Chapter 52: Chapter 52

20km/h.

Ryan checked the speedometer while driving Chaylen’s car.

Guilty and disappointed in himself, Slyvester was curling himself like a ball of thread. He was pouting while looking outside the window, trying to reminisce about what should have done and what he should haven’t done.

Meanwhile, at the back, Chaylen was sleeping. There was a huge red swollen bump on his forehead. He fell hard on the floor when Slyvester stepped on the brake. Thankfully, he was too drunk, and he didn’t know what happened.

“You should have told me that you can’t drive a car,” Ryan nagged.

Pouting, Sylvester said, “If I say that, it will make me so uncool.”

“Let’s see if you still care about being cool or not once, you’re dead.”

“But we’re still alive.”

“BARELY, YOU IDIOT.”

“Tss,” Slyvester clicked his tongue, avoiding meeting her gaze.

“I should have asked Kyle instead. Maybe he can drive better than you.”

“Stop teasing me, I’m guilty enough,” Slyvester protested. His face was burning like red paste. “Look at how you drive. It will take us forever before we reach the boarding house. I swear people will think we’re running a funeral car at this rate.”

Ryan subconsciously glanced at Chaylen through the front mirror. Once she made sure he was still breathing, Ryan responded, “If I let you drive, we’re traveling inside the funeral cars instead. So shut up or else I’ll beat you for real.”

“Ouch. That’s so harsh, Ryan,” Slyvester complained like a kid. “Just because I don’t look cool anymore and you were turned off. Huh!”

“Turned-off? Why?” Rya asked, forgetting the fact that Slyvester likes her.

And when she remembered it belatedly, her mouth parted. She firmly shut her lips and decided to focus on driving the car.

Seeing her reaction, Slyvester saw hope.

“So, you didn’t get turned off?” he asked. “Well, it makes sense. When I saw you shouting like a dragon, I fell in love with you even more. My heart was beating so much that time.”

Yes. His heart was pounding because he was scared.

“Even if you shouted like a mad woman, you look pretty.”

Because he was blinded by love.

“Elegant ladies aren’t my type.”

He only said that because he wanted to match his type with Ryan.

And although Ryan could tell that he was pretty much sugar-coating, she couldn’t help but feel happy. Butterflies danced inside her stomach.

Ryan blushed. Slyvester was caught off guard by her reaction, he thought he was doing pretty well at courting the tough lady.

‘This is what I wanted to see. A reaction like that is enough to tell me that I might have a chance,’ Slyvester thought.

Since Ryan was keeping quiet, Slyvester decided to change the topic.

“Why did Chaylen drink with you, by the way?”

Ryan ceased smiling.

“He was crying before,” she shared.

“What?”

“That guy, no matter how annoying he is, he’s brokenhearted. It is about his family. Sorry, but I don’t think I can tell you what I know. It’s Chaylen’s private life.”

Slyvester nodded his head as he looked back at Chaylen and Chaylen’s bump on his forehead. He felt even guiltier.

“I know there’s something wrong with this guy,” Slyvester agreed. “Remember the first day I carried him when he was drunk? Actually, I saw him crying while hugging you. I knew something wrong had happened. That’s why I tried so hard to play nice with this bastard even if he’s irritating.”

Ryan almost agreed, but she scowled as she processed his words.

“You saw us hugging that time?” Ryan asked.

Slyvester’s eyes went round.

“T-That time, I only let him do that because he was crying. I swear,” she explained.

“Ahhh, y-yeah. I thought about that too. And hey, even if I like you, that doesn’t mean I should forbid you to do things. I have no rights to complain. But if I’d be honest, I was really jealous that time. Especially in Terban.”

There was a deafening reticency inside the car. It stayed for long seconds until Ryan spoke.

“Slyvester.”

“Hmmm?”

She bit her lower lip as she carefully detached her mouth. “I will confess something. Remember when you got sick? You told me that you had a dream. And that you saw me in your dream. That day, I actually entered your room. And the dream when you hugged me, that was true.”

Slyvester felt his heart skip a beat, and his mind blew up. He really thought it was all a dream! But why did Ryan think of confessing everything just now?

“You didn’t recognize me though. And you, well, you called me by another name. ‘Nikki’. Was she your ex-girlfriend?”

The man couldn’t say anything after Ryan brought Nikki into their conversation.

“When we were in the convenience store and I asked you why you were kind to me, you said it was because I remind you of Nikki.”

“…”

“So, I have this thought. What if you were only seeing Nikki through me and you misunderstood it as love?”

What’s the reason behind Ryan’s question?

Feeling not quite good, Slyvester opened the window of the car. He didn’t say anything and only looked outside the window.

It was only then Ryan learned she made a mistake bringing up the past. She blamed herself for ruining Slyvester’s mood, and now Ryan didn’t know what to do to ease the tension.

Suddenly, her phone rang favorably of Ryan. At least, the thick atmosphere lessened.

“Slyvester, my cellphone is in my bag. Can you pick it up for me?”

“Sure,” Slyvester answered in a low voice, grabbing the phone and seeing Kyle’s name on the screen. “Kyle is calling,” he informed her.

“Kyle? Did you tell him that we’re together?”

“No. Let’s answer his call to figure out why he’s calling. I will put this on loudspeaker, wait a minute.”

He answered the call and pressed the loudspeaker button.

[“Ryan.”]

“Yes, Kyle, why?” Ryan answered.

[“Where are you right now? I really think you need to come back here as soon as possible.”]

“Why? What happened?”

[“You see, we have guests. Your parents are here.”]

Ryan pressed the brake, causing Chaylen to fall on the floor again!