Pursuing Miss Introvert

Chapter 18. A Cabbage And A Carrot

"What are you doing here?"

Still doing here was more appropriate.

Milly grabbed her chest, startled to see him leaning casually in the doorway to the study without saying anything.

"How long have you been there?"

She asked after taking a breath to calm her nerves.

She wasn't easy to scare, but he caught her totally off guard when she didn't think he could still be in their house at that hour.

"Sorry for startling you."

Laurence apologized, obviously lacking sincerity as his lips turned upward, holding his laughter in.

Milly rolled her eyes at him and wounded her arms around her body, looking at him sideways as he moved stealthily across the room towards her. Like a lion to his prey; he looked calm on the outside, but his eyes bore a different emotion. Amelia always wondered how he could look so collected, but his gaze could burn her.

"I was in Ryan's room when I heard the piano."

He explained, stopping momentarily in front of it.

"What song was that?"

Laurence gently opened the cover again and struck one key.

Milly observed him curiously at a safe distance. Did he know how to play, maybe?

"Night Sky..."

She answered but didn't elaborate more, instead she stepped closer but on the opposite side, facing him with the piano as their barrier in the middle.

"Can you play?"

Milly asked and eyed him under her lashes.

Once again, the corners of his mouth turned up in a half-smile as he shook his head.

"Not even to save my life."

He looked straight at her eyes, a soft smile still playing in his mouth, Milly had to avert her gaze for a second.

She nodded in understanding. Not everyone was meant for music, same with sports. Only those who had talent, and the ferocity to train nonstop would be able to make it a living.

"Have you always been interested in sports?"

Milly queried, still curious.

After all, she didn't know much about him at all.

He let out a soft sigh and stroked another note, experimenting on the sound.

"I guess so."

He was looking down on the keyboard seemingly lost in thought.

"I started playing basketball in grade school."

Laurence continued, occasionally looking up at her.

"Been part of the school varsity since then too."

There was a hint of pride in the way he spoke about the sport.

She could relate to that, for sure. Artists and athletes both share a tenacious nature even if they belong in opposing fields.

"I couldn't imagine not doing basketball or any other sports I'm interested in."

She was glad to hear that from him.

In that aspect, they were the same. She couldn't imagine her life without music and her art.

"Do you like any sports?"

Milly gave him a dimpled smile before answering.

"I can't play any to save my life either."

That earned a snort and a nod from him.

"But I like to watch, sometimes."

She wasn't lying when she said that.

Growing up with Ryan who was in some ways the same as Laurence when it comes to his devotion to sports, Milly had watched countless basketball games since middle school especially on summer breaks when she visited her cousin.

"Oh yeah?"

His attention was back to her now.

"Will you be watching our game on Thursday?"

He asked.

Milly wasn't aware there was going to be one but she guessed it wouldn't hurt to play along with him.

"Maybe."

Her eyes twinkled as she met his gaze head-on.

"Who are you up against?"

Before he answered, he closed the lid on the piano and nonchalantly moved to the side, removing the barrier between them.

"We're up against the state university."

He blinked a few times, tongue on his right cheek while his finger skimmed the surface of the piano.

"First game is on our campus."

His body language was subtle but definitely flirty Milly almost laughed out loud.

Instead, she gave him another tight-lipped, dimpled smile but consciously avoided his eyes.

"Well, if it's on our campus then I'd probably be there."

He was at arms-length now and she was aware he'd been inching in the distance to get closer to her.

But she wasn't about to give him what he wanted.

"That's good, then."

He quipped.

"We could use an inspiration or two in there."

She couldn't hold her laughter anymore at how cheesy that sounded.

Fighting her soft giggles, she shook her head and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I'm trying hard to get my lines right and you just laugh at me."

He snorted lightheartedly then inserted both his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

Milly was trying hard not to laugh out loud at his failure to appear cool when he said that.

Still giggling, she walked to the doorway of the study.

"Sorry, that was too cheesy even I couldn't handle it."

She looked back at him with a smile before proceeding to turn on the light switch in the living room and the kitchen.

Laurence followed, his footsteps slow and relaxed.

When he heard the piano playing and came downstairs, he didn't expect to be mesmerized yet again by how beautiful she was in front of the piano. She was in her element, even without the audience. He had to concentrate on the music to not approach her prematurely and disrupt her.

Just as Milly returned from the kitchen, he spotted Ryan on the stairs, scratching his head. His friend fell asleep in his chair after they went against each other for more than two hours. Laurence had kept playing alone until he heard Milly playing.

"I thought you already went home."

Ryan spoke when he reached downstairs.

"I was about to."

Laurence answered, grabbing his cap on the side table.

"Why don't you have dinner first?"

Ryan offered, moving directly to the kitchen to see what to eat.

"Anything for dinner, Mil?"

He asked.

Milly stared at him innocently before smiling awkwardly.

"You want me to cook dinner?"

She asked her cousin suspiciously.

Surely he knew what her talent was in cooking. But he merely lifted his shoulders and motioned his hand to the fridge.

"You might as well stay for dinner."

He declared to Laurence who was observing them silently.

He already had his cap on but after looking back at her and her cousin a few times, he removed it and put it back on the side table.

"Sure, why not?"

The conniving mutt even smiled at her and excitedly spread his confident self on the sofa, along with her numskull cousin who mockingly winked at her.

Milly let out a frustrated sigh and planted both her hands on her waist while she looked at them turn the tv on without any qualms.

'The nerve of these two!'

Feeling rebellious and utterly challenged, her eyes slanted thin as she huffed her breath out, lifting her face in defiance.

'You wanted dinner, I'll serve you dinner!'

She grudgingly marched back to the kitchen, fuming in annoyance.

'Let me watch you both choke on deliciousness!'

Milly forcibly snatched the butcher's knife off the rack and slammed it down into the wooden cutting board, landing on it with a loud smack.

'Challenge accepted!'

Smirking in confidence, she opened the fridge and blinked twice, seeing a half-size cabbage in it.

And a carrot.