You're My Joy

Everyone had arrived. There were four male and female guests each. After a round of introductions, a popular singer named Shane Brown suggested we play truth or dare.When it was my turn, I picked truth. Rita immediately leaned forward and looked at me. "You're so pretty, Riley. I bet you must've dated many guys in the past. How many ex-boyfriends do you have?"I could sense everyone's eyes on me. Even Peyton straightened up, making the atmosphere a little tense. I couldn't understand this, but I still answered honestly. "N-None."Shane was so surprised that his voice went up an octave. "Not even one? You must have quite high standards."I smiled politely. I had a crush on someone who was so outstanding, after all.When it was Peyton's turn, he was asked whether he had feelings for anyone. His gaze suddenly warmed, and his tone softened. "Yes, I do. She's right here, too."His words set everyone abuzz. Rita was the only other celebrity present who'd interacted with him in the pas

Just then, Rita appeared out of nowhere and came running toward us. She even looked a little aggrieved as she asked, "Why didn't you wait for me, Peyton?"Peyton stopped at her words and put me down, almost as if he couldn't wait to show that he had nothing to do with me.I played along and hurried backward a few steps, leaving them some privacy. "Uh, I'll go get breakfast there. You guys chat."Then, I fled like earlier this morning. It was almost as if I could ignore the resentment and bitterness surging within me. I told myself not to covet something I couldn't have. It was best if I could stop myself from even thinking about it. It was the only way to keep myself from getting hurt.…I was exhausted after a strenuous morning. To make matters worse, I learned that I had to prepare my own lunch.I returned to the living room, feeling resigned. That was when I saw everyone seated on the couch. Shane's eyes lit up when he saw me. He leaned close and said, "You came back at the pe

I kept my distance from Peyton and Rita for the next few days. I kept using Shane as a cover to ensure I had a proper reason to stay away. He wasn't a fool, though.One day, after a meal, he asked me to join him in the Sweet Shack, a small hut in the backyard. Each guest could only use the hut once. He told me he wanted to talk to me.There was an unspoken rule that the hut was for people to confess their feelings. At that point, I didn't really understand the rules, so I agreed without thinking anything was wrong. After all, I felt bad for troubling him all the time.To my surprise, the first thing he said to me when we sat down in the hut was, "You've been coming to me quite regularly for the past few days… Have you fallen for me?"This shocked me. I hurriedly waved my hands in denial. When he saw me racking my brains trying to think of an explanation, he laughed and looked at me with his bright eyes. "I was joking. You like Peyton, don't you? He's nice, handsome, hardworking, an

Unexpectedly, something got into the director the following day. He insisted on sending us to an island to complete our mission, even putting Peyton and me on the same team. We wouldn't have lunch if we couldn't find the corresponding cards.I didn't want things to be too awkward, so I decided to tell Peyton the truth later. I didn't expect my bad luck to strike again, though.We were making our way up a mountain to search for the cards when I saw one on the slope. I was reaching out for it when Peyton suddenly ran to me anxiously and cried, "Don't move, Riley!"This startled me, making me lose my balance. Thankfully, Peyton caught me before I could fall. We rolled down the slope together.I cursed my bad luck and shut my eyes, my heart almost leaping out of my throat. Peyton pressed my head against his chest, shielding me from harm. His scent enveloped me as the world spun around us. I couldn't help savoring the moment.I only returned to my senses after we landed. Then, I paled.

After Peyton and I made our relationship official, he even answered the questions our fans asked. It was almost as if he was chatting with them."When you first tweeted about 'You're My Joy,' was it meant for Riley?" a fan asked."Yeah. I would've pulled out of the show if she hadn't gone," Peyton answered."Did you prepare breakfast for her?""Yeah. She likes having eggs for breakfast.""You insisted on going to the amusement park because you knew Riley was anemic, right? You were worried about her, weren't you?""Yeah, I was."He answered each question seriously, and his agency was powerless to stop him. After all, he could earn enough to cover whatever losses the agency had made, but he wouldn't have a girlfriend if I were to leave him.I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I heard Monica reiterate the things Peyton had said. At the same time, his actions made it clear to me that he cared for me. This realization warmed my heart—I was utterly moved and pleased.How luc