No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric)

As Noelle reached for the seatbelt, it wouldn't budge, no matter how hard she tried.

Cedric watched for a moment before leaning over to help. At that moment, the two were unusually close. He could smell the faint scent of beer on her while she noticed the length of his eyelashes. Noelle held her breath, and in a moment of impulse, she hugged his arm. Cedric froze, turning to look at her. His throat tightened as he softly asked, "What are you doing?"

Noelle didn't answer. Instead, she leaned in and kissed him. As soon as she pulled back, Noelle felt a wave of nervousness.

Cedric remained still. The dim street lights outside illuminated his side profile, making his expression hard to read.

Noelle, feeling flustered, stammered, "Sir, if you don't have a girlfriend, what do you think of me?"

For a split second, Cedric's gaze deepened. It was as if an electric current shot through him. He quickly pulled away, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "You're drunk." Without another word, Cedric started the car and drove toward the apartment. The ride was silent. It took Cedric a long time to suppress the strange tugging in his chest. At a red light, he finally spoke. "You're still young. You don't understand what love really is."

Noelle didn't reply. When Cedric glanced over, he saw that she had already fallen asleep. He couldn't help but smile helplessly.

Cedric had spent the entire drive overthinking, yet she had passed out without a second thought. He could only hope she wouldn't remember any of this in the morning. As they arrived at the apartment, Cedric gently flicked Noelle's forehead. "Wake up."

Noelle swatted his hand away and turned to sleep again.

Cedric stared at her for a moment before sighing. In one smooth motion, he lifted her out of the car and carried her inside.

Once he laid her on the bed, he carefully removed her high heels and pulled the blanket over her. He stood by the bed, looking at her with a complex expression. As he turned to leave, he heard her mumble, "Mom, I want some water."

His heart clenched at the sound of her calling out for her mother, feeling as though he couldn't breathe. A moment later, he returned with a glass of water. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he gently helped her sit up and drink.

After she finished, she unexpectedly wrapped her arms around him. "Mom, I miss you. You're the only one who's ever been good to me."

Cedric sat stiffly by the bed, holding the empty glass. He didn't know how to respond. For the first time in a long while, he felt completely helpless.

The soft glow of the city lights

filtered through the window, casting shadows over the room. As he

gazed at her peaceful face, Cedric couldn't shake the feeling that something between them had shifted. noveldrama

The next morning, Noelle woke up with a pounding headache. She groaned, rubbing her temples. She must've drunk too much last night.

She vaguely remembered sneaking

some beer when Cedric wasn't looking, but everything after that was a blur, Glancing down, she realized she was still in her dress from the night before. She felt slightly uncomfortable and quickly took a shower to refresh herself.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't piece together what had happened. After some hesitation, Noelle decided to head next door to Cedric's apartment. She punched in the code and let herself in. As the door opened, Cedric stepped out of the bathroom in a loose bathrobe. Her gaze flickered, instantly landing on his abs.

Her face heated up instantly.