Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 155

“…What’s the problem with that? You know I have no functional issues.”

After what felt like a long, heavy silence—though it was barely a minute—Ashley spoke. He didn’t try to buy time by lying, saying things like How would you know that? or That’s not true. The source was too obvious.

“That’s why it’s strange.”

Ariel readily presented the basis for her thoughts.

“As you said, when you dated me, you had no qualms. If I had been as naive as Koi, you wouldn’t have dated me in the first place, would you? Because your style was always cool girls in every aspect. Like me.”

She wasn’t wrong. No, she was accurate. Before he fell for Koi, Ariel was the most ideal partner among all those Ashley had dated. She always maintained appropriate boundaries, had leadership skills as the head of the cheerleading team, was proactive, excellent in both sports and academics, and was a strikingly beautiful woman with great legs.

In short, Ariel was the perfect girlfriend herself. Ashley had never once felt dissatisfied with Ariel, and his affection for her was deep. That’s why falling for Koi was completely unexpected.

However, Ashley wasn’t about to readily admit that fact.

“Haven’t you considered that it might not have been easy to sleep with a man?”

Ashley asked sarcastically. But Ariel lightly crushed his weak resistance with her heel.

“Ash, you wouldn’t have been able to sleep with Koi even if he had presented as an Omega. If Koi had told you he couldn’t, with tears welling up in his big eyes, you would have gone into the bathroom and rubbed yourself raw until you finished.”

“How can you be so sure?”

In contrast to Ashley’s displeasure, Ariel said with a full smile,

“Because you kept dating Koi even though you couldn’t have sex with him.”

The confident reply was met with a scoff.

“It seems your memory of me is that of a sex-crazed person.”

To his clear sneer, Ariel didn’t flinch at all and spoke.

“No, the you in my memory was just a normal guy in that regard.”

She looked straight at Ashley and continued.

“You weren’t exceptionally lustful, but you also weren’t someone who would hold back for the sake of your partner. I know, even if you dated someone you liked, if you weren’t satisfied in that area, you wouldn’t have waited; you would have just found someone else. But you waited for Koi for over a year? And didn’t break up even after his presentation? If you cared for Koi that much, then Koi was never just someone you casually dated and broke up with. He was that special.”

Ariel meticulously dissected the truth, mercilessly digging into it. Ashley, who had remained silent even after she finished speaking, finally broke the silence after a long time.

“Is that all? Just that I didn’t sleep with a Beta?”

“No, there’s one more thing.”

In a quiet voice, Ariel continued as if she had been waiting.

“You were generous to your friends, but there was a clear line. Even if you occasionally bought meals, it was always at a Greenbelt level, and even if you gave birthday gifts, they were always gifts within our budget; you never spent excessively. But everything with Koi is exceptional, isn’t it?”

She was like a sports car with broken brakes. Accelerating, and only accelerating.

“You’re buying him such expensive clothes even though it’s been over ten years since you broke up? Just to support a friend’s date? That’s ridiculous. That’s not you, Ashley Miller. What remains unchanged, then and now, is the fact that Koi is an exception in every situation.”

Ariel, who had shaken her head as she spoke, stared directly at Ashley.

“Now, tell me honestly. Why are you playing such silly games, saying things like ‘friends’ and whatever, when you still have lingering feelings for Koi?”

If Ashley’s answer wasn’t to her liking, Ariel looked ready to beat him until she got the answer she wanted. The difference from the past was that she would beat him with words, not fists.

Ashley didn’t answer immediately, taking a deep drag from his cigarette. Ariel quickly glanced at her wristwatch. There were only about three minutes left. It was enough time for him to stall and get by.

He’d probably annoy opponents like this in court too, she thought, and her fists clenched involuntarily. To avoid the mistake of committing assault in a lawyer’s office, she deliberately opened and closed her fists several times to relax. Ashley, who exhaled smoke, oblivious to her emotions, finally spoke.

“Do you think I’d harm Koi?”

“Of course. Koi might fall for your lies, but I won’t.”

To Ariel, who answered quickly, Ashley unexpectedly offered a faint smile. Seeing Ariel pause for a moment, he said,

“You seem to have an enormous distrust of me.”

Ashley continued in a slow tone,

“My wish for Koi to be happy is sincere.”

As Ariel frowned, he gave a wry smile and lightly raised both hands.

“Why wouldn’t I? As you know, we ended things ten years ago, and I can extend that much goodwill to a classmate I met again after so long.”

His demeanor was incredibly relaxed.

“Koi is… how should I put it, as pure now as he was then. I was just worried that he might mess up his date if he took it too literally.”

His tone sounded as if he was greatly concerned for the other person, but the underlying sarcastic nuance made it utterly unpleasant. If Koi had heard those words, he would have taken them at face value, but fortunately, Ariel was here. She looked at him with a face full of distrust.

