I ran towards him, thinking that perhaps I could take this chance to finally have a proper conversation.
But Kasey clearly saw me running towards him, and he saw the water bottle in my hand. He simply stared at me, and without a word, accepted a bottle of water from another girl nearby. My steps faltered.
He still had that indifferent expression, turning his head away without looking at me or drinking from the bottle. I took a deep breath, feeling a sense of helplessness, then walked straight up to him.
"Kasey, we need to talk."
Before he could refuse, I grabbed his wrist and pulled him away from the crowd. Onlookers were confused, laughing and teasing.
In that moment, I thought I caught the faintest curve of his lips.
He followed me silently as we reached the bottom of the classroom building. He didn't speak, nor did he resist. It almost felt like the old times.
"What do you want to talk about?" he leaned against the wall lazily, looking at me. Kasey's face was flushed from exercise, and he was still breathing lightly.
I studied him for a few seconds. "What happened to the water you had earlier?" He seemed taken aback, as if he hadn't expected me to ask that.
"I returned it earlier."
Kasey lowered his head, his voice muffled.
So it was all just to annoy me?
I composed myself, handing him the bottle I had been holding. My tone softened, almost coaxing him, "Do you want this?" Kasey's gaze lingered on my hand for a brief moment before he lifted his eyes to meet mine, and then he suddenly smiled.
I furrowed my brows, utterly confused.
"What are you smiling about...?"
Before I could finish my question, Kasey grabbed my wrist and yanked me forward. I lost my balance and fell into his arms, the bottle of water slipping from my hand.
"Jocelyn, do you remember what you said to me the night seventeen days ago?" Kasey's voice was low, almost a whisper. He was referring to that night when he told me he wasn't a good person. We hadn't really seen each other since.
And he remembered the exact number of days.
---
The position we were in felt strange. I instinctively moved back a little to create some distance.
Kasey still didn't let go of my wrist, but the grip was gentle, just a loose circle around my wrist.
I was about to ask him to speak up when I looked up at him. His gaze shifted behind me, his expression cold, and there was a hint of disdain in his dark eyes.
I tried to turn my head to see what he was looking at, but Kasey suddenly lowered his head, one hand brushing a strand of hair from my ear, tucking it behind. His movements were unusually tender.
I couldn't help but feel my heart flutter, and my face heated up as memories of that kiss flooded back.
Kasey's eyes, though, were fixed on something behind me, as if marking his territory.
To cover up my unease, I quickly stepped back, pulling away from his embrace.
When I turned around, I saw Sebastian standing a few meters away, his face dark.
But when he saw me, his expression shifted to one of mockery, a mischievous grin on his face.
I was speechless. He was usually so perceptive. Why was he acting so clueless now?
At least he made his intentions clear.
"Jocelyn, the logistics department asked me to find you."
"…I'll be back in a minute, I've got something going on." I winked at him.
Pablo looked at me, grinning mischievously, but he agreed and left, giving Kasey a quick glance before he walked off.
I calmed myself and turned back around. "Kasey, why are you avoiding me?"
And that kiss... was it driven by possessiveness? Was it to prove you're not a good person? Or was it simply uncontrollable?
Kasey looked away, the coldness in his expression slowly melting away. His eyes, though, were filled with complex emotions.
He sighed softly, as though admitting defeat. He rested his head on my shoulder, his voice weary.
"Jocelyn, stop coming after me."
???
Are you okay?
How can his attitude change so quickly?
"What do you mean?"
Stop bothering you???
"Literal meaning."
Kasey glanced at me deeply, his emotions shifting in his eyes, and then he walked away, not forgetting to snatch the bottle of water I was holding.
Seriously, men?
As his figure disappeared around the corner, I couldn't hold back my curse: "Are you crazy, Kasey?! Do you think it's funny to mess with me? What's wrong with you?! Ungrateful jerk!'"
"If I ever come after you again, I'll eat my words!" His silhouette froze for a moment.
