Leanna-Chapter 207: [Gathering Info.] [Pancakes]

[Zoe’s POV]

[Gathering Info.]

*sigh . . .

*sigh . . .

*sigh . . .

That’s it.

I surrendered and put the brush down.

Inspiration was distant nowadays.

It was already a week since my gallery opened, and Elliot was back to his usual busy schedule. He was now in China to do business and would stay there for a week.

I’m so bored.

Honestly, after opening my gallery in New Haven, I wanted to roam around the world while painting at the same time. My earnings already allow me to do that. But I had a change of heart and wanted to stick another month or two in New Haven, and I knew the reason why.

Lawrence . . .

*sigh . . .

This is wrong.

This is so wrong.

I knew that I should have emptied my feelings for Lawrence, but seeing him in the flesh brought it all back, and what was more complicated was that, I learned to like Elliot and didn’t want to betray him.

Is it possible to like two guys at the same time?

I sighed again more massive than the last.

This thought was tormenting me from the moment I saw Lawrence again.

I had to choose one, or else, I’d hurt both.

I smiled at myself.

What’s there to choose?

It was clear as day that I should be with Elliot. He’s my boyfriend, after all.

These past few days, I hadn’t heard anything from Lawrence. I guess he was just in the area and congratulated me out of politeness.

Forget him.

Forget him already!

I already have Elliot.

What was there to think about?

I like Elliot, so it should be Elliot.

I made up my mind and went to my bedroom to pack up my things so I could leave first thing tomorrow. The earliest, the better so I wouldn’t be tormented by these conflicting feelings. Once I was away from Lawrence, everything would be back to normal.

I smiled.

That’s right.

Everything will be back to normal once I don’t see him anymore.

Bzt!

The buzzing sound of the intercom startled me. I then hurried towards the door, and almost fell on my knees, when outside of my unit in the hall stood Lawrence with a simple black t-shirt and pants and sports shoes with a jacket wrapped around his waist. He was roaming his innocent eyes at the interior of the hallway.

I chewed on my lips.

Partly I stayed because my unit was in Azure Sky, where Lawrence and Lance were staying.

Part of me was overjoyed because admit it or not, I was hoping in secret that he would come and visit me.

Fudge!

Are you cheating behind Elliot’s back?

The thought filled me with guilt and shame, but even so, I checked my appearance. I was wearing my usual home clothes, loose long sleeve red chequered shirt, and short jeans and slippers.

Lawrence and I are friends now. Whatever we have, we already ended it in the past.

Yeah right. Keep saying that to yourself.

I bit my lips and opened the door.

"Hi."

It was a good thing I was holding the door handle, or else, I would have been knocked back by that invincible force radiating from his shining smile.

"H-hi . . . h-how did you know I’m staying here?" I asked stupidly. Of course, he knew. I bet Leanna told him.

"Well, the truth is, these past few years . . . I’ve been secretly gathering information about you . . . so I know everything it is to know when it comes to you."

. . .

. . .

Everything stopped. My brain, my breathing, my heart. I look at him with a dropped jaw.

We continued to stare at each other in silence before he burst out laughing –– hard.

"I’m just joking with you! Ahahaha! You should have seen your face!" he said between laughter as he wiped the tears in his eyes. He collected himself and added, "It was my sister who said that you live below our unit."

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

"Zoe, I never thought that you’re this gullible."

He patted my shoulder and grinned. I couldn’t help but smile at his mischievousness.

"You got me good, and here I am happy knowing it’s not only me who is secretly gathering information about you these past few years," I replied with a giggle.

----

[Zoe’s POV]

[Pancakes]

He paused and stared at me.

I froze and realized what I said.

Fudge!

I was breathing through my mouth now since anytime soon, I felt like I would run out of air due to this suffocating awkward situation we were in.

I couldn’t believe I blurted it all out!

This is flirting!

This is cheating!

"Zoe . . ."

Lawrence’s voice turned somewhat deep and rough. His face was serious as his brown eyes held mine in captive.

He was about to reach out when I recoiled and laughed.

"Ahahahahaha! I’m joking with you! You should have seen your face! Oh, Lawrence, you are so gullible!"

I pretended to laugh some more, yet no tears of laughter came out.

Lawrence just looked at me, and after a moment of more awkwardness, he finally let out a smile.

"Yeah . . . you got me . . . ," he said a bit helpless as he ran his fingers through his silver hair.

He must have dyed his hair, and it looked so good on him.

"Aren’t you going to let me in?" Lawrence asked, all smiles.

"Oh, right. Come in, come in."

We pretended the awkwardness a while ago didn’t happen as I guided him in the living room.

"Can I get you anything?" I went to the open kitchen and just stood there, thinking of something or anything to serve him.

"Anything is fine. Don’t worry about me."

. . .

. . .

