"MARIUS"

"MOMMY! Daddy!" Andrea's lively greeting to them that evening.

Andrew picked up and lifted their daughter who kissed the young man on the cheek.

"For you princess," the young man handed Andrea a box of donuts.

The girl happily accepted that and once again kissed Andrew on the cheek before coming down and running back into the house.

"Looks like your best friend is waiting for you," Andrew emphasized the word best friend as they entered.

Lana couldn't understand what emotion she saw draw in Andrew's eyes. And whatever it was, the young lady couldn't stop feeling secretly thrilled even though there was no assurance whether it was jealousy or not.

In the living room, they caught up with Andrea and Marius. Her best friend immediately stood up and approached her and then kissed her on the cheek.

Lana also did immediately notice the rapid change in Andrew's facial expression when he saw what her best friend had done.

"Ah, Andrew this is Marius my best friend and Andrea's godfather. Marius, meet Andrew, Andrea's father," with her wanting to ease the tension between the three of them the young lady decided to introduce the two to each other.

"Nice to meet you, Andrew," Marius said formally then extended his hand to Andrew to shake hands.

Andrew accepted the handshake although the young man just smiled. While Lana at that moment felt so confused that she could not understand why. Or rather she was disgusted with the actions of the two men.

"Have you eaten already?"

Marius was the one she confronted when Andrew accompanied Andrea to watch TV in the living room.

Her best friend shook his head. "I'm just waiting for you. I'm really about to go home," he said as he stepped closer to the door. "I'll just come back another day," he said, looking at her with resentment in his eyes, then glancing at Andrew and Andrea who are now busy watching TV while eating the donuts they brought.

Lana sighed. "Come on, Marius," she whispered pleadingly.

A bitter smile tore from Marius'.Then he came out of the door so Lana spontaneously followed him.

"Are you mad at me?" she said accompanying him to the gate.

She heard the heavy sigh Marius let out.

"Are you with him already?" the young man's tone was resentful and Lana couldn't help but feel pity for him.

"I-I'm sorry if I didn't tell you before that he's Andrea's father," she replied instead.

That was when Marius nodded and then pulled open the door of his car.

"I have to go, just call me when you need something," he said.

Lana just nodded, unable to say anything. She followed Marius' car with her gaze until it completely disappeared from her sight.

*****

It was late at night and Andrea was fast asleep in her room when Lana heard three consecutive knocks on the door.

From being busy in front of her laptop her eyebrows met then she glanced at the wall clock hanging above the refrigerator.

"Who this might be? It's past nine o'clock and even thought of coming here?" she whispered then stood up.

The young lady first peeked into the peephole, and then her chest immediately trembled when she saw Andrew standing outside.

It took a long time for Lana to act because of that. So she was surprised when Andrew knocked again. But this time it was more persistent.

"What do you need and why are you here? It's late," she asked formally after she opened the door for the young man. "Andrea is already asleep so if you can leave and come back tomorrow?" she shooed the man away.

But Andrew ignored her and instead just lifted the corner of his mouth then spoke. "Can I come in?" instead he replied bringing his face even closer to hers.

Lana quickly felt a wonderful shiver when the smell of alcohol on Andrew's breath crossed her face. And that's what she saw as the reason why she didn't seem to be in her usual self when she nodded.

"W-Would you like some coffee?" she asked after closing the door and Andrew was already inside the house.

Andrew's faint laugh did not escape her hearing. "Sounds like a real wife," he said then started to step closer to where she was standing.

Lana was automatically felt alarmed by what Andrew had done so she decided to take action and went to the kitchen to make coffee for the young man.

But she didn't think Andrew had followed her there so she accidentally dropped the teaspoon she was holding which made a noise on the tiled floor when he spoke behind her.

"Are you okay, Lana?" amusement was in Andrew's tone when she looked at him standing just a step away from her.

Lana nodded one after another and then turned her back on the young man again to continue making his coffee. But her chest tightened even more when she felt Andrew's both hands on her waist.

"Lana," Andrew whispered in her ear so she sighed violently.

"Andrea might wake up," she said trying to free herself from the young man's grip on her and she succeeded there.

She walked away from Andrew when she brought his coffee cup into the living room and then laid it on the center table. "Drink this and then leave", she calmly shooed the man away again.

Andrew just stared at her then as if nothing when he wet his red lips. Later, the young man stepped closer to her again. So she was immediately pushed back to the slightly open door of her room.

"I don't like that," he said, referring to the coffee he had mixed and then continued to take steps closer to him.

