My Boss Is Secretly A Softie - Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Sight Seeing
“We’re back…” John whispered as he stepped into the wide, empty space.

Terra rushed past him inside, while Star followed right after with a sarcastic look.

“I did warn her to take it easy on the spice, but she just wanted to best you, didn’t she?” She scoffed, to which John replied with a smile.

“Today is almost gone,” he spoke quietly. “Should we consider just waiting for her till she comes back on her own?”

Star frowned, crossing her arms while tapping her feet rapidly. “As much as I want us to find her so I can whoop the evil right out of her before anything, I’ll have to agree that you’re right.”

She sighed. “We’ll have no choice but to wait.”

The short-haired lady groaned with a stretch before walking towards her room.

“You don’t have to worry too much. I’m not the type of friend to destroy a relationship just because of one bad past…” she suddenly spoke, startling John.

“How did you…?”

Star chuckled. “Oh, it was practically written on your face, my man.”

Without waiting for a reply, the lady kicked open her door and slid right in with a smooth move.

John:…

Guess he had worried too much.

He plopped onto the couch like a sack of potatoes before browsing through the channels as his thoughts ran wild.

He was never really a TV person, but he found out just how useful it was to have some background noise when thinking.

It not only allowed him to concentrate on a particular thought without drifting to something completely different, but it also prevented him from falling asleep.

“Hm, perfect.” He decided to go with the sports channel this time, which showed a live event view of a car race.

He leaned into the soft pudges of the couch and calmly let it swallow him in its comforting embrace.

He needed to articulate his thoughts right now—something he started doing recently on Florence’s advice whenever he felt things around him were moving too fast and he was being overwhelmed.

He had done it before but had to redo it, especially because of Elara.

The day of the accident was quite surreal to him. He remembered being unable to believe the story until he came face to face with an unconscious Elara on drip with bandages around her.

It truly wasn’t as awful as it looked, the doctor had reassured. If there was something bad, it’d be the concussion. All other injuries were light and could be easily taken care of.

He was relieved. But one thing about the hospital, or any situation that led one to it, was that it brought no peace. There was this anxiety attached to the idea of someone you care about being stuck in such a place.

No matter how minor the situation was, it still caused worry. That was also his case, and thus, when Elara awoke, despite her awkward situation, he couldn’t be more grateful that she was out of that stress-inducing environment.

She was back with him… and them. Truthfully, the living arrangement was as odd as it got. But the others, apart from a certain CEO, were easygoing, and he soon became somewhat close to Star.

And Terra was too busy being dragged about by Elara. But they still had some light interactions, and he could finally conclude that Elara really won the lottery with the two when it came to friendships.

Friends who cared deeply enough to go so far for their friend were practically a myth, but then Elara was real, so it somehow made sense she would attract her fellow myths.

He wasn’t jealous. Just a bit worried they’d find him an inconvenience, and time consoled him more than he thought—they were not only okay with him, but they actively tried to involve him in activities more than he thought they would. Even in issues concerning Elara, his voice was heard, and his opinions were considered.

He smiled. “Geez, that brat should come along and stop her stupid rebellion. Does she even realize just how much we love her? You don’t get such friendship even as the highest bidder, you know!”

He sighed. Thinking of Star’s reaction, he was even more convinced about how deeply Elara’s friends cared for her. She was surprised, yet her first reaction was not to buckle at the weight of such a secret but to apologize for her sake.

“I know she’s done so much to prove herself,” she had said, “but is there anything else I can do to apologize for her sake as well? You see, Elara has so many hidden sides to her and you can infer from what’s happening now that I knew nothing about it.”

She smiled brightly. “But I can assure you that she’s the sweetest person you’ll ever know! Ugh! If only she had been more open instead, then I would have helped her! Is there anyone better at endearing a person other than me?! Why did she even go to this one?!”

Terra, who had unknowingly collected collateral damage: Just leave me be…

He laughed heartily. If only this Elara knew. It wasn’t about people accepting your trashy side, it was this.