“You’re saying you did it truly for Koi’s sake?”

“Yes.”

To his immediate reply, Ariel promptly asked,

“Why?”

Ashley answered leisurely again.

“I told you, I want Koi to be happy.”

He brought the cigarette to his lips again, narrowing his eyes.

“Koi didn’t hear that from me, did he?”

“I did. That’s why I rushed here.”

Ariel retorted immediately. Before she heard another stomach-churning remark, she continued,

“I don’t believe at all that you wish for Koi’s happiness. Are you really sincere? You’d genuinely congratulate him even if Koi loved, kissed, married, and had children with someone else?”

“Of course, if that makes Koi happy.”

Ashley’s reply came at a perfectly appropriate timing, neither too fast nor too slow. He even smiled leisurely, as if he was already accustomed to this level of torture. That’s why Ariel was even more suspicious of Ashley.

“What’s your reason? There’s no reason for you to so earnestly wish for someone else’s happiness.”

She might not get a proper answer. Ariel thought so, looking at Ashley’s shameless face. But it didn’t matter. Her purpose for coming here today was different.

As expected, Ashley checked his wristwatch instead of answering. There was little time left. Ariel finally brought up her purpose for being there.

“Then you don’t care who Koi is with or what he does, right?”

“As long as Koi is happy.”

Ashley said, still wearing a fake smile. Perhaps he was confident that Koi wouldn’t be able to have a proper relationship anyway. He must never find out that Koi still liked Ashley, and that Ashley was the only person he had ever dated. Koi probably wouldn’t even try to hide it, but Ariel wouldn’t tolerate such a thing.

“You seem to think he’s still naive and can’t even date properly.”

Ariel readily picked up the pride Koi had thrown away.

“Women have a knack for recognizing good men. Besides, Koi has grown taller and is now considered quite handsome. Do you understand what I mean?”

She continued leisurely.

“You’re not the only one who won’t leave him alone even if he just stands there. Koi has gained quite a bit of experience too, so he’s probably developed some discernment.”

Ariel deliberately finished her sentence and instead smiled sweetly. Ashley was still smiling at her, but it was somehow like a mask.

“…Gained experience?”

“Yes.”

Ariel nodded vigorously, then asked,

“Just as Koi doesn’t know what happened to you during the ten years you were apart, you don’t know anything either. Right?”

Ashley didn’t answer. Ariel demonstratively checked her wristwatch, then turned the watch face around to show Ashley.

“Three seconds ago.”

Ariel deliberately recited the remaining time, then smiled.

“Finished within time, right?”

She readily stood up and, before heading for the door, looked at Ashley and said,

“Then, trusting that you won’t interfere with Koi no matter what happens from now on, I’ll be leaving. Thank you for your time.”

Adding a polite farewell, she turned and walked away. Only the rhythmic footsteps continued in the quiet office. Just as Ariel grabbed the doorknob, Ashley, who had been silent until then, opened his mouth.

“You asked why I wanted Koi to be happy, didn’t you?”

At his quiet voice, Ariel slowly turned around. Just as she felt an ominous premonition, he said with a chilling smile,

“The higher you climb, the greater the impact when you fall to the bottom.”

Rarely, Ariel didn’t react immediately. At first, she didn’t understand what she had heard, and then she wasn’t sure if she had heard correctly. But Ashley’s smiling face, directed at her, was too real, and she confirmed that Ashley Miller was an unparalleled bastard.

“Right.”

Ariel, who had finally composed herself, smiled back and retorted,

“It would really hurt to fall from this height, wouldn’t it? You should have gotten the most expensive insurance.”

She said, sounding worried, then added in a soft, incredibly gentle voice,

“Listen carefully, Ashley Dominique Miller. If you make Koi cry one more time, I will gouge out your precious purple eyes.”

To her words, which were utterly harsh despite her tone, Ashley smiled shamelessly and said,

“Oh, how scary.”

Ariel gave him one more bright smile, as if to say she would truly turn him to dust if he disobeyed her.

“Oh, and one more thing.”

Just as she seemed about to leave, she turned back as if remembering something she had deliberately forgotten.

“You’re not thinking that since Koi is a Beta, a man would be okay, are you? Koi dated you before, too.”

“…What are you trying to say?”

Ashley asked in a slow tone. Ariel replied without losing her smile.

“Koi’s partner could be a woman, or a man.”

“…”

“Just in case you haven’t realized it yet. …Oh, I’ve gone over time. Sorry, I’ll leave now.”

She added brightly,

“I hope you squeeze the blood out of many more innocent people today and earn even more money, Lawyer Miller.”

Soon, she opened the door and left the office. And Ashley was finally alone.