He Wouldn't Claim Me — Another Man Did-Chapter 60 - 54: First Love

Shane Sterling finished speaking and leaned in toward her.

As they drew closer, Isla Prescott’s breath mingled with his, and she felt her body go slightly rigid.

The small hospital garden was hardly a deserted place. The path they were on, in particular, connected to the cafeteria, so family members of patients were constantly walking back and forth to get meals.

Just as Shane Sterling was about to touch her lips, Isla Prescott turned her head away.

"Don’t do this."

His kiss missed, but he didn’t seem the least bit surprised. "Not ready yet, huh? That’s fine. But when I get back, asking for a passionate welcome-back kiss wouldn’t be too much, would it?"

Isla Prescott realized what he was doing. "So, you’re just here to give me a heads-up?"

"I thought you might need some time to prepare yourself mentally."

"Then why didn’t you give me time to prepare last time?"

"Last time? What last time?"

"You know, the time with the stamp."

Shane Sterling laughed. "You remember that quite clearly, don’t you?"

Isla Prescott realized she had walked right into his trap. Blushing, she pressed her lips together and remained silent.

He leaned in, refusing to let the matter drop. "You’re a rather strict girlfriend, you know. Do I need to give advance notice even for a light peck on the lips? How much notice are we talking?"

"At least five seconds."

"Oh. The dragonfly is about to land now."

As soon as he said it, he sealed her lips with another kiss.

It wasn’t a deep kiss, just his lips pressing against hers, but when they parted, Isla Prescott still felt a breathless sensation, as if she had been underwater.

"That wasn’t a five-second warning!" she protested.

"What do you mean? I said eight words. That’s one second per word, which means I even gave you an extra three seconds."

Isla Prescott mentally retraced his words and counted. It really was eight words.

As if he could read her mind, Shane Sterling’s laugh was bright and clear. "Do the numbers add up?" 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Isla Prescott changed the subject. "Shouldn’t you be getting to the airport?"

"Come on. Let’s go buy some flowers for your mom first."

Shane Sterling bought the flowers but didn’t go back upstairs. His driver was waiting outside the hospital, and once he got in the car, they headed straight for the airport.

Over the next two weeks, the two of them kept in constant contact on WeChat, though it was mostly Shane Sterling who initiated the conversations.

Isla Prescott never would have thought that a playboy like Shane Sterling would be the type to check in about every little detail in a relationship. From his morning gym sessions to what he ate for every meal, he kept her updated. Wherever he went, he would casually record and send her a short video.

Sometimes she would be in class and not look at her phone for several hours, only to find it piled high with his unread messages.

During one of their nightly phone calls, Isla Prescott couldn’t help but ask, "Are you like this in all your relationships? Do you always check in about every little thing?"

Shane Sterling replied, "What do you mean, ’all your relationships’? This is the only one I’ve ever had, alright?"

Isla Prescott didn’t quite believe him. "But weren’t you engaged before?"

"Just because I was engaged doesn’t mean I was ever in a relationship! You’ve eaten pork, but that doesn’t mean you’ve raised a pig, does it?"

He was always full of strange arguments, yet they somehow held a sliver of truth.

After hanging up the phone that night, Isla Prescott had a slow, dawning realization. If Shane Sterling had never been in a relationship before, did that not make her his first love?

* * *

At the end of the month, it was time for Meritopia Dance Academy’s graduation ceremony.

Her mother, Susan Dudley, had yet to be discharged from the hospital, and Isla Prescott had been spending her nights there with her. She originally hadn’t planned on attending the ceremony and had even told her advisor she would pick up her diploma later, but both her mother and sister convinced her not to miss it.

After thinking it over, Isla Prescott decided to go back to campus after all.

Mia and Jade had also returned. They came back a day early, and their suitcases were already packed and sitting by their beds.

Looking at the now-empty room where she had lived for four years, Isla Prescott couldn’t help but feel a pang of melancholy.

"Isabelle, how’s your mom?" Jade asked the moment she saw her.

"She’s doing better. She should be able to leave the hospital in a few days."

"That’s good to hear. You must be exhausted. You look like you’ve lost weight."

"Lately, my life has just been shuttling between the hospital and the studio. I really haven’t had a moment to breathe."

"I’ve seen all the videos from your dance studio. The quality of those dance routines is excellent. All you need now is the right opportunity. Once that comes along, you’ll definitely get noticed and go viral. Then all your hard work will have paid off."

"I hope you’re right."

The graduation ceremony was held in the university’s grand auditorium.

The June sunlight streamed through the auditorium’s glass windows, bright and scorching, yet tinged with the sadness of parting.

After speeches from the university president and other administrators, the presentation of diplomas began.

To celebrate her graduation, Jade’s long-distance boyfriend had traveled more than a thousand kilometers to see her, bringing a bouquet of flowers. Mia’s boyfriend, an underclassman at the same university, also presented her with flowers the very moment she received her diploma.

Isla Prescott was by herself. After receiving her diploma, she started taking pictures for the two happy couples, helping them capture their epic graduation photos.

"Isla Prescott."

She was happily snapping away when a familiar voice suddenly called out from behind her.

Jade and Mia saw who it was before she did, and the two of them instantly grew excited, exchanging knowing glances.

Isla Prescott turned around and saw Shane Sterling.

He was wearing a black linen Henley shirt and dark gray trousers. It was a more understated and mature style than usual, which only made the bouquet of Floyd roses in his arms look all the more ostentatious and brilliant.

"Congratulations on graduating."

Shane Sterling walked up to her and handed her the bouquet.

"What are you doing back here?" Isla Prescott asked in surprise. "Didn’t you say you were coming back a few days later?"

"I rushed back to make it for your graduation ceremony, of course."

"Who told you?" Isla Prescott had never told him her graduation was today.

"Does it matter?" Shane Sterling chuckled. "Either way, everyone around you is on my side now."

’That’s true,’ she thought. Her mother, Susan Dudley, her sister, Sienna Prescott, and even Jude Dudley—was there anyone who wasn’t in Shane Sterling’s corner these days?

She accepted the flowers from Shane Sterling.

"Thank you."

"You’re welcome." He reached out and hugged her, whispering in her ear during the embrace, "My girlfriend, of course, has to have everything the others have."

It felt as if a piece of candy were dissolving in Isla Prescott’s heart, a sweetness so intense it felt almost unreal.

The moment Shane Sterling let her go, Jade and Mia darted over, flanking her on either side and pulling her away.

Mia demanded, "Alright, spill. Who is that? He’s so handsome he’s stealing the spotlight!"

Jade said, "I bet he’s the ’Secret Admirer Guy.’"

Mia asked, "Which ’Secret Admirer Guy’?"

Jade pointed to the roses in Isla Prescott’s arms. "Floyd roses. The flower of secret admirers. It’s so obvious, have you forgotten?"

Mia slapped her forehead as it dawned on her. "So he’s the one who sent the roses last time?"

Jade glanced at Isla Prescott. "Ask her."

Mia pressed, "Isabelle, hurry up and tell us! Is it him?"

Isla Prescott could only nod.

Jade smiled knowingly. "See? I told you. Sending this type of flower once might be a coincidence, but twice definitely means something. He one hundred percent has a secret crush on Isabelle."

Isla Prescott glanced back. Shane Sterling was watching them with a confused expression. When their eyes met, he tilted his head, his gaze asking what was going on.

He looked so open, not at all like someone harboring a secret.

Isla Prescott still couldn’t believe that Shane Sterling would have a secret crush on her.