L*ck Me If You Can-Chapter 110

Koi flinched as if Ariel had noticed the completely ridiculous emotions he’d let himself feel. She suddenly turned to look straight at him. Their eyes met. Ariel raised an eyebrow, and Koi instinctively shrank back a little.

“Bill.”

She called to him lightly, tugging on his arm. Bill, who had been deep in conversation with Ashley, blinked like he just realized something. Ashley looked between the two of them and gave a curious little smile, and Bill quickly waved his hands.

“No, Ash. It’s not like that between us.”

He rushed to deny it, then glanced down at Ariel.

“Not yet.”

Ariel didn’t deny or confirm the words. She just looked back at Ashley.

“We were just talking about you, actually.”

“I don’t have any objections if you two are dating.”

Ashley lifted his hands in mock surrender as he spoke. The atmosphere was so casual, like he might even throw them a congratulatory concert if given the chance. Koi was stunned all over again. Of course, it had been months since Ashley and Ariel broke up, so finding someone new was perfectly normal. They were nothing like a loser outcast like Koi.

But... your ex-girlfriend dating your closest friend? What’s that like?

Koi thought.

Ash did say Elle was his friend too...

He got that far in his thoughts before Ariel spoke up.

“Of course. Who I date is nobody else’s business.”

She snapped sharply, clearly annoyed, and swept her long hair behind her shoulders as she continued.

“Perfect timing. I’ve got something to say—can we talk for a minute?”

She was blatantly looking straight at Koi. It was as if she were saying, "Mind stepping aside?" Koi flinched at the unspoken command and began to step back.

“Alright. Koi!”

Ashley called out suddenly, turning his head. Koi /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ froze. Ashley asked,

“I’ll be back in a minute. Is there something wrong?”

“Uh, no.”

Koi shook his head quickly.

“I was just on my way home.”

“I see.”

Ashley smiled.

“Can you wait here for a bit? I won’t be long.”

“Uh...”

Ariel and Bill were already waiting. Ashley stood in front of them but kept his gaze on Koi, waiting for an answer. Feeling both an inexplicable pressure and overwhelming emotion, Koi nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll wait.”

“Good.”

Ashley nodded back and turned toward Bill. Koi remained standing where he was, watching the three of them walk away.

They stopped a short distance away and began talking. Koi still couldn’t believe it was real.

I’m not dreaming, am I?

Awkwardly left behind, Koi passed the time by tapping his foot on the ground, watching the chaos of the car crash, fiddling with the back of his neck.

I wonder how Ash has been all this time.

He’d had so many questions when Ashley was gone, but now that he was here, none of it seemed to matter anymore.

Ashley came back.

Koi stared blankly again as Ashley turned and looked at him. Their eyes met, and Ashley’s face lit up with a smile. Koi felt dizzy.

Koi.

Just imagining him saying his name made Koi’s breath hitch. Ashley turned his head back.

He started talking to Ariel again. Koi stared at his profile, suddenly embarrassed, and quickly looked away. His gaze drifted toward the chaos of the car crash, where kids were eagerly smashing the car.

Watching the mess made Koi laugh. He’d never cared about things like this before. His mind had been consumed with worry and anxiety about Ashley. But now he found himself smiling at the sheer madness.

Maybe it’s because...

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Koi glanced back toward Ashley. The firelight from the burning car reflected off his face, coloring it red.

I like you.

The thought came out of nowhere.

I like you, Ashley Dominique Miller.

His heart beat faster than ever before. The crowd’s screams echoed distantly. His vision was filled with just one person.

Only Ashley Miller.

Koi let out a trembling breath and stared at him like he was in a trance.

*

“Koi!”

Ashley finally finished talking and ran back, calling his name. It only took a few steps for him to reach Koi, and he spoke right away.

“Sorry for the wait. Were you out here long?”

“It’s fine.”

Koi managed a small smile. His heart was so full he could barely speak.

What do I do.

He looked up at Ashley, flustered.

I feel like I’m going to cry.

Ashley tilted his head and asked,

“Koi?”

“Yeah?”

He answered like he was in a daze. Ashley gave a sheepish smile and rubbed his chin.

“Nothing, you just seemed a little out of it... You okay?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m fine.”

