Chapter 7
Madison had gone out when Paisley woke up the next day.
The breakfast prepared by Madison was placed in the dining room and tightly covered for fear of getting cold. Paisley felt guilty. She thought that both she and her mom cared about each other. But strangely, they were more and more estranged from each other, though both of them wanted to be close to each other.
After breakfast, Paisley went to the cinema as usual.
When the lights were off, she felt that someone was sitting in the empty seat beside her. But she did not turn her head and continued to stare at the screen.
After the movie was over, Paisley stood up and was about to leave. When she turned her head, she was stunned because the person beside her was Matthew, who was also surprised. "What a coincidence," Matthew said.
Paisley also thought it was such a coincidence. They walked out of the cinema side by side.
Along the way, Paisley found that people looked back at them from time to time. After she had a look at Matthew, she realized it was because he was too handsome. His clothes were simple with black slim-cropped trousers and a pure white collarless shirt. The colors of his clothes were only black and white with common style, but hee looked extremely handsome in his clothes.
Matthew was very happy and suggested, "Now that we've met, let's have some fun together!"
Paisley was a little hesitant because she was a loner. Matthew had helped her yesterday, so she had a good impression of him. However, after George asked her to have close contact with him, she didn't want to talk with him anymore.
When she was thinking about it, Matthew said, "Come on! Look, no one here is alone, except us. It's weird!"
Paisley was speechless. She didn't know how to refuse him. So she agreed with him in order to return his favor.
This was the first day they had a meal and watched a movie together.
It was fun to hang out with Matthew. Paisley didn't think much about it. However, she felt something strange several days later because she always met Matthew when she went to the cinema. He either sat next to her or leaned against the gate of the cinema to wait for her.
How could there be so many coincidences? Paisley was not dull at all. Instead, she was like a watchful hedgehog whose spines all stood up as soon as someone was approaching. She thought Matthew was a dangerous man. Paisley knew that he might have a crush on her, though he did nothing and said nothing.
After a few days, when Paisley wanted to go out, she thought for a while and decided to go to another cinema that was a little far away from her house.
She was very relaxed because she didn't meet Matthew that morning. Sure enough, Paisley thought, she was still used to being alone. But sometimes, she wondered whether Matthew would go to the cinema to wait for her.
Paisley always put her phone on mute when she was watching a movie. She didn't take her phone out to check the time until she went out for lunch.
She was shocked as soon as she took out her phone. Matthew had sent many short messages to her.
The first message was, "Paise, you did not come to the cinema today?"
He asked her in the second message, "Where are you? Are you sick?"
...
The last message was, "Paise, are you hiding from me?"
Paisley's mind went blank. She didn't know how to reply. She was indeed hiding from him because she didn't want to get too close to a stranger she just met. But she couldn't say that. So she deleted again and again every time when she typed something. At this moment, her phone rang. It was Matthew. Paisley accidentally touched the button to answer the phone because her hands were shivering in shock. For god's sake, she thought, she hadn't thought of an excuse!
There was silence on the other side of the phone. After a long time, Matthew said a little sadly, "I thought you didn't forget to take your phone."
"I didn't notice your messages because my phone was on mute."
"Oh." Matthew said, "It's OK. I just want to know if you forget your phone at home."
He hung up after saying that. Paisley was relieved and thought she didn't need to send him a message at present because he had called her.
She breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to go to the Food Plaza downstairs. But her phone rang at that time. Matthew was calling her again.
"Why didn't you return my messages?"
Paisley said, "But you have called me just now."
"I see..." Matthew drawled. Then he asked, "Where are you? I'll go to see you."
"I have something to do outside." Paisley refused him clearly this time.
"Okay," Matthew said very disappointedly and then remained silent for a long time. When Paisley was about to hang up, he sighed on the phone, "Paise..."
She liked his magnetic and soft voice. So she blushed when the whispering suddenly sounded near her ears. She heard him saying, "You know it, don't you?"
"What do I know?"
"I'm chasing you."
Suddenly, Paisley's heart missed a beat. She was almost scared to throw her phone out. She didn't know why Matthew said that. After keeping silent for a long time, she asked, "Why?"
