Chapter 164: Arrogance
Man, that question was a real brain-buster. No way I was gonna just wing it.
"Come on, it's just a run-in. What's the big deal? You scared of him or something? This ain't like you, man. You gotta get your mojo back. There's a bunch of young guns out there ready to take your spot. Time to snap out of it and get your confidence back."
I put on my best worried face, cupping my chin and looking all pitiful. Brad, finding it hilarious, yanked me into his coat and gave my hair a good ruffle.
Finally, after what felt like forever, I managed to catch a breath of fresh air, only to hear Daniel's heavy snort from behind.
I pouted, Brad frowned, and we both exchanged a look before pretending we didn't hear a thing.
Seriously, not even being able to chill with Brad—some people just didn't get how annoying and intrusive they were.
Once we got off the plane, the three of us grabbed a cab back to school.
As soon as we hit the school gate, my worst fear came true.
The cab couldn't go inside the campus and had to stop at the gate.
It was move-in day, so there were students with luggage everywhere, most of them rocking hats 'cause of the cold, making it hard to recognize anyone.
After hopping out of the cab, I stood by, waiting for Brad to grab our bags, and that's when I saw John lugging a bright pink suitcase in one hand and holding Zoe's hand with the other, walking right past our car.
Zoe probably didn't expect to run into us. When she saw Daniel standing there, she froze, her face going through a whole range of ugly expressions.
John saw us too. He and Daniel locked eyes over Zoe's head, both looking ready to throw down.
One looked like he could kill, the other was ice-cold.
Zoe, caught in the middle, didn't dare look at Daniel. She clung to John, looking as fragile and in need of protection as ever.
Back in the day, whenever Zoe had any trouble, she'd hide behind Daniel, who always had her back. Now, after totally betraying him, she was seeking shelter with John.
I couldn't even imagine what Daniel was feeling seeing this.
As for me, I was pissed.
Betrayal is betrayal. No excuses, no justifications.
Brad and I were gonna bounce after grabbing our bags, but seeing John, we worried Daniel might get hurt again, so we decided to stick around.
If it were up to Brad and me, we'd always have Daniel's back.
We all just stood there, staring each other down for a good two minutes until Zoe, looking all guilty and weak, almost collapsed. John then wrapped his arm around her waist and led her away.
Their retreating figures looked so damn smug.
Even after they were long gone, Daniel kept staring in their direction, his eyes cold, and the air around him felt like it was freezing.
I had no clue what was going through Daniel's mind.
"Let's head inside," Brad said.
Daniel snapped out of it, grabbed his suitcase, and walked off quickly, disappearing into the crowd.
"Brad, Daniel's kinda scary right now. You think he'll do something stupid?"
"Don't sweat it. He's a grown man. He knows what's up and what not to do."
Man, I really hoped he wouldn't stir up any trouble.
The doorman at the apartment was in a good mood. Seeing my big ol' suitcase, she surprisingly let Brad help me upstairs.
My place was on the third floor, and the door was wide open, meaning Mindy was already back.
"Mindy, hey..." I called out, bouncing to the door, but I swallowed my words and turned to Brad with a goofy grin.
I was worried about Zoe and Daniel running into each other, and they did at the school gate.
Brad was worried about me running into Louis, and there he was, in my apartment.
Louis was bending down to stash a suitcase in the upper cabinet. Hearing the noise, he turned around, his hands suddenly pausing, and the suitcase almost slipped from his grip.
Mindy reached out to steady it, saving Louis from a potential injury.
Louis stared at me, his face showing raw longing and sadness, making me feel a bit lost.
I didn't expect to meet him like this.
I wasn't ready!
Mindy noticed Louis's change, her previously bright eyes now filled with sorrow, and she gave me a bitter smile.
I scratched my head and laughed awkwardly. This was too embarrassing.
Mindy liked Louis, Louis liked me, and I liked Brad. Brad, he was the end of this love chain.
"Why are you blocking the door? Move, let's go inside," Brad said in a deep voice.
Louis paused and hesitantly asked me, "Is this Brad?"
There was no avoiding it. I was openly dating, nothing to hide. I boldly held Brad's hand and walked in. "Yep, he's also my boyfriend on probation."
The light in Louis's eyes shattered a bit, his body swayed slightly, and he forced a smile, turning back to tidy Mindy's bed, his movements flustered and disordered.
I had hurt Louis, who had loved me for many years.
The fact that I had a boyfriend would eventually become known to everyone, but meeting Louis this way was unexpected and unavoidable.
Hurting him was not my intention.
My principle has always been, if I couldn't love him, I wouldn't give him false hope. It might be harsh, but it wouldn't cause any damage.
"Brad, let me introduce you. You already know Louis, so I won't say more. This is my roommate, Mindy. Mindy, this is my boyfriend, Brad."
Mindy suddenly realized and pointed at Brad, complaining, "Jane, is this the handsome guy you video chat with every day? When did he become your boyfriend? Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were good friends."
"I was going to tell you. But a lot happened during that time, and I forgot. To make it up to you, how about I treat you all to dinner? Is that okay?"
Louis's movements stiffened, and he sat down on a chair, forcing a smile. "No need for an apology. We can have dinner together, my treat."
Brad, holding my hand, smiled. "Let me treat anyway. I'll help Jane unpack, and you two girls can decide what to eat. Once we're done, we'll go together and not waste any time."
After unpacking, Louis and Brad went out for a smoke.
I grinned and nudged Mindy. "Mindy, you two are progressing fast."
"His mom forced it."
"Who cares? As long as he's here. Just get along well with Louis's mom. I can tell, Louis listens to his parents a lot."
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