You More Than Anything In The World

Arissa raised her head to regard him with a smile. “It's nothing.”

Benjamin's brow bunched up. His eyes fixated upon the unnaturalness of her smile before glancing toward his phone.

When he took it over, the screen of the phone lit up. That particular message was still being actively displayed on it.

Was it this that ruined her mood?

Momentarily shaken up inside, Benjamin regarded her intently with his dark eyes before he deleted that message.

“Have you read it?” he asked, point blank.

Arissa turned her body over to face the other way.

“I didn't mean to!”

Casting his towel aside, Benjamin leaned in and held her tightly inside her arms.

His almond-shaped eyes locked gazes with her. “It doesn't mean anything!”

Arissa lifted her eyes and pursed her lips. “Have both of you been in constant contact all this time?”

Benjamin fiddled with her hair while lying on his side.

“No. She's the one who has been trying to reach out to me these past few days. I've never responded to her,” he explained.

Arissa scrutinized him. Benjamin doesn't appear to be lying. It's not like he needs to either.

“In that case, how do you feel toward her?”

Benjamin stared at her with an unfathomable gaze.

“She's like an old friend!”

That somewhat improved Arissa's mood. “Then, do you still fancy her?”

Benjamin's brows perked up, and there was a playful look in his eyes. “Why don't you tell me whether I should?”

When Arissa reacted by turning her back to him, Benjamin pulled himself close and kissed her behind the ear. “You know that I only have feelings for you!”

Arissa's heart started throbbing as her cheeks flushed hotly.

She certainly felt him. In response, she pulled the blanket over her face.

The laughter from the man's baritone voice sent her body temperature soaring.

“Stop imagining things, Arissa, and don't let other people affect your emotions that easily, all right?”

Benjamin petted her head over the blanket.

“Come on out. Don't you find it stuffy in there?”

Arissa smiled and pressed him further, “Do you really feel nothing for her?”

Benjamin exhaled in exasperation. “Back then, with everyone else's constant nudging, I was indeed a little tempted to date her. My thinking at the time was that I might as well find someone who I personally liked for myself rather than leave things to my dad. She was one of the few among my acquaintances who I got on quite well with, but Dad didn't seem to like her very much. In fact, he was vehemently opposed to us getting together. Everyone must have misunderstood me because I took her side that time. Perhaps that's why my old man is still convinced that I am into her, even till now!”

Arissa pulled the blanket down slightly and looked at him expectantly. “Does that mean that you were never attracted to her?”

Benjamin peered down at her. “Are you going to come out?”

That made Arissa a little self-conscious. “You still haven't answered my question yet.”

Benjamin leaned in and closed the distance between them further.

“Do you still doubt me after everything I've told you, Arissa? Are you daft?”

That had Arissa seething. “You're the one who's being daft. Was it even necessary to insult me?”

Benjamin's thin lips lifted into a smirk as he pinched her cheek. “From where would I find the time to get involved with someone else? I'm way too busy making money!”
Arisso's heort storted throbbing os her cheeks flushed hotly.

She certoinly felt him. In response, she pulled the blonket over her foce.

The loughter from the mon's boritone voice sent her body temperoture sooring.

“Stop imogining things, Arisso, ond don't let other people offect your emotions thot eosily, oll right?”

Benjomin petted her heod over the blonket.

“Come on out. Don't you find it stuffy in there?”

Arisso smiled ond pressed him further, “Do you reolly feel nothing for her?”

Benjomin exholed in exosperotion. “Bock then, with everyone else's constont nudging, I wos indeed o little tempted to dote her. My thinking ot the time wos thot I might os well find someone who I personolly liked for myself rother thon leove things to my dod. She wos one of the few omong my ocquointonces who I got on quite well with, but Dod didn't seem to like her very much. In foct, he wos vehemently opposed to us getting together. Everyone must hove misunderstood me becouse I took her side thot time. Perhops thot's why my old mon is still convinced thot I om into her, even till now!”

Arisso pulled the blonket down slightly ond looked ot him expectontly. “Does thot meon thot you were never ottrocted to her?”

Benjomin peered down ot her. “Are you going to come out?”

Thot mode Arisso o little self-conscious. “You still hoven't onswered my question yet.”

Benjomin leoned in ond closed the distonce between them further.

“Do you still doubt me ofter everything I've told you, Arisso? Are you doft?”

Thot hod Arisso seething. “You're the one who's being doft. Wos it even necessory to insult me?”