He Pretended to Forget Me, So I Erased Him for Real Chapter 08

He Pretended to Forget Me, So I Erased Him for Real Chapter 08

I curled my lips into a knowing smirk.

“I did say I liked you, Julian, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forfeited my right to hand out my number.”

I tilted my head, meeting Julian’s gaze with unflinching directness. “By what standing are you trying to control me, exactly?”

“-”

Julian was practically seething. Yet, he remained stubbornly tight-lipped, refusing to admit he was

head-over-heels for me.

“I don’t care! I said no, and I mean no!”

He snapped his head toward Gideon, looking like a territorial young wolf guarding his kill.

“Hey! Old man! Aren’t you a bit past your prime to be hitting on college girls? Have some self-respect. One

more word and I’m calling the cops for stalking!”

Gideon’s expression darkened, his voice laced with hostility. “Watch your mouth.”

“What I discuss with my fiancée is none of your damn business.”

“Fiancée?” Julian rolled his eyes, planting his hands on his hips. “Since when does a fiancé need to beg for a

phone number?”

“Are you demented, or just living in a fantasy? If it’s the former, go to a nursing home. If it’s the latter, check

yourself into a psych ward!”

I couldn’t help but let out a genuine laugh. His tongue was delightfully vicious. I patted Julian’s shoulder and

handed him the completed sketch.

“Relax. I wasn’t going to give him my digits. Stop being so possessive.”

“Here, the portrait I promised you.”

Julian’s eyes lit up as he snatched the drawing, a smug grin spreading across his face.

[Julian’s favorability +5. Current status: 85%.]

Gideon looked as if he’d been struck by lightning. His dry lips trembled as he spoke.

“Elara… you promised you’d only ever sketch me…”

Julian arched an eyebrow, casually draping an arm over my shoulder.

“I’m more liberal than that. Our Elara is a masterpiece creator. She paints whatever she feels-trees, grass,

pigs, or pathetic old men. It’s all the same.”

“I just want the world to see the brilliance in her craft.”

I froze for a second. A sudden wave of warmth surged through me. Julian smiled at me, pulling me closer to lead me away. Gideon lunged forward, grabbing his wrist.

“Hold on!”

Julian shook him off with pure irritation. “What now, old man? Want me to reimburse you for the broken

phone?”

He pulled a wad of cash from his pocket and slapped it hard against Gideon’s chest. The arrogance was off

the charts.

“Take it. Consider the extra a tip for your meds!”

Gideon was shaking with rage, his fists clenched white. This was likely the first time in his privileged life he had been humiliated with money. The stress was too much; his chest heaved as he blacked out on the

pavement.

Julian let out a disdainful snort. “Seniors with heart conditions really shouldn’t be roaming the streets alone.”

Julian called the paramedics. I knelt down to gather the scattered bills. Some were pinned under Gideon’s body. Just as I reached out, Julian stopped me.

“Whoa, hands off. You don’t know where that’s been.”

He reached under Gideon himself to retrieve the cash. “Nothing you want to ask me?”

“Actually, yes,” I said.

He looked dead serious. I held my breath.

He asked, “Do you have any sanitizer? My hands feel like they’re covered in stale cologne.”

I burst out laughing. He joined in. Some things just weren’t worth revisiting.

I went home. The first thing I did was bring a basin of warm water into the bedroom. My mother lay there, motionless. I sat by the bed and gently wiped her calloused hand.

“Mom, I’m back,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “You’re going to wake up very soon.”