Chapter 14: Chapter 13: Spare Tire
"Jojo, I wasn’t sure what you’d like, but I thought this necklace would look great on you. Happy birthday," Ethan Crowe said, handing her the gift.
He had clearly made an effort for the occasion, even getting his hair styled. He looked much more mature.
Joanna Kennedy hadn’t invited him, but she couldn’t just turn away someone who was being so friendly, especially when he’d brought a gift.
’Oh, right. He’s also the guy I scammed 43 yuan out of.’
Joanna Kennedy smiled. "Thanks." ’What a sucker.’
Ethan Crowe’s smile grew even gentler. "You’re welcome. I’m just glad you like it."
As the two of them—a handsome man and a beautiful woman—chatted happily, someone else was starting to lose their temper.
Paul Pemberton’s friend grabbed him as he fumed, trying to calm him down. "It’s Joanna Kennedy’s birthday today. If you cause a scene, she might never speak to you again."
"I—" Paul Pemberton choked back his anger. "Damn it..."
’Where the hell did this pretty boy come from?’
Watching Ethan Crowe fawn over Joanna Kennedy, a thought suddenly struck Paul Pemberton.
He’d been blocked by Joanna ever since the day she went public with her relationship. To this day, he was still on her blocklist.
’Could it be? Is this Joanna Kennedy’s boyfriend?’
"Birthday girl, come play the game!" someone called out to Joanna Kennedy.
The private room was massive. Some people were singing, others were dancing, and in the middle, a dozen or so people had formed a circle around an empty wine bottle on the floor.
Not wanting to miss a single chance to get closer to Joanna Kennedy, Ethan Crowe followed her. "What’s the game?"
A male voice dripped with sarcasm. "Truth or Dare. You in?"
The hostility in his tone was undisguised.
Ethan Crowe glanced over at someone he didn’t recognize. But when he saw the way the guy was looking at Joanna Kennedy, he knew exactly where the animosity was coming from.
Joanna Kennedy glanced from Ethan Crowe to Paul Pemberton, her expression unreadable. Inwardly, however, she was roaring with laughter. ’Hahahaha! See that? That’s my charm for you!’
’Without me saying a single word, I’ve got two passionate high school boys fighting over me.’
’Psycho,’ 166 muttered under its breath.
Loving the drama and having no desire to stop it, she let Ethan Crowe sit next to her. Seeing this, Paul Pemberton deliberately swapped seats with someone else to sit on her other side.
And just like that, the scene was set. Joanna Kennedy was now flanked: a gentle, sunny-boy type on one side, and a cocky, bad-boy type on the other.
There was a moment of silence, but the lively atmosphere quickly returned. The gossip from a love triangle is always juicy, but it’s twice as delicious when a game of "Truth or Dare" is involved!
"Alright, alright, I’ll spin the bottle!" Anna Yates volunteered for the glorious task, shooting Joanna Kennedy a conspiratorial wink.
Joanna Kennedy was inwardly amused, but on the outside, she had to keep up the appearance of being distracted and preoccupied with thoughts of Simon Lockwood.
Paul Pemberton’s luck was just terrible. The bottle pointed at him on the very first spin.
"Truth or Dare?" Anna Yates asked.
"Truth," Paul Pemberton said.
"Is there someone you like in this room?"
Paul Pemberton was surprisingly frank. "Yes."
A collective "Ooh!" went through the crowd, and all eyes instinctively turned to Joanna Kennedy. But they saw she was just staring blankly at her phone, completely oblivious to what was going on.
Paul Pemberton’s expression darkened.
They played a few more rounds, but the bottle never landed on Joanna Kennedy. The room was getting stuffy from the heat, so she announced she was stepping out for some fresh air. Ignoring the ensuing chatter, she opened the door.
The private room opened onto a hallway that led to a spacious balcony. From that vantage point, you could overlook a good part of Aethelburg. Neon lights flickered over a web of crisscrossing streets, their paths illuminated by brilliant white headlights.
