Chapter 482 No Struggle
Mia really didn't want to go, and I totally got why. So, I told Brad I was gonna stick with her. The party was mostly dudes, and I didn't know many of them. If I went, it wouldn't be much fun for me and might make them feel awkward and not enjoy themselves.
Brad joked that I was ditching a good party to bug someone in love, but he didn't push me to go.
Hunter, on the other hand, was relentless. He said almost everyone from our old crew was coming, and it was a rare chance to hang out. He didn't want anyone to miss it.
Especially me. He thought I should be there the most. Over the years, I'd been with them, and they treated me like a good friend. If I didn't go, it would feel like something was missing.
I remembered those days at the Northern Institute of the Arts when I'd have dinner with Hunter and the gang several times a week. We'd laugh and chat, and everyone took special care of me because of Brad.
Thinking back after more than two years, it felt pretty special, so I decided to go.
Brad also hoped I'd go, thinking it was a big part of reliving our college days.
With all this in mind, I didn't overthink it. I told Mia and agreed to go to the party.
I thought I'd be the only girl at the gathering, but Mia was there too, which surprised me since she hadn't mentioned she was coming.
When Brad and I got to the restaurant, most of the people were already there. They seemed to know each other well and were chatting happily.
Mia had arrived even earlier than me. She was sitting by the window, playing with her phone. When she saw me, she smiled and waved me over.
After saying hi to everyone, I sat next to Mia and complained that she hadn't told me she was coming, which almost made me skip the party.
Mia took my bag and put it away, looking a bit serious. She said, "You'll find out soon enough."
"Mia, since when did you start keeping secrets from me?" I playfully punched her.
Mia knew I wouldn't hit hard and didn't dodge. Instead, she grabbed my hand and told me to chill. "Because I wasn't sure if the news was accurate. I didn't want to mislead you or catch you off guard." Mia's serious tone made me drop the playful act. Feeling a bit uneasy, I asked her what she knew.
She opened her phone and showed me a message from an unknown number. Benjamin: [I heard Jenny will be at the gathering. I wonder if Jane can handle it.]I didn't really care much about it. Jenny had been out of our lives for so long that I could barely remember her face.
If the message was really from Benjamin, given his close ties with Brad back then, he would've sent it directly to Brad, not Mia.
From what I could tell, Benjamin sent the message to Mia because he wanted to see her. He used me as an excuse to lure Mia in, knowing she wouldn't ignore anything related to me.
I shrugged it off.
"Why aren't you worried at all? Knowing Jenny, she wouldn't go half a year without stirring up something. We need to be cautious." Mia was anxious and pinched me.
Rubbing my sore arm, I smiled and said, "It's just a message from an unknown number. No need to freak out."
Mia looked around and lowered her voice. "If I weren't worried about you, I would've gone to Snow City."
I replied, "She pulled so many stunts before and never did anything to us. Don't worry. Brad's here, and so are you. I'm not scared of her."
Mia said, "Better safe than sorry. I'll sit next to you during dinner. If she tries anything, I'll handle it."
While we were talking, a few more people showed up. Mia and I didn't know them, so Hunter introduced us, and we officially met.
With nothing else to do, Hunter came over to chat with Mia and me.
When alumni get together, the conversation often drifts back to their school days.
Somehow, we started talking about the time when three friends from our dorm rebelliously went to a bar. Hunter slapped his thigh and said, "Brad went nuts that day, running so fast. When he fought, he was brutal. That was the first time I saw Brad's wild side. It was pretty scary. Brad obviously liked you, but he didn't say anything and just acted like a good friend. Luckily, you two are dating now. Otherwise, I would've been worried for Brad."
I also remembered that day, feeling my ears heat up.
That day, Brad not only beat up the bad guys but also spanked me for the first time. It was so embarrassing.
Turns out everyone knew Brad liked me, just like Mia had said, except for me.
I was so clueless. My bad.
"Jane is so oblivious. Brad made his feelings so obvious, but she didn't notice." Whenever this came up, Mia acted like a worried mom.
"Let's talk about something else. That day was so embarrassing. Can we not bring it up?" I quickly interrupted, afraid Hunter would mention Benjamin again, and stopped them from continuing the topic.
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