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

like a dragonfly skimming the water, gently pressed her lips to the corner of his

as if they had been soaked in red ink. She said to

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

her face

to her with a glass of milk, smiled, and brushed Julie’s messy hair behind her ears, “Why

“I’m in heat…”

sat next to Julie

have a fever… touch me, don’t I feel like I’m burning

class, just say so. No

still helped Julie take a day off

kept avoiding Kieran at school, afraid that he would confront her. In class, Kieran always sat in the front row

bell rang. A few minutes before dismissal, she would leave early Although

still better than getting yelled

Julie was always surrounded by fake friends. Many people were curious why she

gently kissed Kieran last time, he hadn’t come to confront Julie. Even though Julie had been avoiding him for a

after much deliberation, Julie decided to find Kieran and clearly express her feelings. But, when she plucked up the courage, bought two ice creams, and was ready to make peace with Kieran, she saw Annalise sitting on the back of Kieran’s bike at the door. They

those two ice creams. As the ice cream melted, the cold melted ice cream slid down her fingertips. Even though it was in a dream, Julie still felt the ice cream was heartbreakingly cold,

towards a warm place,

the source of warmth. She comfortably leaned into the warmth, and

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

when Julie woke up, she found herself on a plane.

expect to sleep so heavily that she didn’t even know she had

groggily. Her mind was in a fog

cabin door, Karl popped out of nowhere, giving her a polite nad,

preoccupied to correct Karl’s address. She asked him straight to the point, “Where’s Kieran?”

What would you

can you make?”

said, “Most things.

marinate him, cook him and bring him to

That’s not

the flight back to Whispering Pines?

Karl nodded.

done working! I don’t mind what I have for breakfast” Finished speaking, Julie looked around the cabin. She couldn’t find

that, Julie went back to

relayed Julie’s words to Kieran, “Mrs. Hernandez said if you don’t

and glanced at Karl, “Tell her there are