Chapter 6

The two ladies were enthusiastic about the meet-up, but it was hard to endure for a youngster like Isabella. She envied Xavier, who was spending time comfortably sleeping in the guest room. Mindy introduced her to her daughter, Yolanda Nimbleson, who was around Isabella's age. After a few exchanges, the two quickly became friendly. Mindy asked Yolanda to take Isabella to a party happening by the Green Lake, which was filled with young people. Because of this, they didn't have lunch together. Barbecues were set up by the lakeside around 7:00 pm, as night began to fall. The air was thick with smoke, and the crowd buzzed with excitement to the lively music. Isabella sat on a small wooden chair, holding a half-empty bottle of wine, chatting with Yolanda. "Mom told me that Aunt Olivia brought along a pair of siblings. So, is he your older brother or younger brother?" Yolanda suddenly remembered. Isabella paused her drinking and nodded after swallowing the sip of wine. "Then, why haven't I seen him all day? Has he left?" Yolanda asked. Isabella slowly shook her head, her gaze drifting toward Olivia, who was pulling Xavier over by the arm. It was easy to guess what Olivia had said to him. Xavier looked somewhat impatient but complied nonetheless. Isabella raised her eyebrows toward their direction and said, "There's my brother." Yolanda followed her gaze and immediately spotted the striking man standing out in the crowd. He had changed into casual attire. His hair was slightly tousled, and his expression was cold. Even so, he exuded an undeniable charm that drew attention. Xavier found a spot to sit down. Isabella seemed addicted to drinking. She took sip after sip from her bottle until it was nearly empty. The music made her feel dizzy. Yolanda leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "Your brother is handsome." Hearing this, Isabella lifted her eyes to glance at Xavier. They weren't far apart, with several young people dancing between them. In just a few minutes, more people gathered around him. A stunning foreign girl with an alluring figure sat down beside him with a drink in hand. They were sitting quite close together as she leaned in to whisper something in his ear. Isabella couldn't hear their conversation clearly but noticed that Xavier smiled slightly at whatever she said. He turned his head slightly to respond to her. Isabella couldn't make out the words but took another gulp of wine instead. For some reason, the girl glanced at them before getting up and leaving. Finally catching Xavier's gaze after the girl departed, Isabella felt her heart race under his steady stare. Perhaps it was the alcohol or the thick mist of the mountain night, but she couldn't pull her eyes away from him. They simply held each other's gaze across a few people. Suddenly, Isabella remembered their first confession of feelings for each other in a similarly lively setting—only they had been sitting closely together then. That night had been even darker than this one. Xavier had been drinking, too. He lost at cards when everyone urged him to play a game. He chose "dare" over "truth" as his punishment, and he turned to look at Isabella silently as their heads brushed against each other. His breath tickled her ear as he whispered something only they could hear, "Be with me, okay?" They both knew it wasn't just a game anymore. It was a real adventure—a romantic adventure. Isabella replied softly, "Okay." Her heart raced even faster back then than it did now. They began kissing in that dim light while she felt like thunder was echoing in her chest. Yet, she acted as if no one else existed around them. "I want to go after your brother," Yolanda declared suddenly. Xavier continued to gaze at Isabella unabashedly. His eyes held deeper stories than she could decipher. Yolanda seemed to make up her mind in an instant. She stood up to approach him. Isabella felt as if she had just awakened from a dream and turned away from their intimate connection. She stopped looking at Xavier and finished the last sip of wine before getting up and leaving the scene behind. She had no idea what kind of story would unfold between Yolanda and Xavier afterward. Isabella walked toward the area where rows of bamboo cabins were brightly lit—but they were empty inside. It suddenly struck her that Olivia hadn't told her which room she would sleep in tonight. Feeling lazy to ask anyone for help, Isabella settled down on the dimly lit steps and rested her head on her knees. It was incredibly quiet there, except for occasional noises from small animals nearby. Her head felt heavy, and she was tipsy. After some time passed, she heard soft footsteps approaching. Xavier sat down beside her. Their shoulders brushed against each other lightly, allowing them both to catch a faint whiff of each other's lingering alcohol scent—a blurred boundary on such a night. "Where are you staying tonight?" Isabella asked him. These houses resembled individual villas. Having rested all day, Xavier surely knew better than she did where he would be staying—and where she and Olivia would likely spend the night. "Are you asking if you want to sleep with me?" Xavier replied teasingly, his tone suggestive with meanings that weren't entirely clear. At his words, Isabella lifted her gaze toward him again. This time, their faces were very close together. Xavier didn't shy away. His deep eyes remained fixed on hers. On impulse, Isabella blurted out, "We're siblings." "Really? 'Siblings'?" Xavier's tone remained indifferent. Feeling parched, Isabella wanted another sip of wine to clear her head. "I saw you flirt with that pretty girl," she remarked. Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Who was flirting?" Isabella fell silent for a few seconds before responding with a few words, "It doesn't matter." "Do you want to know what I told her?" An image flashed through Isabella's mind. He had exchanged a few words with that girl before she left. Curiosity piqued despite herself. She replied defiantly, "I don't want to know." She didn't want to be drawn into this situation any further by him right now. "But I want to tell you," Xavier insisted. "I told her my girlfriend is right across me." That was why the girl had glanced over at them earlier! Isabella nodded, feigning ignorance. "Yolanda is sitting next to me." "She likes you, too," she added quickly as an afterthought. "Do you want me to be with someone else?" Xavier asked softly while brushing his fingers lightly against her soft cheek with his hand adorned with the bracelet—his touch cool like tonight's breeze. Remembering their encounter in the parking lot ignited an unnamed fire within Isabella's chest. Feeling suddenly aggrieved, she looked at him and said, "You're already with someone else." Xavier continued stroking her face absentmindedly as he replied softly, "No. I'm not with anyone else." Isabella's mind gradually dulled under the weight of their conversation.