Chapter 33: Charles will hurt you

Jessie stood still listening to Oswald. Her lips quivered and her eyes stayed fixed unblinkingly, still carrying the fear of the Kidnap night. The whole trouble that comes along with it, was what she never wanted to get herself entangled in, yet it still came around calling for her.
"You..." Luciana yelled out in anger, "you have no shame, even after everything that went on that day, you still have the face to work up to her spilling out this rubbish." Luciana took strides, going over to Oswald, "like how do you do this? At the party some weeks back, you made her feel terrible when you were in no place better, yet you still have the guts to show your face here. Gosh! How did we not see this unspeakable attitude of yours from the start?", Luciana lashed out, her heart pace increasing, with frustration all over her face.
"It's funny how you think I'm the only philanderer as you may call it. I hope your friend here is aware that she's just one of Charles's many girls. If you think I'm being crazy, you can ask Rebecca" Oswald shrugged, curving his lips upwards to an evil grin.
Jessie gulped on hearing Rebecca's name, she knew there was a thing going on between them, but she didn't know it was that obvious and that it had even gotten to the extent that Oswald could classify it as a thing.
Left in shock after hearing Oswald's words, Luciana regained her composure and looked at him, straight-faced, "you are entitled to say whatever you want to say, at least we have never seen him making Jessie feel guilty when he was the guilty one." Luciana turned to look at Jessie and didn't like the way her face was. She could feel the anxiousness Jessie always experienced coming back at her, so she realized it was high time she sent Charles away.
"I like that you are acting this strong, it will come straight at your face, Jessie, and it will break you. Then you will run to me", he smirked, drawing out his facial muscles, "who knows... My arms may still just be open."
"Enough Oswald, you should leave now." Luciana bawled out, her face wrapped up in firm persistence.
"And why should I?" He questioned, raising his brows inquisitively.
"Please, they are other ways we can decide to handle this, but I'm asking you politely, take yourself and your crappy talks out of here. I just hope you remember that I could report you though." She continued, trying to sound more polite this time.
"With no evidence???" he laughed, questioning Luciana with his head tilted to the side.
"I believe that is not your problem to handle, besides, the unfaded scars on your skin are enough evidence" Luciana pressed her lips together, giving Oswald a hard glare.
After so much deliberation, Oswald walked out from the trio, not forgetting to drop a "you will come back to me" stare at Jessie, who just rolled her eyes.
"Luciana, I have no idea what just happened now. Is there anything I don't know?" Alyssa inquired. It was not long since she started walking with the Ranez girls, and they filled her in on almost every piece of information in their lives. To her, they were the perfect friendship she could get as it took her some time to adjust to the people at Chelan college. Not just that, they came at the right time, filling in the vacuum that she felt in her life, especially as she was keeping a distance from Raymond who was the only person she could confide in.
Even after the whole Raymond and Sophie saga that occurred in her life, she just never imagined herself not being a part of the trio anymore as she had gotten deep into the warmth they shared. For her to not be aware of the information that brought such worry to Jessie's face, she knew everything was not alright and was deeply concerned about what it was.
Luciana turned her eyes to Jessie, waiting to see if she will be stopped, as she did not get any indication from Jessie not agreeing with her telling Alyssa. She filled Alyssa about everything, down from the freshman party to the event at the auditorium, even till the night that Charles saved Jessie.
"That guy is terrible. He actually did all these things? And he has the guts to come over here," Alyssa voiced out as they sat down, just inside the closest lecture hall they could see, pained and trying to fix herself in Jessie's shoes.
"Yeah" Luciana only nodded, short of words. The girls kept quiet for some time staring at Jessie, waiting for a word at least from her. But as they did, Jessie kept quiet also, staring at nothing in particular.
Different thoughts ran through her mind, and she did not know what to say first. If her problem at the moment was about Oswald not relenting on his decision to frustrate her, or the part where he talked about Charles going back for him, even as they had settled scores, she just did not know. The part of what Oswald said that pained her deeply, was the one of Charles with Rebecca. She knew she had felt something like that, she just wasn't sure.
Once again, the actuality that she was nothing with him, and she felt that bad about him having a thing with Rebecca was sickening.
"Why did he have to continue whatever he had with Rebecca, even after the tingles he caused her?"
Charles could come straight to her, telling her they were just friends, and he was nothing other than that to her. She was left wondering why he chose to leave her in the dilemma she was in.
The much she knew, friends did not call themselves over at night, seeing not really good movies together, and they never agreed to a dare of a nightstand with themselves, or even acting impulsive when another guy tries messing with the female, so what was his intention?
"Is Charles going to break me, Luci...?" She turned to Luciana, muttering out the first word ever since Oswald left. The question she asked, kept ringing in her head and involuntarily, she released it out, desperately seeking an answer even as she knew Luciana did not have the answer.
Luciana turned her face to Alyssa, not being able to think of a reply, then stretched out her hands to Jessie's face turning it to hers, " I'm disappointed that you let the rubbish he said to affect you. I believe you know Charles, does he seem like that person to you?"
"I don't know, but he's been acting somehow also. I feel like I don't know him anymore," Jessie shrugged.
"Then I think this is the part where you have to talk to him. I don't see him doing anything hurtful to you, even as we are aware that experiencing hurts is not really what we can avoid. But this is the part where you have to trust whatever you feel for him", She assured Jessie, giving off wide smiles that displayed her teeth.
Alyssa was lost staring in awe, how Luciana was good with her words was attractive. She did not know the exact level of relationship Jessie had with Charles, but after listening to Luciana, she was certain everything was going to be fine.
"You are sure, right?" Jessie asked Luciana, trying to assure herself. Seeing Luciana nod, Jessie forced a smile and smacked her forehead, "now I feel so foolish for letting those talks get to me", She said, looking more brightly, and her eyes glistening.