His feelings were not entirely unrequited.

Yet, despite all her hesitation, there was one thing she wanted Merrick to understand.

She was selfish enough to keep him by her side, to welcome his affection whenever she felt like it, and to hide behind the comfort of their friendship whenever things began to feel a little too real.

Annèliese knew she was being unfair to him. Once again, she had given Merrick a glimmer of hope when she still couldn't bring herself to offer him the certainty he deserved. Or perhaps, deep down, she simply wasn't ready to face what had been growing between them all this time.

looking back at him for too long. She needed a moment to compose herself, after all. Being kissed by Merrick was one thing; having to face him afterward while pretending that nothing had happened was an entirely different challenge.

Anything was better than letting Merrick know that he had gotten to her. “Udah ngga sakit kan?” “Yuk turun, kasian itu Teh Imah pasti nungguin kita.” With that, she turned toward the door, deliberately busying herself with straightening her clothes rather than (cont.)

She laughed, giving him a gentle push before getting up from the bed. Her cheeks were still warm, and she could practically hear the embarrassing rhythm of her own heartbeat, but she chose to blame the room's temperature instead.

Once they finally parted, Annèliese looked at him with a sweet smile before flicking his forehead, quickly reclaiming her usual playful demeanor. “That's just you making excuses to get what you want! Modus banget!”

But, of course, she wasn't about to admit that.

And perhaps that was what made it all the more dangerous. Somewhere between their kisses and the familiar warmth of his embrace, Annèliese was beginning to realize that she didn't mind being treated like someone special by him. In fact, she might have liked it a little too much.

For once, she didn't feel the need to pull away or hide behind another excuse. She simply let herself enjoy the moment, finding an unexpected sense of comfort in the way Merrick handled her so gently, as though he were afraid that one wrong move might scare her away.

Perhaps blaming it on an apology was the easiest way for Annèliese to justify the way she had kissed Merrick back, allowing herself to be swept up in the tenderness he offered without questioning what it meant.