My Boss Is Secretly A Softie - Chapter 41

Chapter 41: John
Elara stared into the mirror, grinding her teeth with a conflicted expression.

What the heck? What was wrong with her?

“Feels like I’m leading him on,” She muttered lowly before sighing.

After using the toilet, she stared at the marks on her and sighed once more.

[Splash!]

The chilling water hit her face, eliciting a shiver, which she ignored before reaching out to the lemon-scented liquid soap, scrubbing her face roughly till it foamed before washing it all off.

Water droplets dripped from her face and onto her shirt, which she indifferently swatted. Grabbing a grey-colored face towel, she wiped her face and her neck before hanging it out and leaving the bathroom with a slightly drenched look.

She arrived in the living room to see Terrence sleeping obediently with a lamb plushie in hand. He was curled up adorably on the couch and seemed quite uncomfortable, probably from the slight chill.

Elara hunched down, staring at the male silently. His long lashes trembled lightly as he curled up more, probably in an attempt to suppress the cold. His flawless face held on a small frown and his red lips a bit bruised from the rough kissing and his abuse, looking particularly eye-catching.

Elara’s fingers traced those pretty lips dazedly before smudging her lips with the same finger.

“Kiss…” She whispered, before chuckling lightly.

Well, this was a fucking mess. Elara thought as a helpless laugh escaped her lips. She lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling blankly when a slight grunt from Terrence snapped her out.

“Oh, he’s still cold, I forgot.”

She should get him a blanket, or better yet… bending over slightly, she effortlessly scooped the large male into her arms.

Their size difference was so distinct that it was almost too funny to look at.

“He’s slightly heavy, at least he’s eating well,” She mumbled to herself before taking him to the room, with the lamb still in hand, and placing him on the bed.

She sat before Terrence, staring at him almost unblinkingly, and then a bright smile appeared on her face.

She leaned into him, placing a kiss on his cheek and forehead, but on approaching his lips pulled away shyly—Her eyes filled with an expectant, yet restraining light.

She suddenly sat up, picking up a phone from her bed stand before returning to take a few pictures of Terrence.

Once she was done, she sat, quietly going through the pictures until the very last one, which she swiped past anyway, and more pictures were shown, all taken of a single person from different angles, mostly blind angles.

Every picture had the brilliant, blond male completely off guard, and unaware of his image being taken. There was even a silly picture of him rubbing his nose with a scrunched-up face, looking extremely endearing.

“Something tells me he wouldn’t like to be called dead in this situation,” Elara whispered gleefully, her eyes twinkling with a mischievous light, “Oh well, it’s only me who knows, and that’s good.”

She placed her phone back in its position before slipping off to her living room once more, careful enough to not wake the sleeping Terrence.

“Damn, it’s cold as shit,” she muttered annoyingly while rampaging through her cupboard until she found what she was looking for before she smiled, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

Lounging comfortably on the couch, she puffed out a cloud of smoke before biting at the cig in her mouth vacantly.

What to do now? Should she talk with Terra instead? No, Star would do.

Listening to her advice was a perfect reference on how she should act.

“It’s almost goddamn infuriating…” She yelped when a slight burn touched her lips.

Bad habits. There was never a moment when smoking that she didn’t burn herself. It just helped her clear her mind a bit too much, so much that she needed the burn to be brought back to reality.

She lit another cig as she sat back down contemplating. Star was undeniably the best, but Terra should be good too. But she didn’t want anyone to know about this, so…

“What the heck?” She snarled while standing up abruptly, “I need some alcohol to clear my mind; that would be excellent. And with angel? Yes. Soon, probably.”

For the first time, she managed to finish her cig without it burning her.

She smiled cynically, “Love does teach you new things, lol.”

Before moving herself to the bedroom, she cleared off everything, even drinking a cup of soy milk to eliminate the smoky smell, and after confirming that she was tidy, she stared into the mirror, eyes holding an amusing light, which as soon as she closed them, was gone when opened.

Now it was filled with calmness and a naturally amiable gaze. It was so easy to change one’s bearing, but was it easy to change their hearts?

“Perhaps,” she spoke softly, before giggling, “I should go to Terrence.”

