How could I ask something like that when we don’t even have a real relationship?

I felt like I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.

“From now on, I won’t be with anyone else,” Eason said.

His answer left me momentarily speechless. “Viola, your face is so red.”

Eason stepped closer, so close that there was barely an inch between us. When I tilted my head up slightly, I could see his Adam’s apple moving.

There were no more words, but the air felt heavy and charged.

It was as if I was being pulled in.

As he leaned in, I felt something inside me snap, and I was frozen, watching him intently.

His lips brushed against mine, but at the last moment, he suddenly rested his chin on my shoulder, his ears turning red.

In a low, husky voice, he murmured, “Don’t look at me like that, Viola.”

…

After that night, my relationship with Eason was in this vague, unspoken limbo.

One evening, we were snuggled on the couch, watching a movie. I picked something at random without much thought.

On the projector, the characters started getting more intimate, their soft moans filling the quiet room, making everything feel oddly charged.

I used the excuse of needing to use the bathroom but ended up bumping into Eason's chest as he stood up abruptly.

His eyes seemed deeper, more intense.

“You...”

“I’m just going to the bathroom,” I said, and quickly went in.

As I closed the door, I glanced back and saw Eason’s ears were red, his eyes cast down, focused on something.

Later, around ten, I was lying in bed, restless and unable to sleep.

With my mind racing, I was sweating despite the covers.

I decided to get up for another shower.

As I opened the bathroom door, I saw Eason coming out.

Before I could say anything, he said, “It’s a bit warm in here, so I took a shower.”

I just said, “Oh,” and went inside.

When I turned on the shower, the cold water hit me hard, making me gasp.

Is he really turning the water down to freezing?

…

The next day, I was inevitably late for work.

The whole day, I was distracted, my mind constantly circling back to thoughts of Eason. I felt like something was off with me, and there was a strange itch I couldn't quite scratch.

It seemed I must have gone a little crazy to be so drawn to my best friend Demi's younger brother. Otherwise, why would I be feeling this way?

Well, if it comes to it and I end up marrying Eason, I could always forgo asking Demi for a wedding gift.

As I was lost in thought, a colleague walked in and said, “Miss Green, your boyfriend is waiting for you at the school gate.”

I almost instinctively thought it was Eason.

With a mix of hope and urgency, I rushed outside.

But when I saw Luther, I realized just how mistaken I had been.

Eason and I hadn’t even defined our relationship. So how could Luther claim to be my boyfriend?

“What are you doing here?” I demanded.

Ignoring my irritation, Luther grabbed my hand and tried to pull me towards his car.

I raised my hand to slap him, but he pushed me against the car, saying, “If you don’t want your colleagues to find out how messy your private life is, including your involvement with a U of T boy, get in the car now!”

I thought he must be out of his mind. “Have you lost your mind? If you’re going to make wild accusations, at least make them believable.”

The one with the messed-up private life was clearly him!

I’m a teacher—I have at least some moral standards.

Luther sneered, “Demi’s brother is only seventeen. You think if this news gets out, you’ll be able to keep your position in the school system?”

I was stunned. “That can’t be true.”

How could he be just seventeen? He’s so tall and strong. How could that be?

Then I remembered those viral posts online about people who bravely asked for a guy’s contact info only to find out he was wearing a child’s watch.

With today’s nutrition, many kids were tall enough that their real age wasn’t obvious from their appearance.

My face went pale.

I had never asked Eason about his age.

“If we get back together, no matter what happened between you and him, I’ll pretend I don’t know,” Luther said, pulling me into an embrace and kissing me like a madman.

At the moment his lips were about to touch mine, I kicked him hard in the groin and yelled, “Get lost!”

Luther stumbled back, clutching himself and glaring at me with a look of pure rage, threatening revenge.

After our heated confrontation, I felt uneasy and quickly texted Demi.

[How old is your brother this year?]

Demi, caught up in her overseas adventures, didn’t respond. I didn’t see Eason that night either.

When I tried to reach out to him, I realized we didn’t have any contact information for each other.

I realized I knew almost nothing about him.

…

That day, I was called into a meeting with the vice principal and the Dean. Someone had anonymously reported issues with my personal life to the principal.

The Dean said, “Miss Green, we have always trusted your character. You might have your reasons, but if this gets out, it would reflect very poorly on the school. We’re willing to give you a chance to resolve this matter. Take care of it and then come back to work.”

This was already a generous offer, given my otherwise good record.

I knew exactly who was behind this and went straight to confront Luther.

At a neon-lit bar, Luther was cozied up with his buddy, both of them completely absorbed in their own world.

I walked over and, without hesitation, threw my drink in Luther’s face.

Luther jumped up in rage, but when he saw it was me, he sneered and sat back down. “Coming to beg me now that you’ve lost your job? Too late.”

“Luther, you’re despicable. You’ll go to any lengths to get me back, even while flaunting your buddy. Let me tell you, no matter what you do, I’m not coming back. You’re filthy.”

After letting off steam, I ignored Luther’s livid expression and turned to leave.

Behind me, I heard Luther’s roar, “Viola, you’ll regret this. You’ll be begging me soon enough!”

The price I paid for angering Luther was being urgently summoned back home by my parents.

They immediately set up a blind date for me.

Given the recent chaos, my parents might have thought I had a thing for younger guys, so they arranged for me to meet a recent graduate who had already landed a steady job.

When we met, he showed up in a black sleeveless tank top and work pants, with a boxing gym logo on his tank. He arrived on a motorcycle, making quite a scene.

But the real eye-catcher was Eason walking in with him.

Dressed in jeans and a white shirt, he kept his gaze locked on me.

He said, “If you like it wild, why should I pretend to be something I’m not?”

Later, as he carried me back to my apartment, I sat on the couch and warned him, “Don’t mess around. I don’t want to make any mistakes. Let’s just forget the past and you should leave.”

Eason kept advancing, and I realized I was in trouble. I tried to get up, but he grabbed my leg and pinned me to the sofa.

“You like wild things, right? I can offer that. How about I tie you up? No whips, just a belt.”

My heart raced. “You’re a kid. Stop with that nonsense. I’m close to your sister Demi. If you try anything, I’ll have her come get you.”

Eason repeated, “Kid…” and then flashed his ID at me.

Name: Eason

Date of Birth: May 27, 1998

I was stunned.

My first thought: He’s actually a year older than me!

Second thought, “You’re not Demi’s brother. Who the hell are you?”