The next day, I got up and sat on the edge of the bed. I didn't stand up first to be able to think while my two arms were resting at my sides. My body is still sore from what happened to us last night. I don't know how many times I sighed heavily. I couldn't even count it. Why am I doing this? I shook my head and walked towards the bathroom. I turned on the shower and just closed my eyes as I felt the soothing coolness of the water. It's so fresh on the body, you get to the point, it's like I forget the weight on my chest. While going down the stairs, I could hear laughter. I smiled bitterly after realizing who it was. It was Elise and Cedrick's voice that I now knew was in the living room. SHe is here again. I wasn't going to ignore them and went straight to the kitchen when Elise greeted me. "Hi! "Good morning, Sherin..." she greeted. Although hesitating, I still tried to look back at Elise and gave her a wide smile. SHe was smiling at me, same as Cedrick. I didn't answer him at first and watched Cedrick first. I just noticed, he smiled at me now. That smile of his, I just saw that now. I just witnessed that now. I just noticed that now. Not even once, did he smile at me so sweetly. Just now. Only now because Elise, his girlfriend, is with us now. I felt a pain in my chest again. I am hurt while singling out the difference in his treatment of me and Elise. After all, who am I to protect? Who am I to smile? Who am I to love? It's just me. As for Elise, beautiful, rich, kind, soft-spoken, modest, and most of all, loved by Cedrick. I shook my head to get back to my senses. The two people in front of me were still smiling at me now, waiting for my answer. I smiled again. "Hello, good morning..." I greeted back. "You're here..." I said and laughed. I was about to walk straight to the kitchen but I was delayed because Elise called my name again. "Uh… Sherin!" I turned to Elise. I just raised one eyebrow while still waiting for him to say. "Do you mind if you join us on a date?" he asked making my mouth fall open. I? will come? On their date? Elise's face became alarmed when I didn't answer her right away. "Oh, don't worry too much if you're thinking that you'll be the third wheel. We have another companion, Luther, Cedrick's friend. You two can join us so we can have a double date. Meet Luther is yours, he's kind and of course handsome" she smiled teasingly at me. The man named Luther looked like he was referring to me. I scratched my ear. "Uh..." He suddenly ran to me so I was surprised. "Please! Don't reject me anymore..." He snorted. My lips were still parted, confused on what decision I would do. I looked at Cedrick to ask for help, but when I saw his nod, my shoulders almost slumped. "Uh... Let's go." I still agreed in the end. I don't know if it was right to agree. She was setting me almost in a blind date. I don't even know that Luther. But I'm a bit reassured because it's supposed to be Cedrick's friend. Honestly, Cedrick is good and nice, he can't just be tamed on his sex capades. Hours already passed, today is also the day when he and Elise will go on a date. But of course, his friend and I were there, a man named Luther was with us. I haven't even seen it yet, but I'm supposed to be on a date. I agree even if I'm not into blind dates. I looked in the mirror to check my body shape. I breathed a sigh of relief after checking that my body was free of hickeys. I was already expecting this, because last night, I was the one who pissed off Cedrick and he wasn't the one who pissed me off. I survived the red marks left by his lips. I wore a puff shirt with a low neckline enough to expose my cleavage. It's sky blue so at the bottom, I wore white amber pants and white pointed toe high heels for my feet. I also put a little make up on my face to keep it simple. I don't want thick make up, it's not pretty sometimes. I took the handbag I was going to use and put on a wrist watch. I also hung the black shades that I plan to wear today on the neck line of my dress. I looked in the mirror again to see how I looked. I smiled. Just now again, just now I'll go out wearing this again. If people who don't know me see me... they'll really think I'm a rich woman. "Sherin, hija. Sir Cedrick is looking for you downstairs." I heard Marta's voice after I heard a knock on the door. "Ah, okay, I'm going down. Thank you!" I said while running my fingers through my hair. After I left the room, I prepared my sweet smile to show them. I went down the stairs slowly because I might slip or trip. Even before reaching the ground floor, I could see the people waiting for me. From the black couch, there were Cedrick, Elise, and that Luther they were talking about. It's this... It's okay, he's a good-looking man and really handsome too. I will not lose if he is my boyfriend. At least we are quits, if others think I'm his girlfriend, he's not at a loss either. I am beautiful. "You're cousins! You're really beautiful, Sherin. Your race is too blessed, isn't it?" Elise opened up to me when I was honest with them. "Of course, so if I'm yours, breed with Cedrick, Elise" Luther teased. I just laughed so I don't think I'm a killer joy. Cedrick and I met eyes, he was standing behind Elise. I next looked at Luther because of all the people I was with today, he was the only one I didn't know. He gave me a sweet smile and waved at me. I also returned