"Is he treating me like a kid with that lollipop?

", I was about to call him childish when he shoved the candy into my hand and grabbed himself a drink, even fetching my water bottle along the way., Ernest plopped down on the bench, patting the seat next to him,

"Take a break.

", Do I look like I need a break? I hadn't done much but handle some minor issues., Reluctantly, I joined Ernest as he sat down. Without him, I doubted I'd get much done. That's when I realized he was subtly guiding me.,

"You were pretty fierce earlier,

" Ernest remarked., I took a sip of water.

"Was I?

",

"Yeah, it was kinda scary,

" he said, making me tilt my head at him., He nodded,

"Seriously.

", For some reason, his boy-next-door charm mixed with his tough-guy vibe was oddly endearing., It was bizarre feeling this way about Ernest, the epitome of rugged masculinity. I blurted out,

"Ernest, how old are you?

", I meant to tease him about acting childishly. But he replied,

"I've told you before.

", Huh? I was a beat too slow, then he added,

"During our blind date.

", Oh, right.,

"Thirty-one,

" he didn't wait for me to remember, answering my question directly., I found myself unable to respond, as if we were just not on the same page., After gulping down more water, he mentioned,

"Granny Joan called me, heard we're working together. She wants me to bring you over after we're done here.

", This was the first time Ernest brought up Granny Joan since he arrived., It was normal for him not to mention her, and I hadn't asked because my memories of Granny Joan were tied to her setting me up with Ernest, which could make things awkward between us. Now that Ernest brought her up, I couldn't ignore it. I chuckled,

"Didn't you tell her you're planning to stay here longer?

",

"I'm playing it by ear,

" his response made me look at him., Ernest, however, was busy drinking, his Adam's apple bobbing in a way that made me avert my gaze, feeling suddenly shy.,

"I can visit her by myself, doesn't need to be with you,

" I murmured.,

"Why not together?

" His hearing was impressively sharp.,

"I prefer being on my own,

" I said, looking at him again,

"I enjoy my solitude.

", I meant for him to hear that. I didn't plan on developing things further with him, so it was crucial to remind him to keep his distance., Even if we occasionally ended up close, like earlier in the elevator., Speaking of which, I glanced at the elevator,

"What was with that sudden shake earlier?

",

"Hmm?

" He seemed confused.,

"You didn't mess with it, did you?

" I asked bluntly., For someone who could control the entire park's lighting, tweaking the elevator I was in seemed trivial. Especially since there was no movement or wind around to cause it to shake otherwise.

"You think I did that? Why would I?

" Ernest's questions left me speechless., Right, why would he?, Unless it was to scare me into his arms?, Thinking this over, and considering his feelings for me, it suddenly seemed plausible., I looked into his eyes, searching for any sign of guilt, but he simply put down his drink,

"Let's get back to work.

", Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.