12

"The day after tomorrow, I has work outside the city," he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed that had been taken over by Salvia for the past hour.

He had just returned from a call with Sagitta, discussing their plans for going to her parents' house. The day after tomorrow was when they had decided to leave. Devan just couldn't bring himself to tell Salvia the truth, so he chose to lie instead.

Devan's excuse was work, as he had no other reason to lie to Salvia. Work was a plausible explanation that she would likely accept. Still, Devan couldn't figure out why he felt the need to keep the truth from her.

Sagitta was the woman he saw as his future, and this should have been joyful news to share with his family. As his niece, Salvia deserved to know about Sagitta. Yet, Devan couldn't bring himself to tell her. He wasn't sure why he felt this way; he just knew he wasn't ready.

"How long?" Salvia asked, moving closer while scrolling through her phone.

Salvia started clinging to Devan's arm, her gaze fixed on him. He found it hard to meet her eyes, struggling to maintain his lie.

"One week. You'll be okay at home alone, right?" Devan asked, though this was the main reason he felt compelled to lie about his departure. Salvia was still his responsibility, especially since her parents hadn't returned yet.

At first, Devan was uncertain about leaving her behind, but after considering it, he realized he needed to prioritize Sagitta, who was his future wife. It was important for him to focus on that, but it didn't mean Salvia wasn't important too.

Salvia was important too, since she was his niece and the daughter of his sister's husband. However, Devan couldn't put Salvia's needs above those of Sagitta, whom he loved deeply. As a result, he decided to leave Salvia for the next few days.

The plan was to be gone for a week, but Devan intended to return home first and give Sagitta some time with her family before picking her up again. He told Salvia it would be a week because he wasn't sure if he could return sooner, given that he might need more time to say goodbye to Sagitta.

Instead of risking Salvia's disappointment by not sticking to his plans, Devan decided it was better to adhere to the schedule and let Sagitta have her time in her hometown. There was a chance that he might actually enjoy his time there with Sagitta.

"It's fine; I'm used to it," Salvia said, referring to her father's frequent trips out of town or abroad, leaving her alone at home. She had never had a problem with it before. "But why does it have to be so long?" she pouted. "What if I miss you?" she added, her lips pursed and her eyes filled with reluctance.

Seeing her reaction, Devan felt a surge of excitement. He quickly kissed her lips, then lifted her onto his lap. With quick, eager movements, he kissed her again, conveying his excitement.

"You can call me if you miss me," he said.

"Are you sure you'll answer my call?" Salvia asked, doubting that he would, given how focused he gets when he's busy with work.

"If the timing is right, Uncle won't ignore it," he assured her.

"Promise?" Salvia pressed for certainty.

When he nodded in agreement, Salvia didn't hesitate to kiss Devan on the lips. "Just be careful on your trip," she said.

"Don't lie to me!" she said, threateningly.

"I won't," he assured her. "But you have to understand if I don't answer right away. I promise I'll call you back as soon as I'm free."

Salvia finally nodded and wrapped her arms around Devan's neck. "I'll wait," she said before leaning in to kiss him softly. Salvia wasn't shy about initiating the kiss; in fact, from the beginning, she had been the one who wanted him.

And once again, seeing her aggressive attitude, Devan looked at her with a mix of desire and appreciation. He wanted to touch her and be this close to her.

Salvia never regretted her actions, even if they seemed bold. After all, she was simply following her own desires. From the start, Devan had been so stiff and distant, showing no interest, which made Salvia take the initiative to win him over. She was happy to have finally succeeded.

Now, even though Devan could make her heart melt, Salvia still couldn't quite understand his feelings.

Seeing how Devan didn't mind her advances and didn't try to pull away, Salvia felt that he was starting to open up and accept her. His gentle change in attitude also boosted Salvia's confidence in what he might be feeling.

However, she didn't want to jump to conclusions too quickly, as she didn't want to end up disappointed.

Now, Salvia's plan was to keep working on getting Devan used to her presence and comfortable with being together, until one day he would refuse to let her go. She was confident that her approach would work. Not immediately, but sooner or later, it would definitely happen.

"Can I sleep here tonight?" Salvia asked as she pulled away from the kiss.

"Of course," he replied, eager to have her close.

"I used to be with you, I was afraid I'd miss you," Devan replied with a seductive wink, causing a flush of red to appear on Salvia's cheeks.

No matter how aggressive she was, Salvia found it difficult to resist Devan's charm. His teasing always managed to make her blush and misbehave.

"Getting bolder, huh, Sal?" Devan said, his hand gently cupping Salvia's breast.

Devan noticed the change in Salvia's breasts. When he first touched them, they were still covered by the palm of his hand, but now they weren't. This made Devan even more excited and pleased with the girl in his arms.

He playfully pinched her nipples, eliciting a soft moan from Salvia, who then looked at him with a mixture of protest and affection.

But Devan felt no guilt at all; instead, he pushed further. This time, it was more intense than before. Not only did she groan, but Salvia also let out a sigh, her lower lip bitten reflexively.

It was clear that Devan was driven by passion. Impatiently, he took over, kissing her more greedily. Salvia was caught off guard by his sudden intensity, but it didn't last long. Within seconds, she began to respond eagerly.

Devan's game had become so addictive, and Salvia was just as eager. They had lost count of how many times they had kissed over the past two months, so often that it had become routine. Strangely enough, neither of them felt the slightest hint of boredom. Instead, Salvia found herself craving Devan's kisses more and more, almost as if they were an addiction.

If it were up to her, Salvia would want to kiss him every minute, but she couldn't, as they weren't always together. With Devan leaving for a week soon, Salvia knew she would really miss him. It felt overwhelming, but she couldn't help how she felt.