Chapter 8
Matthew took off his cap and put it on Paisley's head.
He naturally took Paisley's luggage and put it on the back seat of his bike. He said, "Come on, Paise, my schoolmate."
He especially emphasized the word "schoolmate".
Paisley's mind was still blank. She followed him for a few steps. Then she finally realized it was indeed Matthew! How unbelievable!
She opened her eyes wide, "Didn't you apply to Oakwood University?"
"Why do you ask that? Does Edgewater University not accept handsome students?" Matthew asked with a smile.
Paisley was very shocked, "Did your family allow you to make such an unwise decision?"
"No. Edgewater University was not as good as Oakwood University. So my father was unhappy. He promised that he would give me a car after I went to college. But now..." Matthew patted his bike and sighed, "He only gave it to me."
He looked very upset. Paisley whispered, "Nobody asks you to study here."
Matthew still heard her words and asked with great interest, "Are you happy or unhappy when you know I'll study here?"
Paisley didn't know the answer, but she was really surprised and even missed a beat when she saw him. Maybe she was a little happy, Paisley thought.
She didn't answer. But Matthew was good at sweet-talking, "I know you are happy."
"You're wrong!" Paisley glared at him and met his smiling gaze.
Under the sun, the boy with a laughing face was tall, handsome, and young. He had bright eyes and a teasing smile. It seemed that he was born to shine.
Paisley was stunned and a little brushed. She unconsciously looked away.
In fact, Matthew didn't know what to do because Paisley neither answered his phone nor went to see him after his confession.
He didn't found any opportunity until their grades came out. Unexpectedly, she didn't apply to Oakwood University. But her provocation also completely aroused Matthew's rebellious mood. What didn't he dare to do? He had a quarrel with his father, applied to Edgewater University, and endured not seeing her for two months. Then he came here ahead of time, just to "catch" Paisley and to make her shocked.
It was not easy for him to make it. But he thought it was worthy when he saw her blank appearance just now.
Many students needed to go through the formalities. Matthew went to line up first and let Paisley rest under the shade of a tree. He would ask her to come when it was his turn.
On this hot summer day, Matthew was sweating and his sweat-stained clothing was clinging to his body after he took her luggage to girls' dormitory.
Her roommates hadn't come yet. Paisley felt sorry when she saw his face was drenched with sweat. She handed over a bottle of water and said, "Here you are."
This time it was Matthew's turn to be stunned. Rolling his dark eyes, he had a look at the bottle of water, and then looked at Paisley.
Paisley was confused about his gaze, "What's the matter?"
Matthew smiled teasingly, "I find that you begin to treat me well after you come here."
Paisley was speechless. When she was about to take the bottle of water away, Matthew quickly grabbed it, "It's mine."
He unscrewed the cap, drank most of it loudly, and said, "Paise, as my schoolmate, you should continue to treat me well like this."
At this time, one of her roommates came in with many bags. Matthew enthusiastically went to help her. Later, other roommates also came here. Paisley had three roommates. Caroline Preston was tall and thin. Lillian Beckham looked very delicate. Gianna Finn, a beautiful girl, was already nicknamed Gigi by them.
Gigi pointed to Matthew, who was busy carrying luggage, and asked, "Who are you?"
"He must be Paisley's boyfriend," Lillian said smilingly.
Matthew didn't answer. He looked at Paisley with bright eyes and wished her to say yes.
Paisley was a little embarrassed and said carefully, "His name is Matthew Waylon. Er. he's a warm-hearted schoolmate."
"Oh," shouted the girls meaningfully, "he is just a warm-hearted schoolmate!"
Matthew smiled and accepted her statement gladly. He took Paisley's phone, input his phone number, saved it, and asked other girls for their phone numbers.
Paisley couldn't argue with him in front of her roommates. She asked in a low voice, "What are you doing?"
"Make friends with your roommates." Matthew smiled slyly and waved to the girls, "I'll go first. If you need any help, remember to find your warm-hearted classmate."
Matthew let them completely know what a warm-hearted student would be within a few days.
He delivered breakfast to them in the morning and gave them water during military training. Though they were separated by several square formations, he came to give them drinks as soon as it was at break time. He didn't come to talk with Paisley. But he got along well with Paisley's classmates. Everyone knew that Matthew was chasing Paisley. So her classmates often joked with them and considered them to be lovers.
Paisley was so annoyed that she often looked at herself in the mirror for three more seconds.
"What have I done to make him like me? Gigi is more beautiful than me." She thought.
Her roommates were very fond of this enthusiastic schoolmate and gave him a nickname--Young Master. How could they dislike him? He frequently found a reason to invite them to dinner. They'd gone to almost all the famous restaurants nearby. If they wanted to eat something late at night, they just needed to call him and Matthew would pack it up and send it to them. The food was delicious, had good flavor, looked delicate, and even suited everyone's taste.
