Chapter 91 - First Name Basis

"She's gone," Devon murmured as Ghost Lin seemed to be in a hurry. Her brows furrowed as she felt that something was wrong with the ghost, but couldn't pinpoint it.

Lewis relaxed his shoulders with her brief distraction. "The ghost is gone?"

Devon pouted and nodded. For reasons unknown, she felt a little sad seeing Ghost Lin, go off like that. It made her think that Ghost Lin would just go on her own someday and never come back. 

"Do you really like that ghost?" Devon snapped back from her thoughts upon Lewis' question. 

"I just don't like her, but I owed her my life." 

He furrowed his brows, as it sounded that Devon really meant it. As he studied her, Devon glanced at him and took a deep breath.

"You're really strange, you know," she murmured, and that made his brow knit even more. 

"You think?" 

"Didn't you say you don't believe in something like ghosts or being possessed?" Devon tilted her head to the side as she still remembered it very clearly, as if he just said it yesterday. "But you easily believed that I have a ghost as a friend. Will you believe me if I say I am not Devon?" 

Lewis froze at her question but immediately recovered. Although he didn't give her an immediate answer, his eyes never left her.

"Can I ask you a question?" Devon inquired after receiving silence as an answer.

"You're already asking me, though."

Devon resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she cleared her throat. "What do you think of me before the incident? I mean, before I lost my memories."

"I already told you about that, didn't I?" Lewis cocked his head to the side. "Why are you asking me again?"

"Romantically. That's my question, did you see me in the romantic light?" she asked, and that caught him off-guard, 

Lewis had to trace his memories and feelings several months ago. He knew, obviously, that he didn't bear any romantic feelings towards Devon in the past… or did he really not like her before? Now that Lewis thought more about it, in some way, he was attracted to Devon that night they met — it was a fleeting attraction, but he was attracted to her at some level.

Devon pursed her lips as she studied his expression. She knew she shouldn't have asked that, so she forced a smile.

"You don't have to answer. It's just… I was curious, but that's all."

"What will you do with the answer if I gave it to you?" he raised a brow, leaning over with his arms against the edge of the table. 

His question rendered her speechless. What would she do with the answer? Devon didn't think that far, obviously. It was just a question that crossed her mind after seeing Ghost Lin, and it made her wonder if Lewis liked her because she was Devon, or because of the change.

"I don't know." Devon gazed down. She hasn't even asked Ghost Lin if she ever liked Lewis at some point in her life as well. Knowing Ghost Lin and her complicated feelings, Devon couldn't make a wild guess. 

"I liked you before," Lewis said after a moment of contemplation, as it seemed she was feeling down so suddenly. "But I like you even better now."

Devon slowly raised her head, blinking as she set her eyes on him. Lewis continued as he nonchalantly forked his food.

"You might think it's strange for me to say this — cruel and selfish even, but I'll be happier if you're indeed possessed instead of just losing your memory," Lewis muttered as he continued to play with his food. "Because losing your memory gives higher chances that you will recover them."

"Did you harass me before so you don't want me to retrieve my memories?"

"No, but on top of the thought, you will return to how you were..." He paused as he slowly raised his gaze to her. "You might just leave completely."

Because the Devon he knew was not the forgiving type. If Devon fell for him in her current state, she could easily say it was because she didn't have memories of herself once she retrieved her memories. Who knew? She might end their contract since he might think he seduced her despite the issue at hand.

"I've been taking advantage of you since the beginning, so you might feel cheated once you…"

"I'm possessed." Devon cut him off and just admitted it. He might not believe it, but it was better for him to think like that.

The corner of his lips curled into a smile as he let out a low, bitter chuckle. "Sure, if that's what you say."

"You don't sound like you mean it." Devon pointed out, and Lewis just raised his shoulders.

She stared at him for a while and spoke. "Don't forget about the previous Devon. I want you to cherish her and remember her as someone who had been there for you."

Lewis arched his brow, baffled at her sudden remarks, but said nothing. Devon took a deep breath, continuing, as she didn't want Lewis to forget Ghost Lin.

"However, I also want you to look at me as me, without comparing me to my previous self. I don't mind other people doing that, but not you."

"Why? Am I someone special?"

"You're strange." Devon expressed without answering his dumb question. 

"I am not strange if you put yourself in my shoes." He shrugged, leaning back comfortably. 

"Well, maybe, but I'm not in your shoes, nor do I think I will ever be," Devon argued with a nod. "I made an acquaintance today, and he asked me if he can call me by my first name."

Lewis raised a brow while crossing his arm. "Who?" 

"Does it matter?" she cocked her head to the side. "That's not the point why I'm telling you this."

"What's the point then?"

"You." Devon pointed at him, making him furrow his brows. "You never called me by my first name nor you asked me about it."

That rendered him speechless. It was because he was used to calling her Miss Lin and it somehow reminded him of a certain line between them.

"I called them by their first name as a courtesy, but…" she trailed off and pressed her lips together. Her motto in this lifetime — live life without regrets — flashing in her head, so she mustered the courage to speak her mind.

"… I want to call you by your first name too, but you never called me by my first name. So, can I demand a change?" Her fingers played with each other as she cautiously looked at him.

Lewis opened his mouth but had difficulty answering. "Up to you."

"Really?" Her face brightened up, and he nodded. When she tried, a problem arose.

"Then, Le, Le," Devon's tongue kept rolling back, feeling awkward by calling him by his first name.

"Devon." She flinched when Lewis uttered her name under his breath.

"Yes?"

"Devon." He repeated without looking at her, his eyes fixed on the table. "Dev…"

"Baby, did you like my name that much?" Devon inquired, snapping his back from his trance as he slowly raised his head, wide-eyed.