Chapter 153: Clearly, it’s not working
"Mrs. Atlas Bennet. You can’t borrow it, but I’ll let you have it."
Lola blinked with slightly wide eyes, leaning back a little with his face so close to her. "Are you kidding me?"
"No, I’m serious," he uttered under his breath, his arms sprawling past her until his palm rested on the surface of the door. "You can claim it any day. Just let me know."
"..." Lola pursed her lips into a thin line, holding his gaze without looking away. "No, thank you. You were right, and I’m grateful that you’ve reminded me of my take on marriage. Even though it’s not what I said directly, I don’t want to take it lightly."
"And you assume I am taking this lightly — why?"
"Why?" she snorted, facing him squarely. "It’s because..."
His brows rose as she trailed off, tilting his head slightly as he waited for her explanation. As for Lola, she furrowed her brows as she thought about it.
What made her think he wasn’t being serious again?
That he was taking marriage lightly?
Right.
"It’s your words," she smiled. At the same time, Lola reached for the knob while he had his hand on the surface of the door.
The distance between their faces, where they could smell each other’s breath, would usually make her move away. Or it would make her heart beat like crazy. Worse, it would make her daydream. But today, Lola didn’t feel all those.
Because she knew where she stood, and after being with him for some time now, she also understood that Atlas was different from others. His mind was different, and it was just wrong to assume anything from him. Besides, she has other important things to focus on right now.
"Someday, you’ll understand what I’m saying," was all she could tell him with a smile. "When you finally meet someone you’re romantically interested in."
She smiled. "Thanks for the offer, though. Although technically, I am the one who came here with a strange request. But... I guess I lost my head somewhere else. So, it’s still a good thing to come here and have a reality check."
Having said that, she flashed him a wider smile and pulled the door open. Much to her dismay, just as she pulled the door open, he pressed it and closed it again.
Click.
Lola paused, her brows knitting instantly. Turning her head back to him, his expression was much darker than it ever was.
"Tell me," he hummed, his voice filled with utter curiosity. "Are you dense?"
"What?"
"Or did you simply choose to be one? Which one?"
"..." She blinked and blinked before she scoffed, "What?"
Atlas fluttered his eyelashes ever so tenderly, taking a step forward with his palm still on the door. After all, her hand was still gripping the knob. He knew once he let it go, she would dash off like a bolt of lightning.
Lola took a step back to maintain the little distance between them, but then his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer. Caught off guard, she clutched his chest as her body pressed against him.
"Wa — wait," she stuttered. "This is not part of the script —"
But Atlas just stared at her with a mix of disbelief and very little trace of impatience. His hand clutched her waist, holding her still. His other hand remained on the door.
"I don’t understand people much, or at least, I don’t understand people based on how others expected me to understand them," he started in a quiet voice. "That is why I asked my sisters about women. You know Penny, don’t you?"
Lola didn’t answer as she was busy holding her breath. When he raised his brows at her, she nodded profusely.
"She gave me some advice, but she’s crazy. So, I asked my other sister, Nina," he continued in the same languid manner. "She told me to be careful, to be patient, to try to understand, and make sure to notice every single thing. But clearly, it is not working."
Atlas arched a brow. "And it’s making me very angry — you are making me angry, Lola."
Her breath hitched, making her intuitively stop a hiccup. Her clutch on his chest tightened, having this urge to run away.
Lola, no, she told herself, mentally shaking her head. Don’t daydream — not right now, please. This isn’t the time...
Smooch!
She flinched as she intuitively touched the side of her neck. Her eyes were wide at him, watching him draw his head back to look her in the eye.
"You can have it," he stressed, referring to the request she had asked him. "Don’t question me on this again. And if you plan to, just think about it."
He released her waist and brushed the side of her neck — the one he had kissed — with his thumb. "My children rarely affect my decisions as I always make them with their needs in mind. So, why am I living in your home, even when I know I am not welcome in it??"
"Do I have to spell it out for you, Lola Young?" he leaned his face once more, watching her shake her head. "Good. Don’t ignore me again, or I won’t be so subtle anymore."
This time, she nodded, but her thoughts just spun. Atlas studied the shock written all over her face, but didn’t call it out. Instead, he nodded and straightened his back.
"See you later," he said, finally reaching for the knob and opening the door for her. "Let me know if you’re headed to the garden, so I know where to go."
"..." Lola just stared at him, and as if under a wicked spell, dragged her feet out the door.
Meanwhile, Atlas watched her from inside, holding the door open. He watched her slowly look back at him, chuckling as he caught the blank look on her face.
"Penny is right, after all," he muttered, but still enough for her to hear. "Nina’s advice... is too... subtle."
Because his beloved sister, Penny, only has one aggressive advice: be proactive. Don’t give Lola a chance to think twice, and by that, she meant attack, attack, and attack!
"Had I known... I would’ve done this from the beginning."