Chapter 36 Hidden Truths
"Do you know who I am? Are you tired of living?" John shouted, but even Mia could tell he was faking it.
"Should I care?" the man sneered.
"Who are you?" John yelled, but it was clear he was just desperate.
"They call me Mr. Pitt," the man said arrogantly.
"Mr. Pitt?" John went silent, then started begging, "Mr. Pitt, please, I didn't know Jane was your girl. I won't do it again."
I wasn't sure how famous Brad was, but he sure made John beg.
Brad said, "Stay away from her. If she gets hurt at the Northern Institute of the Arts, you'll regret it."
Brad's commanding presence left me in awe.
"Get lost."
John scrambled away, and Brad turned to me, frowning, "What are you doing out so late? It's dangerous. If I hadn't been here, you'd be in big trouble. How would I explain to your parents if you got hurt?"
'Oh no, Brad's mad. Time to play the pity card,' I thought.
I pinched my waist hard, tears welling up. I started crying and wiped my face on his shirt, "Brad, why did you come so late? I was so scared."
Mia looked shocked at my quick change of expression.
The fear was real, and so was the pain in my waist.
Brad's anger melted when he saw me crying. He took out a tissue and gently wiped my tears, "If you're scared, don't do this again, okay? Enough tears now. What were you doing out so late?"
"We just wanted some late-night snacks, and this route seemed faster," I said quietly, looking at Brad's now calmer face.
I felt a bit scared facing Brad today, like I had done something wrong, even though I just wanted snacks.
I didn't expect this to happen.
"Are you hurt?"
"No." To prove it, I jumped and spun around three times.
"Come with me. If you want something, tell me next time. Don't go out in the middle of the night, okay?" Brad walked ahead, and I pulled Mia along, nodding, "Got it."
After the crisis, Mia got chatty again, whispering, "Who's this hottie? He's a total stud! I've got heart eyes."
"Keep your voice down."
"Jane, seriously, when did you find such a handsome guy? Got another one for me?"
I covered her mouth to stop her nonsense. She struggled free and kept talking, making me so mad I pinched her waist.
She hissed in pain and said, "Jane, whether you know him or not, he saved you today. You owe him."
"How should I repay him?" I snapped.
"Ever heard of repaying kindness with yourself? It's the ultimate way."
"Shut up, that's my brother. Not by blood, but he's like a real brother."
"Jane, those sibling relationships are the trickiest."
I thought I heard Brad chuckle, and in embarrassment, I kicked Mia. 'What kind of dirty thoughts does she have?'
"That's Brad. He watched me grow up and even changed my diapers. There's no way I'd repay him like that. I could fall for any guy, but never Brad."
"What, he was there for your diaper days? So, from way back when..."
I kicked her again, mortified. If I had known, I wouldn't have let Brad do it.
"Mia, shut up. Keep talking, and you won't get to eat."
For the sake of food, Mia reluctantly shut up but kept giving me looks, hinting I should make a move on Brad. It made me so mad I wanted to break her legs.
The food street wasn't fancy, just a bunch of roadside stalls.
Brad found us a clean spot, handed us the menu, and stepped aside to make a call.
Soon, a few guys showed up, sweaty from running. They were familiar faces. When they saw Mia and me, their eyes lit up, and they rushed over.
One of them, a tall, skinny guy named Benjamin Davis, sat next to Mia, leaning over to look at the menu and chat with her.
I noticed their half-familiar, half-awkward interaction—one being proactive, the other half-heartedly resisting.
The food came quickly, and the smell of grilled skewers was mouthwatering.
It smelled so good I stopped watching Mia and Benjamin, grabbed a skewer, and stuffed it into my mouth. It was spicy and hot, so delicious I wanted to shout.
Brad saw my greedy look and smiled, picking out a few skewers I liked and placing them on a small plate to cool. He handed me a cup of juice, "Eat slowly, there's plenty. Have some juice."
Both my hands were full, so I drank a few sips from the cup Brad held.
"When did Brad become such a pro at looking after ladies? Why didn't he kick out the cutie pie like before?"
A few beers in, Brad's buddies got bold enough to tease him.
I usually stayed out of it, but today I was curious.
'Gentle Brad kicked someone? And a lady at that? She must've really ticked him off.' Then it crossed my mind, 'Brad not only kicks but also hits. Didn't he just beat a guy to the ground? Hitting a man is one thing, but kicking a woman? Brad's not someone without a sense of propriety; there must be more to the story.'
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