it to him. "I didn't think you were this beautiful. Now... I understand why Cedrick didn't want to give you up to me. When you're a big brother." he chased after his last three words because we were almost awake. He almost slipped there. I tried to ignore what he said. "Ah, I'm Luther, just babe for a short time, we're going on a date today." he grinned as he extended his hand to me, maybe he wanted to shake hands. I laughed and disagreed with what he said. "I'm Sherin, just call me Sherin." I said and shook his hand. I heard Elise laugh because of what I said, poor Luther. He snorted at me. "It's okay babe, even just today. It's okay with your brother, isn't it, bro. It's okay?" he looked at Cedrick while raising an eyebrow. All our attention turned to him. I can see Cedrick's sigh. "Fine..." he answered. I listened to Luther's weak and simple laugh, as if he had done something to please him. After we talked inside, we started to leave the mansion to go to the car. They say Cedrick will drive so we will sit in Luther's back seat. "Let's put them first." he whispered to me while looking at Cedrick and Elise who were currently walking in front of us. Although my forehead was wrinkled, I still followed him. Seeing that the distance between Luther and I was quite large, we started walking. He said because he has things to say to me that Elise shouldn't hear. I don't understand and I feel nervous. I silently followed Luther's every step, he was at my side, walking formally beside me. I glanced at Cedrick and Elise, seeing them happily talking from some distance away. Cedrick looked so happy whenever he was with her because his eyes were still shining even though they were far away. "Sherin," I looked at Luther beside me. "Hmm?" I murmured. "I have something to say. Don't take it badly, ah? I'm not judgmental, I'm just surprised by you" he said. "What was that?" I asked, why hasn't he corrected me yet? He still caresses a lot. "I know the reason why you live in Cedrick's house. I also knew that you two weren't cousins. He also told me about you, as well as the connections between the two of you. I thought that at first, you really look like a prostitute. Wait a minute, don't be mean, ah? Don't be angry with me. It's not a badass for you, I just think Cedrick's description for you was wrong. You look like an angel, you know that? You look like an innocent girl who should kept." his long story. I just kept listening to that. I don't know how I will feel. Should I be thrilled because he said... I'm an innocent girl to be protected? Should I really be happy about that? But honestly, what he said was reassuring. Do I really deserve to be taken care of? The two of us remained walking silently until... he spoke again. "I just now got why he can't let you go even though he has a girlfriend again. He does a lot of charity work, he helps a lot without asking for anything in return. So after all, he can help you, right. he can teach you. Because what he spends on you, that's not even half of the amount he spent on the people he already helped. That's why, I still don't really understand it why he asked you to pay him back using your body. Is he really only after your body?" Luther said meaningfully that he left so many questions in my mind. I glanced at Cedrick ahead again. He was smiling so genuinely to Elise while having a talk, the thing he cannot ever do when he's with me. Is it right for me to think about what Luther was telling me? That... Cedrick wants something else from me other than my body? That... he wants to get something other than my virginity. It was always confusing. I'm a lawyer in process but I just can't even solve the case that crossed my life. I seem to have so many questions in my mind. Luther, his words, were so mysterious to me. "I heard... you're doing PolScie. Why do you want to be a lawyer?" I returned to my senses when Luther asked. "That's my dream." I answered. My dream job. His brows rose. "Wow, that's true, isn't it? I thought that a person has a profession because it's necessary in life. Because if you don't have a decent job, you won't have a decent salary either. That's still true," he said. "I don't know... I just can't let go of that dream. When I add attorney to my name, I work hard to study. I miss teaching. Maybe that's what happens when you dream, when you love , will inspire you to achieve it, even if it takes a long time, even if it's difficult, even if it takes a few years. As long as you have a dream, it's hard to just give up." I stopped for a moment to get enough air. "That's also my reason why I agreed to intercede with Cedrick. It's hard to be a lawyer. I don't have money to support my studies, especially since I'm only in my second year of college." I added making him turn to me. "A-Are you still in second year college?" he asked. "Yeah," I nodded. "You really are so young. No why Elise believed you and Cedrick are cousin." He shook his head while laughing. I nodded again. "I was supposedly in third year college, but because of that tragedy, I had to stop studying." The pain of the past came back to me. The pain seems like it happened only yesterday. Like it was just yesterday that I was lost. I have tried many times to forget the pain there but no matter what I do, as long as it comes to people who have a special place in my heart, it is still very difficult for me to forget.