Chapter 3

---

I was helping Carl clean up the mess when I felt a hand gently settle on top of my head. Startled, I glanced up to see Evander looking down at me with a playful grin.

“So, how old are you?” he asked casually, his tone teasing.

I raised an eyebrow, narrowing my eyes slightly. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh? I can’t ask you?” he replied, feigning innocence as his grin widened.

I sighed, deciding there was no harm in answering. “I’m 22 years old,” I said in a kind, matter-of-fact tone, hoping that would end the conversation.

But of course, it didn’t.

“Twenty-two, huh?” he mused, leaning down slightly so we were almost at eye level. “Then why are you so short? Hm?”

Before I could respond, he started gently ruffling my hair like Carl had done earlier. His teasing tone and warm smile made it impossible to stay annoyed, but I could feel my cheeks heating up regardless.

I looked up at him, trying to keep my expression calm despite the butterflies in my stomach. “I’m not that short,” I said, crossing my arms in mock indignation.

Evander chuckled, his hand still on my head. “Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that.”

I glanced at Carl, who was smirking from across the room, clearly enjoying the scene. Great, I thought. Now I’ve got two men treating me like I’m five feet tall and five years old.

Still, there was something about the way Evander spoke, the way his playful teasing felt lighter than Carl’s usual big-brother jabs. It was disarming in a way I wasn’t used to.

“Is this going to be your thing now? Making fun of my height?” I asked, trying to sound exasperated but failing to hide the small smile tugging at my lips.

Evander grinned wider, finally removing his hand from my head but not before giving my hair one last ruffle. “Maybe. You make it too easy, shorty.”

“Don’t call me that,” I mumbled, turning back to the mess I was cleaning, though I could still feel his gaze on me.

As I focused on tidying up, I couldn’t help but steal a glance at him out of the corner of my eye. His teasing smile was still there, but his eyes were warm, softer than I expected.

And for a moment, I forgot all about being teased.

I glanced over at my friends, who were still gawking at the group of men like they’d just stepped out of a romance novel. Their whispers and giggles were getting louder, and I could already see Vera and Jasmine plotting something.

Meanwhile, I was stuck dealing with not one, but two men—Carl and Evander. Why me? I thought as I stacked up empty cups. Why did I agree to help Carl in the first place?

Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed Evander step closer until his voice broke through my daze.

“Oh? Enjoying the view?” he teased, leaning casually against the table, his smirk firmly in place.

I blinked, snapping out of it. “Probably,” I muttered sarcastically, trying to sound unaffected as I avoided his gaze.

My eyes landed on a small pile of books on the table. Recognizing the titles immediately, I picked them up. The Love Hypothesis and Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood. I held them up, raising an eyebrow at Carl and Evander.

“Who brought these?” I asked, looking between the two of them.

Carl glanced over, shrugging. “Don’t look at me. I don’t read romance.”

Evander chuckled, crossing his arms. “Don’t look at me either. Not my style.”

“Then how did they get here?” I asked, genuinely curious.

Before either of them could respond, Vera’s voice chimed in from across the room. “Oh, those are mine!” She bounded over, snatching the books from my hands. “I brought them last night. I figured we could read them together if the night got boring!”

I stared at her, baffled. “At a bar? You thought romance novels were the backup plan?”

Vera grinned unapologetically. “What? Don’t judge me. Also, Evander totally looks like the love interest from The Love Hypothesis, doesn’t he?” She winked dramatically, and my face immediately turned red.

Evander raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Should I be flattered or concerned?”

“Definitely flattered,” Vera said with a laugh, waving the book in the air.

I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Vera, can we focus on cleaning up instead of turning this into a book club?”

She pouted but finally stepped back, clutching her books like they were sacred treasures.

Evander leaned closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear. “I don’t know much about romance novels, but if I’m supposed to play the love interest, you could at least give me a little more attention.”

I shot him a glare, but my heart betrayed me, racing at his words. “In your dreams, Evander,” I muttered, turning away before he could see the faint blush creeping up my cheeks.

Behind me, I could still hear him chuckling softly. Why does he have to be like this?

“…” I stayed quiet, focusing on cleaning up the mess instead of entertaining Evander’s teasing. The tension in the room was interrupted when the sound of the front door opening caught everyone’s attention.

I froze mid-swipe with a cloth, recognizing the familiar click of heels on the floor. My mom stepped into the room, her sharp gaze sweeping over the scene. She paused, clearly taking in the chaotic mix of my friends, Carl’s group of men, and the scattered remnants of last night’s antics.

Her brows arched in surprise. “Calista? What on earth happened here?”

My friends immediately scrambled to look busy. Vera and Jasmine quickly started picking up pillows, while Gabrielle grabbed a trash bag and pretended she’d been cleaning the whole time. Julane smiled nervously, giving an awkward wave.

“Hi, Mrs. D,” she chirped.

“Good morning,” my mom replied with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, her tone suspicious.

Meanwhile, Carl stepped forward like the ever-reliable son he was. “Good morning, Mom,” he said, a sheepish grin on his face. “We had a… small gathering last night. Nothing too wild.”

