Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Lewis stared at her for what felt like ages, noticing the same innocence in her eyes he'd always seen, leaving him a bit at a loss for words. Her grasp on love was still pretty foggy, and when it came to the whole men and women thing, she was just as clueless. To her, it was simply something people did together, and as long as it felt right, it didn't have to be exclusive to just couples.

Lewis rubbed his forehead, clearly frustrated. Meanwhile, Kailee took the chance to sneak a pastry off the tray. Lewis lightly smacked her hand away.

"Kailee, you still don't get it," he said.

Kailee frowned, puzzled by what exactly she was supposed to understand since he hadn't been all that clear.

"Lewis-" she started.

"Just go," he interrupted, his voice cool as he tossed the tray into the trash without a second thought.

Kailee's heart sank. What a waste! Why couldn't she have just a nibble if it was already made? And now, it was just thrown away?

Taking a deep breath, she felt a wave of frustration wash over her. After being kept up so late last night, her throat was sore, and she just wanted something to eat. But he tossed it out like it was nothing.

She'd heard of other guys giving gifts after spending the night, but Lewis didn't even bother with that. What a letdown. Not that she needed gifts, but it was the principle of the thing with Lewis.

The more she thought about it, the more her anger and sense of injustice grew.

"Fine! I'll go!" she snapped, jumping out of bed and quickly pulling on her clothes. "I'm never coming back to this dump!"

She yelled, slamming the door behind her with such force it seemed to shake the whole hallway.

Once outside, she realized how familiar everything looked-the room, the walls, even the neighborhood. Wasn't this the same place she and Lewis had stayed together when they first started dating? Back then, the most intimate they got was a simple kiss. But now, leaving this room felt like an entirely different chapter with Lewis.

Kailee couldn't bring herself to dwell on that thought. Stepping into the sunlight, she realized just how ridiculous the past week had been Her cheek's flushed with embarrassment. Good grief, she must have been out of her mind to stay at Lewis's place for a whole week, going along with his

half-hearted advances every day.

If her brother found out, she'd be in big trouble. The thought made her shiver as she quickly got into her car.

Just then, a message from Rubin

popped up in the group chat.noveldrama

"Kenzo's been online discussing data with us all week. Seems like

he's sick. I'm thinking of checking on him."

en

Kailee paused, staring at the message. Sick? Lewis was anything but sick with the energy he had every night.

Feeling a bit smug, she quickly typed back, "Oh, Lewis's cooking is amazing. He cooked for me all week, and his desserts are top-notch, better than any Michelin chef." After sending the message, she could almost picture Rubin fuming.

"He cooked for you?" he replied.

"Yep, been crashing at his place all week. Remember when I dumped him? Now he's begging to get back together. Still deciding if I should," she teased.

Rubin went silent, clearly annoyed. Kailee chuckled to herself, driving back home.

But as she walked, she couldn't shake the feeling of discomfort. That night, trying to sleep, she felt even more uneasy. It was like she wasn't used to being alone anymore.

Usually, by now, Lewis would have

started kissing her, slowly undressing her, making sure she was completely comfortable. Kailee lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. en

Funny, she thought, how did she ever fall asleep before?