Loving Him

Chapter 9

"You look gorgeous! I never thought you were hiding such sexiness," Micah complimented her. Levi smiled as she gazed at her reflection. She was wearing a semi-formal dress that hugged her figure. Her hips were accentuated even more, and her allure was such that any man would be drawn to her beauty.

"Thanks, Micah. It's my first time wearing this kind of dress," she replied, adjusting the neckline of her dress. It was a V-line cut and the hem only reached her knees. Luckily, it wasn’t a slit type, otherwise, she would have changed into another dress. It was peach in color, paired with a peach purse and peach flat sandals.

For accessories, she only wore a necklace—the one given to her by her mother. Meanwhile, Micah wore a formal white off-shoulder dress with a yellow ribbon around the waist. She looked both pretty and sexy.

The two went down the stairs together, both smiling, while Mr. and Mrs. Montenegro and Mike were already inside the car.

As soon as they stepped out, they got into the car that would take them to their destination. Upon arrival, Mrs. Montenegro suddenly changed her mind and decided it would be better for Levi to ride in Mike’s car instead. Mike wasn’t surprised—it was just one of his mother’s strategies. She only wanted to push him closer to Levi. He couldn’t do anything about it, so he simply let it be.

Levi followed behind him, and he noticed how she kept holding onto her heart-shaped necklace. He admitted to himself that she looked different to him now, more like a woman. Usually, she dressed simply, without makeup or fancy clothes, but even then, her natural beauty was undeniable.

In fact, her charm seemed to shine brighter tonight. She even resembled the actress who once played Marimar, though he couldn’t recall the actress’s name.

"Hop in!" Mike’s voice startled Levi, snapping her back to reality. She had drifted into memories of the happy days when her beloved mother was still alive. Quickly, she climbed into Mikes car.

In fairness, her companion was incredibly handsome—wearing a tuxedo, looking both dashing and charming. Surely, women would once again be chasing after him. It wasn’t new to her, though, since even women pursued him openly. Some even cried when fake news spread that he was married, and one had gone as far as taking her own life. Others boldly said they wouldn’t mind being impregnated by Mike, even if he didn’t take responsibility, as long as it was his child.

Levi fastened her seatbelt and turned her gaze toward the window. The moment felt awkward for both of them. Only the hum of the air conditioner filled the silence as they drove toward the mayor’s house.

Then suddenly, Mike’s car came to a stop. He tried restarting it, but the engine wouldn’t run. He stepped out to check what had happened.

He cursed under his breath when he saw the car’s tire was flat. Levi, frowning, stepped out to see for herself. "What happened?" she immediately asked.

"We’ve got a flat tire," Mike answered her without much enthusiasm, rubbing his temples in frustration. Just his luck.

"Then fix it. Don’t tell me you don’t know how?" she shot back directly.

"How, when I don’t even have the tools? Do you think I can fix this without them? Are you crazy?!" Mike snapped at her in irritation.

"Let’s just call your mom," Levi suggested, hurrying to open the car door—only to find it wouldn’t budge. The doors were locked. She glanced at Mike and motioned for him to open it. When he checked, he realized the keys weren’t with him. He swore again when he remembered he had left them inside the car.

“What the heck!” Mike exclaimed, kicking the car tire. Levi was startled by his sudden action, but quickly composed herself.

“Do you think your cursing is helping with the problem we’re facing? What we need is a solution,” she retorted, letting her eyes wander around the place where they had broken down. The area was dark. Across the road stood a large house, though it seemed deserted. The silence was deafening. Suddenly, the hairs on her nape and arms stood on end—she had always been the type to scare easily. She swallowed hard and hugged herself.

“Oh, what’s wrong with you now? Don’t tell me you’re scared? I thought you were supposed to be brave?” Mike teased her. Levi glanced at him and pouted.

“Who wouldn’t be scared in a place like this? It’s pitch dark and creepy. Especially that house—it looks like a haunted house. And it’s so quiet my eardrums might burst.” She replied while he was still busy checking the car tire.

“Looks like we’ll have to leave the car here,” Mike said, scanning the surroundings. His eyes landed on the large house in front of them. It seemed abandoned, the gate wide open and rusty. He had no choice but to consider it—he and Levi might need to spend the night there.