Within a few days, the three girls had assumed themselves as Paise's family, and completely treated Matthew as her fiancé.
One day, Paisley and her three roommates went to the canteen to have lunch after the training was over. They discussed how to spend the first weekend of the university while walking.
As soon as they sat down, Lillian stood up and shouted to Matthew, who was looking around in the crowd, "Mr. Waylon, we're here."
At the same time, she offered her seat, which was next to Paisley, to him.
Matthew's mouth tilted upwards. He walked over smilingly with camouflage clothing for military training. Military uniforms would make a man show a heroic spirit even if he looked dully. But Matthew was very tall and handsome. When he was wearing camouflage clothing, he could be an actor in the advertisement for military conscription. His coat was casually placed on his shoulder, which made him look handsome in a raffish kind of way.
When he walked to them, a row of girls turned to look at him and thought that he was so handsome!
However, he looked like a faithful servant rather than a handsome man as soon as he walked to Paisley. He enthusiastically asked the girls what they wanted to drink, then naturally asked Paisley what she wanted to drink. After knowing that, he went to buy drinks for them happily. Paisley's roommates always said that Mr. Waylon was a handsome and rich person whose father had a lot of money, but when he stayed with Paise, he would be like a funny and faithful servant!
Matthew came back after buying drinks and asked, "Do you have any plans for the weekend? I want to invite you to watch a movie."
"Great! I like watching movies!" The girls laughed and shouted.
Lillian said, "It's good to watch a movie."
"It will be even better if someone invites us to a cinema." Caroline echoed.
Gigi said, "It will be boring if Paise doesn't go with us."
Paisley was speechless. At some point, her three roommates started to agree with all of Matthew's suggestions and think she was wrong as long as she rejected them.
Paisley had a look at Matthew. He was drinking watermelon juice innocently.
"Alas," Paisley sighed in her heart. The friendship among them yielded to the temptation of three movie tickets. Paisley had to agree with them, "Let's go together."
Her three roommates smiled satisfactorily as she expected. Matthew's mouth also tilted secretly.
After watching a movie in the evening, they left the cinema and her three roommates disappeared immediately. They sent her a message saying that they would go shopping and she didn't need to thank them for their help!
Matthew leaned over and said, "Look, this is what people want!"
He looked very righteous, "So we shouldn't let them down. Let's have a date now!"
Paisley ignored him and was about to go back by bus. She went to a bus station and sat there to wait for a bus. Matthew touched his nose and had to follow her.
The No. 21 bus hadn't arrived here. He stood beside her and took out a cigarette. A tongue of blue frame sprang up from his lighter. He lit the cigarette gently and released the button of the lighter. Then he took a drag on his cigarette with ease and had a calm expression that was unusual in him.
Paisley frowned when she saw it, "You're still young. Why are you so addicted to smoking?"
"You don't like it?"
"It's none of my business."
Matthew looked like he had already expected her attitude. He sat beside her and said, "I knew how to smoke when I was a kid."
He continued, "You know, my mother died early. My father couldn't accept it and didn't do anything at the beginning. He just sat at home and smoked every day. I didn't know how to comfort him so I accompanied him to smoke and slowly learned it. Later, my father finally pulled himself together. But I couldn't quit smoking. My father will miss my mother when he smokes, and so do I. Smoking is the same as falling in love with someone. I can't quit it when I start to smoke or fall in love."
Then he looked at Paisley meaningfully and said, "Of course, I can quit it if I want to. Paise, if you don't like it, I will not smoke again."
Paisley didn't show her attitude and just asked, "Do you still miss your mother now?"
Madison once mentioned Matthew's family. It was said that his parents loved each other very much. When his father, Anderson Waylon, was cheated after starting his own business and almost failed, his mother pawned everything to help her husband. Anderson Waylon became successful in his career later. Unfortunately, his wife passed away in a car accident before she could wear the wedding ring her husband bought.
To be honest, Paisley envied Matthew's mother. She was unfortunate. But if she didn't die early, her husband might be like Greyson, who cheated on her and destroyed her marriage and love. At that time, her marriage would be a joke, though she had spent a tough time with her husband together. She died, but their love lived forever.
Matthew looked at the cigarette that was almost burned to the end and said, "Yes. I miss the meal she cooked."
He thought of something and smiled again, "My mother cooks very well."
"Really?" Paisley smiled very faintly and quickly.
But this was the first time she smiled at him.
Matthew was stunned for a while. He stepped forward and wanted to say something. But the bus arrived at the time.
The terminal of the no. 21 bus was the college town. It was rush hour. The bus was so crowded that they could only stand on tiptoe. Matthew helped Paisley to walk to a corner near a window. He put his arms around her to prevent people behind him from squeezing her. However, every time when the bus arrived at a station, inertia made all passengers lean forward and Paisley's nose would touch his chest lightly. But she kept a distance from him as soon as she was close to him.
