Chapter 80

Chapter 80:
Candice was enveloped in a tender and warm hug. She cautiously opened her eyes and found herself lying on top of Milton.
At the last second of her fall, he reached for her, and they both went down together. Eventually, they were both on the ground.
He was lying on his back on the soft grass, his lovely face very close to hers. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.
Candice instantly apologized. Something similar had happened before. They were at a restaurant that time, and Bettina had intentionally tripped her…
It had gotten so bad that her lips actually touched his.
Embarrassed, she said, “I’m getting up!”
Surprisingly, he restrained her from rising by placing a hand on the back of her head and the other on her slim waist. “You’re really lovely,” he remarked in a deep, alluring voice.
Candice became somewhat timid upon hearing his compliment.
She was contemplating how to respond.
“It must be because of the starry sky behind you,” he added.
Then, he gently pulled her off of him and onto the grass beside him.
That summer night was perfectly silent.
The night sky was a deep, dark blue.
The moon shone like jade, and the stars sparkled like jewels scattered across the sky.
She smelled the earthy aroma of grass and dirt. It felt as though she had stepped back in time to her younger self.
Candice felt a calmness she had never experienced before.
It seemed as if the bad memories associated with Wilmint High School had vanished.
“Oh my god, it’s stunning,” she said sincerely and sighed.
She would never have had the opportunity to appreciate the peaceful campus at night if it hadn’t been for Milton.
Milton cocked his head slightly and gazed at her lovely profile beside him.
He studied her for a few seconds before saying softly, “I’m happy that it was you!”
She was the girl from that night ten years ago. Very, really good!
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Candice looked at him curiously, having not heard him clearly, and questioned, “What was that? I didn’t hear you.”
Milton regarded her and replied, “Nothing.”
Stars seemed to twinkle in their eyes as they exchanged glances.
The strange and passionate expression in his eyes intensified.
He rested his head on one arm, leaned over, and gently pressed against her.
Candice tensed up and felt intense pressure. His movements were slow, but she felt like she was being tortured since she had no idea what he was up to.
Could she have been hallucinating?
Did he want to kiss her?
For a second, she was overcome with anxiety and disorientation.
In an instant, she felt her heart stop.
Then his lips were almost on hers…
A loud alarm went off just like that!
Beep! Beep! Beep! It sounded like an electrical alarm blaring. Candice snapped back to reality and quickly figured out the source of the sound. She held his chest with one hand and grabbed his left wrist.
“It’s your watch, Mr. Lopez.”
With a frown, Milton sat up.
Candice also sat on the grass next to him and held his wrist.
At night, the fluorescent display showed a series of numbers flashing:
181… 187… 192… 203…
A heart-shaped symbol beside the number kept fluttering as it rose. A quicker and more urgent siren sounded with each successive increase.
“What’s this?” Candice asked in astonishment. “Is this an electronic sports watch?”
She knew such watches could track heart rate, pulse, and workout metrics in real time. The numbers kept rising. Could the alarm be triggered because his heart rate was too high? The man’s heart was actually pounding!
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