Here is a culturally localized adaptation of your passage, tailored for a Western audience:


    "That''s just the ssic case of wanting what you can''t have."


    Miranda cut right to the heart of it.


    "In these stories, the man wants to sleep with the woman, but she turns him down,


    so he bes even more obsessed. It''s either real feelings, or he just can''t stand the bruised ego of being rejected. Most people are wired that way-if something''s out of reach, they be fixated. But once they finally get it, the thrill fades, and eventually they get bored."


    So, if M wanted Lysander to leave her alone, should she just let him win?


    Why should she have to? The thought made her angry. She just couldn''t understand people like him.


    He saw something, and he had to have it. If he couldn''t, he''d push and push, never giving up. And once he finally got it, he''d toss it aside-never losing a thing himself. It was like she was just an object to him.


    But if this dragged on any longer, she was going to lose her mind.


    M spent the whole night thinking about it, and finally decided she had to talk to Lysander, to find some kind of middle ground.


    She couldn''t keep going like this.


    She needed a way out.


    A quiet corner booth at a restaurant just off campus.


    "Made up your mind?"


    Lysander sat on the stiff leather seat, looking mildly annoyed. His gaze lingered on the girl across from him, her eyes burning with intensity, and there was a flicker of amusement in his own.


    M took a deep breath. "I''m not for sale. I''m a person."


    When she said it, her eyes shone with the fierce brightness of a summer sun. It was impossible to focus on her pretty features; the strength in her gaze stole all the attention.


    Like a pearl brushed with dust, her glow could not be hidden.


    Mid out the n she''de up with overnight: a contract rtionship, with a set time limit. For that period, they''d act as boyfriend and girlfriend. It didn''t have to be public, but there would be boundaries-no crossing the line.


    Lysander also wouldn''t get to meddle in the rest of her life.


    She''d put up with being his girlfriend for a while, certain that, before the deadline, he''d get bored of her.


    After all, there were plenty of girls out there better than her. She was just ordinary. And he? He was probably just in it for the thrill.


    Lysander watched the light in her eyes, his own expression turning thoughtful as he listened to her proposal. Suddenly, the idea of having her as a girlfriend didn''t sound so bad.


    He was tired of this game, too.


    It wasn''t like they were getting married. Once he''d had his fun, he could end things whenever he wanted.


    As for boundaries-there was no rush. He''d make sure M woulde to him willingly in the end.


    It was always more fun to win someone''s heart, only to crush itter.


    With that thought, he nodded slightly, a faint smile ying at the corners of his


    eyes. "Fine. Let''s set a deadline. Six months, and then it''s over."


    "No way!" M shot back without thinking. "One month!"


    His gaze darkened. "Are you ying games with me?"


    "Two months, then," M pushed, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "Or are you


    saying you''re so crazy about me that two months isn''t enough?"


    Lysanderughed, all mockery and disdain. "Two months, then."


    It was settled.


    M finally breathed a little easier. At least there was hope. Then she heard Lysander''s voice, teasing and yful.


    "Come here, girlfriend."


    "Wait-one more thing. You don''t have another girlfriend, do you?" M was wary —she didn''t trust Lysander''s sense of boundaries, and she wasn''t about to get sucked into something dangerous.


    He smirked. "Just you."


    M clenched her fists, hesitated, then slid over to sit beside him. Before she could react, he pressed her back against the seat and kissed her, hot and hungry.


    She gritted her teeth and stayed still.


    It''s fine, she told herself. As long as they didn''t sleep together, she''d treat it like being bitten by a dog... It was only for two months, anyway.


    In the dim corner of the restaurant, sparks flew.


    His kiss was feverish, his eyes zed with want, but even as he held her tightly, her gaze stayed clear-steady, unshaken.


    Desire spun a web between them, but it was impossible to tell who was really caught.


    Or whose heart would break first.


    M was jolted awake.


    She blinked into Archie''s grinning face, his smile wide and sunlit as he called out to her.


    "Hey, M! We''re here-Magnolia Harbor!"


    She blinked, turning to the window. Outside, the city lights glittered against the night.


    They''d made it to Magnolia Harbor-entrance to the legendary "Road to Heaven."


    Her heart thudded in her chest, restless with anticipation. Aheady the unknown —a promise of freedom, wide open and dazzling.