Chapter 4

“Maybe that’s the problem,” I muttered. I couldn’t even form coherent words. “You’re an expert on the subject. Too much for my taste.”

“I have never known that being an expert in something is bad. Maybe this expert can pass on some wisdom to you before you call on this guy, Chocozilla, a master of the art of seduction. Because I’m telling you, just smearing chocolate on your chest doesn’t make it more appetizing. He is a fool who needs all possible means to attract attention.”

Suddenly, he was too close to me. He wouldn’t let me breathe.

“Stop saying those things,” I said, losing all the power in my voice.

Colton took me by the shoulders and pulled me even closer to his side (if that was possible, his hip bumped into mine).

“I don’t need cheap tricks to impress a girl,” he spoke in my ear. “I also don’t need help from teddy bears to claim her as my own... I just tell her, period.”

My knees were beginning to weaken, and all the armor I was carrying seemed to loosen at the things he was saying to me.

I tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he wouldn’t let me go.

In a furious movement, he pressed my forehead against his and forced me to look him in the eyes.

A hurricane was building inside me, and a tornado was unleashing inside me.

“And if I want to kiss you, Anna,” he whispered against my lips, “I don’t wait for you to make the first move. I just go for it.”

I saw him bring his mouth closer to mine. My heart stopped, waiting for that moment. My lips burned to touch his... but just before we could both even blink, I clearly heard someone clear their throat.

I instantly panicked.

Was it Gabriela? Had she seen us?

Then I remembered that we were at my mother’s house. I saw her silhouette in front of us. I had completely forgotten about her.

I immediately separated from Colton. I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t take my eyes off the ground.

What had just happened?

Was he really going to kiss me?

“I see you’re not so bad with love after all,” Mom said with some amusement in her tone.

I wanted the ground to split open and swallow me alive. But as always, waiting for that kind of miracle to happen was impossible. As impossible as getting Colton to kiss me.

“I’ll leave you alone for a moment,” my mother announced. “I hope you don’t kill each other... or end up making out on the cushions in my living room.”

Mom headed for the kitchen door determined not to look back.

My face burned hot.

“Colton, I... I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have provoked you. It was my fault.”

I looked up to meet his eyes, but he was staring at the wall behind me.

“Are you listening to me?” I asked.

“What was that about...?” he pointed to the wall he was watching intently.

There hung a title that read: “Cutest Baby Bottom First Place.”

I couldn’t believe Mom still had that.

“My Mom liked to enter me in many contests when I was a child,” I explained. “The winner was given a supply of dog food and discount coupons at the supermarket.”

“Did you have dogs?”

“No, but Mom was very resourceful and always managed to exchange the dog food for fish.”

I tried to brush off the embarrassing piece of my past, but Colton was stubborn and continued to stare at it.

“I’d like to confirm if the cutest butt is still cuter,” he said as he fixed his gaze on me.

“Maybe in your dreams.”

Oh, we were back to the usual banter. Goodness.

I jerked away from him and was about to sit on one of the cushions in the living room when the kitchen door flew open, causing me to miss my target and land on the floor instead.

Mom came out with a wide smile on her face.

“Do you know who’s coming to see you?” she squealed excitedly.

Behind her was someone else, but thanks to the long and huge robe that Mom was wearing, I couldn’t see who it was.

Then she stepped aside. I never thought I would see that person again in my entire life.

I still remembered the last thing he had said to me before graduation.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not attracted to you like that. We must end this.”

“Anna!” he said.

“Mason?”

What I was missing... seeing my ex-boyfriend right at this moment.

Fantastic.

Incredible.

Only with these words could I define this, and by this, I was referring to the whole awkward situation that was taking place at dinner at my mother’s house.

She had insisted that we stay for lunch, even promising to make my favorite meal. Colton immediately accepted... Mason too.

We were in the area that used to be the dining room. Now, in its place, there was a small wooden table with a crystal ball in the center that still had its “Made in China” label attached to the base.

I rolled my eyes and tried not to sweat at the “please tie me up and fill me with strawberry jelly” look Mason was giving me. I had forgotten how attractive he could look in simple pants and a polo shirt. He had these brown eyes framed by long, curly lashes that matched his brown hair. He wasn’t as tall as Colton, but he definitely had a natural beauty.

“I took a new course on the internet,” Mom spoke to fill the uncomfortable silence that spread in the room. Nobody spoke, but at the same time, we all said something with our eyes. “I am officially qualified to prepare the elixir of love.”

Oh, not again. She had already tried it a couple of months ago, making me try it out. The only love-like feeling I got was an upset stomach. It turned out to be a powerful laxative that kept me stuck in the bathroom all day. Let’s just say that it was not an experience I would want to repeat.

“I made some this morning. I want you to be the first to try it.” With that, she ran off into the kitchen, leaving me alone with two guys who, for some strange reason, wanted to kill each other.

