Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
He didn’t have the best of tempers, but he was serious about his feelings for her.
From having a short fuse, he slowly learned to love all because of how Yelena inspired him.
However, it was this exact woman whom he had loved for two years who took off from his life abruptly. And there was nothing he could do about it.
It was all because of one stupid mistake he made in the heat of the moment.
He wouldn’t blame Yelena for not forgiving him.
“Callum, do you think the guy will treat Yelena right?”
Max had only realized today how likable Yelena was to everyone and how he had gone too far with what he did.
Callum tried to recall what he knew about Hank. When he remembered how protective Hank was of Yelena, he nodded. “He does like Yelena a lot.”
Max was stunned when he heard that. “Callum, do you know who Hank is?”
How come everyone but me knows about this guy who suddenly appeared beside Yelena?
“I met him once. He’s quite protective of her.”
There were only a handful of people who dared to challenge Callum in Damoria.
And yet, this new money who just came back from studying abroad didn’t bother showing his respect at all. On the contrary, there seemed to be some unscrupulous forces backing him up.
I’ll need to look into him… Callum quietly decided.
“I’m devastated, Callum. I like Yelena so, so much…”
Max was used to being indulgent and domineering but as soon as he lost Yelena, he felt unlike himself.
“I know, but your relationship is in the past now.”
Max felt a pain in his chest. “Why do you say the same thing as Miss Elspeth? It’s no wonder you and she were together at one point.”
Callum’s fingers around the steering wheel immediately tightened at those words.
“I can finally understand how you felt back when you and Miss Elspeth broke up. You must have been heartbroken as well.”
Callum cast a chilling gaze at him. “That’s not the same thing.”
“Why is it different? We’ve both lost the women we love and they’re not forgiving us, no? Just look at how Miss Elspeth treated you earlier. It was like she was looking at a stranger… But you’re over her now. I heard that you are going to marry Jasmine in half a month, right?”
Callum, who didn’t want to listen to any more of this nonsense, abruptly stepped on the brakes and turned to glare at Max.
“One more word from you and I’m throwing you out of the car.”
Max felt like crying, but his tears wouldn’t come out. “I’ve just been broken up with. Why would you treat a pitiful boy like me that way?”
Callum turned back with his lips tightly pressed together. I don’t f*cking know this person.
…
The next morning, Yelena woke up to a man in front of her.
Hank was leaning sideways with his head supported. If she hadn’t seen that her clothes were intact, she would have thought that something indescribable had happened to the two of them last night.
“W-What are you doing in my bed?!” She was so alarmed she shrank back under the covers.
“Get your facts straight. This is my bed.”
Yelena touched the blanket she held tightly in her hand and noted how it did feel better than her own blanket.
“Why am I in your bed? What have you done to me? Why did you bring me to your place?”
“And why are you asking so many questions? Are we on ‘Family Feud’?”
She couldn’t help but blush when she heard those slightly mocking and teasing words, and she quickly buried her head deeper into the sheets.
Her head soon poked out again as she looked at him with a pair of panicky eyes. “At least tell me what I’m doing at your place,” she squeaked.
“I don’t know. You were the one who insisted on coming home with me. I couldn’t stop you even if I wanted to.”
Hank then let out a long sigh to express his helplessness and grievance.
Naturally, Yelena didn’t believe him. “You’re lying! How would I ever say anything about wanting to come home with you? I know what I’m like when I’m drunk, and the most I do is sleep! How could I have said I wanted to come to your house?”
Hank stretched out his right hand and lightly knocked her on the head.
“And here I was thinking that you’re not very bright. I’m surprised by how quickly you got it right.
“Okay, I’m going home.” After she looked at the clean clothes on her body, Yelena began to sit up when a fragment of memory suddenly flashed in her mind.
Why do I remember puking all over myself last night?
And why do I have clean clothes on now?
Considering how she could recall this, she was sure it wasn’t a dream.
All of a sudden, she picked up a strange smell. She had to take a proper whiff before she realized how the fragrance from the shirt that she had on wasn’t that of her laundry detergent.
“Did you take off my clothes?” she gasped.
How dare she say something so nasty! Hank’s expression was completely dark when he heard that, but he continued to patiently explain the situation to her, lest she thought he was some kind of evil thug.
“It wasn’t me. The part-time maid changed you out of your clothes.”
Yelena was the one who undressed and went to bed last night. Fine, he did see something.
But he didn’t do anything to her. Instead, he washed her clothes and dried them. When the part-time maid came to clean this morning, he told her to help Yelena get dressed so that she wouldn’t accidentally expose herself after waking up.
Yelena, who was surprisingly a deep sleeper, slept through the whole ordeal.
After hearing his explanation, she realized how she had been rude earlier. She was just about to apologize to him when her phone next to her pillow began to ring.
“Elspeth, what’s the matter?” She won’t beat me up if she knew that I spent the night at Hank’s, will she?
“Where are you now?”
Elspeth didn’t sound any more worked up than her usual self.
Suddenly feeling anxious, Yelena stuttered and came up with a lie.
“I’m at home! I just woke up. What’s up?”
“Home?” Elspeth asked with a frown.
She knew that Yelena would usually have just woken up around this time.
How could she have gotten home from Hank’s place already?
Yelena sucked in a deep breath and continued to lie. “Yes, yes. I’m at home. You know I sleep longer hours.” Ugh, I’m lying through my teeth!
When Elspeth suddenly realized that Yelena was lying to her, she lowered her voice and threateningly asked, “You’re even lying to me?! Do you really think I don’t know about you being at Hank’s house?”
Yelena immediately knew that she had made a stupid mistake.
“Elspeth!” She started to beg for mercy as she mumbled, “I was wrong! I won’t lie again!”
“That guy didn’t do anything to you, did he?”