Date The CEO.com

Chapter 157: Communication is Key

"You mean Noah?"

A dark cloud hovered above Andie's head. Looking back now, she'd label their arguments as petty and immature. That realization didn't ease her feeling of annoyance though. Just like how that kid's arrogance didn't change in her memories.

"Yeah, him." Eve nodded. She paused from typing and glanced up the ceiling. "I think it didn't even last a second."

Andie sneered in a mocking manner. The invisible cloud thundered. "You kissed that arrogant devil?"

"We were understudies for a play. This other kid said if the leads couldn't act, we'd have to get on stage as understudies do. Then, he said the play would be ruined because we didn't know how to kiss."

Eve closed her eyes from embarrassment and rubbed her temple. How naive could she be? 

"So you practiced kissing?"

"We just tried it once."

"And that was... wow, 22 years ago?" Andie counted. If she set aside the person Eve kissed, she found the discovery amusing—and so she shifted her focus away from Noah. "Well, you started early. Did you freak out then like you did today?"

Eve flinched. 

"No, because I knew the kiss was coming. You could say I freaked out over what the kid said and insisted on trying it for the sake of the play."

Now that she felt calmer, she regretted her actions today. Ambryan's impression of her surely had changed. He must have realized how childish she was. Maybe he'd suspect that she lied about her age too.

At least, it already happened.

She'd be able to handle the next one better.

Wait… next one?

"Very sly…" Andie remarked. She rubbed her chin, recalling an old conversation. "Didn't you have a crush on him?"

Eve rolled her eyes. "No, I didn't." 

"Come on, there's nothing wrong with liking someone." Andie scoffed in return. She decided to change the topic back to their original one. "Speaking of which, don't you think that the reason you ran was because you, little missy, have feelings for Ambryan?"

"How did you come up with that idea?" Eve demanded, resisting another eye roll.

"Think about it. If you didn't have any feelings while Ambryan did, you would just turn him down like the rest of the guys I tried to set you up with."

Creased lines wrinkled on her forehead. "You do remember we have an agreement to pretend we're dating for 9 months?"josei

Eve felt a headache coming in. Either party suddenly having feelings was a complication. The agreement had been to part ways after the time duration was over. 

Sure, a fake couple could eventually lead to a real relationship and maybe this sort of development was seen as normal by others.

But their situation specifically had another element to it that did not make it normal.

Evangeline Reed's identity had to disappear.

"Which increases the chances that he kissed you because he likes you. Otherwise, why would he even do that?" Andie pointed out, nudging Eve's shoulder. "You're scared because your feelings could be mutual but that would mean he likes Evangeline and not Eve. He is falling for a fictional person."

"I wouldn't really call Evangeline fictional. The things she went through were very real to me." Eve admitted, contradicting her initial thoughts—except that would only be relevant if Ambryan saw it the same way if he found out. 

It wouldn't be of any use if the other person had a different perspective. She couldn't even blame him if that happened. It was still a lie right to his face, especially when they saw each other everyday.

"You get the point."

"Yeah, I know." Eve sighed. She assessed the event based on what she knew and not theories. The heavens knew how suspecting like this could lead to terrible results. Unless Ambryan outright said that he kissed Evangeline because he liked her—

Andie peeked out the window. The sky had fewer stars than usual. "Then, did you think about what you'd do now?" 

"Talk to him? Figure out how to even discuss this? We haven't talked about intimacy. Ambryan is such a private person, he's not one for PDA so it didn't seem necessary when this started." Eve blew on her fringes. This wasn't a development she prepared for. That was her first mistake she guessed.

"I thought we were on the same page but maybe he actually wants to kiss every now and then in front of people. I remember how some are only convinced by something like that." A frown scrunched between her brows. She really should have seen this coming sooner or later.

"So... you're thinking that he was testing it out?" Andie questioned, not entirely convinced. If that had been true, wouldn't he have told her? Just like how small Eve asked small Noah if they should practice kissing?

"It seems to be the more believable option since he's a logical person. Good thing it was closed doors. If the public saw it, no doubt that would have put a dent in our front." 

Andie shook her head. The denial was strong in this one. Eve may have entertained the idea but she inclined towards another reason more. It was a bit hard to watch because of her impatience. She got up and decided to stop meddling for the time being. 

If the pair would be talking anyway, the truth would come out. 

Just to be sure, Andie sent a silent prayer to the string of fates.

Eve prepared herself for sleep. She spent an hour in the bathroom, soaking in the warm water until it became cold. The aromas from the bath bomb and scented candles had given her the relaxation she needed. She dried her hair and changed into comfortable pajamas.

She went the extra mile: using a blow dryer, applying a sheet mask, shaving her legs and even clipping her nails.

Until there was only one thing left.

She laid on her side and stared at her phone screen. The inevitable had come. Should she start with a good night message like they had promised? But then, it was only meant for use when the sender was going to sleep.

This wasn't one of those times.

A couple of messages sprouted in her head.

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Option 1: ``Hey… was it just me or did you kiss me earlier?``

Option 2: ``Sorry for running away. I could have sworn you kissed me. Crazy, right? HAHA!``

Option 3: ``Mr. Hathaway, why did you kiss me? I apologize for my insensitive actions. The kiss had completely startled me to the point where my brain forgot how to function.``

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Eve tapped the phone on her forehead. None of them sounded good. 

In the end, she decided to wing it. She was going to send whatever message she composed in the next second. Take backs and/or second guessing were strictly not allowed.

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``Lin: Hey, was I hallucinating or did something touch my lips before I ran out the door?``

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'There,' Eve commented in her head, letting out a long breath. She sat up and propped her chin on the base of her palm. 'That sounded good, right? Definitely not awkward at all.'

Three dots emerged from the bottom. Ambryan's nickname flashed on the chat window. Her heart pounded in her chest. Would he tell the truth or deny what happened? Did she even know what really happened? 

Maybe it really was just her imagination.

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``Yan: It was mine.``

``Lin: But... why?``

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Eve groaned. After that first one, she couldn't compose a better reply?

All the way uptown, Ambryan sat in front of his work desk. He paused from reviewing documents when the app appeared on his phone notifications. He leaned on the backrest and thought about his response.

His gaze flickered to her profile picture. The coy smile fit her personality well but his attention concentrated on her hazel eye. He pretended that they were face to face.

Should he tell her what he had told Richard? 

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``Lin: I just don't see a reason for it when we're out of the public eye.``

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The new message had stumped his train of thoughts. It seemed that Evangeline had the same track of mind as Richard. Ambryan figured that must have been his fault for not being clear. It had surprised her to the extent of running away.

Before, he might have told the truth in a straightforward manner.

Now, he might lose more than he gained if he did.

Ambryan put his phone down and looked at his cat. Kiri lied on his desk, licking her paws. She seemed unworried. He reached out to caress the top of her head. "What do you think I should do? I doubt I can pretend perfectly that this turmoil in me doesn't exist."

Kiri stopped cleaning her fur. She tilted her head up and purred.

A smirk teased on the corner of his lips. "She always had that magical ability to pull down my guard. And the weirdest thing about that was I never minded it."

He checked on the chat window again. There weren't any new messages. 

Then, his smirk stretched into a mischievous grin.

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``Yan: So you're saying it's okay if we're in public?``