Matthew held the phone and also asked himself "Why?" in his heart.
He was closing his eyes and dozing in the smoky private room that day. When he opened his eyes, he saw a girl standing silently there without saying anything or smiling. She just held a cup stiffly with a stubborn and sad expression and looked at her mother helplessly. At that time, his heart twitched and ached for a while. When he heard Madison calling her Paise, he also read it in his heart.
His heart ached when he read her name.
He thought that he might fall in love with her.
How could he not fall in love with her? She was very beautiful, pure, and perfect. Standing in the private room, she looked like a fragrant lotus flower without being polluted by dust. Matthew smiled and said sweetly, "I like you."
This was not the first time that someone had a crush on Paisley. But it was the first time that she heard a confession.
She didn't know how other girls would feel. But she instinctively wanted to refuse, "How could it be? We've just met each other."
From the other side of the phone came Matthew's urgent voice, "But I like you."
"No. I already have boyfriend." Paisley lied.
"If you have a boyfriend, you can break up," Matthew said innocently.
Paisley was shocked and thought he was so arrogant. She decided to hang up the phone immediately, "I don't like you!"
After hanging up the phone, Paisley felt something wrong when she realized that it was impossible to come across him every day. It must be her mother who told Matthew something.
Paisley went home angrily. Madison had already come back. It was rare for her to come back so early. Paisley immediately asked, "Did you tell Matthew where I went?"
"Yes. What's the matter?" Madison looked confused, "Look at you. You don't have many friends. You should make more friends."
"How could you tell him about me?" Paisley remembered that her mother had said that she should keep in touch with Matthew because he was the son of Mr. Waylon, the CEO of Universal Corporate. Paisley asked angrily, "Do you regard me as a tool to please your business partners? Will you even sell me as long as you can get enough money..."
Before she finished, Madison had already slapped Paisley, but she did it lightly. Her face was pale with anger, "Paise, why are you as heartless as your father? Who am I doing this for? I'm doing this for you!"
Paisley buried her face in her hands. She hadn't been slapped for a long time. When her parents were divorcing, her mother often beat her up. After her mother slapped her this time, Paisley didn't feel anger anymore, but she started to hate her mother. She knew that she shouldn't say that to her mother. But she was also clear that her mother was doing that for Greyson rather than her!
After Paisley had a quarrel with her mother, she didn't want to talk with Matthew even more.
Fortunately, she got the grades of her college entrance examination soon. Paisley did well in the examination and was able to enter Edgewater University. After filling out her application form, she was ready to return to Plence.
In fact, it was a pity for her to apply to Edgewater University because of her high grades. However, Madison was unable to change her decision. Besides, Justin was not as healthy as before in recent years. So Madison didn't say anything and thought Paise was able to take care of Justin if her university was close to him.
Paisley was happy to go back to see her grandpa. But she was also guilty when she remembered that she argued with her mother for a stranger before she left. Madison was happier than her after hearing her grades. She told everyone she met that her daughter was so great and she didn't need to worry about her daughter at all. Paisley was very sorry to hear that, but she was too embarrassed to apologize.
When she was thinking about it, Madison knocked on her door and came in. She handed her a phone and said in a low voice, "Paise, please make allowance for my condition."
Paisley saw Matthew's number. She thought about it for a while and finally answered it.
At the other end of the phone, Matthew said his grades and then asked about her grades and the university she wanted to apply to.
It was normal for a student who just passed the college entrance examination to ask these questions. But Paisley said angrily, "Why did you want to know the university I will apply to? It's none of your business."
Matthew was not angry. He smiled and said gently, "I want to be closer to you and see you every day."
His words were so sweet, she thought. Paisley shook her head speechlessly. Suddenly, she remembered that Matthew wanted to study at Oakwood University. She thought he would be accepted by the university after hearing his grades. Edgewater University was good, but it was not better than Oakwood University, which was the best university in Oakwood and ranked in the top ten nationwide. She didn't believe that Matthew would give up Oakwood University and apply to Edgewater University.
