Chapter 454
Not long ago, Andrew Lane and Isabella Austin’s engagement had blown up online, the gossip swirling everywhere. That was when Emily Blair got dragged into the spotlight by Isabella’s fans, put on trial like some homewrecker.
Tristan Davis knew better than to trust everything he read on the Internet. Rumors came and went, truth and fiction tangled up together. Still, he couldn’t help wondering: Was Emily really the villain everyone claimed? If not, then she was being wronged, shouldering blame she never deserved.
There were so many things he wanted to ask her-but whenever he tried, the words wouldn’t come.
Emily, meanwhile, was lost in thought, staring into space. Not far off, a couple suddenly started making out right in public.
She rolled her eyes and turned away, only to meet Tristan’s hesitant, searching gaze.
She immediately fired off a sarcastic remark. “What? You thinking of joining in on the lip action too?”
Tristan blinked. “What?”
He caught her gaze and felt a flicker of nerves-his face froze for a moment. But
then her bizarre comment threw him off. “What are you talking about?”
Emily shifted to the side, revealing the couple still going at it behind her.
It took a second for Tristan to realize, then he let out a sharp laugh. “Honestly, what goes on in that head of yours?”
Emily just huffed, unconcerned.
Tristan looked away, uncomfortable. He opened his mouth, shut it, opened it again. He had so many questions, but couldn’t seem to get a single one out.
The air between them grew tense, almost awkward.
Finally, Tristan mustered up his courage and tried to sound casual, like it was just a random thought. “Oh, right. I never asked you about that thing before—”
“What are you two talking about?”
Before he could finish, Elizabeth Wilson bounded back, clutching two big ice creams in her hands. She wedged herself right between Emily and Tristan, calling out as she did, with Emma George coming up beside Emily.
“Hurry up, you guys, eat these before they melt!”
Tristan’s face soured as Elizabeth forced one of the ice creams into his hand.
He glanced over and saw Emily delicately holding her ice cream, pink tongue flicking out to taste the cold treat. Hers was vanilla, and the way she savored it, her lips soft and her tongue lightly pink… Tristan felt his mouth go dry. If he watched any longer, he might never recover.
Elizabeth jabbed him with her elbow. “What are you waiting for? Eat it before it’s just a puddle!”
Tristan glared at the ice cream.
He’d meant to finally get his questions out, but now, with the interruption, all his resolve had drained away. There was no way he could bring it up again so soon.
Elizabeth, still standing firmly between him and Emily, kept chattering away. “Can you believe this heat? And everything in this amusement park is a total rip-off. Twenty bucks for an ice cream cone-are they out of their minds?”
Tristan couldn’t exactly take his frustration out on Elizabeth, so he took it out on the ice cream instead. He chomped off the entire top in one go.
Elizabeth stared at him in disbelief. “Mr. Davis, are you okay? Doesn’t that freeze your mouth?”
Everyone looked over.
Tristan swallowed the icy mouthful, forcing his expression to stay neutral. “I’m about to melt out here.”
Emily handed him a portable fan. “Here, take this.”
Tristan, stiff as ever, didn’t even look at her. “No, you keep it.”
Emily raised an eyebrow and immediately took it back.
She thought to herself, Looks like his naive side is back in control-brains on vacation, as usual.