Love’s Cunning Ruse

Chapter 134

That night, way past bedtime.

Julie and Kieran were strolling back home, with the streetlights illuminating their path Taking advice she got online, Julie pretended to twist her ankle, then grabbed Kieran’s sleeve, shooting him a pitiful look, “I think I sprained my foot”

Kieran looked Julie up and down, and instead of pushing her away immediately, he looked at her ankle and asked, “Break a bone?”

Julie was feeling down, “No… no bones broken, but twisted. Hurts a bit. Can we sit down for a while?”

While Kieran was mulling over her request, Julie was already limping towards a bench with Kieran in tow. She clung to his sleeve as she sat down, then looked at her ankle, pretending to be in pain, muttered, “What if I can’t walk later? Can you carry me?”

Julie saw Kieran pull out his phone and dial the emergency number.

She quickly snatched his phone away, laughing. “I’m not that bad off. No need for an ambulance. Can’t waste public resources, right? I’m touched that you care so much.”

Kieran extended his hand, “My phone.”

Julie stuffed his phone into her coat pocket, then covered the pocket, looked up at Kieran and asked, “What are your thoughts on dating?”

Kieran just looked at her without a reply. The dim light made his facial features more prominent. Julie’s heart was pounding.

“Do you mind dating while in school?” Julie persisted.

no

Despite Julie’s daily efforts to get closer to Kieran, intimate moments were rare. Most of the time, she could only daydream while watching his back. Therefore, under the dim light, when Kieran looked at her, Julie couldn’t meet his gaze and quickly averted her eyes

After a while, Kieran still hadnt answered. Julie cautiously spoke again, “So… do you think you’ll date in school?”

“No, especially not with you,” Kieran responded firmly.

Julie should have focused on the latter half of Kieran’s answer, but she only registered the first half.

So she excitedly asked Kieran, “So you’ve never dated before?”

Kieran was speechless.

Is your first kiss still intact? Julie’s gaze landed on Kieran’s closed lips and she couldn’t help swallowing.

Just as Kieran was turning his head away, he turned back to look at Julie

her courage, cupped Kieran’s face, leaned in like a dragonfly skimming the water, gently pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth, and

red ink. She said to him, “Now, your first kiss

had just told him she had hurt her foot. She ran faster than a rabbit. Falling plane tree leaves landed on her shoulder. She wore a flowing white

way home, her face

a glass of milk, smiled, and brushed Julie’s messy hair behind her ears, “Why are you back so late? Your face is so red, do you have a fever?”

“I’m in

as she sat next to Julie and looked at

back to reality and said to Sansa, “No! I mean I have a fever… touch me, don’t I feel like

class, just

said that, she still helped Julie take a day off and didn’t tell their

her. In class, Kieran

the back door after the bell rang. A few minutes before dismissal, she would leave early Although she was

was still better

were curious why she was avoiding Kieran, and told her that

time, he hadn’t come to confront Julie. Even though Julie had been avoiding him for

ice creams, and was ready to make peace with Kieran, she saw Annalise sitting on the back of Kieran’s

cream slid

she leaned towards a warm

comfortably leaned into the warmth, and then slowly, peacefully fell asleep.

at the woman lying in his arms, his heart ached as he gently wiped away the tears that slipped from the corner of her eyes. The clear and translucent tears

Julie woke up,

dose of sleeping pills last night, but she didn’t expect to sleep so heavily that she didn’t even know she had been

in a fog for a few seconds before she got her bearings, then she headed

as she got to the cabin door, Karl popped out of nowhere, giving her a

too preoccupied to correct Karl’s address. She asked him straight to

you like for breakfast?”

can you make?” Julie asked.

hesitated, then said, “Most things. What

cook him and bring him to me. Go on!” Julie

That’s not possible.”

flight back to Whispering Pines?

Karl nodded.

him to come see me when he’s done working! I don’t mind what I have for breakfast” Finished speaking, Julie looked around the cabin. She couldn’t find her bag and phone, so she said to Karl, ‘Also,

went back

words to Kieran, “Mrs. Hernandez said if you don’t want to crash with her, you

and glanced at Karl, “Tell her there are parachutes