Matthew lowered his head, looked at her burning ears, tilted his mouth, and said softly, "You're right. It's better to take the bus."
He just advised her to take a taxi, but Paisley didn't agree with him and said it was better to take the bus. At present, Paisley was so regretful. She shouldn't try to save his money because he was the son of a rich man. She looked back and stared at him angrily. She usually had no expression on her face, but her eyes were full of expressions when she stared at him.
Matthew's heart missed a beat. He remembered her faint smile, which was also soft and beautiful.
He thought Paise's original character must be warm and sunny rather than cold.
It was really better to take the bus. He even wanted the bus not to stop forever.
But the road had an end. They had to get off when the bus arrived, just like one had to say goodbye when it was time to leave.
After they got off the bus, Matthew shook his aching arms.
Paisley suddenly realized that he really treated her well as her roommates had said.
But why? They only met each other once at a party, and she never felt that she was extremely beautiful.
She was like her mother with crooked eyebrows and big eyes. Although she was not bothered by acne at this age, she was normal compared with those beautiful and outstanding girls of the same age.
But he came here to stay with her and gave up a better university and a better future.
Paisley looked carefully at Matthew. He was very tall with bright eyes and handsome eyebrows, and liked to laugh. He was sunny and full of youthful vitality. Every girl of this age would be attracted by his handsome appearance. But Paisley was afraid of falling in love.
No one would feel comfortable if he was stared at. But Matthew was very happy and asked with a smile, "Do you like my appearance?"
Paisley was speechless. She didn't answer his question and just asked seriously, "Why did you apply to Edgewater University?"
"Because you are here," Matthew said naturally. "I want to see you every day."
"But I won't like you." Paisley stopped walking and looked at Matthew. For the first time, she talked seriously with him, "I won't like you or others."
She was not the kind of girl, who enjoyed the pursuit of others intentionally and never loved anyone. Instead, she would remember the kindness of others to her. Paisley was afraid that she would owe Matthew if he continued to treat her well. So she told him about her parents' love. They used to love each other very much at the beginning, but they became enemies later. She said that she didn't believe in love or men because she had witnessed the death of her parents' love.
"Matthew, you should give up. It's not your problem, but my problem."
She could only see a scene of utter desolation in this prosperous country. She was different from him. She treated everyone she met in her life as a passer-by and put them into different storage boxes. Some boxes were closer to her, while some boxes were further. She had classmates, friends, and families. But she wouldn't have a lover.
"Will you not fall in love with anyone in your life?" Matthew looked at her with his black eyes.
"Yes." Paisley nodded.
Matthew smiled, tilted his mouth slightly, and pushed Paisley to a street lamp pole beside the road. He restrained her and bent over a little to approach her.
He was extremely close to her face and almost kissed her lips.
"Will you not love anyone?"
He said, "Is it true, Paise?"
He asked again with a very low voice. Paisley could feel his hot breath and their breath was mixed. She was too scared to move because she was afraid that if she moved, Matthew's lips would press her lips. She could only see his dark and shiny eyes, which were shining with a strange light. She could also feel the temperature on his face was so hot that it seemed to be going to burn.
Matthew smiled again. He grabbed Paisley's hand, put it on her chest, and his mouth tilted, "You must lie because your heart is beating so fast!"
Her heart was indeed beating fast, like thousands of deer rushing past in her heart.
Paisley blushed and slapped him.
Matthew was happy when she slapped him. He let go of her and said, "I'm glad that you slap me and are angry with me because it means that you care about me."
He stretched out his waist leisurely, "I will continue to treat you well. Only by treating you well will you feel that you owe me and remember me. You are used to treating everyone as a passer-by. I am different because I like you." He still smiled in a raffish kind of way, "I don't want to be your passer-by. I want you to miss me forever."
When he smoked a cigarette and missed his mother, he knew that missing was tangible. The more one missed someone, the more he would feel pain.
His mother said that it was pot luck whether one could meet his lover. He thought he was lucky to meet the girl he liked. So when they first met, he said that he was so lucky to know her and he would not give up.
Matthew smiled, "Paise, you'll like me because you don't know how to refuse people who treat you well."
Paisley was still glaring at him and said angrily, "It's impossible!"
Then she rushed forward angrily and her cheeks were hotter and hotter.
Matthew followed her and pulled the corner of her sleeve after they walked a few steps. Paisley angrily shook his hand off, "What do you want to say?"
Matthew's eyes were brighter than the stars in the sky. He pointed to the small woods not far away. There was a couple hugging and kissing in the shelter.
Paisley's whole face was burning suddenly. She cast a stern glance at him. What a scoundrel he was, she thought!
Matthew's mouth tilted. He said firmly, "I will kiss you in the first snow."
Paisley ignored him this time.
Paisley had said that she would not see Matthew anymore.
But Matthew still wanted to see her again.