Koi nodded quickly, flustered. But to Ashley, he still looked lost. With a puzzled expression, he looked at Koi—and Koi finally spoke.

“It’s just... I like you too much.”

“What?”

Ashley blinked, then burst into a bright smile.

“I feel the same.”

And then he pulled Koi into a tight hug.

“I love you, Koi. I missed you.”

Koi could hear the faint sound of Ashley’s heartbeat in his ear. Hesitating, he slowly raised his arms and hugged him back. The warmth and strength of that embrace made the tears he’d been holding back surge up again.

“Ash...”

He whispered his name through trembling lips. Ashley responded softly, pulling him even closer.

The most uptodat𝓮 n𝒐vels are published on freёnovelkiss.com.

“I’m sorry I took so long to come back.”

Hhic, hhk—Koi finally let out a quiet sob. Ashley stood there silently, holding him as the sounds of smashing metal and the crowd’s cheers echoed in the distance.

*

They didn’t say a word on the drive back to Ashley’s house in the Cayenne. But just like before they’d parted, the whole time Ashley drove, they held each other’s hand tightly.

Koi had calmed down a bit, but his heart was still racing. Trying to force himself to settle down, he ran through all the questions he wanted to ask. There were so many things he wanted to hear from Ashley.

“You didn’t eat dinner yet, right?”

Just like always, Ashley asked as he pulled into the garage. Koi nodded instinctively. Ashley let go of his hand first and stepped out of the car.

“Let’s eat first. Come in.”

“Ah, yeah.”

Koi got out of the car too—before he even had time to feel regret. But then his eyes caught something in the back seat.

The plushie he had given Ashley was still there, seated and buckled up in its spot, just like always. That alone made Koi’s nose sting again. He quickly rubbed the tears from his eyes and followed Ashley inside.

They didn’t talk much during dinner.

Koi forced himself to focus on eating, holding back everything he wanted to say. Finally, when they sat face-to-face in the tea room after finishing their meal, Koi took a deep breath and braced himself for the conversation.

“You waited, didn’t you?”

Ashley smiled as he set the dessert cake and tea down on the table. Koi smiled back instinctively—but then a strange sense of wrongness settled in. The fluttering he’d felt was gone, replaced by a rising anxiety.

Ashley’s expression wasn’t much different than before. He looked paler, thinner—but still smiled with that same familiar warmth.

...But.

“Koi, what’s wrong?”

Ashley, sitting across from him, asked. His brow furrowed in concern as he looked at Koi.

“What is it? You don’t look well.”

Koi didn’t answer right away. He stared at Ashley’s face. Even before he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes. Ashley’s eyes widened in surprise as Koi finally opened his mouth.

“...Ash.”

His breath trembled like a sob. After a deep breath, he finally asked,

“Did you... get tired of me?”

“What? Where did that come from?”

Ashley responded immediately, clearly flustered. But Koi couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Then why...”

He had to swallow his emotions before he could speak again. For the first time, Ashley saw resentment in Koi’s eyes. Koi took another breath and spoke in a hollow voice.

“You haven’t even kissed me since you came back.”

Ashley didn’t respond right away. Silence fell between them. That hesitation only confirmed Koi’s worst fears.

“...You’re going to break up with me, aren’t you.”

Was this how it was with Ariel, too? The sudden news of their breakup had come out of nowhere. Koi was about to spiral further when Ashley suddenly stood up and grabbed his arm.

He pulled the confused Koi into a tight hug and spoke.

“How could you say that?”

You have no idea what I went through to come back here.

Ashley barely swallowed those words. His voice trembled, his breath unsteady—this wasn’t a lie. But Koi didn’t understand.

“Then... why?”

“Koi.”

Ashley cut him off. He held him tighter, and Koi winced from the force.

“Don’t say things like that. Don’t say we should break up. If you leave me...”

Ashley’s voice shook.

“I’ll die.”

Koi couldn’t say anything. He just raised his hands and hugged him back. Ashley held him so tightly it hurt, but Koi endured it.

“I’m not leaving, Ash.”

His voice was strangled, pushed out from a throat that could barely breathe.

“I’m not breaking up with you.”

Ashley said nothing for a while, then nodded and held him even tighter. Koi’s vision blurred—he felt like he might pass out. As he leaned into Ashley, he closed his eyes and thought faintly—

What happened to you, Ash...?