A Love Trap

After the events of that day, Ashley and Andrew seemed to be in a cold war, similar to the one they once had.

Even though they looked okay, they both knew in their hearts that there was a problem in their relationship.

They seemed to have gone back to the same cautious, doubtful emotions they had experienced when they first started dating.

In fact it was even worse than the first time.

They were keeping something in their hearts, that no one was willing to speak out about first. They watched with bated breath, hoping the other party would break the silence.

At 10 o'clock in the evening, when Ashley had finished cleaning up, she took one more look at her sketch book and decided to go to sleep.

Taking a glance beside her, the space on the bed was still empty. It had been the same for a few nights now. Andrew hadn't been sleeping there since the beginning of the spat.

As she lay down, bitterness gripped her heart. The rims of her eyes hurt, a stream of tears flowing down her cheeks. If they continued to act like this, they would break up sooner or later.

Weren't they the same people who had once deeply loved each other?

How on earth had they come to this point?

She had gotten used to having Andrew sleep by her side. Now without him, she struggled to catch sleep, staying wide awake for a long time into the wee hours of the night.

Inwardly, her head was whirling with anxious thoughts. Even when she finally drifted off to sleep, troubling dreams added to her misery, robbing her worn-out soul of much-needed rest.

A few hours after she had fallen asleep, the door to the bedroom opened quietly.

In the dim light, Andrew walked in—a tall silhouette, shuffling as if he was struggling with indecision. For a moment, he stood by the bedside, listening to Ashley's soft breathing and wishing they could iron out their differences as soon as possible.

He had just taken a shower and was wearing pajamas. Upon entering the room, he went straight to bed and lay down slowly beside Ashley. After a few minutes, he snuggled up to her and put his right arm around her.

After watching her for a few minutes, he noticed her sleep was somewhat restless.

'What can I do with you?'

It was not that Andrew wouldn't come back or he wouldn't like to sleep with Ashley here.

It was just he was scared. He knew Ashley wanted to do everything good to Ron and probably she liked him. How could he allow the woman he loved to be so close to another man? That was unacceptable!

stubborn and bull-headed, neither of them

cold war with Ashley, Andrew had stayed in the office, like someone who had nowhere to call home. But when he couldn't stand it

together without doing anything else, and tonight, he wished it could get better. But if they couldn't change a thing, then he'd make do with simply sleeping close to each other, on the same bed,

and slept by her side. Then in the morning, he'd get up early, ahead

he didn't want her to go to work by

she always reached her hand to touch the side of bed where Andrew used to

illusion that she felt the side

'It is impossible!

know he hasn't slept there for a

that I rolled over to that side accidentally while I was

and then had breakfast, before she went to the car and left for

sitting

were clicking away nonstop at the keyboard.

with which he

to just look at him going

But...

moved her eyes away after staring for a while.

only added to her dilemma to see how

didn't notice the motion of his hands had stopped while her eyes were still transfixed. When she realized he was looking at her with an unreadable

air inside the car was still and tense. No

was as if the air had frozen

in a secluded place a dozen meters

to attention. She turned her head and her eyes happened to meet Johnny's when he turned back to see her. "Thank you, Johnny,"

time, she got

a pair of cold eyes burning

the steering wheel, he shook

eluded him. 'What the hell have I done

a few cursory words of appreciation for my

One sentence only!

be so petty and

even bothering to know what Johnny was thinking

walk off, both his hands clenching together tightly. Today, his eyes weren't cold and expressionless as in the past couple of days. It was like a storm was brewing in his world, and a downpour and thunderbolt would come

she doesn't even bother to give me