He had no intention of telling her about his misunderstandings and wrongful suspicions of her.
But she was sharp. "Was it for me?"
With a look that screamed, 'So you've had your eye on me this whole time,' Tina teased, "You're quite the dark horse, aren't you? Always playing coy before me."
Phillip neither confirmed nor denied. His ability to maintain composure in such a tense moment was remarkable.
Soon, Tina found herself at a loss for words.
Outside, the rain poured in sheets, its droplets meandering down the window, keeping the storm at bay.
Sweaty and sticky, Tina did not find the sensation unpleasant.
Phillip went to shower, leaving her to rest in bed for a moment. She wanted to share her feelings with her best friend, only to remember she had lost her phone.
She rolled around in the sheets, catching Phillip's scent, her legs kicking playfully.
The storm raged on, but her mood had significantly improved.
Two days later, Tina's missing bag returned.
She had been languishing at home, bored as the rain continued to fall without pause. She hated venturing out on rainy days and found herself hanging upside down on the couch, lost in thought. The doorbell rang, and Phillip was back, looking down at her with an amused, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing," Tina quipped.
Phillip raised his right hand, holding a white lady's purse.
Tina sprang up, knee-walking across the couch to grab the bag. "How did you find it? The cameras caught nothing."
"I asked a friend for help."
Phillip kept it brief, but having grown up in their circle, Tina knew the cost of such favors, especially from someone of Phillip's standing.
The bag wasn't pricey and the only thing of note inside was her phone. Seemed like a whole lot of fuss for such a small thing.
Tina was touched. "You didn't have to go through all that trouble."
"It's no trouble," Phillip said, remembering her frustration when she lost her phone.
The thief was a habitual offender who hadn't sold the stolen goods before Phillip took everything back. "Check if anything's missing."
"The rest doesn't matter," Tina said, checking her phone. "I hadn't backed up a lot of photos. It would've been a shame to lose them."
As she scrolled through her gallery,
Phillip glimpsed a photo of himself. Standing by the window with the phone to his ear and his right hand in the pant pocket, he turned toward the camera as if he had sensed her presence or heard her. The evening
light cast a halo around himning
creating a stark contrast of light and shadow on his face.
He wondered if that photo were among those she'd have regretted losing.
The phone was intact, and everything was in place. Once Tina confirmed it, she tossed it aside, climbed onto Phillip's back, and leaned in for a kiss.
Phillip caught her, steadying her as they naturally rolled onto the bed.
Tina was spontaneous, acting on her desires without hesitation.
She became a frequent visitor to Phillip's room, and soon, her clothes invaded his wardrobe.
Akin to a passionate love affair, their relationship continued until one day, her friend casually remarked during the video call, "You haven't fallen for him, have you?"
Tina, who had been leisurely rocking in her chair, froze, her relaxed expression fading away.
She had been too caught up in the bliss of their relationship, floating on cloud nine, until her friend's offhand comment brought her back to reality. Was she standing on clouds or on the edge of an abyss? Did she love Phillip?
The answer seemed imminent.
Falling for Phillip was all too easy.
Noticing Tina's sudden gloom, her friend asked, "What's with that face?"
Conflicting emotions clashed within Tina as she unconsciously bit her nails, a habit from her childhood she had worked hard to break. Realizing what she was doing, she stopped immediately.
"I think... I might be falling for him."
"Isn't that a good thing?" her friend asked, puzzled. "Marrying someone you love is wonderful. Would you prefer to hate him, be annoyed by his presence every day, and force yourself to kiss and sleep with him?"
"If you ask me, your dad only did one thing right. He compromised your choice of partner, but he chose well for you. Good family, looks,
like fim. This arranged marria.ne
character, you've got it all. Plus, you
isn't so bad."
Her friend's firm reassurance and encouragement lifted Tina's spirits.
Though the marriage was forced, with no other option, falling in love with Phillip felt like a stroke of luck.
Marry the wrong person but find true love?
Tina's mood brightened, and she flattered her friend. "You're a guru, a true expert in psychology. I'm lucky to have such an amazing friend."
Her friend basked in the praise. "Don't be silly. We're best friends."
Sᴇarch the FindNovel.net website on G𝘰𝘰gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report
