Chapter 111: Chapter 111

Winter's POV

"Say, Winter, would you like to go on a double date with my girlfriend and me?"

That's what Ian asked me last night over the phone. He called to tell me about his celebrity friend who wants to collaborate with my company. It's been a week since he and Belle announced their relationship, but I'm still skeptical about it.

"How do you think about that?" I asked Matthew while we were inside the library room.

I was sitting on the couch while he was lying down, using my lap as his pillow. He spoke without even taking his eyes off the book that he was reading. "I think it's fine."

"Right. Then maybe we can also have a closer look at them to see if they really care for each other.

"You should stop suspecting them now."

"Huh? And why would I? Their relationship is really suspicious. Don't you suspect the relationship they're saying?"

That was when he sat up and put the book on the center table before looking at me. "Seeing Belle happy is what I want. If she's happy with Ian, then I'll support her."

"Of course, Ian's happiness is important to me. But I just want to make sure they are not forcing themselves to be in a relationship they aren't even interested in, in the first place."

"Do you think they're just forcing themselves?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. But you know... the night before we saw them together, Ian even confessed his feelings to me and he even said I love you..."

Matthew's brows furrowed. "I didn't know about that. Oh, is that when you went to my office and cried?"

"Yes, that's it. I really thought he would go to Japan and leave. Of course, I didn't stop him because I also want him to be happy and he told me he was going to do that to move on from me. I don't want to be selfish and ask him to stay just because he's my best friend. But then when we found out that he and Belle were going out, I got confused. Is that really how fast someone can move on? It makes little sense, right?"

"You're right. Then, should we observe them tomorrow night?"

"Yes, that's what we should do to see if they really love each other or if they're just merely pretending just so they could make us believe that they already moved on from us."

He kept on nodding his head, then he stared at my face with a smile on his face. I looked straight into his eyes as I raised an eyebrow. "What? Why are you looking at me? Don't tell me you want to get a kiss from me right now?"

"Is it wrong for me to feel this way? Can't I get it?"

"Matthew. Are you even aware that your girlfriend had been the most popular celebrity in the country? They pay me a huge amount of money for each kissing scene. Most of the time, I don't allow my co-actor to kiss me on the lips."

"Is that so? Does that mean I should also pay whenever I want to kiss you?"

"Of course, you should. Also, you keep on rejecting my kiss whenever I want to do it. Do you think I'll go easy with you just because you're now in the mood to kiss me?"

He shrugged. "Then tell me the price, and I'll pay for it. And just to make things clear, it's not that I rejected your kiss on purpose or just because I wasn't in the mood to do so. You know we can't do things like that when at work."

"Oh, come on, stop explaining now."

"Fine. How much should I pay you?"

"So, you're that eager to kiss me?"

He immediately nodded his head and pouted at me. "I feel tired. I think I need it to have energy."

I couldn't help but smile because of how cute he was, but I stopped myself and showed him a poker face instead. "If you want to kiss me, then you should win against me first."

"Huh?"

"We're going to play a game. The one who wins can ask the loser about anything and the loser can't do anything about it."

"You're really planning to make me do something first before being able to kiss you, huh?"

"Of course. Just because you're handsome, you can already get what you want. Alright, let's play already. Each of us will be choosing a book first without looking at its contents. Then, at the count of three, we'll open it to any page, and the one with the most people will be the winner."

He nodded his head with a smile on his face. "Deal."

Matthew and I started choosing a book. It didn't even take him long to find a book, while I was still guessing which of those books on the shelves has more illustrations than text. When I was finally able to find mine, I went back to the couch and sat down beside him.

"Alright, at the count of three, we're going to open the book. Are you ready?"

"I am."

"Onee..two...three!"

Matthew didn't take his eyes off me while opening his book. It was as if he was so sure that he would win.

"You picked a book that has no illustrations in it." he suddenly told me.

"W-What?!" I looked at the book I was holding and figured out he was right. "H-How did you know?"

"I have read almost all of the books here already. And one of them is the one you just picked."

I frowned at him. "So, that's why you were so confident? You cheater."

"I didn't cheat. I didn't even say anything."

"That's right. You didn't even tell me this book contains no illustration!"

Matthew smiled at me. "So, can I get the prize now?"

I glared at him first before I put the book on the center table and faced him again. "No, you can't."

"Huh? But I thought we had an agreement."

"I already changed my mind. I just want to go to sleep now."

After saying that, I stood up and grabbed my phone from the couch. Matthew looked up at me with furrowed brows. "Where are you going?"

"To my room. I told you, I'm going to sleep already."

I was about to start walking towards the door, but then Matthew grabbed my wrist and forced me to sit back on the couch beside him again. "Miss Winter, you need to do what you promised."

"I told you, I'm—

Before I could even speak again, he grabbed me by the nape and pulled me close to him. He was about to kiss me, but I covered my mouth with my hands, which made him frown at me. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I don't want to kiss you." I stubbornly said.

"And why not?"

"Because I'm not in the mood to."

He smirked at me. "Well then, I guess I have no other choice but to use force."

"What are you—

Before I could even speak again, Matthew gently pushed me down onto the couch and pinned both of my hands above my head as he moved his face closer to mine and claimed my lips. I kept my eyes open while he was gently kissing me. His eyes were closed as if savoring every bit of the kiss.

When he moved away from me, he helped me sit up again. I could feel my whole face getting hotter as he stared at me.

"You're flushed," he said with a teasing smile on his face.

"It's your fault. I already told you I didn't want to kiss you."

He pouted at me. "You didn't want to kiss me?"

"It's not that I didn't want to do it, I just...."

"You just what?"

I averted my gaze from him. "I just ate scallops a while ago and I haven't brushed my teeth yet. Can't you smell my breath? Does it taste weird?"

I got surprised when he suddenly leaned closer to me and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. "It doesn't taste weird. It tastes as good as ever."

"Pumpkin."

"What?"

"You're getting fond of kissing me already. You kissed me two times now."

"It's because you asked me how it tasted."

In the end, we just laughed at each other and decided to go to bed already. As usual, Matthew tucked me in like a kid and kissed me on the forehead before saying goodnight and leaving my room.