Joanna Kennedy closed her eyes. Feeling the chilly wind on her cheeks, she found her heart was so calm that not a single ripple disturbed its surface.
Footsteps sounded behind her. She opened her eyes, burying all her real emotions and slipping back into her "Joanna Kennedy" persona.
The newcomer came to stand beside her, smelling faintly of alcohol. Joanna Kennedy teased him, "What, did Paul Pemberton force drinks on you?"
Ethan Crowe nodded, playing the victim. "Yeah. Your friend wouldn’t let me leave unless I drank with him."
"It’s not like I did anything to offend your friend, is it? Why is he so hostile toward me?"
"He’s not my friend," Joanna Kennedy replied, refusing to play along.
But Ethan Crowe persisted. "Jojo, do you know why he’s targeting me?"
"I don’t want to know."
It wasn’t that she didn’t know; it was that she didn’t *want* to know.
Ethan Crowe was momentarily at a loss for words. His inability to naturally express his feelings left him with a sense of frustration, a feeling that things were slipping from his control.
He wasn’t as upset as he thought he would be. Instead, he felt a rising desire to conquer her, and a refusal to accept defeat.
"Jojo, I really like you. How about giving me a chance?"
Joanna Kennedy wasn’t surprised by the sudden confession. She gave him a cool glance. "I have a boyfriend."
"Simon Lockwood?" Ethan Crowe asked, his eyes filled with disdain. "I thought you were just playing around."
Joanna Kennedy was about to retort, but she swallowed her words. A warning from the system blared in her mind, and out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the edge of a piece of clothing sticking out from behind a corner.
She pulled her gaze away from the sliver of fabric and back to Ethan Crowe’s sunny, gentle face. She smiled and replied, "You’re right, I am just having fun. That face of his is exactly my type."
"Then—"
"But I’m not done having fun yet," Joanna Kennedy cut him off. "If you don’t mind, you can be my backup."
That’s our rich girl for you, insulting two people with a single sentence. Ethan Crowe’s expression soured. He was young, after all, and couldn’t hide his feelings. Even his smile was stiff. "So when will you be done having fun?"
A shadow flickered in the corner, and the sliver of fabric disappeared. Ethan Crowe was still waiting for her answer, but Joanna Kennedy had suddenly run out of patience. "What’s it to you?"
With that, she turned and walked away, not bothering to see the look on Ethan Crowe’s face.
She returned to the private room but didn’t rejoin the game. Instead, she sat on the sofa, picking listlessly at her cake. Ethan Crowe, his pride wounded, never came back.
Seeing his rival gone, Paul Pemberton immediately perked up. He came over, feigning concern, but after Joanna Kennedy shut him down with a few sharp retorts, he stormed off in a huff too.
By nine-thirty, the remaining guests had also started to leave. Soon, only Anna Yates and Joanna Kennedy were left.
"Jo, why don’t I stay over at your place tonight?"
Anna Yates had grown up with her, and she was the one who accompanied Joanna Kennedy on her birthday almost every year. Joanna’s parents were just too busy—so busy they didn’t even have time to come home for their own daughter’s birthday, merely shipping a gift home in a hurry.
But this year was a little different. Joanna Kennedy had a boyfriend now, yet this so-called boyfriend wasn’t by her side either.
Joanna Kennedy could see the worry and pity in her friend’s eyes and found it amusing. "No need. Your mom has already called you a bunch of times. You should hurry home."
Anna Yates looked like she wanted to say more, but in the end, she couldn’t withstand the barrage of calls from her parents. After reminding Joanna Kennedy to call her if she needed anything, she finally left.
The night air was cool as water. Beneath the dim yellow glow of the streetlights, the shadows of tree branches stretched across the ground, writhing like monsters in the dark.
Simon Lockwood walked slowly, his eyes downcast, his expression unreadable.
An exquisitely wrapped gift box hung from the handlebars of his bicycle. He stared at it for a while before stopping by a trash can and throwing it in.