Door shut. Lights out. A slight ruffle. And a miserable lamb tossed into a trash bin with his head and body apart.

Tomorrow the play continues.

***

The first thing Terrence noticed when he awoke was a space; he was still on the couch but with a blanket. That was odd, yesterday’s sleep was so comfortable, it was almost as if he had been on a bed. But how could he be on a bed?

Even if Elara had moved him, he would have woken up. He wasn’t such a deep sleeper. Speaking of his Ela, where was she?

“Awake?” a collected Elara with hair in a bun and sportswear, obviously done with exercising, walked in.

“You should use the peach-colored brush in the bedroom and then come up to the dining table,” she spoke in one breath.

Turning about, she was about to leave but paused, and turning to face Terrence, stared at him coldly before demanding, “Let’s have a conversation at the table.”

And then she left, with a befuddled Terrence behind.

He was so stunned that his eyes remained widened until a subconscious, ‘Ha!’ escaped him.

“Damn, my baby is so mad right now,” a light smile appeared on his face, “That’s so sexy.”

An hour or more later, in the dining, sat a chilly Elara and a nervous Terrence holding the look of a kicked pup.

“You took things too far,” Elara calmly chastised, as she elegantly cut off a piece of meat before stuffing it into her mouth.

“I’m sorry,” Terrence apologized and then cast a sad look without once touching his food or cutlery.

Ellera frowned, stopping her eating momentarily, as she asked in annoyance, “Why aren’t you eating?”

“Well, you’re mad at me…”

Elara rolled her eyes, “Eat, dummy, I’ll still be mad either way.”

“Elara is so mean.”

“Don’t act cute, you molester.”

“…You seduced me.”

“Do you know how stereotypical you sound right now?”

“What can I do to make you forgive me?” he questioned seriously leaving Elara silent for a while before her reply came.

“I consented, although you did take things too far. We’re both to blame, but I hope next time,” she raised her eyes to gaze at Terrence with an icy gaze, “You don’t take a mile when I give you an inch.”

Terrence was fascinated by this side of Elara, which he had never seen—cold, serious, and straightforward. But then again, wasn’t every part of her fascinating?

He burst out laughing before apologizing with a flirtatious gaze, “Then I’ll try my best to resist your hypnotism.”

“You…”

Elara’s words were caught off by Terrence suddenly leaning into her before kissing her forehead and then sitting back down.

“Let’s do something fun later, so I can make it up totally.”

Elara’s eyes widened before she looked down instantly, focusing on her food.

“Don’t do that again, okay?”

“Alright, baby.”

Elara glared at him, before scoffing, “Pervert.”

“What?”

“You’re a pervert.”

Terrence smirked flirtatiously, “Your pervert.”

“Same thing, you nuisance,” Elara mouthed with a pout.

“Haha.”

***

The hangout (date) didn’t go through. Terrence had an urgent meeting come up, and after smothering Elara with smooches and a bear hug, he left the seething lady with a promise of a delicious gift.

Since she had no work, Elara tried inviting out Star but was rejected by the busy lady, who pleaded with her to understand.

That was how she ended up in a cafe library, adjusting her latest manuscript, which she had kept on procrastinating.

She was so lost in her work, she didn’t notice when a person sat across her table, just before her.

Until she was done with her drink, and wanted another, that was when she noticed him.

Black hair with curtain bangs, a pair of dark eyes, and glaring eye circles that made him appear especially tired.

Elara stared at the good-looking male before her with a soulless gaze, staring at her blankly, and felt her body go frigid.

Her heart rate accelerated drastically, and suddenly, everything faded out of existence, as her breathing became difficult.

“Hello,” the male called out to her, with an almost derisive amusement, holding more amusement than contempt as he continued, “Lara.”

Elara looked towards the male, with an amiable smile that perfectly eclipsed the tremor in her heart. Her fingers gripped her thighs tightly, and she struggled to keep her calm.

Shit, of all times, why now?

“Hi….”

“I look forward to our reminiscing, don’t you?” he asked sarcastically, a scorning smile adorning his melancholically beautiful face.

Elara gritted her teeth secretly before replying calmly, “Yes… Welcome back, John.”