before reluctantly putting Matcha Pudding back in his little bed, walking out of Braden's house, and closing the door behind her.
Inside the house, Braden turned his phone back on and sat at his desk in deep thought. The phone rang almost immediately, breaking the brief silence, and after a moment's hesitation, he finally gave in and answered the call that had been coming through for a while.
"Why didn't you answer my calls all night? No matter how many times I tried, it just went straight to voicemail." Mylee's voice, laced with a hint of tears, came through the phone, and even over the line, the emotional manipulation was palpable.
"It's my friend's birthday. Besides, I don't like talking about work after hours," Braden answered, frowning slightly.
"You know I'm not talking about work," Mylee's voice sharpened, almost thorny in its intensity.
"Mylee, instead of using someone who has no feelings for you as a shield, why don't you just find someone who truly loves you? That way, you won't have to worry about him bothering you anymore. Isn't that better?" Braden bluntly voiced what he had been thinking all along. He really didn't want to keep playing this role anymore.
"I... never mind. You said it's your friend's birthday, so you probably had a few drinks. It's hard to be clear when you're drunk, so let's just leave it for now." Mylee found herself an excuse and quickly hung up.
Braden wasn't surprised by her unreasonable behavior. He put down the phone, deciding, as she had said, to leave it at that for now.
On the computer desk was a blue, shell-covered ocean-themed picture frame. The girl in the photo wore a black graduation gown and a cap, her hands pressed to her cheeks as she flashed a big "peace sign," her smile full of youthful energy.
The man standing beside her had even borrowed a graduation gown just to take the picture with her.
------
The next day, sitting at her desk, Elise balanced a pen on her nose, stuck in a rut with her script. It seemed almost deliberate, but Mylee had started offering "unique insights" about the male lead she had written, always finding some way to nitpick. They spent the entire morning discussing it, but still couldn't reach an agreement.
At that moment, Jakob appeared by her side like an angel, checking in on her progress and offering some relief from her work-related stress.
He glanced at the issues Mylee had raised, but they were all things that didn't really need to be changed.
For example, the male lead's reserved personality around strangers—this had already been agreed upon after discussions. He couldn't understand why, all of a sudden, Mylee was acting like she hadn't agreed to it.
"But isn't a cool, aloof male lead kind of interesting?" Elise pouted, swirling the mouse around the computer screen with a frustrated look.
Jakob nodded in agreement. "That mysterious vibe is great, but I'm curious—which friend did you base his personality on?"
Without thinking, Elise quickly responded, "It's based on a friend of mine. Sometimes he's cool and distant, sometimes he cracks jokes. He's a good guy, but he can also be really annoying. Overall though, I like him."
"If you weren't talking about a game or work, I'd think you were describing someone you like," Jakob teased with a playful smile.
Elise scratched her cheek, responding with a sheepish smile but staying silent.
It wouldn't be wrong to call it 'liking,' if liking a friend counts as liking.