Mom’s gaze shifted to the group of men standing in the corner, trying their best to look polite and non-threatening. “And who are these… gentlemen?” she asked, her tone laced with curiosity.

Evander stepped forward confidently, flashing his most charming smile. “Good morning, ma’am. I’m Evander, Carl’s friend. We’re just here to help clean up.”

The other guys quickly followed suit, introducing themselves one by one. My mom nodded, her expression softening slightly. “Well, it’s nice to meet you all. But next time, maybe give me a heads-up before turning the house into a hostel.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Carl said, nodding obediently.

My mom turned her attention to me, and I could feel her eyes assessing me. “And you, Calista? Why are you up so early after a night like that?”

“I’m helping Carl,” I said quickly, holding up the cloth in my hand as evidence.

She looked at me for a moment longer, then smiled faintly. “Good. Keep at it. And make sure your friends pitch in, too,” she added, shooting a pointed look at my friends, who immediately started moving with renewed purpose.

As she walked out of the room, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

“Well, that was fun,” Evander said with a smirk, leaning closer to me. “Your mom’s intimidating.”

“Tell me about it,” I muttered, shaking my head as I went back to cleaning. My friends exchanged glances before bursting into nervous laughter, clearly relieved the encounter hadn’t gone worse.

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that with this group—my friends and Carl’s—things were only going to get more complicated from here.

“What?” I looked at Evander, narrowing my eyes. “My mom just came back from work, so please be nice. Will you?”

He raised his hands in mock surrender, a playful grin tugging at his lips. “Alright, alright,” he said, his tone light.

Before I could turn back to cleaning, he leaned in slightly and, with a casualness that made my heart skip a beat, asked, “By the way, can I have your number?”

I blinked, completely caught off guard. “What?”

Everyone in the room suddenly froze, their eyes darting between me and Evander like they’d just stumbled onto the juiciest bit of gossip. The air felt thick with tension, curiosity practically radiating from my friends and Carl’s group.

“Why do you want my number?” I asked, my voice a mix of confusion and suspicion.

Evander shrugged, his grin widening. “Why not? You’re Carl’s sister, and since I’ll probably see you more often, it’d be good to stay in touch.”

“Uh-huh,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “And that’s the only reason?”

“Of course,” he said, though the glint in his eyes told a different story.

Before I could answer, Vera suddenly spoke up, unable to contain herself. “Oh my gosh, Calista, just give him your number already!”

Jasmine chimed in, nudging me with her elbow. “Yeah, Cal. Don’t be shy!”

“Stay out of this!” I hissed, my face heating up as my friends dissolved into giggles.

Carl, who had been silent until now, finally stepped in. “Evander, are you seriously hitting on my sister right in front of me?” His voice was calm, but his eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

Evander turned to him, unfazed. “What? I’m just asking for her number. It’s not a big deal.”

“It is a big deal,” Carl said, crossing his arms.

The room fell silent, everyone waiting to see what I’d do next. Feeling the weight of all their stares, I sighed and grabbed a napkin from the table. Scribbling my number on it, I shoved it into Evander’s hand.

“There,” I said, glaring at him. “Happy now?”

Evander grinned, holding the napkin like it was some kind of trophy. “Very.”

As the others started whispering among themselves, I could only groan internally. Why does my life feel like a sitcom right now?

*Later, Carl grabbed Evander by the arm and dragged him out of the room without a word. I watched them go, frowning. Is he mad*? Or just being his overprotective self? Either way, Evander didn’t seem too fazed, flashing me a cheeky smile as Carl pulled him away.

Shaking my head, I turned back to cleaning, only to be interrupted when Gabrielle suddenly reappeared—this time with Daniel walking beside her.

“Wait a second,” I muttered to myself, watching the two of them enter. Gabrielle was smiling at something Daniel had said, and the two were deep in conversation, their voices low and filled with an easy, almost intimate rhythm.

My confusion only grew as I observed them. Since when are they this close? Gabrielle rarely opened up to people this quickly, and Daniel wasn’t exactly the type to make small talk for fun.

“Hey, Gabrielle,” I called out, setting down the cleaning cloth. “Where’d you disappear to?”

She glanced at me, her smile still lingering. “Oh, just stepped out for some fresh air. Ran into Daniel, and we got talking.”

“Talking?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” she said, shrugging as if it were no big deal. “He’s actually pretty interesting once you get past the whole lawyer thing.”

Daniel chuckled softly at her remark, tucking his hands into his pockets. “I’ll take that as a compliment, I guess.”

I blinked, utterly baffled. Gabrielle and Daniel—chatting? Getting along? This was new. Strange, even.

Just as I was about to question them further, Daniel excused himself, saying he needed to check on something outside. Gabrielle watched him leave, her gaze lingering for just a moment too long.

I couldn’t help but notice the faint blush on her cheeks. Turning back to me, she quickly masked it with her usual nonchalant attitude.

“What?” she asked when she caught me staring.

“Nothing,” I said, though my curiosity was piqued. Something’s definitely going on here.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***