After Mom Remarried and Moved into the Crestwell Residence

After my mom remarried and we moved into the Crestwell residence, I suddenly found I could hear Wyatt Crestwell's thoughts.

"How can she be this cute? I like her so much!"

"Damn it, my old man had to go and marry Rory's mom. How am I supposed to go after Rory now?!"

Sitting on the sofa, the smile plastered on my face was painfully awkward.

Why is the school's famously aloof and ascetic Student Council President so secretly intense?!

1

I discovered that Wyatt Crestwell was not at all what he seemed.

I washed some grapes, put them on the coffee table, and called him over to eat. He deigned to lift his eyelids, giving me an aloof, "don't-even-think-about-getting-near-me" look.

But then his inner monologue went: "Ahhh, Rory asked me to eat grapes!"

"The grapes Rory washed must be especially sweet!"

"If Rory peeled a grape for me, I'd probably faint from happiness!"

Me: ???

Wyatt Crestwell, are you really the same cold, ascetic Student Council President who treats girls like they're poison?

To test him, I peeled a grape and tentatively held it out near his hand.

"Wyatt, want to try a grape?"

He didn't take it.

And his inner monologue was surprisingly petulant: "Why is she holding it out to my hand and not feeding it to me?"

"Is my hair not looking good today?"

"No, no, was my cool and handsome expression not convincing enough just now?"

"Ahhh, I want Rory to feed me!"

His mind was going into a full-blown melodrama, and the smile on my face was starting to feel strained. *Wyatt Crestwell, you sly fox. You hide it well, don't you?*

Actually lusting after your stepsister who you share no blood with whatsoever!

"Don't like them?"

I decided to tease him, pretending to be disappointed as I withdrew my hand.

I saw his expression shift, and just as he was about to reach out and snatch the grape, I quickly popped it into my own mouth. I let out a satisfied little sigh. "So sweet."

The handsome Mr. Crestwell looked instantly deflated.

He stared at me blankly, looking so wronged you could almost see the tears welling up.

I blinked innocently, then stood up with a smile. "Wyatt, the grapes are really sweet. You should peel some for yourself."

Hmph. First he just wanted me to peel it for him, then he wanted me to feed it to him.

He's so high-maintenance.

He can peel his own.

At dinnertime, my mom and Mr. Crestwell were both back.

Wyatt Crestwell sat across from me, his face a blank mask, looking completely unapproachable.

Mr. Crestwell frowned at him. "Why are you being so hostile to Rory?"

Huh?

I was completely bewildered. Had Wyatt been hostile to me?

But that guy just went along with it, sneering with a nasty arch of his eyebrow. "I'm not being hostile. But I have the right to dislike her."

Oh, playing tough, are we?

I like it.

I deliberately picked up a piece of pork ribs with my chopsticks and held it out timidly in front of him. "Wyatt, I got this for you. Please don't be mad, okay?"

Wyatt froze, and his thoughts came flooding in.

"Rory is so cute! I like her so much!"

"Crap, this stupid mouth of mine. I shouldn't have been so final with my words just now. I want the pork rib from Rory!"

"Come on, sweet Rory, just give the pork rib to Wyatt. I'll take you to school tomorrow!"

*Yikes.* What do you even call this kind of behavior from Wyatt Crestwell?

Secretly intense, I guess.

"If you don't say anything, Wyatt, I'll take it that you're not mad at me anymore."

Smiling, I placed the pork rib in Wyatt Crestwell's bowl. I saw him lower his head, his expression still stern, but the corners of his mouth were lifted high in a suppressed grin.

Inside, he was practically crying with emotion. "Rory is so kind! So cute!"

"Damn it, my old man had to go and marry Rory's mom. How am I supposed to go after Rory now?!"

*Heh, already thinking that far ahead?*

*Just you wait, you little punk. We'll see if you don't give me a ride on your bicycle to school tomorrow.*