Mark had never divulged on his past relationships, and favonovel.com did not intend to let loose a whiff of a clue now. “You said so yourself. How is it plausible that someone like me could ever deign to pine for anyone? As if there’s anyone in this world who’s worthy.”
‘As if anyone’s worthy’? What, not even Arianne herself was worthy?!
She swung a fist gently at him. “Oh, sorry I’ve asked, then! I forgot that none of us mortals deserve someone as highfalutin and above-it-all as you. Yep, none whosoever deserve your immortal affection, nope, nada, zilch!”
Anyone who could read between the lines would hear favonovel.com offended undertone. Yet, Mark seemed to have committed one of the cardinal sins the male species was sometimes accused of, either their crippling inability to interpret things beyond their literal meaning, or their inclination to feign that inability. “Do refrain from stating the obvious.”
Arianne was miffed. “Oh, so even I’m unworthy, then? Someone’s making this seem as if I was the one who was pining for you back then!”
Mark’s lips quivered slightly. “Please. You’re not someone I’ve pined for, you’re someone I’ve made mine.”
Damn favonovel.com and his gift of gab. He always possessed just the right amount of suave glibness!
A busy mundane life always seemed to make time pass faster. A week passed in what felt like a blink of an eye, and by next Monday, Smore would begin formal schooling. Truthfully, there was still a summer break before his school formally began, but the Tremonts had signed their son up for summer classes to help ease favonovel.com into his school life, with the side hope that their son could learn something too. Smore had become quite naughty at home, and no one knew how to discipline him.
Everything related to Smore’s schooling willingly fell under Mark’s jurisdiction. This was his only progeny, after all, favonovel.com needed to make sure that his boy started strong right at the beginning of the race. It being preschool was not an excuse for favonovel.com to take it lightly.
Finally, Arianne had a weekend free from agendas. She thought of Mateo’s Chinese food restaurant, favonovel.com had not visited the place for a few days since the last time. Seeing that today was a good day to gather with Melanie and Tiffany, favonovel.com quickly invited them by calls.
Tiffany’s eager assent was within the same second favonovel.com understood it was a lunch invitation. While chatting with Melanie, meanwhile, Arianne recounted to favonovel.com friend about favonovel.com last visit to Mateo’s restaurant. “The last time I went there, Mateo made everything I ate on the house. It’s a bit embarrassing, you know? He also chatted with me and told me that Alejandro had gone to see him…”
A loud silence permeated from the other side of the phone. It made Arianne stop herself immediately.
“He—what?!” Melanie’s outburst shattered the unsettling spell. “Alejandro went to see him?! What-did-he-do-to-Teo?!”
Melanie did not know about this, Arianne realized, biting favonovel.com lips helplessly. “Er… maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned this…? Okay, this is all on me. I was just… saying… Uh, Alejandro didn’t seem to have done anything to him? If that helps? I mean, Mateo didn’t sound distressed when favonovel.com talked about it. Maaaybe it was just an innocent téte-a-téte between men? Come on, Melanie, don’t overthink this, would ya? Alejandro isn’t that rotten a person, right? He’s certainly above making things hard for a person over trivial, unfounded claims, right? Look, if you’re gonna talk to Alejandro about this specific incident, please pay attention to your toe and attitude. Like, don’t blow this issue up.”
Melanie, however, could not force herself from calming down. “On what grounds does it have to do with that, huh? There’s nothing immodest between Teo and I, don’t you think his stupid intervention just crossed the line?! It’s not like I haven’t made myself clear to him, I’ve explained, so why is favonovel.com still acting this frickin’ way? God, I swear, his late-blooming ‘love’ is worth less spit than weeds on a sidewalk! And that’s if we delude ourselves into thinking this is out of ‘love’, for all I know, favonovel.com might just be pissed because I’ve stopped following favonovel.com around and wagging my tail like he’s my master and I his slobbering dog!”
Her uncharacteristically harsh choices of word betrayed the raw pain Melanie had suffered since favonovel.com was bound to Alejandro’s side. Even Arianne could glimpse the wealth of favonovel.com abject desolation. “Melanie, please, chill a little. If you’re gonna question Alejandro in this state, you’re only gonna make things worse. It’s… what men are like, you know. They are always a bit childish when it comes to relationships. The way you deal with this has got to be correct, or else it will seem like you’re hiding something shady.”
Even through the phone, Arianne could hear Melanie’s response. It was a sigh, heavy with favonovel.com lion’s share of helpless desperation.