Such trust and care… there truly was no other form of love that could triumph it.

His phone suddenly rang, snapping him out of his thoughts. He glanced at it.

‘Florence?’

Didn’t they see each other just recently?

“Hello?”

“Oh my God, Mr. LeBron! I apologize, but can you come over this instant?!”

He blinked. Well, this was rather odd. “Sure…”

He looked around, then stifled a laugh. What was he even doing? Looking for permission or something?

“Sure! Just send me the location…”

***

“Elara!” a cool voice called out to the warmly dressed lady holding a cup of coffee.

She glanced in the direction of the voice while adjusting her scarf. “Hm?”

Terrence stiffened. With a soft smile, he walked towards the lady, who squinted at him suspiciously and swooped her into a bear hug.

“What are you doing?” Her voice was sharp.

“Keeping warm.”

“But I’m already warm.”

“I’m not, though…”

Looking at the flimsily dressed male, Elara rolled her eyes. “Get off!”

Terrence was dazed by the sudden push, which created a bit of distance between him and his Ela. That monstrous strength was something else she also hadn’t lost.

Before he could complain, a large fuzzy jacket was draped over him.

“Here!” Elara showed him her palm. “Let’s hold hands too!”

“… Am I going to die tonight?”

She rolled her eyes, grabbing at his hand before pulling him away. “Depends on how you act! You were good enough to do nothing despite your obvious want, so I guess I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.”

He laughed. “But what else now?”

“Nothing,” Elara replied, her eyes briefly admiring the city night filled with different varieties of streetlights brightening up the surroundings yet clutching onto it’s calm dimness. The only thing missing where the stars…

The night, despite its beauty, was relatively deserted, probably because they were out at a very late time. Most people were asleep now, and every shop they came across was closed.

“This is my first time here, so let me enjoy this before we head back.”

Terrence pouted and, with a sudden pull, dragged Elara into himself, who muttered a sharp curse before punching him in the abdomen hard.

He coughed painfully. Damn, she was not pulling back those punches.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” she shouted at him angrily but was kissed on the forehead in response.

Her mouth hung open as she stared at the grinning idiot. “Keep getting freaky, and the police will be coming for you!”

“You sure?” He released his hands, twirling about her playfully like a naughty child. “Where would you sleep then?”

Elara huffed. “Wherever I so please!”

She stomped her foot and was about to leave when a sudden sense of elevation overtook her, and her world was turned upside down.

“You asshole!” she pounded his back fiercely, which had Terrence ‘ouch-ing’ at the flurry of blows.

“Elara, calm down! I’m just taking you somewhere awesome! Didn’t you say you’d like to do some sightseeing?”

The hits stopped coming, but then a last blow was delivered, followed by Elara’s complaint. “Then tell me first, dumbass!”

Terrence sighed. “You curse a lot these days.”

“Fuck you!”

“I’m older than you…”

“Then stop leering at me, creep!”

Terrence pouted. Fine, he lost this round, but next time he wouldn’t!

***

John arrived at the three-story building, which, oddly enough, had all its lights turned on—a vast difference from the neighboring buildings.

He rang the doorbell once and was startled at the swift response of the owner. Nothing happened for a while, and just as confusion welled up within, a fair hand grabbed at him and pulled him inside.

He blinked twice. He was trapped. On a wall.

Looking up at the looming figure above him, he was startled. It was Florence… except she looked a bit different.

Her eyes were glazed over. Her face was flushed pink, and her breath fanned out with hot puffs.

He blinked again. “I’m… here?”

“Hahaha,” the lady laughed awkwardly.

“Florence didn’t call you,” she slurred. “I did. And now you’re all mine!”

John:…

“Is this a joke?” he chuckled. “Also, I’m not interested.”

Before he could speak a second word, the lady grabbed a hold of his waist and… vomited on him.

“….”

This woman…

“Hah.” He sighed. “You’ll never live this one down, Flora.”

Thinking of the amount of mischief he could prescribe with this, he smirked. Oh, what fun.