This situation was killing me. I didn’t know what to say, so I pretended to keep myself busy looking in the fridge.

"You are something, Zoe . . . you’re getting further and further away from me . . ."

"Hmmm . . . ? What was that?" I heard him mumbled some words, but I couldn’t make it out clearly.

"Nothing," he said. "Actually, I was planning to visit you much early on, but there are things I have to do at Zephyr Academy."

I frowned and couldn’t help but looked at him.

Zephyr academy also starts its classes together with Artem University, and I know Artem University’s official start of class was still a week from now.

Lawrence must have read my thoughts as he explained.

"It’s just some papers for admission, and it’s inappropriate if I come to visit you late in the afternoon, so here I am." He huffed a laugh.

"Oh . . ." Was all I could say.

It was a bright day, around eight in the morning, to be exact.

"Oh, right. Did you have breakfast yet?" This gave me an idea of what to prepare for him.

"Nope, what about you?"

I gasped when out of the blue, Lawrence was already beside me, staring at my fridge.

For a moment, I forgot how to speak. I even forgot my name when his refreshing after bath smell assaulted my senses.

"You alright?" Lawrence glanced at me when he noticed I was staring at him like a love-struck fool.

I quickly blinked and avoided his gaze.

"Y-yeah . . ."

I scurried toward the cabinet, pretending to get something.

"Did you already ate?" Lawrence asked again.

"Not yet."

"That’s great. How about we make pancakes?"

Lawrence’s puppy shining eyes hypnotized me into nodding my head while his smile widened.

"Right. Don’t just stand there. Do you have a pancake flour?"

Lawrence shifted his focus on my fridge. Moments later, he brought out eggs and milk. I, too, brought out the pancake flour.

It felt like it was not only my home anymore –– but ours. Lawrence was so natural inside my home, yet oddly enough, I didn’t mind it one bit.

"Right, my brother, Lance, is the one who is an expert cook. But I do know a thing or two about cooking," Lawrence mumbled as he stared at the laid out ingredients in front of him with a serious face.

I giggled as I grabbed some cooking utensils. "It’s just some pancakes, no need to be so serious about it."

"This is my first time cooking you food. Of course, I’m going to give it my all. Don’t underestimate pancakes. It easily burns." Lawrence frowned and prepared the ingredients, eyes were boring through the fixings.

I laughed a bit as I shook my head.

"Who told you that you would cook? You’re my guest. I should be the one to cook you food."

I bumped him aside with my hips which left him astonished with a silly grin on his face.

That grin I love so much.

"NO, I’ll cook."

Lawrence didn’t back down as he bumped me with his hips as well. But of course, he didn’t use too much force. He was taller than me now. He was also bigger against my petite frame.

"No! Let me cook!"

I was arguing with him when we grabbed the pancake flour at the same time and glanced at each other –– not one backing down.

Lawrence frowned, and his grip at the flour tightened.

"No, I will cook. You go and sit and watch TV or something."

"That should be you," I hissed and glared at him.

The awkward atmosphere was long gone forgotten as we battled each other on who to prepare the food until we were tagging the plastic with both hands.

"Lawrence, I’m older than you. Do as I say." I flashed a fake grin while my eyebrows furrowed.

"Zoe, could you not use your age to order me? I’m a man, and men should serve women." Lawrence’s forehead crumpled as he glared at me with a fake smile on his lips.

"Where did you get that silly notion of yours? You’re my guest. I should be the one to serve you food."

"We have known each other in the past. I am far from being just your guest."

RIIIIPPP!!

Gyagh!

The plastic containing the flour ripped, and I lost my balance and fell on the ground –– butt first.

The flour scattered in the air, and for a while, all I saw were tiny particles of white.

"Zoe, are you alright?"

Lawrence extended his hand at me.

I blinked away the flour in my eye, and when my vision cleared, I laughed out loud.

Ahahahaha!

I laughed so hard that I clutched my stomach as my palm pounded the floor.

"Ahahaha! Lawrence! Ahahaha! Your face! Ahahaha!"

Lawrence’s face and hair were all covered with flour, and coupled with his red lips and long lashes –– he looked so gay!

Lawrence blinked with an innocent face as he tilted his head to the side like he didn’t know what was so funny, and this caused me to laugh more!

"Oh, my god! Pft! Ahahaha! Stop it! Ahahaha . . . You’re killing me! Oh! My side! Ahahaha!"

Lawrence rolled his eyes as he grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me up.

"Look who’s laughing. You should see your face on the mirror," he retorted, still not letting me go while I laughed.

I was busy wiping my tears that I didn’t notice how he was looking at me with such intensity –– specifically looking at my lips.

I brushed his hands on my shoulders and went in front of the metal-coated refrigerator to assist my appearance. Accurate enough, I have flour on my hair and face.

I was like a ghost in one of those low budget movies.

I laughed again.