"At that time... I was already drunk." In other words, when you’re drunk, a lot of your actions and words are beyond your control.
Kyle Kinston’s lips curled into a smile as he took a step closer to Mabel Quinn. "So, last night, when you pinned me to the bed, held me, and kissed me, was it because you were drunk?"
Mabel’s jaw practically hit the floor as she stared at Kyle, dumbstruck. Last night... she pinned Kyle to the bed? Held him and kissed him?
The image was indeed too "wonderful," so "wonderful" that she found it hard to imagine. Who could blame her? Her memory stopped at the Pub since she got completely wasted there. As for what happened after leaving, she honestly had no recollection.
She thought that maybe after leaving the Pub, she just passed out completely drunk. But now it was clear that things were quite different from what she’d imagined.
"Did I... really do that?" she stammered, instinctively stepping back, wanting to put a bit of distance between them. Being this close was subtly pressuring her.
"Are you trying to say I falsely accused you?" he asked, advancing a step each time she retreated, until she had nowhere left to go. "Mabel Quinn, are you trying to dodge responsibility?" His long brows arched, as those sharp eyes bore straight into hers.
Mabel found his words sounded rather strange.
She flushed, saying, "I’m not dodging responsibility, it’s just..."
"It’s good you’re not dodging." He interrupted her, "In that case, come to my room tonight." With that, he stood up and headed towards the stairs.
She was dumbfounded. At night, to his room? What does he mean by that!
Halfway there, he suddenly turned back and said to her, "If you don’t come, then I’ll go to your room."
"..." Mabel was speechless. Was he insisting she come to his room to settle the score?
Back in her room, Mabel dragged her feet as she washed up, then took her time drying her hair. She changed into pajamas that covered as much of her as possible, then walked to Kyle’s room. Looking at the clock, it was already close to midnight. She thought maybe Kyle was asleep by now. So Mabel softly knocked on his door, planning just to make a gesture, that way she’d have a justification for the morning if needed.
But who knew she’d only knocked twice before the door was opened from the inside, with Kyle appearing right before her.
Hope dashed, she hesitantly stepped into his room. "Um, did you call me for something? If there’s nothing, I’ll head back. I have work tomorrow."
He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What, are you planning not to settle the debt again?"
She quickly pressed her lips shut, saying nothing.
"Last night, you pinned me, held me, kissed me. You tell me, how should you repay that debt?" he asked.
"How about I treat you to a meal to make up for it?" she suggested.
He suddenly let out a light laugh. "Mabel Quinn, thanking and compensating people with meals and buying a bunch of supermarket snacks and local specialties?"
She was a poor student, what else could she do! "I already did everything last night. I can’t possibly let you pin me, hold me, and kiss me back, can I?"
But who would have thought his thin lips parted, slowly uttering the word "Okay."
She almost slipped, "You say okay?"
"Yes, I say okay. Whatever you did to me last night, now I’ll do to you." he said.
She blinked, not fully processing yet when he already buried his face in her shoulder nook.
"Kyle Kinston, you—" she exclaimed.
"So you’re not calling me Mr. Kinston now?" he retorted.
"Last night, I just pinned you, held you, and kissed you?" she cautiously confirmed.
"Or were you hoping for something else?"
"No." She shook her head quickly. Fine, debts must be repaid; that does make sense. So, Mabel, with a resigned determination, said to Kyle, "Then hurry up, I have to work tomorrow and need to get up early."
This left Kyle with a feeling of mixed amusement and exasperation; it was the first time a woman in his presence seemed ready to face her fate so valiantly. If it were another woman, they’d probably be overjoyed by now.
If she were like other women, would his attempts to keep her by his side with his life become much easier? Would he not repeatedly feel those vexations, those angers, those odd irritations because of her?
His fingers gently brushed aside her bangs, as if trying to see her more clearly. "Mabel Quinn, I never planned to fall in love with anyone in this life, but if I don’t fall in love with you, will you definitely not love me? Will you not stay by my side for a lifetime?"
She was startled, his sudden topic left her momentarily unsure of how to respond.
"How about we date? Maybe things would be different if we became girlfriend and boyfriend." he suggested. Her offhand boyfriend comment yesterday had led him to this thought.