Levi’s heart sank when she caught the look Mike gave the house she had been trying not to glance at. The place terrified her—it really did look like a haunted house.

“Better to just leave it and keep walking. Come on,” Levi said, taking the lead.

“And where do you think you’re going? The road’s pitch dark, Levi. I guess we’ll need to go there,” Mike pointed at the old house, making Levi recoil.

“No way, Mike. Don’t joke like that. W—what if… what if they charge us with trespassing?” she stammered, trying to make excuses.

“If you don’t want to, then don’t. As for me, I’ll spend the night there. Why are you even scared when I’m with you? And can you stop acting so over-dramatic? It’s dizzying,” Mike complained before striding toward the old house.

Levi had no choice but to follow him. She didn’t want to, but right now, she needed Mike. In a quick move, she looped her arm through his left arm.

Mike was surprised by her action. He felt something stir inside him—that familiar feeling he always tried to ignore whenever their bodies brushed. He glanced at her face, which clearly showed her fear, beads of sweat trickling down her temples. Yet, he couldn’t deny that at this moment, she looked incredibly captivating. Her innocence was unforgettable.

“Are you just going to stare at me? What now? Do you think anyone even lives here? Mike… I’m scared. Don’t leave me, okay?” Levi said, her voice trembling. Secretly, Mike smiled at their situation. He didn’t quite understand it, but tonight felt different. Something about her reactions amused him.

“That’s why I said hold on tight, or you might get left behind,” he replied to the nervous woman clinging to him.

Mike searched for a switch, and thankfully, he found one. The whole house lit up. Only then did Levi let go of him. Secretly, Mike felt a pang of regret at her doing so.

“Whew! Thank goodness there’s light,” Levi sighed in relief, the fear that had gripped her earlier quickly fading away.

Inside, everything was old. Some furniture was covered with white cloths. She noticed that the design looked like it was from the Spanish era. Just from the house’s architecture alone, she could tell it was Spanish-style.

When she looked up, she saw an antique chandelier hanging from the ceiling. She was awestruck by everything she saw. There were antique jars too. She wondered what had happened to the owner of the house, because surely, these antiques would fetch a high price if sold.

Suddenly, the sound of clanging metal echoed. They turned toward the entrance and saw a hooded figure limping as it walked. From Levi’s estimate, it was a hunchbacked woman. She clung tightly to Mike, hiding behind him.

Mike secretly enjoyed seeing Levi’s reactions; he had noticed all along how easily she got scared. He sighed, preparing himself for whatever the approaching woman might say.

“You seem lost, sir. Do you know that what you’re doing is trespassing?” the hunchbacked woman said to Mike.

“Forgive us, but we only came here to spend the night. Our car broke down, and I have a woman companion with me. If we were to walk down that dark road, we might encounter people with bad intentions. So please, if it’s not too much trouble, may we stay the night?” Mike explained at length. The woman glanced at him, then at Levi.

“That car outside is yours then? In that case, I’ll take you to the room where you and your wife will stay,” she said, before starting up the stairs toward the room they would use. Levi wanted to correct her, but Mike stopped her.

Annoyed, Levi pinched Mike’s side. He was caught off guard but managed to hold back a yell.

“Are you crazy? Why did you agree for us to stay in one room?” she asked irritably.

“Levi, this isn’t the time to argue. I want you to cooperate for once. This is the only way I can protect you. And don’t flatter yourself—I’m only doing this for my mom. I don’t want her to worry.”

Levi pursed her lips at his words. He had almost said something sweet but spoiled it at the end. Why couldn’t he just admit he found her attractive? She secretly smiled at her own thoughts.

“Here we are, this is the guest room,” the woman said with a smile. She was about to leave when Levi grabbed her hand, making Mike frown at her action.

“I know this is asking too much, but… I’ve been starving for a while now. Do you have anything to eat here?” Levi asked pleadingly, just as her stomach growled. The hunchbacked woman smiled, while Mike could only shake his head at her.

“I’ll prepare food for you. There are men’s and women’s clothes in the guest room—please feel free to use them,” the woman said politely before leaving.