Chapter b182 /bA bdream /b

    Marcelo lit a cigarette and took a drag. Marvin was still there. Perhaps it was sympathy, or maybe boredomb, /bbut Marcelo offered him a stick.

    Marvin promptly declinedb, /bsaying, “Sarah doesn’t like the smell of smoke.”

    “As if you can even meet with her tonight,” Marcelo mocked.

    Marvin made a face, but ultimately epted the cigarette. “You’re one to o talk,” he retorted. “Aren’t we on the same boat?”

    That night, Sarah had a dream.

    In it, she was living in arge t located in the city center. Although spacious, the unit only had one bedroomb, /bwith the other two rooms having been converted into a study and a collection room.

    Marvin was there, too, sleeping on her living room sofa for the time being.

    In the dreamb, /bSarah was sleeping peacefully in her bedroom when the locked door suddenly swung open from the outside. A tall and imposing man walked in and sat on the side of her bed, silently staring at her.

    She couldn’t see his face clearly, but she felt an overwhelming sense of fear, like a prey would whenered by wild beasts.

    The man then held her hand.

    Sarah wanted to struggle and break away, but she couldn’t even open her eyes.

    Then she began to gently stroke her face.

    Once again, she tried to roll over and avoid his touch, but she still couldn’t move.

    The next thing she knew, the man was kissing her passionately.

    The kiss felt familiar somehow, and the first thing that popped in her mind was Marvin’s face. “Ahh!” Sarah jolted awake, he eyes wide open, her heart racing.

    “What’s wrong, Sarah?” Renee asked groggily after

    aking up f

    from her scream.

    “I…Nothing. Nothing, I just had a nightmare. It’s that dream againb” /bSarah murmured the words, still in a daze from the implications of that cursed dream.

    “Don’t be scared,” Reneeforted her in her state of half–sleep. ‘It’s okay.”

    Sarah got up to drink some water. She needed a drink of water to calm her nerves.

    She suddenly recalled the first time Marvin had stayed over. He had insisted that she drink a ss of milk every night, iming that it would make her sleep better. She hadplied thenb, /bnot wanting to argue with a sick man.

    Sarah eventually got tired of it about a week ago. As a result, she discreetly poured half bof /bthe milk Marvin had prepared for her

    down the sink.

    The dreams started around then.

    And they never stopped sinceb, /blike some ghostly vision that constantly haunted her.

    A chilling thought crossed Sarah’s mind. What if something was added to the milk? What if Marvin had drugged her?

    But for what purpose?

    Sarah was certain that she had never woken up with any physical difort, nor had she found any marks on her skin. Marvin couldn’t have done anything to her in her sleep. So, why?

    ****

    *

    When Renee woke up the next morning, she found Sarah staring

    ss on the coffee table. “Sarah, what are you looking at?b” /b

    Renee walked over and sniffed the ss. It was just milk. “You look pale. Are you still thinking about your nightmareb?/bb” /b

    upon an even bigger nightmare, one that had breal /b

    “Yeah.” If she were being honest, Sarah was afraid that she had just stumbled up -life implications.

    Renee sat beside her and hugged her. “It’s all right. I’m with you.

    “Hmm.”

    The pair freshened up and went to the cafeteria to get breakfast.

    Before leaving, Sarah made a point of pouring all the milk down the toilet.

    The university cafeteria was buzzing during lunchtime.

    Renee and Sarah picked out their food and settled down in

    quiet spot.

    Before long, other students started sitting nearby.

    “Did you catch a glimpse of that amazing Pagani by the south gate?b” /b

    “I’m over at the west gate, so I missed it. But did you hear about the two good–looking guys?”

    “Really? I only heard about the car. I don’t know which guy from our school has it, but I’d call him ‘daddy‘ just for a chance to see it up close!”

    Renee and Sarah, both having graduated, exchanged smiles, thinking back on their own college experiences.

    At a different table, the chatter was even livelier.

    “I was up all night, stepped out to the balcony for some air, and saw two incredibly good–looking guys!”

    “Where were they? Do you have a picture? Let’s

    S see it!”

    “No pictures! They were by the alumni guesthouse and the graduate dorms. When I headed out this morning, they were still there, as if they hadn’t moved all night.”

    “We should check it out after this!”

    Renee and Sarah’s smiles turned

    The alumni guesthouse…

    Wasn’t that their current addressb? /b

    to

    ”

    frozen expressions.

    “Could it possibly be Marvin?” Renee questioned, her voiceced with unease.

    Sarah responded with a shake of her head, “They mentioned two people. Vance isn’t bad to look at, but he’s no match for Marvin.”

    “Maybe it’s Marcelo?” Sarah thought.

    Renee dismissed the idea with a head shake. “Marcelo’s usually too busy for that.”

    bShe /bremembered their recent argument, causing a sharpb, /bsqueezing pain in her heart.

    bIt /bhad been over a day since shest spoke to Marcelo.

    “I’ll go check it out when I return,” Sarah remarkedb, /bconcerned about Marvin.

    “Alright.” bRenee /bnodded.

    After finishing her meal, she left to deliver her lecture..

    Back at the alumni guesthouse, Sarah actually saw Marvin.

    He was subtly hiding behind a tree, almost invisible unless specifically searched for.

    The Pagani that the students talked about was not in sight.

    Marvin spotted Sarah from a distance, their eyes meeting in a tranquil exchange.

    Without showing any emotion, Sarah walked towards him.

    She gazed at him silently.

    Marvin looked back at her evenly, showing no regret for not following her instructions.

    Then he broke the silence. “I skipped breakfast.”

    Sarah was at a loss for words. ulli/li/ul

    Noticing Marvin was still in the clothes from the day before, Sarah let out a sigh. “Have you been here all night?”

    “Yes.”

    “Didn’t I ask you to go home?” Her tone softened, a habit she’d developed over thest month. “Go home. I’ll be here for a few days.”

    “How many days, exactly?” Marvin’s question was pointed.

    Sarah’s expression tightened. “Marvinb, /byou can’t keep following me. You have your own path, and I have my life.”

    But for Marvin, wasn’t she the path he chose?

    His gaze intensified. “Why can’t I be with you always? Sarah, do you not like me?”

    What a surprise!

    Marvin, usually so strong and unyielding, now asked her if she disliked him, resembling a proud but affectionate dog…

    Sarah was taken aback by his straightforward question.

    Would someone like him really sneak into her room at night?

    Or was it just a fleeting dream, spurred by his kisses?