My jaw drops. What the hell was that?I watch him swiftly wipe his lips with the napkin provided. Is it something I said? Something I did? Is it the food? I take a bite of the brioche, then pop it in my mouth. No, of course, it’s not the food. It’s delicious.He stands up and takes several steps away from me, but my feet seem to have a mind of their own. I follow him in a flash, just in time to stop him from opening the door.“Wait!” I yell as I grab his arm.“Don’t touch me!” he shouts, pulling his arm back. His voice is like the Beast’s—Belle’s Beast. My heart skips a beat.His masked face looks down on me; he is glaring and breathing heavily. I stagger back.“Rule number two. I hate being touched.”I shudder at the sound of his voice. I feel ashamed for only grabbing his arm. Is this another reason he hates going out of his room other than his hiding-from-the-whole-world game? He hates being touched?I back away, feeling embarrassed. “I’m so sorry, I was wrong. It won’t happen agai

At precisely nine o’clock in the morning on Saturday, Oliver pulls up in his black Aston Martin. The window of his car glides down and reveals his smiling face.“Hey, Alayna. Did you wait long?”“Hey, you’re just in time.”“Come on in,” he invites, cocking his head. I open the passenger door and step inside.Ollie said he’s going to briefly meet someone today, but I did not bother asking him where he’s going. He promised he’ll fetch me after the spa so we can go home together.The receptionist at the G&E Spa acknowledges Oliver right away and assists us. I watch how he makes the receptionist blush with his captivating smile, which makes me realize Oliver is naturally kind to everyone. He introduces me to her. She tells me her name’s Sarah and calls over another young woman. I follow her to the back of the spa. Oliver waves at us and leaves the building.Moving through the entrance is like entering another world. Every arched doorway is framed by pearl-colored silk, while ornamented pi

“W-What do you want?”“I said I want you. Are those words not clear?”“I thought you hate being touched,” I say breathlessly. “Why are you doing this now?”He chuckles. God, his smile. I almost want to faint.“Is that what you think of me?” he asks.“What do you want from me?” I continue to wriggle. “Please, let me go. I can’t feel my hands anymore.”Brandon lifts me, then lays me on the couch, clasping my wrists and pinning my hands above me. “Better? Am I making you uncomfortable?”I squirm against him again, but he is keeping his grasp tight.“If this is about Oliver, you should not—”“This is about you and me,” his voice thickens. “Do you like him so much that you think this is about him?”“You should stop. He’s been friendly to me, always.”His eyes study me. “Let’s say he is. You didn’t answer my question.”I look away from his intense gaze. I jerk my arms from his grip and shove at his chest, then sit up.“No, I don’t, and even if I liked him...” I lift my chin. “What are you g

Cassius appears in the dining room a few minutes later and walks toward me. “That looks good,” he says, looking at the food on the table.“Thanks.” I smile. “Where’s Ollie?”“He’s still with Brandon.”“Is Brandon going to be okay? Is he unwell? Did he ask for something? I can prepare it for him and—”Cassius cuts me off and chuckles. “Relax. He’s fine, and he’s eating the breakfast you prepared. He’s doing great, so don’t worry,” he assures with a small smile.The thorn in my chest finally stops pricking. I sigh in relief. Last night, he didn’t seem very well when he asked me to leave him right away. “Thank you. I was so worried.”“He’ll be fine.” He grins once again and looks back at the food on the table. “Can I have a taste of this?” he says, pointing to the sweet side dish I made of mascarpone cream cheese laced with vanilla.I chuckle. “Of course, you can.” I offer him a fork, then he slices off a small portion, tasting the food.He hums in approval. “Wow, tiramisu crepes?”“Yes.

It’s been three weeks since I last saw Brandon’s face, and Oliver told me he will be taking the food to him instead of me for now. After the night his illness struck, I gave him space. It was also Oliver’s advice since his cousin needs to heal again. I have no idea how this illness can affect people; I’m afraid that I might hurt him again, so I keep my distance.I told Brandon that I wasn’t bothered by any of the things I was told, but after learning about his situation, I have to be more careful around him. Any skin-to-skin contact with him can trigger pain. That is the reason he doesn’t want to be touched.But unwilling to cut our connection, we were sending each other notes about his meal or how our day had gone. I sometimes went to his now-less-creepy white room so I could hear his voice, his laughter... until he stopped answering me. No more notes and he doesn’t answer my calls anymore in the white room.It’s bothering me now, wondering what happened to him, and all I can do is w