Playing Dead Chapter 2

Once I was out of the room, I couldn't hold on anymore. I crouched down on the floor.

The waves of agonizing pain radiating from my stomach drained every ounce of strength I had, making it impossible to even reach the restroom.

Until a shadow fell over me.

A familiar, deep voice echoed above:

"What's wrong? Heartbroken? Hoping to rekindle an old flame?"

I looked up. A short distance away, Arthur Sterling was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching me with a cool, detached gaze.

He was dressed entirely in black. He had a sharp, straight nose, and his eyes were hidden in the dim lighting, making it impossible to read his expression.

Under the faint light, the lines of his thin lips were sharp and elegant.

In that split second, a profound sense of unjust grievance swelled in my chest.

To my complete embarrassment, tears actually started falling from my eyes.

Arthur panicked instantly. He dropped his arms and practically sprinted over to me.

"Don't cry. I won't say it again. I promise."

He was in incredibly good shape, strong and solid.

With one arm, he effortlessly scooped me up from the floor.

The crisp scent of cedarwood filled my nose, subtly tugging at my heartstrings.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered:

"My stomach hurts..."

Arthur paused for a fraction of a second. "Is it early?"

I nodded. My lips accidentally brushed against his jawline as I rested my head against his broad shoulder.

Arthur carried me to his car, turned the heat on high, and said:

"Wait here. I'm going to buy you some supplies."

With that, he shut the door and walked away.

The dim yellow streetlights cast a warm glow over his tall, retreating silhouette.

Not long after, a video call popped up on my phone.

It was Arthur.

"They're out of the brand you usually use. Do any of these look okay?"

I was just about to pick one when a familiar, obnoxiously surprised voice echoed through his phone.

Julian, with his arm wrapped tightly around his new girl's waist, swaggered into the convenience store. He looked Arthur up and down, exclaiming:

"We invited you out for drinks tonight and you bailed! Turns out you're busy buying tampons for a girl!

"Are you on a video call with her?! Let me see! Who on earth finally managed to melt our resident iceberg?!"

Julian reached out, trying to snatch Arthur's phone.

I instinctively jerked my face away from the camera.

But Julian never laid a finger on the phone.

Arthur simply shot him a single, freezing glare, and Julian immediately pulled his hand back.

"Alright, alright! If you're going to be that protective of your new girl, at least bring her out to meet us sometime!

"Oh, by the way, Arthur, I ran into Mia earlier. She walked into the wrong room and caught me kissing someone else. Scared the hell out of me! Luckily, the guys covered for me and told her I have amnesia. Once I've had my fun, I'll 'recover' my memory.

"Honestly, bro, you totally saved my life. I wasn't ready to settle down, and that fake death idea you gave me worked like a charm!"

The video feed jolted violently, and the next second, the call was abruptly disconnected.