Loving Him

Chapter 13

"Let’s just stay here for the night. I’m too tired to drive. Go ahead and pick a room upstairs where you’ll sleep," Mike said to Levi. He finished his meal first and went to the living room to watch a good show.

Levi remained silent. When she was done eating, she cleared the table and washed the dishes herself. She walked over to where Mike was, but she chose to sit on the opposite side of the couch. Mike glanced at her briefly—his expression still serious. She wanted to be affectionate with him, but she was afraid he might think she wanted something to happen between them. So she decided to just focus on the show instead. She wasn’t sleepy yet, anyway.

"Have you called mom yet to tell her we’re staying in the house she gave us? She might worry again," she asked softly.

"I already called Mom about that, so you don’t have to worry. What you should be worrying about now is how I’m going to put out the fire you started," he said bluntly.

Levi swallowed hard as her heart began to race. Was he still not over what had happened earlier?

“Mike, can you stop being such a pervert?” Mike snapped.

“Fine, I’ll admit that my body liked what we were doing, but—” she said in frustration, standing up. She was about to continue when Mike suddenly cut her off.

“But what, Levi? You’re holding back? You liked it too, so why are you pretending you didn’t!?” Mike shouted angrily.

Out of control, Levi’s hand landed sharply on Mike's cheek.

“Don’t you dare compare me to those other women you can sleep with so easily! I’m not like them! You jerk, Mike! Wait until after our wedding—that’s when I’ll give myself to you!” she burst out furiously before quickly turning her back on him. She ran upstairs, entered one of the rooms, and let out all the anger burning inside her.

Meanwhile, Mike was left frozen in the living room, stunned by the slap Levi had given him. He held his cheek and shook his head slightly. It was the first time he had ever seen her that angry.

Levi didn’t realize that sleep was slowly pulling her in. She hadn’t even noticed that she forgot to close the door of the room she had chosen to stay in.

Meanwhile, Mike was at the mini bar, drinking tequila alone. He couldn’t sleep—his mind kept replaying how Levi had left him hanging earlier. He admitted to himself that he had given in to his desires, but he wasn’t stupid; he knew Levi had enjoyed it too, even if she stubbornly tried to deny it. Sometimes, he wondered why there were women like her. Then again, Levi was a decent woman—though a bit feisty and straightforward. She wasn’t like other women who would easily spread their legs just to satisfy their lust.

After a few hours, Mike finally decided to go upstairs. He noticed a slightly open door—it must be where Levi had gone. He walked toward it and peeked inside. There, he saw her fast asleep. He quietly approached her, adjusted her sleeping position, and gently covered her with a blanket. His gaze lingered on her slightly parted lips. He tried hard to control himself, tempted as he was to kiss those lips. He told himself it must just be the tequila talking.

He slowly leaned closer to her, breathing in the sweet scent that clouded his thoughts. Mike was overcome by emotions he couldn’t quite understand — feelings stirred by Levi that even he couldn’t name. Without realizing it, he brushed his lips against hers. His heart pounded wildly, and he couldn’t contain the rush of emotions deep inside him.

Levi began to dream. It felt so real — in her dream, Mike was kissing her, and she found herself responding to it wholeheartedly. The kiss deepened, stirring emotions she had never felt before. But then, she suddenly woke up — only to realize that it wasn’t a dream at all. Mike was truly there, holding her close.

She froze, her mind unable to process what was happening. Tears welled up in her eyes as confusion and pain washed over her. She could barely breathe, her heart torn between anger and disbelief. How could Mike do this to her? A part of her wanted to scream, but another part felt numb, empty.

She turned away, silent, her heart heavy with sorrow. Though they were soon to be married, Levi couldn’t stop the ache inside her chest. What future awaited her now beside Michael Angelo Montenegro? She knew he might never truly love her. And even if she tried to convince herself otherwise, something inside her had already been broken.

Bitterly, she gave a faint, sorrowful smile and glanced at the sleeping man beside her — the faint scent of alcohol still lingering in the air.

Levi tried to get up from the bed but immediately sat back down. It still hurt when she tried to stand. Frustrated, she decided to wake Mike up. She shook him hard until he stirred.

“Mike, wake up! Can you please get up already?” she said irritably. He just groaned in response. Out of pure annoyance, she kicked him hard, causing him to fall off the bed.

“Damn it!” he cursed, startled.

“You’re so annoying! I just need to go to the bathroom, but it hurts whenever I stand up. Can you at least help me?” she complained, frowning at him. “And could you at least put on some clothes!” she snapped, noticing his careless grin.

“Come on, Levi. You don’t have to be so uptight. It’s just us here,” he teased, moving closer to her. Levi sat on the bed, wrapping herself tightly in the white blanket, trying hard not to look at him. With a sigh, Mike gently lifted her and carried her toward the bathroom.

