Facade of Love

Chapter 358 I’ll Rub It for You

I bit my lip, my hand instinctively going to my hot check. It was not very painful, but it sure did not feel good. My angst suddenly seemed kind of silly now.

I looked at her, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, “Do you even see me as your daughter anymore? You’ve been camped out at the hospital all week. Did you even pay attention to your own daughter? Did you see me fall and come home limping? Or did you only see a daughter who always defies you, leaving without your blessing, not listening to a word you say?”

Mom’s face said it all–she was floored. Her mouth hung open as she finally seemed to really see me, maybe for the first time in days.

My heart was pounding as I lugged my suitcase out to the front yard. Idris’s car was waiting just outside, and he was heading my way when he caught sight of my ghostly expression. His eyebrows pinched together in concern. “What’s up?”

“It’s nothing!” I grumbled, my rear end throbbing. He grabbed my bag, and I awkwardly climbed into the car.

Mom stayed back, just watching from the yard. Idris stowed the luggage and went inside for a moment. Left in the car, I was clueless about what he and Mom were discussing.

Soon after, he hopped back in, and we hit the road, both of us wrapped up in our own silent worlds.

At the airport, Madam Young and a bunch of the Young family’s aunts, as well as Liam and his folks, were all there gabbing away in the VIP lounge.

Madam Young caught sight of us and beamed. “There you are!” Then she paused, eyeing my limp. “Yvette, is something wrong?”

shook my head and made the rounds, saying

it, boarding time

plane, Idris and I settled into our cushy business–class seats. Normally, I would be out like a light the second I buckled

stared out the window at the clouds below, feeling a

a tube of Icy Hot in his hand. “Let me

blinked, confused for a second.

it clicked. I had taken

I got it, I quickly brushed him off.

of Icy Hot into his hand and warming it up before reaching toward my lower

on my clothes, along with other things. As I hesitated, a warm, solid sensation spread across my

wave of unexpected relief washed over me, making my cheeks flush with heat, and I instinctively

to my ear, “or you’ll get it on your clothes.”

then added in a low voice, “Relax. No one is paying

was a bundle of emotions as he massaged me, leaning in so close that with every breath, I could catch the familiar scent of his shower gel mixed with his own unique

even hear the soft sound

help, but I could not quite shake off my unease. Since I could not escape, I steeled myself and let him continue. Thankfully, when my breathing got a little choppy, he stopped, screwed the cap back on the Icy Hot, and looked at me with

like it was on fire, and managed a raspy,