Dakota, annoyed and flustered, pushed Curtis away.
She jumped to her feet, her ears turning red. "You jerk! Who said there's going to be a next time?"
Curtis smiled casually, quirking his lips.
He lazily turned his head, seeing Dakota run out, clutching her skirt, looking like a bashful yellow peony.
This time, Curtis didn't rush to follow her out.
He slowly leaned forward, admiring the oil painting cake Dakota made for him under the light, a picture full of ambiance, with a very girlish candle still stuck in the center of the cake.
Curtis reached out to pluck the candle, then slowly squatted in front of the cake, dipping his fingertip into the cream at the edge and putting it in his mouth.
"..."
The smile on Curtis's lips instantly froze.
His face gradually turned pale.
Damn, love is poisonous.
After running out, Dakota stood outside, letting the sea breeze cool her down.
Her lips still tingled from Curtis's two kisses, and even though she could smell the sea in her breath, she could still sense his presence.
She had only meant to give a birthday gift...
Never did she expect it to develop this way.
Curtis even said he liked her?
Is he crazy?!
But he didn't drink much tonight...
"Dakota." At this moment, Lailah suddenly ran over, "What gift did you give Curtis, it took so long."
Dakota snapped back to reality almost instantly.
Caught off guard by Lailah, she felt a bit guilty, her eyes darting around, "N-nothing!"
"Really?" Lailah looked suspicious.
She suddenly leaned in to examine Dakota, then pointed at her ear, "Then why is it so red here!"
"N-no, it's not!"
Dakota instantly reacted as if she'd been stepped on, "I was just too hot running out of there!"
"Oh." Lailah didn't press further.
But she felt something was off, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it, and after giving Dakota a couple more glances, she retracted her gaze.
"Curtis!"
Noe jumped up to greet Curtis.
Dakota turned away, feeling she couldn't bear to hear his name, and rubbed her burning ears again.
Curtis looked less than stellar.
His emotions tonight were like a roller coaster: One second soaking in honey, the next kicked into a ditch, one step tasting the sweetness of love, the next step turning green from a strange smell.
Noe curiously poked his head around, "What gift did Dakota secretly bring you?"
"..."
Curtis didn't want to reply.
He felt he used all the affection he had for Dakota to stop himself from spitting out that mouthful of cream.
He was really skeptical.
That she had poisoned it.
And with some weird-tasting poison.
Jasiah came over to tug him, "Mind your own business, why are you prying into the birthday boy's gift?"
Noe countered, "What's wrong with asking? Aren't we all good friends?"
The familiar childish argument began again.
Curtis ignored them, lazily lifting his eyelids to glance at Dakota, suddenly interjecting amidst their bickering, "Hey."
Noe and Jasiah glanced at him perfunctorily, then turned back to continue their childish argument.
Suddenly, Curtis asked, "What kind of man do you think Dakota likes?"
Noe: ??????
