Day Fifty-Eight…
~~*****~~
"It could be… You," Jane put emphasis on the word 'You'.
Nathan was at a loss for words. He felt his body freeze as if he was splashed with a bucket of cold water.
'Did she figure out my identity?' Nathan looked away, feeling a little bit anxious. He didn't know why, but he was afraid of Jane knowing that he was SizzlingAugust.
What if she would seriously do the things she was planning to do if ever she would meet SizzlingAugust? Making love with him?! Force him and ravish him? Nathan's cheeks reddened with those wild thoughts. He immediately shook his head, erasing those unwanted thoughts from his mind.
Jane already made up her mind. She realized that she didn't have much time left. Using their past, she would try to gain Nathan's trust and get close to him. She had a high chance of winning his heart if Nathan would completely accept her as Shining Star.
"Nate, you avoided my question in your cabin. Now, I would ask you again. Are you SizzlingAugust?" Jane anchored her arms around Nathan's neck, her eyes never left his face.
Nathan was not able to say a word. He was torn between denying it or confessing the truth.
Jane heaved a deep sigh when she noticed the hesitation in Nathan's eyes. "Nate, if you are SizzlingAugust, don't you dare lie to me. You already ditched me once. You disappeared without saying goodbye to me."
"If you deny it, then I'll hate SizzlingAugust for the rest of my life. I already confirmed it! You are him! I am so familiar with the way he plays. I couldn't be wrong! You are SizzlingAugust!" Jane said with certainty.
Nathan couldn't believe it. With his gameplay, Jane was able to recognize him right away. How embarrassing it was for him. Unlike him, he failed to recognize the real Shining Star and thought someone else as her.
"Y-Yes… I'm SizzlingAugust…" Nathan admitted in his low voice. He lowered his head as he couldn't look straight into Jane's eyes. He couldn't bring himself to lie to her. At first, he thought he could deny it but his mouth already betrayed him.
Jane's face brightened up since Nathan finally admitted the truth. With a joyful heart, Jane pounced on him, hugging him tightly. Nathan was caught off guard once more. All he could do was stood there like a frozen statue.
It did not take long before Jane released him. And the next thing she did was step on his right foot and punch him hard on his chest.
Pound!
Nathan was awakened from his stupor when he felt pain in his right foot and his chest. When he glanced at Jane, she was already glaring at him.
"I've been dying to do this to you! I guess… our friendship just means nothing to you. You failed to recognize me," Jane expressed her frustrations toward Nathan. After saying that, Jane walked away, leaving Nathan in his current spot.
Nathan could only watch her retreating back. He blinked several times, his mind still processing Jane's words. He had the urge to follow her and explain his side. But something was stopping him from doing so. He had to find out first how Monica was able to steal Shining Star's identity. What was her real motive?
Meanwhile, Jane held her chest as she continued walking away from Nathan's spot. Her heart was beating so fast. She had to control her emotions first, otherwise, she might do something inappropriate.
'Don't make it so obvious that you like him so much! You have to restrain yourself a little or else, Nathan will remain hating you. I don't want to look like Veronica… a woman who is so obsessed with him,' Jane reminded herself.ραпdαs `n?ν?| сom
Jane exhaled deeply. 'Take it easy, Jane. One step at a time! We are getting there," she mumbled, tapping her chest. Then a bright smile appeared on her charming face. She couldn't contain her happiness. Since Nathan revealed his identity as SizzlingAugust, she found more reasons to approach and bother him.
'I will make you fall for me again… not as Shining Star… but as Jane…" Jane felt so motivated.
*****
On the other side of the mountain resort, Aiden invited Cherry once more. He asked her to accompany him to the View Deck. Fulfilling her yesterday's promise, Cherry tagged along with him. But she already made up her mind that starting tomorrow, she would hang out together with Jane.
The two hiked for an hour before they reached the view deck. Though it was exhausting, it was all worth it. The beautiful and majestic view of the mountain, the forest, and the sea welcomed their sight. Cherry could only gasp in amusement and admiration.
"Oh my gosh! This place is so beautiful!"
Aiden was glad because he could see the joy in Cherry's eyes. It felt so good to see her smile.
"You are the first woman I brought here," Aiden mumbled. But Cherry seemed that she was not listening to him. Her attention was focused on the beautiful scenery in front of her.
Aiden just shrugged his shoulders, letting Cherry enjoy the view and appreciate the beauty of nature. He already felt contented watching her on the sideline. He had been dating a lot of women. However, he had never felt this kind of feeling before.
His heart was jumping with joy just to see her smile. It kept pounding so hard whenever she was near. And when she was not around, he couldn't wait to see her.
'Damn! I fell so hard for this woman…' Aiden thought to himself, still admiring Cherry's smiling face. It was seldom for him to see this. Cherry didn't usually smile when he was around. She was always serious and looked scary. But still, he liked her. He liked her fierce side.
'She gave me a chance to make friends with her. Now… I have to confess my feelings. This is my only chance. Otherwise, I won't find the courage to tell her what I feel.'
Aiden Wu was known as Casanova. He never stayed in a relationship for too long. He hated commitment. He just wanted to play and flirt with them. No strings attached. But now, he felt different towards Cherry. He wanted more than a fling… more than a friend. He wanted her as his woman.
'I guess… I'm ready to take a serious relationship… I'll behave now. I'll change for the better. For Cherry…' Aiden could feel his own nervousness.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
'Damn! My heart is running so wild. I'm so nervous.' Aiden wiped his sweaty forehead, including his palms.
He inhaled and exhaled. Then he looked at the maple tree just a few meters away from them. He hid the bouquet of flowers in that tree. He also prepared a gift for Cherry. He just hoped Cherry wouldn't reject him.
Their relationship had been improving lately. He thought he finally had the chance to confess his feelings. He could no longer hide it.
"Aiden! Let's try the zipline!" Cherry called him, bringing him back to the present.
"Oh, Sure! Let's try it!" Aiden would like to savor this first. He was mustering up his courage until he could find the right moment to confess.
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