Lana swallowed. And since her room is behind her, she had nowhere else to go but in there "W-What do you want?" she asked nervously.

The corner of Andrew's lip lifted once again then she was finally grabbed by both shoulders and gently pushed into the room. His quick actions were able to push the door shut and then press the knob lock.

"Isn't it obvious to you that I want you?" Andrew pulled her arm so she ended up hugging him.

She struggled to free herself but because the man was stronger than her, she didn't do anything when he pushed her against the wall and then bent down and kissed her hard on the lips.

It was as if Lana's whole being was paralyzed once again she once again tasted the lips that for how many times made her lost her sanity. The lips she has dreamed of since she became a fangirl. Since she became his fan. And these were the same and very reasons why Andrea came into her life.

She knew it wasn't the first time Andrew had kissed her. Because in fact, the man was able to do more than that to her. But Lana could not understand why she was so weak at that very moment.

Was it because he himself admitted to her that he liked her?

She wasn’t sure nor did she understand everything.

Andrew kissed her long and hard. She could not handle the man no matter what struggle she made. Especially when he held her both hands even more and raised them above her head.

Andrew became even more aggressive at that moment.

Lana let out a violent sigh as Andrew pressed his body hard against hers as he continued to kiss her. Until she felt his one hand on her buttocks then the next thing she knew is that she was lifted by him.

Lana's eyes widened as she felt the hard object bulge in the front of Andrew's pants.

"I want you so bad, Lana," Andrew whispered as he released her lips for a moment then claimed them again afterward.

At that moment, all of Lana's restraint finally gave up.

Maybe that was also because she too was always excited and looking forward to something like this.

So no matter how hard she tried to get out of the young man's arms before, she was the one who wrapped her arms tightly around his neck now.

She responded with warm kisses on his lips which were as if Andrew had no plans to let go of her.

And soon, she started to moan when she felt Andrew's gentle bite on her lower lip.

What the young man did drove back Lana to return to her sanity. She was even able to slap Andrew, which shocked him so much that made her able to get away from the man's seemingly iron arms.

"P-Please leave, I don't know what do you want to happen that's why you came here but it's better if you will leave now," she said as her voice broke.

The man just stared at her. "I know you like me too, Lana," he replied to what she said.

The truth is that Lana's mind is very confused.

Maybe that’s why her emotions change so quickly. And that’s also the reason why she gives up so easily and becomes vulnerable to Andrew’s simple kisses and hugs to her.

She shook her head then wiped away the tears. "It doesn't matter if I like you or not Andrew. All I want now is for you to leave, I don't want Andrea to see you here at this time and night," she replied.

Andrew's jaw tightened at what she had said. "You can't take Andrea away from me," he said emphatically.

"I'm not going to take her away from you. But for your information, I just want to remind you that we have lived without you! I brought her out of this world without you! We can handle and we will be fine even just the two of us!" she said in a low but firm tone.

"It all happened because you hid her from me!" Andrew's strong response was also in a low tone.

"Because that's the right thing to do!" she replied.

Andrew stared at her for a moment then he spoke again. "Tell me, is it because of Marius huh? We were okay before that, weren't we? Why is it suddenly it's like this now?" Andrew's tone was low but was strong and she felt the anger.

Lana was stunned by that series of questions. "W-What are you saying?" she said seemingly regaining consciousness after a while.

Andrew laughed softly then grabbed her waist again. "You immediately forgot everything we did, because you just saw that man?" the young man's gaze caressed her face that lingered on her lips. "Tell me, is he really just your friend? Tell me?"

Lana slapped Andrew hard on his left cheek. "I'm not doing anything wrong! And I'm not like you think!" she said emphatically.

"I didn't say anything like that," the aura of Andrew's face suddenly softened.

Simultaneously with the softening of his aura and so did the young lady’s heart.

"I-I'm sorry," Lana gently touched the young man's reddened cheek.

A sweet smile tore from Andrew's lips then gently caressed her cheek as well.

"I want you, Lana. Tell me, you're mine. Only mine," he said pushing her right on the side of the wall where she was pinned earlier.

Lana nodded spontaneously and consecutively. "Y-Yes, I'm yours Andrew, all of me," she replied.

That was when Andrew bent again with a smile. Not long until he claimed her mouth then kissed her hard. And just like before, she quickly responded to those kisses because there was a quick flame of emotion between the two of them until Lana just felt that Andrew was able to take off her underwear and his hand freely caressing her femininity.