“And tell me, Anna, are you seeing someone?” Mason asked. Wow, he went straight to the point.

I scooped up some mashed potatoes from my plate, avoiding eye contact. Before I could answer, Colton was already answering for me. “She’s already taken, dude.”

Mason’s eyes widened. “So you two are...” he pointed at Colton and me.

“No!” I immediately denied it. “Anna is dating Chocoboy. Apparently, she likes them wrapped in chocolate.” I stomped on him under the table. Marcus had barely known him for about thirty minutes, and Colton kept insisting on bothering me with him. I didn’t understand why.

“No, I’m not dating anyone,” I said, looking sideways at Colton. I mentally vocalized, “Shut up.”

“Oh, excellent. I’m not seeing anyone either,” Mason spoke. “I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me this Saturday...”

“She’s already busy for the day,” Colton said, his jaw clenching. I looked at him, confused.

“Actually...”

“She’s going out with me,” he cut me off. His green eyes pierced me with a warning. “I was about to tell you. I got tickets to see a live band. It’s called Osmosis.”

I was stumped, my mouth wide open as I tried to understand this complex being that Colton was. Was he asking me out? I had to suppress the damn butterflies that fluttered in my stomach.

I peeked at Mason, his expression hard. “Ahh... Is Gabriela going too?” I asked. Immediately, Colton’s face transformed as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown at him. He sighed and sank back into his seat.

“Yes,” he said, not looking me in the eyes. All the butterflies I felt inside me died.

“How about you join us?” I spoke, this time to Mason. I didn’t see anything wrong with inviting him then. He gave me a brilliant smile, and I watched as his eyes studied my lips in detail. The butterflies returned.

“Here it is,” interrupted Mom, entering the small room again, bringing with her three glasses filled with a pink liquid: Elixir of Love. “It guarantees that the first person you see after drinking it will fall head over heels for you.”

Mom became psychic thanks to a website and a one-day course on palm reading. I still didn’t understand how she got clients. Her predictions were never accurate, at least not for me or Dad.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as I watched Mason and Colton quickly pick up the glasses with the pink drink and gulp it down in one go. I waited anxiously to see them run in the direction of the bathroom, but instead, they seemed to enjoy the taste.

“And you, cupcake, don’t you want to try a little?” Mom held the glass for me.

I shook my head.

“I don’t want it to turn out like last time,” I admitted.

“Oh, that was my fault. I had misread the recipe. Try this one; it turned out better.”

“It tastes like fruit punch,” Colton said, licking the corner of his lips. I got lost in that simple gesture.

“And when will the person feel those effects of falling in love with me?” Mason said, staring at me.

I looked away.

“Mmm... The elixir takes effect ten minutes after you try it.”

“You better not blink my way,” Colton threatened Mason. “If I start to rave about how nice your hair is, I’m going to hang you by your underpants. You understand?”

“Same here,” Mason replied grumpily. They both turned their backs as if they were two little children. Ufff... Men. I mean, kids.

“It doesn’t work like that,” my mother intervened. “It only works when you’re really interested in the other person, the one you want to fall in love with you. Obviously, neither of them is interested in each other. No one is in danger.”

“Not even me,” I blurted out without thinking. When I looked up, three sets of eyes were watching me intently: Mom, Colton, and Mason. Why were they looking at me so much? Did I say something wrong? Did I have celery between my teeth? A pimple on my face?

“What?” I asked, feeling self-conscious.

“Aren’t you going to try my special elixir?” Mom asked indignantly. The three pairs of eyes kept ogling me. “I told you that this time I used a different recipe. You won’t have to run straight to the bathroom,” she continued speaking.

“Mother! I can’t believe you would say this in front of someone other than Dad,” I scolded her.

I looked in Colton’s direction; he had a lazy smile on his face.

“Just a little?” He brought the glass towards me. “I need to know if it was perfect.”

Angrily, I took the glass, spilling part of the juice on the table. I took a sip, and before I knew it, I had finished everything. In fact, it didn’t taste that bad. At least this time, I didn’t feel the touch of tar that I felt last time.

“It tastes good,” I admitted. Happy?

She nodded her head. “Good. I’ll be back in a while,” she said and left in the direction of the kitchen.

“Anna, can we talk?” Mason immediately asked, “Alone?”

I glanced at Colton; he raised one of his eyebrows.

“I haven’t finished eating,” he stammered, taking a piece of tomato to his mouth. “I’m not leaving here.”

“Well, we are the ones who are leaving,” I told him, starting to get up from my seat. But a hand clamped down on mine. Colton returned me back to my spot, and my butt hit the chair with a thud.

“What?” I questioned.

“Anna hasn’t finished her food either,” he said simply, holding my hand to prevent it from moving.

“I’m not hungry anymore,” I murmured. “Now, let me go.”

He raised his fork and skewered it on a piece of meat, ignoring me.