Eric knew that Brian was bothered - he knew him too well, he could read it in his eyes. Eric continued to chatter with Brian about the island, completely disregarding Molly's presence. 'Since when did Brian start to trust her? Since when could we talk about business in front of a woman?' Eric thought, a grin plastered on his face.
As soon as they finished their conversation, Eric got up and left.
He got into his car and turned Molly's shell over his palm. His mind was racing - he couldn't take his mind off Molly's surprise when she saw him and how she turned red around Brian.
Eric felt his body stiffen up at this thought. He wished he didn't feel jealous but he did. He wished he was still too arrogant for these kinds of things but he wasn't.
Eric closed up his palm hiding the shell from his sight. He stared blankly outside - deep in thought. His face slowly broke into a smile - not the delightful kind of smile but the knowing kind of smile as if he was planning something, as if he had just figured something out. He turned the engine on and started to back his car up.
The next day, the sun shone so brightly in the early morning as if it was shining for the very first time.
Molly sat under a sunshade in the Seaview Hotel backyard, eating her breakfast alone. Brian and Tony had already left. Her mind was deep in thought, it was racing from what she had heard between Eric and Brian the previous night. The island was big enough for it to accommodate an underground scene, a place where the rich could squander off their money, but never a casino. And she heard that Brian was planning to operate a casino few times of the size of Grand Night Casino.
Molly lifted the glass of milk she was having for breakfast and touched her lips to the rim - lost in thought.
"Isn't it a little bit too early for you to be thinking about Brian?"
a voice suddenly said. The man took a seat beside Molly.
Molly had no idea how he got here - she usually had this place to herself. Molly hadn't realized that she had actually taken a sip from her glass and was chocked on her milk.
Molly, by this time, was coughing intensely.
Seeing this, Eric scoffed,"How old are you, anyway? Why can't you handle your milk?"
Despite the teasing, Eric still handed her paper towels to clean herself up and patted her on the back as she threw a fit of coughs. Eric touched her so gently, like he was not the man he was anymore.
Molly had just been spewing out the last of her coughs, her face completely red,"Are you really here just to scare people?"
Eric didn't seem to hear what Molly said. He was putting something around Molly. "What are you doing?" Molly asked, incredulous.
Eric stayed quiet as he clicked the necklace shut around Molly's neck. He turned her around, he was amused,"We've known each for forever and I've never had the chance to give you something."
"A necklace?" Molly asked, suspicious. She looked down to look at the necklace and her eyes lit up,"Is this the shell from last night?"
Molly lifted her head and met Eric's eyes, almost as if looking for something, almost as if she wanted to say something without speaking the words. Eric nodded. Her anger disappeared suddenly, replaced by delights.
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