She was in a good mood at present. Sitting on the platform of a bay window, she held her pillow and said happily, "I'll apply to Edgewater University."
As she expected, Matthew kept silent this time. Paisley smiled and said aggressively, "Matthew Waylon, do you dare to apply to Edgewater University?"
She thought, "Don't you like me? Do you want to see me every day? Then do you dare to apply to my university?"
After saying that, Paisley hung up and happily went to pick up her luggage. She was going back to Plence.
Madison went with her all the way to the station and told her to take good care of her grandpa and herself.
When Paisley heard that, she thought in upset that her mother would stay alone again after she left.
When they arrived at the station, Madison took her luggage and refused her help, as if her daughter was still an innocent little girl.
"I'm leaving."
"Be careful on the way."
Paisley walked a few steps with her luggage. When she looked back, she saw Madison still standing there.
She waved her hand, "Mom, go back. Don't drink too much alcohol."
Madison nodded and didn't leave until the bus drove away.
The bus passed through streets that were as prosperous as ever. Paisley's feeling about Oakwood was very complicated. This city made Greyson's dream come true, but also ruined her family.
The bus passed a huge billboard where a star's ear drill shone in the sun.
Ear drill? Suddenly, a thought ran through her mind. Paisley remembered Matthew's identity. He was the young roller skater who saved her life!
She didn't expect to meet him again before, but she thought she wouldn't see him again from now on. Thinking of things related to Matthew these days, Paisley thought he was a good man. But she regarded herself as a psychopath pulling away anyone who wanted to be close to her.
The bus continued to drive forward. Paisley saw Oakwood was left behind her as before.
"I won't see you anymore, Matthew Waylon." She thought in her heart.
Paisley returned to Plence and her grandpa had come out early to wait for her.
Paisley's nose twitched as soon as she saw his stooped slightly figure. People would grow older and older as long as they were no longer young.
She often came back in the past three years. But every time she came back, she felt that the handsome man got older.
Paisley didn't want her grandpa to be older. If he was old and passed away, she couldn't act like a spoiled child anymore and there would be no one who took care of her.
Paisley ran to him, hugged his waist, and said like a spoiled child, "Grandpa, I'll come back to accompany you and never go again."
"Paise becomes a college student now." Grandpa touched her head and responded happily.
Paisley was happy to see his smile.
Paisley had a very happy summer vacation. She changed her phone number and didn't think about Matthew or her parents.
Like all 18-year-old girls, she relaxed as she wished after a long and black junior year in high school.
Time flied. It was time to start registering at her university.
Edgewater University was located in Nuatin, the provincial capital. Her grandfather was worried and wanted to send his granddaughter to the university by himself.
Paisley refused, "Now students don't want their families to send themselves to the university. Because they are encouraged to be independent. Don't worry, Grandpa."
She dragged her heavy luggage onto the bus. Every time her grandpa thought of something she needed, he would put it in her luggage. He was a traditional man and thought that nothing was as good as home. He was afraid that her granddaughter would be "abused". Although the luggage was heavy, Paisley felt happy and decided to buy something for her grandpa after she earned money when she was in college. She would also be able to support him after she graduated and had a job.
How nice to go to college! There was a bright future waiting for her!
She was in a cheerful mood all the way until she got off and saw the familiar figure. There were many freshmen and their parents at the gate of the school. But he just leaned against a bike handsomely, wearing a cap, sunglasses, ear drills, and a simple jeans T-shirt. But he still stole everyone's attention.
When Paisley found him, he almost looked at her at the same time, and then he smiled. He walked over slowly and took off the sunglasses while walking. He walked to Paisley with his eyes full of smiles.
Paisley took a step back and leaned against the luggage, "Why are you here?"
She was carrying a canvas bag and casually wore a white cotton skirt. She had her long hair hanging loose. Her white and clean forehead was sweating lightly.
At this moment, Paisley was shocked in her hand. She didn't expect that he would treat her casual words seriously.
"I'll show you how I like you!" Matthew bent over and grinned. His smile was sunny but aggressive.
"In the first snow," Matthew thought.
"I will kiss you."