“Open your mouth, Riley,” Peyton said.
I reflexively did as told. He tilted my head back before using the tweezers to carefully pick out the fish bone lodged in my throat. Fortunately, he soon got it out.
The director relaxed at this and signaled for the cameraman to capture the scene.
Everyone else was taken aback. Firstly, they were surprised that Peyton was so worried about me. Secondly, it was as if his germaphobia no longer existed.
I tearfully thanked him. “Thank you so much, Mr. Grant!”
He gave me that look again–the one that indicated I was giving him a headache. “Why do you still choke on fish bones when eating anything related to fish, Riley?”
My breathing hitched. Did this mean he’d long since recognized me?
To tell the truth, I didn’t know how to answer him. I liked eating fish, but I would choke on a bone whenever I did. It had happened during high school–I’d had fish during lunch, and the bone I’d swallowed had remained in my throat even after I’d returned to the classroom.
That was when Peyton had whipped out a bottle of apple cider vinegar out of nowhere and told me he’d brought it from home. I’d been so stunned at the time that I hadn’t asked how he’d known about me choking.
Ten years had passed since then, and he’d helped me once again. How could one not fall for someone like him?
Meanwhile, everyone was surprised by his words. Shane was the first to break the silence. He stammered, “D–Do you two know each other?”
I wanted to brush it off and act like there was nothing between us when Peyton said calmly, “We’re high school classmates.”
Before things could go any further, Rita suddenly cried, “Oh, no! I think my allergies are acting up!”
She attracted everyone but Peyton’s attention. His eyes remained on me, and his gaze was warm. It gave me a sense of heartwrenching bitterness and grievance, though.
“Don’t you remember me anymore?” he asked.
I couldn’t bring myself to deny when I heard that. I hurriedly said, “Of course I do.”
His eyes immediately lit up with happiness. They seemed to contain intense love yet also seemed empty.
My ears turned red, and I immediately averted my gaze.
The live stream’s viewers noticed something was up.
“Earlier, we assumed Rita was the only person Peyton knew. He also made it clear that he has feelings for one of the guests. It would’ve been fine to ship them if the situation remained like that, but now that we know he and Riley were high school classmates… I refuse to believe there isn’t anything between them!”
“I’ve never seen him so worried about anybody else!”
“Hold up. Could it be that Peyton insisted on heading to the amusement park earlier because he was worried Riley would faint after skipping breakfast? Does he know she’s anemic?”
“Is that why he kept wandering around? He wanted to see whether Riley would pass out?”
“Oh, my God! This looks like a huge discovery!”
Just then, Rita interrupted my conversation with Peyton. “I remember you having allergy medication, Peyton. Could you lend it
1/2
Chophar
- 15 Bones
to me?”
I thought he wouldn’t turn her down, but he dropped his smile, and his tone returned to being aloof and distant. “You can’t take allergy medication as and when you want. It’s better to get checked at the hospital if you’re not sure what the cause of the allergy
is.”
I sneaked a glance at the red marks on her hands as Peyton spoke. Why did the marks look like she’d been pinched?
The viewers who shipped Peyton and Rita immediately rejoiced at their interaction.
“Peyton was just being kind earlier! He would’ve done the same if anyone else had been in the same situation!”
“Rita even knows that Peyton has allergy medication. They must speak a lot in private!”
“Oh, my heart!”
Everything they mentioned had occurred to me. So, when Rita asked Peyton to accompany her to the hospital, I quietly left the living room and headed to my bedroom.
I was afraid the wall I’d painstakingly built around my heart would collapse due to another of Peyton’s looks. My heart would already race like crazy whenever he came to me.
At the same time, I felt like this was nothing but a dream. I wanted to sink right into it and savor it for as long as it went on, also knew I would eventually wake up from it.
but I
It would be better for me to keep my distance from the very beginning. All I wanted was to see him happy and have all his wishes
come true.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
