Leanna-Chapter 210: [Close] [Hot Pot]

[Zoe’s POV]

[Close]

"And . . . what are you doing here inside my unit? Sleeping on the sofa like you own the place?" My eyebrow rose at Lawrence, who was being comfortable, laying back first on the sofa while one arm covered his eyes.

"Let me sleep here. I don’t want to disturb my brother and Emery making out."

I didn’t react and stared down at him.

"Tell me honestly, is your brother and Emery going out?"

Lawrence sat on the sofa and held his chin on one hand while a frown grazed his face.

"How should I know? When it comes to his love life, he refuses to tell me anything. That guy is so secretive, whereas, he knows everything about me. Isn’t it unfair? And we are supposed to be twins who have an unbreakable bond."

He procrastinated while I shook my head and sat beside him, mirroring his position.

After a moment of his ranting, he became quiet.

"I’m so bored," I mumbled after a long silence.

"Me too."

"It’s raining hard outside, and it’s so cold with winter approaching."

"Yeah . . ."

". . ."

". . ."

"Hey." I nudged him, and he glanced at me in response.

"What?"

"Do you know what I’m thinking right now?" I grinned.

Lawrence chuckled. "Hotpot, my treat."

My smile grew wider.

"That’s why we’re BFF. Come on, let’s go!"

----

"God, it’s so cold! Can you drive a little faster?"

I complained as I rubbed myself together while looking over at the window’s car. My stomach was grumbling non-stop since Lawrence mentioned hot pot.

Even though the car’s heater was turned on, the cold still pierced inside my thick grey sweatshirt and black leggings and boots.

"If you haven’t notice sweetheart, there are a lot of cars in front of us. Do you want me to ram on them?" Lawrence retorted, attention on the road.

I rolled my eyes.

We were not like this at first.

We were polite as we put up our good girl, good boy image. However, as time goes on, we kind of let ourselves loose until I could practically do and say anything in front of him.

Frankly, I was much more comfortable with Lawrence now than with Elliot.

Lawrence already knew and saw ’everything’ there was to know and see about me, so what was the use of holding my image?

Same goes for him, the more he got to know me, the more he became comfortable with me.

Bzt!

I grabbed my phone, and my eyebrows twitched. I took a peek at Lawrence before I answered the call.

"Elliot?"

"Hey, you know the drill," Elliot said on the other line.

I laughed a bit before I narrated my day to him.

It was an everyday routine.

If Elliot was not by my side, he always called me every day without fail. In the morning, in the afternoon and the evening. I was annoyed at first, but after a few days, I got the hang of it.

"I’m so envious. You’re going to eat hot pot?"

I almost saw his frowning face and couldn’t help a giggle.

When it came to Lawrence, I didn’t hide anything from Elliot except for our past. Probably to ease my guilt.

"Should I take out some and send it to you? Where are you anyway?"

"Currently in Philadelphia. Sorry, a little busy at the moment. But if I have the time, I’ll come and visit you."

I heard the guilt in his voice, and my heart softened. "Don’t worry about it. Lawrence is keeping me company."

"Hmm . . . I’m getting jealous of how close you two are. I hope you won’t replace me with him," he said, joking.

I bit my lips and took a sidelong glance at Lawrence, but the latter’s expression didn’t change one bit. His eyes were still on the road.

I joked back, "Who knows, if you continue to be absent from my side . . . I just might."

It became dead silent. I wanted to get out of the car and let myself be hit by a ravaging truck, so I could also have amnesia like what happened to Estela.

Why can’t I think before I open my damn mouth?

"Zoe . . . sorry, what was that? The signal is kind of bad at the moment."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "I said. You don’t have to be jealous. Lawrence and I are just friends."

It was more like I was reassuring myself than him.

After a while of talking a bit more, we said our goodbyes just in time Lawrence parked his car outside of a well-known Japanese restaurant in New Haven.

Lawrence remained stoic as he got out of the car and opened the passenger door for me.

"Thanks."

I flushed the awkwardness out of my system and went ahead into the restaurant.

----

[Zoe’s POV]

[Hot Pot]

"Hey, look at that. That’s Lawrence Lee."

"Oh my god. Lawrence Lee."

"He’s so beautiful in person."

"Who’s that girl beside him?"

"Isn’t that Zoe Collin? The black sheep of the Collin’s?"

"What’s their relationship? Are they going out?"

"Haven’t you heard the news? Lawrence is Leanna Lee’s brother, and Zoe is her best friend. Rumor has it that the two of them are close friends."

"They don’t look like just friends. They’re so close."

