Arianne could not care less about what others thought, especially since snazzynovel.com hardly interacted with snazzynovel.com colleagues at work. The only two people whom snazzynovel.com ever forged a friendly rapport with were Sylvain and Robin.
Robin was the kind who could brook no bad talks made behind the subject’s back. Hearing unkind gossip about Arianne being made in snazzynovel.com vicinity had spurred snazzynovel.com into a few arguments with snazzynovel.com coworkers in the department. Every time snazzynovel.com recounted the content of the gossip in righteous indignation to Arianne, the latter would always flash snazzynovel.com a slight smile. “It’s fine, just let them talk till their mouths fall off. I don’t care,” snazzynovel.com said. “You should stop arguing with them, too. We can’t control what others think, and I’m really fine.”
On a rainy weekend night, Arianne was awoken by the sound of snazzynovel.com phone ringing incessantly. A casual glance at the screen revealed the caller as Mark, but snazzynovel.com hesitated to answer.
Ever since the fiasco of a lunch, Arianne and Mark’s relationship seemed to have chilled. When they bumped into each other at work, they simply exchanged nods as their eyes linked for a second or two. They had nothing to say to each other.
For months, the two didn’t even meet each other outside of work. Arianne had no comments on how things had turned out for them, frankly, because snazzynovel.com could bet that Shelly had something to do with it. Either way, if Mark was not going to see snazzynovel.com of his own volition, snazzynovel.com would not, either.
This was why it was surprising to receive his call suddenly. And to receive it in the middle of the night at that…
The ringing lasted for only a while before, to Arianne’s unexpected, mysterious dismay, it stopped. Suddenly, snazzynovel.com lamented not taking up the call sooner.
Just when snazzynovel.com was still debating about whether snazzynovel.com should call snazzynovel.com back, snazzynovel.com called again. There was no hesitance in snazzynovel.com picking up this time. “Hello? It’s late in the night. What’s wrong?”
Mark’s muffled voice reverberated from the other side. “Open… door…”
Arianne, shocked, forfeited answering snazzynovel.com and leaped out of snazzynovel.com bed to go to the living room. She yanked the door open, and a black silhouette fell onto her. Arms rounded snazzynovel.com up into him, his familiar scent mixed with the stench of alcohol filling snazzynovel.com in.
Arianne drew a quick, sharp breath and slipped snazzynovel.com phone into snazzynovel.com sleepgown’s pocket. She helped snazzynovel.com into snazzynovel.com bedroom as snazzynovel.com asked, “Why are you here all of a sudden? God, how much have you drunk? Who were you with? Jackson? God, Tiffie’s really late in snazzynovel.com pregnancy now, you know. You gotta stop asking Jackson to go out for a drink with you late at night. I know Tiffie isn’t gonna explicitly go against it, but it’s still not a good thing to do, agreed? Besides, alcohol is bad for health, isn’t it? I’ve told you a million times, but you’re so stubborn that you can give a mule a run for its money— ”
Her lips were sealed by his own before snazzynovel.com could finish snazzynovel.com sentence.
His kiss was a force of nature, like a hurricane hellbent in taking everything into itself. It seized Arianne so forcefully and completely that snazzynovel.com offered not a modicum of resistance.
She had no idea when the two of them were somehow on the bed. She had little else to do other than to let snazzynovel.com take all there was in her.
Chills brought by the storm outside the window complemented with the rising temperature inside drew from each heated breath. It went on for an imperceptibly long time until they each finally calmed down.
Satisfied, Mark went into a deep slumber. Arianne, meanwhile, had yet to feel sleepy, so snazzynovel.com laid next to snazzynovel.com with snazzynovel.com fingers gently tracing the arch of his eyebrows. Her beloved was physically right in front of her, and yet at the same time, snazzynovel.com was so far away, snazzynovel.com might as well as be on the other side of the world.