Royally Kissed | ✓

27; the curse of abel

Twisting his side, he cast a pensive glance at his bicycle. "Nah, I'm good." When he looked back at her, those thin, dark eyebrow of hers shot up in skepticism. "Probably next time."

Jouwee shook her head quickly and before he knew it, she was already stood next to his bike with a determined look on her face. "Know what? Forget that. In fact, I demand you to go to the passenger's seat while I put this in my trunk."

He widened his eyes. "What? No..."

"No−you mean you don't like to associate with people who're possibly at the bottom of the social hierarchy," she said in a comatosed voice, one hand against her jutted hip, the other clasped around the handle of his bicycle.

Cain snorted. "This is not high-school, Jo."

"Touché." She nodded sagely. "What you mean is−fine, you're coming with me and you're going to drown yourself with a mug of black coffee."

He shook his head and snatched his bicycle from her in a grave manner. "I want the damn pot. Open it."

Jouwee smirked. "Welcome back, jackass."

Cain scowled, his head askew at the unopened trunk of her car. "I'm left without a choice, stupid. You can't seem to take no for an answer."

Her shoulder jolted up. "I have my own ways."

"Like?"

"I don't know. Share to others how you cried like a sniveling baby in arms one time, perhaps?"

The color seemed to drain from his face. "You don't mean that." When Jouwee remained silent, he tilted his head in a threatening manner. "You're an insufferable girl."

Jouwee smiled sweetly.

Cain groaned in exasperation. "Oh, come on!"

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"Thanks," Cain and Jouwee said simultaneously at the waiter before they both gazed out of the glass panel.

Coffee Bliss was one of Paige's favorite café, Jouwee mentioned to him as he'd scanned his eyes across the place earlier−home to amalgamated smell of coffee beans and whiffs of chocolate moist cakes and red velvet cupcakes, the café was surprisingly not luxurious than what he had initially imagined, given the status of Paige Cadwyn.

Relatively small with old wooden tables and dark brown high-backed benches, it all didn't seem to fit well with the bright yellow-green walls. But it was an odd match that filled him with a homey feeling where a grandma seemed to reside. The cross-stitches and the small board filled with postcards from different countries that were hung above the walls didn't make his theory less convincing.

In addition, the coffee shop was located four kilometers off from the university downtown, and up at a hill that overlooked Bradbury City from the north side while the small town of Fairville could be seen at the west; Cain could never fault Paige for this. Everything made him feel like he was in between the city and the simple life of living in a small, unheard town. It was amazing.

"Where's Paige, anyway?" he asked after he'd finally bored his brains out from stalking a couple. "I thought she's here."

"She's coming," she said, waving at a baby who was carried upside by a man as they passed the shop. Jouwee grimaced when the cherub started crying. When she turned to him, she had a smirk on. "Don't worry so much, it's not like I'm going to bring you somewhere private and then kill you. Although that would be exciting," she mused.

Cain arched his eyebrow and crossed his arms. "I'd like to see you try."

Jouwee shrugged before she slowly sobered up. Cain did appreciate that she was trying to act uncaring but she was obviously bad about it because the pretense soon gave away; if her lips thinning into a line and her eyes dulling were anything to go by, anyway.