Before Roo could finish his sentence, his car’s display lit up with an incoming call from an unfamiliar number with no saved contact na.
"Is that her cell?" Rosemary teased with a chuckle. "You’ve got it morized?"
He hesitated to pick up. Knowing who it was without a saved na ant the number was etched in his heart.
"No, you’ve got it all wrong. She’s just... she’s never changed her number since we were kids," Roo quickly dismissed the call.
"So you’ve known each other since childhood?"
Rosemary’s aningful glance made Roo slam on the brakes, eager to clarify. "We knew of each other, but weren’t close. Totally unrelated."
"She’s your buddy’s younger sister, right? You said you knew her number by heart. Grew up together but still no connection?"
"That’s ’cause a long ti ago, my folks looked after her for a while."
Watching Rosemary’s knowing nod, Roo grew more anxious. "Not like that, her family had so troubles."
He grabbed Rosemary’s hand, pleading with his eyes. "Anyway, they moved to Dawnstar after that, and we barely saw each other once a year."
"That’s kind of a sha."
"Rose," Roo was truly frantic now, "don’t get it wrong. Should I block her to make you happy?"
"That might not be enough, given she’s your friend’s sister," Rosemary feigned a dilemma.
"Then I’ll change my number."
"No can do. Your current number’s tied to so many things, like bank accounts, WhatsApp."
"I can update all that."
"What if you miss sothing?"
"I’ll keep the old number inactive, just shut it down, and if I ever need it, I’ll turn it back on." Roo was desperate for her understanding, willing to do anything she asked.
"And if she finds out your new number? You’ll change it again?"
"I’ll make things clear with her."
"Weren’t things clear already? You said she’s just like a sister to you."
"I don’t even have sisterly affection for her, Rose." Roo was at a loss for words. "Baby, honey~"
Before eting Rosemary, he was always reserved, hardly the type to spill his guts like this.
Seeing his distressed face, Rosemary couldn’t help but laugh.
"You’re joking around?" Roo finally caught on.
"Let’s get moving. Don’t block the road."
Although other drivers wouldn’t dare ss with his license plate, it was still a public road after all. Stopping like that looked bad.
Seeing Rosemary smile and act nonchalant, Roo finally relaxed, caressing her face. "You scared . I was about to drag you to my friend’s place to vouch for ."
He had no extra feelings for Natalie, not even a sliver.
"If I do that, I’ll lose face in front of your friends. They’ll think I’m a shrew."
"It’s my own choice to steer clear of flirts, nothing to do with you. Besides," Roo gazed into her eyes, "I like it when you’re in charge."
Feeling her concern, he knew he was cherished.
Just then, his friend called again. Roo tapped the answer button without hesitation.
"You got a death wish? You think I’m too busy to deal with you? If you dare play ssenger for soone else again, we’ll see if I let you off the hook."
"Does your fiancée know about your temper?" The voice on the other end of the phone struggled to suppress a chuckle.
"Ha, she loves everything about ."
"Even your affairs?"
"Man, you’re really asking for a smack."
"Hahaha." The guy on the phone burst into laughter. "I was totally strong-ard into calling, man. Is she there? I need to clear the air with her."
"Just beat it, will ya? Don’t bother my fiancée."
"Just let say a few words to her, I promise."
"Your voice is too gruff; I don’t want to scare her."
"Gruff? ? Are you kidding? Maybe you’re losing your hearing. Forget it, just hand her the phone, bro. I need to explain."
"Beat it." Roo hung up directly.
Rosemary couldn’t help but laugh. "Your friend’s quite the character."
"He’s just a pain in the neck when he’s not looking for a beating. Otherwise, he’s a decent guy."
Smiling, Rosemary asked, "So, what’s next on the agenda?"
"There’s a McMllian Corporation airstrip nearby." Roo glanced at her. "That girl is a friend’s sister. Their family went generations with only sons until this little princess popped out. So, she’s pretty spoiled. My buddy indulges her, and sotis even drags her along to gatherings so she won’t feel left out."
Rosemary nodded in understanding. "So, the guy on the phone, he’s her brother?"
"Nope. Her brother knows I don’t have feelings toward her, so he never helps her with this. She ropes in his friends to do it for her, and she’s tried every trick in the book with them. When their family was caught up in so inheritance drama, they were worried she might be in danger. They made up a story about her going missing, but in reality, they stashed her at our place. My parents were abroad and swamped with work, so they couldn’t look after her. It was just and her at ho."
Rosemary nodded. "Ah, that explains her crush on you."
In tis of turmoil, it was not strange for soone to fall for the person who offered them a sense of security—especially soone with Roo’s good looks.
With that thought, Rosemary’s gaze shifted to the man beside her. Even his profile was flawless, especially those bright, piercing eyes.
"She didn’t stay long. Once her family sorted out their issues, they whisked her away. That was years ago."
Roo couldn’t rember exactly how many years. He’d never really cared.
Natalie, however, had developed a soft spot for him after staying with him.
"Did she ever confess her feelings to you?" Rosemary inquired.
"She did, but I made it clear I wasn’t interested. I only saw her as a sister."
Honestly, not even a sister. Still, Natalie kept bombarding him with ssages. Out of respect for his friend, he’d never blocked her, but he rarely replied. Unless it was sothing about his friend getting hurt or a birthday—that kind of stuff would get his attention.
"Rose, you’re the first person I’ve ever truly loved." Roo said, looking at her earnestly. "I’ve never thought about spending my life with anyone but you. You’re the first and the last."
From the mont he saw her, he couldn’t look away.
He couldn’t believe how much he could like soone—to the point of no return.
"You’re my first, too."
Rosemary’s simple words caught Roo off guard, and then he realized she was responding to him.
He was her first love. His lips curled into a smile, his eyes filled with surprise and joy. All the worry and unease vanished, replaced by pure sweetness.
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