Chapter 2

Justin was leisurely sitting on a swing when someone hit him with a slipper. Rapid questions fired by her grandmother led Anabel to follow the slipper.

“Why are you still here? Do you intend to keep Bianca waiting in town? Leave now or you will be hit again!” Anabel warned him.

“Lola, why do you keep on hitting me with a slipper? I’m not a child anymore!” Justin pouted his lips as he questioned his grandmother.

Both of his parents were still alive, but he chose to live with his grandparents. Some of his friends even branded him Lola’s boy. But who cares? He just loved his grandmother so much.

“I don’t give a damn if you’re twenty-two or fifty! As long as I am alive, I will hit you with a slipper whenever you misbehave!” Anabel stood her ground.

“Whatever. I’m leaving already.” He waved goodbye to the old lady and went over to the motorcycle that was parked under the mango tree.

On his way to town, Justin stopped at the minimart. He bought one can of beer and sat on a nearby bench. He popped open the can and started gulping its contents. And while drinking his beer, he couldn’t help but ponder the conversation he had with his uncle.

Gabriel proposed something hilarious to him, and he was hesitant to follow his wishes. But the man was dying, for heaven’s sake! How could he refuse him?

Before their talk was over, he agreed!

And he regretted it now. Deceiving Bianca would surely send him to the fires of Hell.

Damn! He cursed at his situation, and a loud thug’s yell echoed in the minimart when he threw his empty can into the trash bin located a few meters from him. The cashier looked at him with disgust. She must have been thinking that he got drunk with only one can of beer.

He winked at the cashier before leaving the minimart, and she blushed.

Justin just graduated from college, and a bright future awaits him. He planned to venture into agribusiness, but now he was going to be saddled up with Bianca and her daughter, Kelly.

How could his uncle be so cruel to him?

Even before Gabriel talked to him about his problem, he was already an investor in his future business. Aside from allowing him to use the land he inherited from Anabel, he invested some cash, and they agreed that the ROI would be deposited into Kelly’s account.

If Bianca knew, she would think that he sold his body and soul to secure an investment. Although it’s not the case, no one can prove that the investment came first.

When he arrived at his destination, he looked for a shaded area where he could park his XRM-125. He then proceeded to the waiting shed, where he agreed to wait for her.

While waiting, he called one of his girlfriends. The phone rang twice before a seductive voice greeted him.

He called her name and paused.

“Justin? What’s wrong? You sound like you were sick!” Abigail’s worried voice answered.

“I have something to discuss with you in person; can we meet later?” The woman deserved his respect. He could tell that her affection for him was genuine. He’s the problematic one.

“If you are planning to break up with me, then, by all means, we can do it on the phone.” She sounded calm and reasonable.

Justin liked Abigail’s open-mindedness, but he preferred his other girlfriend, Roxanne, even if she was so caught up in her ideals and principles. Roxanne was old-fashioned and religious. Most of all, Anabel liked her. And that’s what matters most.

“I’m sorry, Gail. It’s not you, it’s me.” The line he used was old and cliché but proved to be effective.

“I know, Justin, that you’re not really into me. Because if you are, you won’t leave me alone, right after we had sex. That was a clear sign, but I chose to ignore it, hoping that someday you will fall for me.” No matter how hard she tried, a sob escaped from her lips, and he could hear it very well.

“I’m really sorry, Gail. It was not my intention to hurt you in any way.” His voice was low and apologetic toward Abigail.

“Yeah, but you still did. For the last time, can you be honest? Was there a time when you almost fell for me?” Abigail’s voice sounded like she was about to cry, and his sympathy went toward her. But what else can he do? He must break their connection now or regret it later. With Bianca on the way, he has more than enough to deal with!

He didn’t answer, as he didn’t want to hurt her even more. He managed to dodge her question by asking in return. “Can we still be friends after this phone call is over?” Silence. Abigail took her time before she spoke again.

“Ex-lovers can never be friends, Justin. I think this is goodbye. Good luck and have a wonderful day.” Then she ended the call.

Whoa, that was really quick! Justin just shrugged his shoulders and was about to make another call when a bus stopped in front of the waiting shed. He scanned the faces of all the passengers, and when he saw her, his heart pounded so fast. So loud and fast that he cleared his throat many times to relax.

He had a crush on Bianca when they first met. What was she wearing back then? Ah, he remembered. An image of her from a long time ago popped up inside his head. And...

It was like deja vu when he saw her standing close to the waiting shed, scanning the area, probably to look for him. Justin barely noticed that her hair has shades of blue and green in it because the woman he’s been waiting for was wearing the same clothes she wore on the first day he saw her. And that was the last blow!

He could almost hear his own heartbeat. And it was like this every time she was near. White teeth gleamed brightly beneath her red lips when she smiled at him. He didn’t move. He just stood there like a statue when she walked towards him, smiling from ear to ear like he was so glad to see him.