"Isn’t she going out with Elliot Volknov? That bitch has the best of luck. Dating two handsome men at the same time."

Gossip

Gossip

The whispering continued, but Lawrence and I ignored it. We’ve already got used to it. Though in the past, there was news that got out of hand, grandpa Luke and Elliot made sure to take care of it. After that, no media dared to make a scandal out of us again.

"Hey, that’s mine! I cooked that!"

Lawrence exclaimed and was about to pick the meat off my plate, but I quickly shoved it into my mouth.

He gaped at me in astonishment when I picked his meat in the hot pot and shoved it all into my mouth, not minding the heat.

"You––!"

"I’m hungry," I whined between munching.

"And you don’t think I’m not?"

Lawrence frowned as he raised his hand at the waiter. "More lamb, angus, and wagyu meat, please. Oh! And add more cabbage and mushrooms as well. Thanks."

The waiter looked at him in a daze. He must have been in a shock on how two people could finish a meal for ten.

"What do you think you’re doing?" I asked when Lawrence covered his bowl. His one hand was holding his chopsticks while his other circled his bowl in a protective stance.

"I have a feeling you’ll snatch my bowl away from me," he said and chewed his food in a hurry.

I rolled my eyes and shoved the remaining meat in the pot. As I waited for it to cook, I salivated at his bowl full of meat.

I’m still starving.

"Aren’t you ashamed that I’m going hungry here while you chomp your food nonstop?"

When he looked at me, I snatched a lump of meat from his bowl and chewed it all down.

"Hey! Alright, that’s it!"

Lawrence picked my meat in the pot, and my eyes widened as I clamped the meat with my chopstick.

Lawrence and I glanced at each other, our brows furrowed as we were battling for that piece of food with our chopsticks –– not one backing down.

"Lawrence, how could you! I’m a girl!"

"Zoe, you’re much older than me. You should be more mature."

"Be nice to your elders and give me that meat!" I roared.

"You should be ashamed of yourself in arguing with a kid. Act your age and give this meat to me."

Slop

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

The meat flopped from our chopsticks and went straight to the floor.

Noooo!

Both of us looked at that meat with longing.

"Uhm . . . ah . . . y-your orders . . . ?"

We looked over at the waiter who was carrying plates of meat in hands, and my eyes shone.

"Can we use this extra burner?" Lawrence gestured at the unused burner by the side.

We were seated at a four-person table, and there were two burners.

"That’s right. Just one took a lot of time for the meat to cook," I added.

"Actually, I think we should cook our own meat. You’re such a glutton."

"What did you say? Fine then! Hey, you! Give me those, now!"

The waiter took a step back as I eyed those plates of food on his hands.

"What are you talking about? I ordered those. Order your own."

Lawrence countered and actually stood and grabbed the plates from the waiter’s hand. The waiter scratched his head, unsure of what to do.

"I can’t believe you. You’re so stingy and ungentlemanly."

"Zoe, it’s called gender equality. Isn’t that what you girls are fighting for?"

"Grrr . . ."

I glared at him before I bared my fangs at the waiter. "Bring me the same thing he ordered!"

The waiter nodded and scurried away.

I glanced at Lawrence, who sat beside me so he could use the other burner. When our eyes met, he smirked and purposely dangled the meats in front of me.

My eyes narrowed, and I pinched his arm.

"Aw! Hey, that’s physical abuse! How many times is it now? I’ll definitely sue you."

I scoffed. "Go ahead."

"Hello, Zoe. Looks like you guys are having fun."

Lawrence and I raised our head, and my forehead creased.

Sophia, together with Nicholas, was standing in front of us. She, as always, was garnished with designer clothes while Nicholas held his own in his latest Armani shirt and Marc ’O Polo jacket.

This two had always been together ever since that day I saw them on the upper floor of the gallery at that time at Sophia’s auction, four years ago.

But the two always denied their secret relationship and said they were just close friends.

Friends with benefits, I bet. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Mind if we join you guys?" Nicholas’s eyes shone in expectation as he looked at me.

"Sorry. Lawrence and I are already using the two burners."

"Oh, don’t worry. We won’t be eating hot pot anyway," Sophia replied and sat in front of Lawrence.

My face turned severe when Nicholas sat in front of me.

It was like we were on a double date –– me with Nicholas and Lawrence with Sophia.

I don’t like this.

Especially on how Sophia’s eyes sparkled at the sight of Lawrence, like an old maid starved for younger boys.

I knew that look on Sophia’s face.

It was a look that she found her next prey.