33.

-HER-

A couple of days pass and he doesn’t show up. It’s starting to make me feel agitated even though I do not want to accept this.

I couldn’t cut the feeling of guilt that would sometimes drive my sleep away at night. Though when the tiredness greets me in the morning, I am left the question whether the guilt is legit or not.

Brooke is with me in the office all the time. She is friendly and helpful but now and then we would find ourselves amidst an awkward confrontational conversation before I’d generally change the topic.

“Let’s finish work early today and go out together,” Brooke offers one Friday afternoon as we are in the office working. Hesitance bubbles inside me instantly.

“Ok,” I answer, just for the sake of getting away from the dreaded office. A wide smile climbs on her face as she leads me out of the building.

In a few moments, I find myself getting into her car with her.

“I know this perfect place,” She chirps when the engine roars to life. She drives towards Itavelle City. After crossing the bridge over the river Votstino, we enter the busy city.

“Do you have any plans for this weekend?” She asks, navigating through the traffic. Meanwhile, I am busy staring outside the window.

“Nothing much,” I tell her. She nods before taking a turning and driving away from the highway, further deep inside the city. She finally halts the car in front of an artsy café.

I find myself staring at the grand place while I get out of the car. She gives me a genuine smile as she leads me inside. After helping me to order, we finally settle down at a far corner of the place.

“So, how are your classes?” She asks with overflowing interest. I look at her momentarily before answering, “This is the third time you’re asking me this question,”

The smile instantly slips off her lips before she sighs, “Just trying to make you comfortable,”

“I am fine, really,” I beam at her and she nods at me lightly, “So, do you have something to tell me?” I ask her, leaning in.

“Depends on what you want to know,” A smirk plays on her lips as she answers. I am absolutely taken aback by her response but I nod anyway.

“How did you know that it wasn’t Holly who vandalized the office?” I ask her the question that had been bothering me for all these days right away. She stares at me plainly before the waitress arrives with our orders.

“We have our ways,” She shrugs. This makes me frown at her. What kind of answer is that?

“I’d like to know your ways then,” I tell her, sipping from my drink. That same knowing look on her face climbs as she looks at me.

“So, are you just interested in knowing our ways? It doesn’t have to do with someone else, right?” She asks with a smirk and I instantly think about Jake. She is partially right. I am also interested in knowing why he isn’t coming to college too.

“Could be both,” I shrug. She cocks an eyebrow at me before sipping from her drink.

“So, you want to know how we find out that it was you, right?” I nod. “You wouldn’t believe me if I tell you,” She shakes her head at me.

“Try me,”

“How about this… you tell me something. I tell you something in return?”

“Cool,”

“Since you’ve already asked your question, here’s mine…” She trails off before asking, “What do you feel about Jake?” I am taken back by her question.

Seeing the startled look on my face, she cocks an eyebrow at me. I open my mouth but nothing comes out. I shake my head to clear my thoughts.

“What does this have to do with anything?” I ask her.

She shrugs, “Didn’t we agree to something just moments ago?” She narrows her eyebrows at me.

“But you didn’t tell me how you found out it was me,” I say in my defense.

“You’re so stubborn,” She mutters before she sips from her drink.

“Also, you didn’t seem to be very upset about me vandalizing your office either. I remember. That day you looked so happy…” As I finish speaking, a wide smile climbs on her lips.

“Well, you’d figure that out soon… now, about that…” She trails off before taking a big sip from her drink, “We found your scent in the office. It didn’t match Holly’s when we met her so we knew that it wasn’t her,” She tells me looking in the eyes. A stern look decorates her face as she waits for my reaction.

I am bewildered at her words, “What?... That doesn’t make sense,”

“At first, it wouldn’t,” She shrugs, drinking from her cup. Her words pushed me further into confusion. She is indifferent to the look on my face, “Now, you tell me your part,” She demands.

“What you said didn’t make sense to me,”

“But that was the answer,” She shrugs. I am tempted to leave the place because of her, “What do feel about Jake?” She asks sternly this time.

I take a deep breath, “I don’t feel anything about him,” I lie straight away. A smirk on her lips breaks the stern look on her face.

“Nothing at all?” She asks in a teasing manner, “Nope,” I answer.

“But you carry his scent. You two must have kissed or he must have given you a hickey for that to happen,” My eyes widen at her words before I school my features but it’s too late. She has seen my reaction. She throws her head back and laughs.

“I knew something was up,” She remarks after she’s done laughing.

“Your words make no sense to me,” I tell her dismissingly.

“They won’t but I can tell that something happened between you two,” At this point, I know that I am caught.

“Yeah, we kissed and he gave me some hickeys last week,” Butterflies come alive in my stomach as I openly admit this. At this, she smiles.

“He really likes you,” As soon as she says that my heart skips a beat. I stare at her stupidly, unable to respond to such a revelation.

“Oh,” That’s all I able to mutter and she giggles. I instantly feel the blood rush to my cheeks.

“Now, I’ll ask you again, Cybele. Do you have any feelings for Jake?” She asks but more gently this time. Her eyes are soft on me. I look at my cup and fiddle with it instead.

“I… I am mostly puzzled. I am overwhelmed when he’s around,” I tell her finally and she nods, “Yeah, I understand. The change in the air, those strange sensations when he touches… Davis gives me those,” She adds with a beaming smile.

I am again puzzled. The fact that she could describe everything so perfectly blows me off. Her smile only widens when she looks at me. She knows more than I had anticipated.

“What do they mean?” I ask her.

“Why don’t you ask him?” She teases.

“Well, he is not coming to college,” I try to shrug off. It’s not like even if he were here, I’d go to him and talk. I doubt that we’ll ever talk again. Though Brooke doesn’t know about this.

“Yeah, he is gone for some days,”
...
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The next update is on Friday :D