Suzy ignored Derek’s question and instead glanced toward the people aboard the other assault boat.
"I was asking them for directions," Derek explained. "I never expected to run into you guys."
Then sothing occurred to him.
"Oh, right. Suzy, wait a second. Let talk to them first."
Paddling his raft over, Derek stopped beside the other boat and exchanged a few words with its occupants.
A mont later, the people aboard waved toward Suzy’s group before turning their boat around and departing.
Both Suzy and Leonard quietly relaxed. Another potential conflict had been avoided.
"That kid’s got so nerve," Leonard muttered under his breath.
He had heard every word Derek said.
At a ti like this, Derek was still willing to strike up conversations with strangers and ask for directions.
Wasn’t he worried soone might rob him?
Suzy found herself agreeing.
A few monts later, Derek paddled back.
"Co aboard," Suzy said, gesturing toward the assault boat.
After greeting Leonard and Thomas, Derek climbed aboard.
Traveling by assault boat was significantly faster than using a small raft.
Once they secured the raft behind them, Thomas turned the boat around and guided it back toward Starlight Towers.
Snow continued to fall. In fact, it seed to be growing heavier by the minute.
Derek imdiately squeezed himself into the seat beside Suzy. From then on, he barely stopped looking at her. A smile lingered stubbornly on his lips. His amber eyes seed to shimr with warmth, bright enough to rival sunlight.
Eventually, Suzy could no longer ignore it. She flicked him lightly on the forehead.
"What are you staring at?"
"You, obviously."
Derek rubbed the spot she had struck and grinned shalessly.
"I haven’t seen you in forever. Am I not allowed to look a little longer?"
Before she could respond, he casually reached for her hand. Noticing she wasn’t wearing gloves, he wrapped her fingers between his own warm palms.
"Suzy, aren’t you cold?" He scooted even closer. "I’ll warm you up."
By the way he kept inching toward her, it looked as though he wanted to glue himself to her side.
Leonard could barely watch. This junior of hers was far too clingy.
Even from across the boat, he could tell that Derek and Suzy’s relationship was not entirely ordinary.
With a hint of sympathy, Leonard glanced toward Thomas.
Thomas remained at the controls, expressionless. His eyes stayed fixed on the flooded streets ahead. His back was perfectly straight.
anwhile, Derek appeared completely oblivious to the existence of the other two n.
He edged even closer to Suzy. Tilting his head, he studied her carefully before suddenly asking,
"Suzy, have you lost weight?"
"No." Suzy leaned back slightly to create so distance. "If anything, you’ve gained so."
Derek laughed.
"Can you bla ? I’ve been stuck indoors. All I’ve done is eat and sleep."
Then he lowered his voice conspiratorially.
"But don’t worry. I’ve still been working out every day."
He flashed a grin.
"My abs are still there. You’re welco to inspect them anyti."
What on earth was he saying? Suzy’s face imdiately heated up. She hurriedly glanced around.
Leonard seed focused on the scenery in the distance. Thomas still had his back to them.
Thankfully, neither appeared to have heard.
Without hesitation, Suzy pinched Derek hard. "Watch your mouth."
This ti she didn’t hold back. Derek sucked in a sharp breath. Almost instantly, tears welled in his eyes.
He stared at her with those damp amber eyes, looking utterly pitiful.
"That hurt."
His voice was low and plaintive. The tone sounded suspiciously close to a pout.
Suzy shot him a warning glare.
"Behave yourself."
Derek imdiately straightened up.
"Got it."
This ti, he sat obediently beside her and refrained from causing further trouble.
Not long afterward, the assault boat entered Starlight Towers.
Snow had already accumulated on Suzy’s coat and hair. Before she could brush it away herself, Derek reached over and did it for her.
"The weather is seriously strange," he remarked. "Yesterday was perfectly normal. Then all of a sudden the temperature crashed and it started snowing."
"The deep freeze is about to begin," Suzy replied.
Derek flinched. Before he could ask further questions, the boat reached their building.
One after another, they prepared to climb onto the landing platform.
Thomas went first. Suzy followed.
Standing above her, Thomas extended a hand. Without thinking, she placed her fingers in his palm.
He pulled.
Unfortunately, the force was stronger than necessary. Her footing slipped. The next thing she knew, she had stumbled straight into his chest.
"Careful." Thomas’s voice softened.
Once he was sure she was steady, he slowly released her. Then he reached up and brushed the snowflakes from her hair.
The gesture was natural. Comfortable. Intimate.
Derek watched the entire scene unfold. Sothing bitter flickered in his eyes.
The mont he reached the platform, he imdiately grabbed Suzy’s hand.
"Suzy, are you alright?"
His gaze swept over her carefully, checking for injuries. For so reason, Suzy suddenly felt an enormous amount of pressure.
"I’m fine."
She gently withdrew her hand.
"Let’s head upstairs."
Leonard remained behind to handle cleanup.
Since he possessed a storage ability, he would put the assault boat away after everyone else left.
Suzy caught his eye.
Leonard imdiately understood and nodded. She had already warned him beforehand.
Derek still didn’t know about her storage space. Until she decided otherwise, it was best not to expose that secret around him.
By the ti they reached the third floor, Leonard finally caught up.
The rest of the climb passed in silence.
Even with their heavy winter clothing, the cold seeped relentlessly into their bones. It made everyone irritable.
Suzy simply wanted to get ho.
Tenth floor.
Eleventh.
Twelfth.
Soon they reached the thirteenth.
The mont she stepped onto the landing, she noticed that one of the apartnt doors was already open.
Liam stood in the doorway, one hand rested against the fra, the other hung loosely at his side. He wore a dark winter coat with the collar turned up. Against the dark fabric, his skin appeared even paler. Even colder.
"Liam?" Suzy blinked in surprise. "Why are you standing out here?"
"I was about to go down..."
The words abruptly stopped. His gaze had landed on Derek. The two n looked at one another.
Derek smiled pleasantly. Then, without any apparent hesitation, stepped forward and casually took hold of Suzy’s hand.
"...stairs," Liam finished after a pause.
Suzy stared at him. Sothing felt off.
"What were you saying?"
Liam’s attention shifted briefly back to Derek.
"Is this the person you went looking for?"
Derek waved cheerfully.
"Hello."
Suzy gently pulled him forward. "He’s my junior from college."
Better to introduce him now than allow misunderstandings to develop later.
The two n’s eyes t again. Liam’s gaze darkened almost imperceptibly before sliding away.
"Hello."
His greeting was polite and entirely emotionless.
Then he turned back to Suzy.
"I just rembered I forgot sothing."
His voice remained calm.
"I’ll head back inside."
Suzy nodded. "Alright. By the way, is Noah still ho?"
"He’s asleep."
"Then I’ll co check on him later."
For the first ti, a trace of warmth entered Liam’s eyes.
"You’re welco anyti."
As he closed the door, his gaze briefly passed over Thomas before disappearing completely.
The hallway fell quiet.
Derek tugged lightly on Suzy’s sleeve.
"Co on, Suzy."
Only when they were nearly at her apartnt door did he finally give voice to the question he had clearly been holding back.
Lowering his voice, he asked, "Suz... who was that guy?"
"Our neighbor," Suzy answered without hesitation.
Derek imdiately pouted. There was no way it was that simple. He had seen the look in Liam’s eyes. A man knew another man’s intentions.
And his instincts were screaming that that neighbor definitely had feelings for her.
The unmistakable instincts of a rival.
After a brief pause, Derek casually added, "When you go over to visit later, I’ll co with you."
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