Chapter 8: Remember The Rule

A deafening silence fell between us after the incident earlier. He'd gone quiet, but his silence now was different. It felt heavier, like he was hiding anger and irritation I couldn't place.

The kind where his jaw stayed tight and his hands stayed buried in the pockets of his hoodie. It was like there was something he wanted to say, but he was holding himself back.

Why was he so furious earlier that I almost got hit by a vehicle?

It's not like he would be the one paying if I had gotten hit and ended up in the hospital.

We walked another few minutes before stopping at the largest art supply store I'd ever seen. My lips parted and I stared at it. From floor to ceiling, all I could see were rows of canvases, easels, paintbrushes, buckets, and every other kind of art material.

Basically enough to make an artist cry for two reasons. First, they’d cry out of joy. Second, they’d cry over the price.

"This place?" I asked without looking at him.

"What about it?" he asked from behind me.

"It's expensive." I stared through the glass.

"So?" he asked.

"It's not like you're the one paying."

"But—" he cut me off.

"After you."

He pulled the door open and stepped aside. He waited for me to go in.

I hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. The moment I entered, I almost smiled when I immediately smelled the scent of fresh paper, wood, and paint that filled the air.

The irritation I’d been feeling was replaced by excitement. I glanced around, and every brand I’d only ever dreamed of using was here. Everything was imported, and all the supplies were premium.

I slowly wandered toward a display.

"I've only seen this online..." I muttered under my breath.

I didn’t know if he heard me. He just stood behind me and didn’t speak. My fingers hovered over the paintbrushes. I looked at the prices one by one.

"What are you doing?" There was a hint of irritation in his voice, but I didn’t turn to look at him.

"Looking," I answered.

He didn’t answer. I heard him move away behind me, and only a few seconds later he was back. I turned and raised an eyebrow when I saw he was already carrying a basket.

"Get what you need," he ordered.

I didn’t move. I looked back at the paintbrushes. But the art supplies here were too expensive! What if he blamed me later when he had no allowance left for the next few days?

"I'll just get the cheapest—"

"For the last time, Anderson." His intense green eyes met mine. "Get everything you need."

I still didn’t move. I was startled when he reached past me, grabbed all the brushes I had been holding earlier, and put them in the basket.

"Keep shopping," he ordered again.

I sighed and just followed along. Look, I hated Wade. I hated his breathing. But I wasn’t going to take advantage of our situation now.

I kept walking and looked at more supplies. Despite everything, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling secretly while choosing my supplies. It felt like this was the very first time I could buy things freely without always checking the prices. I grabbed a tube of paint and put it in the basket Wade was holding.

I kept glancing around, but I stopped when I felt like someone was watching and following us. I turned around and saw no one. But I was sure I’d heard the sound of a camera. Was I hallucinating?

"Layla," Wade called. "You done?"

"Yeah," I said, and I forced myself to look away. I tried to ignore what I’d felt and heard earlier. Maybe I was just imagining things.

The last thing I picked up was a large canvas. After we finished shopping, Wade was the one who lined up at the counter.

I just watched him from the side. I thought he would pull out cash, but he took out a card from his wallet instead. I also noticed how the female cashier kept glancing at him and smiled every time she looked at Wade.

I sighed. He was really popular with girls, not just because of his height and looks. But also because of his aura, he had this kind of magnetic aura that made people’s heads turn every time he walked past, whether it was guys or girls—

"Excuse me." A girl pushed past me. I almost stumbled, but I quickly regained my balance. A girl rushed out of the store like they she was panicking. I was confused, but I decided not to think about it.

"Let's go," Wade said. He carried most of the stuff, especially the heavy and bulky items.

We walked a bit near the university, but after a while we decided to take a car. There was no way we were walking all the way to the apartment carrying all of this.

I didn’t thank him. And I knew he didn’t expect me to either.

When we got there, I unlocked the apartment and held the door for him. I went into my bedroom and put my things there. I saw him follow me to bring in the supplies, but I immediately stopped him.

"Give it to me!" I said. "You're not allowed in my room."

His brows furrowed, but he quickly shook his head. Carefully, he handed me what he was carrying, and from outside my room, he just watched me place the art supplies on the floor.

"I'll start organizing these," I said.

I grabbed my bedroom doorknob, but I was startled when he suddenly grabbed the door and stopped me from closing it. My eyes widened in shock.

"What now?" I asked. "Just so you know, I won't say thank you—"

I thought he was waiting for me to speak and thank him, but I was startled by what he said next.

"I want to add a rule," he said in a low tone.

"Seriously? We already have enough. Now move."

I tried to close the door again, but he blocked it again. I pushed the door with all my strength to close it, to the point that I didn’t even care if he got caught in it. I gritted my teeth, but no matter how hard I tried, he was way stronger than me.

"What the hell! Get out of the way!" And when I realized he wasn’t going to stop me, I slammed the door shut. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked up at him. "Fine! What's the rule?"

He stared hard into my eyes.

"Don't bring people into this apartment."

I frowned. "What?"

"No friends. No classmates. Nobody."

I let out a short, sarcastic laugh. "I can bring whoever I want. This apartment isn’t just yours!"

"I know," he said casually.

I was so glad I was inside my room and he was outside. If I hadn’t been in my room, he probably would have cornered me against the wall again, like he did the other night. That was seriously uncomfortable.

"Don't tell me who I can and can't invite."

His jaw tightened. "I'm telling you now so we don't have this conversation again."

The way he said it made the room feel smaller. I sighed.

"Oh, please! I only have one friend. And Chloe isn’t even dangerous."

"I don't care." His face darkened. "Just don't bring your little friend here."

My face scrunched up in confusion. What the hell was his problem?! Then, what was I supposed to say to Chloe? She was really looking forward to coming here. She’s my friend, and I couldn’t just tell her that so easily.

"I don't want anyone in this apartment, and in return, I won’t invite my friends over either. Let's be fair."

I didn’t say anything. He was setting a boundary for the first time. I saw him look away and fix his duffel bag. He started to leave the apartment, but before he completely left, he turned back to me with a dark expression.

"Remember the rule, Anderson."