“Hello, Justin. Did I keep you waiting?” Bianca almost didn’t recognize him. Black, long hair, tied in a ponytail, reveals a young and handsome face. Dark whiskers graciously complimented his face, leaving a manly effect. The man was surely a heartbreaker, and she could bet on it.

“Not really. In fact, I just arrived here.” He concealed the fact that he had been in the waiting shed for more than an hour.

“Good. So, how are you? It has been a while since I last saw you.” Bianca’s voice was full of excitement as she chatted with him. She wondered if it was her flirtatious personality that was delighted upon seeing a handsome man or if she was just really glad to see someone related to her husband. Later on, she dismissed the idea by reasoning that she was just glad to see someone familiar in a place where she was a stranger.

“Yeah, it’s been a while. You must have missed Kelly too much.” Justin managed to control his emotions and was able to greet her properly. He wondered what was wrong with him. Could it be because of something that Gabriel asked him to do? Yes, right. That must be it!

“I do. Well, it’s nice to see you all grown up now. By the way, from now on, we’ll be seeing each other every day.” She announced the news like it was no big deal.

“You’ll stay here for good? Really? Whoa, that’s cool, really cool.” He wanted to tell her to just go back where she came from, but he caught a glimpse of excitement in her eyes. So he held his tongue and decided to postpone telling her. Maybe some other time.

She just smiled and didn’t comment.

“If you’re ready, my motorcycle was parked over there.” He pointed his finger to the black XRM across the waiting shed.

Bianca nodded. They were walking side by side when she heard sounds from her stomach. It’s disgusting, but there’s no way Justin didn’t hear it! “I’m starving, Justin; can we eat first?” She had just coffee in the morning and some biscuits while traveling to Clayland.

“Lola mentioned that she’s going to prepare lunch. But if you are really hungry, then we can grab a bite.” Fingers crossed, he hoped that Anabel would be cooking something delicious for lunch. He has no intention of starving her to death; he just didn’t want to be alone with her unless Roxanne knew about her identity.

She loved Anabel’s cooking! When Bianca heard that Anabel would be cooking, she immediately had second thoughts about grabbing a bite in town. “Let’s just go home then, “she decided.

Justin climbed first and turned on the ignition of his motorcycle. As soon as Bianca was properly seated, he started driving.

The weather was too dry and hot. Bianca felt the sun’s rays were scalding hot on her skin. And he’s driving like he’s enjoying the humid atmosphere. Good for him because he was wearing a hoodie jacket and a mask. But what about her? “Justin, can’t you drive faster than 30 kph? Finally, she complained.

Upon hearing her complaint, his ego was deeply hurt, and his driving skill was questioned when he was just trying to be careful. Since she wanted it fast, he has no choice but to comply with her requirements. To suit her needs, he adjusted the speed from 30 kph to 90 kph.

She screamed, and he was so startled that he almost lost control of the motorcycle. He immediately stopped and asked her. “Why did you scream?”

Bianca raised her hand and hit his arm. If only looks could kill, then she must have died right then. But she didn’t crouch down in fear and stood her ground. He was wrong for driving recklessly. “My God, Justin, are you trying to get us killed?” She yelled at him.

Clenching his teeth, Justin was trying to calm down before he could say something that he would regret later. It’s still the first day, and Bianca has already shown her bad temper as something that he would regret later. It’s still the first day, and Bianca has already shown her bad temper. She even dared to raise her voice at him like he was just a schoolboy! “You said you wanted it fast!” His voice was raised, too.

“That was certainly not fast; that was reckless!” She argued. But Justin didn’t answer. He adjusted his speed and didn’t talk to her anymore throughout their entire ride.

He was skulking like a schoolboy! How immature! Anabel must have spoiled him. She gave in and talked to him first. “Okay fine. Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you, but that was really reckless, Justin. You could have got us killed in an accident!”

His eyes rolled when she stopped talking! Was she really sorry? Because it didn’t sound like an apology to him. It was more of a continuation of her long and angry tirade of criticism against his driving style. He smiled smugly and said, “Whatever.”

Bianca tugged at his hoodie jacket to gain his attention. “Common, Justin. You’re the only friend I have here.”

“Since when did we become friends?” He sounded angry, but he was really not; he was just teasing her, trying to piss her off.

She raised an eyebrow, clenched her teeth, and stared at his back like she wanted to make a hole in it. What an arrogant young man! “Fine! If you don’t want me as a friend, that’s just fine with me!”

Justin didn’t get the drift as to why she was all riled up once again. He suddenly stepped on the brake to stop. Bianca shrieked. And he could feel her softness pressing against his back. He closed his eyes and tried not to focus on the unexpected physical contact that caused his blood to rush into his loins. But all he could see was Bianca with no clothes on and her breasts fully exposed for him to touch, squeeze, and play with.

Bianca was surprised when they stopped. It was so sudden that she had no time to prepare, and eventually, she was pressed against his back. Good thing he was wearing a thick hoodie so he wouldn’t feel it when her boobs were pressed against his back. She immediately adjusted her distance before he’d even noticed.