It's been almost a week since Devon and Lewis had a lunch date. The air between them improved, but there was still this awkwardness from Lewis.

"Sis, are you alright?" Dion asked, noticing that Devon was rather gloomy today. "It's your favorite drama, yet you're not watching."

Devon was frowning when she faced him. "Why are you here today again?" 

"What? Don't you like my company?" 

"I just think how will you make a living if you stay with me every day and everywhere I go," she murmured as she leaned back comfortably on the couch. "Did your brother tell you to keep me under surveillance?" 

Dion's under-eye twitched. "He told me to keep you company so you won't be sad. If my presence bothers you, I can go." 

She glanced at him, pouting. He had a point. Devon would feel lonely if she just stayed alone in this house since Ghost Lin had been busy 'traveling the world'. 

"Sis, is my brother still playing hard to get?" Dion inquired out of curiosity, but Devon furrowed her brows. "I mean, is he still keeping his distance between you two?"

"Well, he looked at me for a long time before he left this morning."

"That's not the answer I wanted to hear, though." His nose scrunched up as he had enough dog food. Devon had this habit of detailing almost everything that frustrated him just by imagining it.

"My point is, we're improving little by little, I guess," she explained, albeit her tone didn't sound that convincing. "Also, he had been very busy since he would work until late at night. So, it's worrying."

Dion clicked his tongue continuously. Lewis was slowly returning to his usual routine. Not good, he thought. Until now, Dion still had zero control of his big brother since the latter was hard to reach and Lewis would kick him out almost immediately once he was home.

"Sis, don't you really want to date?" Dion inquired, making her raised a brow. "Don't you hate it when my big brother seems like he is ignoring you?"

"He is not ignoring me."

"I mean!" he sighed sharply, massaging his temple. "If you want things to be what they were."

Devon pursed her lips, studying his distressed visage. "To be frank, your actions make me wonder if you're accompanying me out of goodwill or you're trying to match me with your older brother."

'Because I am!' was what Dion answered in his head.

"I just want my brother to be the happiest, sis," Dion answered; it wasn't a lie, though. He peeled his eyes away from her and set them just anywhere.

"My big brother had grown up with a lot of pressure, but always told us to pursue what we want and he will support us fully. So…" His tone suddenly sounded low as his eyes softened. "… so, I want to see him have an environment where he can smile freely and make him forget, even just a tiny bit, of his worries."

"Aren't you sweet?" A subtle smile resurfaced on Devon's face as she felt Dion's heart in his remarks. "But dating someone else for that reason is something my conscience cannot accept."

Dion didn't answer and kept quiet for a while. He kept thinking about it, and it reminded him of the time Lewis smiled genuinely at him the first time. 

"Honestly, sis, just ignore my big brother," he suggested, facing Devon squarely.

"Pardon?"

"If you ignore my big brother, he will be curious about the reason and…" Dion didn't finish his sentence when Devon shook her head lightly. 

"You know what? You really don't have to worry about me and your big brother." Devon reassured with a subtle smile. "Ignoring each other will only grow the distance between us and I don't want that." 

Dion frowned as he sulked in his seat. "I never felt so hopeless in my life."

She chuckled seeing him so hopeless, but it couldn't be helped. Lewis was a 'strange' man, but that just made Lewis special.

"By the way sis, Mike is throwing a party in two days." Dion stared at the ceiling as he spoke lazily. "He asked me to invite you as if you will want to come." 

"Why would he invite me?"

"I don't know. I think he misunderstood something and thinks we're lovers," Dion muttered, wincing at the thought of him and Devon dating. 

"What sort of disparaging conclusion is that?" Devon expressed her dismay as she glanced at Dion, causing all the hairs in her body to raise.

His expression died, cocking his head, and his eyes immediately landed on her. "Sis, did you know I won first place for being the most ideal boyfriend of the year?"

"Did you?" 

"Sis, do I really look bad in your eyes?" Dion asked helplessly upon seeing the dismay on her face. "Can't you see my charms?"

"I didn't say you look bad, but you hurt my eyes."

"Isn't that the same?!" he gasped in disbelief as her explanation just made it worse!

Devon chuckled softly. "I mean your clothes, they are too flashy for my eyes. Although you look better when you were wearing black just like the other day."

"Ahh… is that so?" Dion nodded, but not appeased, as he looked best in his eyes either way. "Right! Since you're not watching the drama, do you want to see my live performances?" 

"What is that?" 

The side of his lips stretched into a grin. Dion had only let her listen to his songs, but hadn't seen his charms on stage. He was known for his stage presence, so he wanted to flex, which he did as he immediately searched for his live performances and they watched together on the television.

"So, what can you say?" Dion asked excitedly once the video ended.

Devon blinked ever so slowly as she slowly turned her head to him. "How?"

"How?" His brows furrowed, cocking his head to the side.

"How did you get inside?" she pointed at the television, wondering how was that possible. Her question, though, was a strong yet indirect blow to his ego.

"Sis, is that all you want to say?" he asked, almost on the brink of giving up to receive her praise.

Devon tilted her head to the side. "You look different there."

"Heh." Dion gave up. If Devon couldn't see his charms, she won't find anyone attractive so easily.

****

Time had passed, and Dion left her place half an hour before Lewis's usual time of arrival. Usually, Dion would stay for a few minutes after Lewis arrived home, but he had some important things to do. 

"It really feels empty being alone," Devon murmured as she stood in the entranceway, holding her hand behind her. "Everyone was so busy while all I do is idle around."

A frown appeared on her face as she gazed down. She felt useless doing the same thing every day. If not for Dion, she would die of boredom, as there wasn't much activity to do.

Devon snapped her eyes and slowly raised her head when she heard the door unlocking. Lewis paused when he opened the door, seeing her standing there, just staring at him.

"Are you alright?" he asked immediately, noticing the gloomy air around her.

Devon shook her head sideways before trudging towards him. Lewis froze when she slipped her arms between the gap of his arms and hips and wrapped them around his waist.

"I feel useless and empty," she muttered, resting the side of her head on his chest. "And I fear that you will continue on keeping your distance from me.. So, I am not alright."