My Soulmates are IDOLS 1 | Limelight🎇| 18+ [Reverse Harem]

72: why not

Amber paused mid-sip of coffee.

"Twenty."

"I see," he mused.

She could tell that there were a lot of questions brewing in his mind. Questions that he itched to ask but didn't know if he could. His face was stiff with his thoughts and he was mashing his lips a little as he pondered.

"Ask me whatever you want," Amber said. "I won't take offence. It's the least I could do for the help you've given me," she smiled. "This can be my interview for the job you're offering me, whatever it is."

She said the last bit hoping that he would take the bite and explain to her what exactly was his job offer.

He chewed and swallowed. "Sure," he smirked, then he attacked. "Why the club of all places?"

"I have classes in the morning, an internship on certain days. Working at night works better for my schedule and I need the money. It pays better than other places because of the odd hours and the requirements." She said.

"I get that. Not judging, just curious," he stated clearly. Her face must have revealed her innermost thoughts because he replied to them quickly. Amber twitched. It seemed like Ezra could actually read her like the back of his hand. "Where do you go to school?"

Not information she could give without exposing her reasons. She hadn't told Sieon even though the guy had pleaded for that information. Her soulmate seemed very interested in picking her up after school for hugs.

His words, not hers.

"Somewhere nearby," she said cryptically.

"Every school nearby is expensive. Couldn't you have picked a cheaper one outside of this district?" He asked, looking at her with a frown.

Ouch.

"Hey, I'm not stupid. I have my reasons," she replied with a small quirk to her lips.

"Didn't say you were," he smirked. "Twenty, needing enough cash to risk being in danger of sexual predators and studying in an expensive school." He listed out in a low drawl. It sounded bad when he said it that way.

He raised a brow. "Soulmate here or something?"

So that was what he was trying to get at.

"Why are you asking?" She asked, not denying his accusations.

He was quiet, glancing down at the remains of his meal.

"Curious," he uttered softly, his eyes flickering to meet hers again.

"Curiosity killed the cat." She told him in English, smiling softly at him.

"But satisfaction brought it back." Ezra bit out with a cute Korean accent to his words. Amber's smile widened.

He did know the full phrase.

"Fine, I'll sate your curiosity. Yes." She popped a tomato in her mouth. "He's here, can't leave. So I follow."

"He stays here and you have to work your ass off to pay living expenses?" Ezra commented, raising a brow. "Damn, no offence. He fucking sucks if he's not paying this shit for you." He looked a little too pissed off for it to just be an offhand remark, the muscles in his jaw jutting out from his irritation.

"None taken." Especially since he was insulting himself. Amber almost wanted to laugh out loud. "It's not his fault, he doesn't know about me yet."

"Why not?" Ezra asked, brows furrowing. "Too famous or something?"

This was getting a bit too close for comfort.

"Maybe," she sighed. He gave her a look. "Okay, yes. Yes."

"He needs to know the truth," Ezra said to her. Amber blinked, the conversation was getting out of hand.

"I can't. He'll think I'm a crazy fan," she replied. He was silent for a minute as she polished off her salad.

"Soul bond difficult to prove?" He piped out finally. There was something in his eyes that made her spill a little more than she should.

"Yes, k-kind of."

"Fuck. That sucks," he exhaled softly, a smidge of disappointment in his voice.

"Yeah," Amber smiled. The situation amused her a little and she contemplated on whether to just come clean to him. But her resolve faltered as her brain reminded her yet again of MinJae's expression.

Disgust.

"I can try to help you if you want," he spoke again, dark eyes trained on hers. What? Amber blinked. "I'm famous enough for him to listen to me so I can help you out." His eyes were soft and sincere. "I can make him listen and I will if you let me."

"Why are you doing this for me?" The words came out of her mouth before she could stop it.

He was surprised at her question then he smiled.

"I like you," he shrugged as if liking her were something normal. Amber pinked at his words, feeling her heart race faster. "No offence but you're kind of putting yourself in dangerous situations that I wouldn't recommend. Don't want you getting killed or some shit before you meet your soulmate." The concern in his voice warmed her heart. "I mentioned my ex-partner, right?"

"Yes."

"We're not really lovers, just two lonely best friends with one too many drinks." He explained. "Anyway, he's fucking depressed because of his dead soulmate." Ezra sighed, shaking his head. "He's always wanted to meet her, has been longing for her his whole damn life. Then he lost her when he thought that for the first time in his life he would finally have a clue to her whereabouts."

He laughed bitterly. "It turned out to be the news of her death."

Huh. Amber simmered into a thoughtful expression. Ezra's words opened a new can of worms for her to decipher.

"I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anyone else. Nobody deserves it. Nobody."

His last words were firm and brutally harsh, the look in his eyes betrayed the amount of sorrow he felt for his best friend. It made her heart tremble a little and the burn of tears tinged at the back of her throat.

Amber buried that down. Right now, her fairy prince would hurt her if she got too close and she couldn't risk it. Because that would mean the possibility of throwing away her chance with the rest of her soulmates.

"What about you?" She changed the topic quickly.

"Me?"

"Got a soulmate?"

"Nah. Someone like me doesn't deserve that," he said nonchalantly with a shrug.

Amber was disgusted by those words. Seriously? Doesn't deserve? "Why not?"