“Stay there and don’t you dare peek!” she scolded as he set her down.

“Levi, will you stop being so overdramatic? You act like I haven’t seen you before,” he muttered in frustration, though there was still a hint of amusement in his tone.

“You have no right to talk to me! You’re such an infuriating man! Why couldn’t you control yourself? You couldn’t even wait until we were married!” Levi shouted angrily from the bathroom.

“Are you going to be done soon, or do I have to go in there and drag you out myself?” Mike replied teasingly, his tone half-threatening but playful. Silence followed — and Mike couldn’t help but smile secretly to himself.

Levi hurried to finish up and called for him. Mike immediately went inside and carefully carried her back to the bed. She winced in pain, and he could tell she was still hurting from what had happened earlier.

A wave of guilt and pride conflicted in him, realizing the weight of what had transpired between them. Levi turned her back to him, wrapping herself tightly in the blanket.

“Good night, Mrs. Montenegro,” he said softly, his voice suddenly tender. She didn’t answer. Mike decided not to push her any further — afraid she might slap him again if he did.

Sleep wouldn’t come to Levi. Her thoughts drifted back to the harsh words they had exchanged earlier. She realized she had gone against what she once firmly believed in. Still, she couldn’t help but weigh things carefully in her mind. It wasn’t her who made the first move — it was him. If only he hadn’t entered her room that night, none of this would have happened.

She turned to her side and found herself facing Mike, who was now fast asleep, mouth slightly open, exhaustion visible on his face.

Mike woke up with Levi still in his arms. Levi was nestled against his chest, her head resting on his firm build. Carefully, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead — and then another on her lips — making sure not to wake her, knowing she’d probably start scolding him again the moment she did.

He smiled faintly. There was something about holding her close that he could never get tired of. Every time he kissed her, it felt like he was breathing life itself. He didn’t understand why his heart craved her so much — it was a feeling that both thrilled and scared him.

He quietly got up to prepare breakfast. He cooked bacon, eggs, and toasted bread for the two of them. Once everything was ready, he brought the tray upstairs to the room they had shared so they could eat there.

When he entered, Levi was already awake, still looking drowsy and rubbing her eyes. Mike smiled warmly at her and greeted her, “Good morning.”

She only frowned in return.

“Breakfast is ready!” he said cheerfully, holding up the tray filled with food and a glass of lemonade. Levi’s expression didn’t change — her face still showed clear irritation, lips pressed in a stubborn pout.

“Thanks for the breakfast. I wish you were always like this — your handsomeness really stands out when you’re being nice,” Levi said shortly, still frowning and showing no hint of a smile. She winced as she tried to reach for the tray, still feeling a bit of discomfort from the night before.

“Does it still hurt?” Mike asked gently, trying not to smile at the sight of her pouting expression. He couldn’t help but recall how much she resembled the actress Marian Rivera.

“What do you think? Can’t you see my face? You really couldn’t wait until after the wedding before having your so-called honeymoon,” she snapped, then focused on eating the food in front of her.

“I can’t resist the beauty in front of me. You’re like a drug that drives my world crazy, Levi,” he said sincerely.

Levi suddenly coughed at Mike's words, her heart pounding in her chest. She quickly took a sip of the cold lemonade, refusing to look in his direction. She chose to remain silent, focusing instead on finishing her breakfast.

A few moments later, Mike excused himself to take a shower. She simply nodded in response.

After eating, Levi carefully tried to move around, still feeling a bit sore. She wanted to take a bath as well — she felt sticky and uncomfortable, eager to freshen up and clear her thoughts.

The bathroom door opened, and Mike stepped out wearing only a towel around his waist. When he turned toward her, Levi’s eyes instinctively dropped to his well-toned chest and sculpted abs. She couldn’t believe she had actually touched those last night. Mike, noticing her reaction, couldn’t help but grin secretly.

“It’s your turn to take a bath now. Hurry up — we need to head back to the mansion soon. Mom's waiting for us,” he said, amused at how Levi just stared at him with her mouth slightly open.

“It still hurts. I need your help,” she muttered with a frown. “Carry me to the bathroom, I want to take a bath — I feel all sticky already.”

“You want me to help you with your bath?” he teased playfully. Levi shot him a sharp glare and smacked his arm.

“Stop it! I don’t want anything happening again, Mike. I told you, I’m still sore — so please, keep your distance and behave!” she snapped angrily.

Mike burst into laughter at her outburst. Without saying another word, he carefully lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bathroom, gently setting her down inside the bathtub. Levi instinctively clung to his arm, wincing a little from the lingering pain. She sighed inwardly, wondering how she could walk normally again when even the smallest movement still made her feel uneasy.