51| Too Late?

Cuddled under her blanket, Zoey was staring at the TV screen in front of her. Her mind was somewhere else and the noise from TV was just acting as a background music for her.

The sound of her phone ringing pulled her out of her thoughts. Seeing Travis' name on the mobile screen made her nervous and she contemplated whether to answer it or not. At last, she finally braced herself and answered it.

"Hi, I just wanted to ask if you are coming to store or not." He asked. Hearing his voice reminded her of what they did in the storage room. Never in her life had she craved for someone this badly. Yes, she has had her share of crazy, stupid things but sex in the storage room was not one of them.

"I called Cody last night and quit." She told him and sheer silence greeted her from the other side.

After a long pause, Travis asked, "Why?"

"I just..." She couldn't tell him the real reason, that she couldn't be in the same room as him without jumping on him. "It was a great experience but I want to focus more on senior year. It's my last year in high school and knowing my grades, I won't be getting in a college anytime soon."

"Well, if that's what you really want." He said.

"Yeah, it is." She replied.

"I should go now. Bye." He said and cut the call.

Throwing her phone away, she lay down to take some rest but a knock on the door disturbed her.

"Yes!" She groaned.

Rose entered the room with a bowl in her hand. "I brought soup."

"I am not hungry." Zoey replied in an annoyed voice.

"Miss. Zoey, I think..."

"You are not paid to think, Rose." Zoey spat.

Rose lowered her eyes to the floor and seeing her embarrassed face reminded Zoey of Travis. Guilt filled her for being rude to his mother and she whispered, "Sorry."

"It... It's okay." Rose said.

"Just put it on the table. I'll eat it." Zoey said and once again lay down on the bed.

"Okay." Rose said and left the room after placing the bowl on the table.

••••••••••••

To feel like herself again, Zoey planned a hangout with her friends. She dressed up in the shortest dress she owned, caked her face with makeup and made her way to the mall where Olive and Althea were already waiting for her.

"Sorry I am late." Zoey said to avoid Althea's wrath.

"It's okay. At least we are hanging out now. You were too busy for us for the last few months." Althea said and they made their way to the first store.

"Yeah. Don't worry, it won't happen again." Zoey smiled and looked around to find a good pair of jeans for her.

They went from store to store, buying things they didn't need and spending money like it grew on trees. Well, Althea and Zoey did, Olive didn't like buying new clothes because she preferred wearing the same T-shirt and jeans over and over again.

"Guys, what do you think about this?" Zoey asked, showing a pair of lacy red bra. They were in the Victoria Secret store now.

"Too scandalous." Althea said. "I prefer something classy and sexy, like this one." She picked up a black satin lingerie set.

"Too bad, nobody is going to see you in it." Zoey joked.

"So what? Horny highschool boys don't deserve to see me in it anyway. I would rather wait for the right one." Althea commented and Zoey shrugged. Althea was the only one of them who was still a virgin. According to her, she was too good to be touched by highschool boys.

"The right one? You mean the one who looks like a Greek God, has brain the size of Texas, has enough money to buy an island and owns a mansion in each state?" Zoey added.

"Yep. Shoot for the moon and you might reach the stairs." Althea smirked and walked over to the counter to pay for the lingerie.

Once they were done with their shopping, they sat down in the food court and ordered some sandwiches for themselves. Zoey stared at her wrist watch and realized that it was the time when their shift usually ends. Never in her life had she thought that she will miss a job. Or maybe she didn't miss the job but the person she spent her time there.

Usually at this time, they sat down in a silent corner to take rest for few minutes. And some days when Maya wasn't there, it was just her and Travis. They used to talk about random things, like how their day went, or what they were planning to do once they reach home. Once or twice a week, he would drive her home whenever he had a tutoring session with Sam. Little things that made him an integral part of her life.

"Zoey?" She heard Althea's voice that broke the chain of her thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked.

"I miss him." She blurted out unknowingly and then soon realized what she just said. "I mean, my job. I miss my job."

"You are weird." Althea commented and took a sip of her lime water.

"Maybe." Zoey whispered, feeling a little uneasy. Why the hell did she so desperately want to go back there just so she could spend few minutes with him? What in the name of God was wrong with her?

••••••••••

Walking out of the mall, Althea looked around for Zachary's car and when she spotted it, she made her way towards it. But instead of Zachary, it was Ethan sitting inside the car.

"Where is Zachary?" She asked, sliding all the shopping bags in the back seat.

"He was busy." Ethan stated.

"Too busy to pick up his sister?" Althea rolled her eyes and slid on the passenger seat.

"Apparently." Ethan shrugged and started the car.

Since Ethan started dating Cindy, Althea rarely talked to him. They were together most of the time because of their common friends but the minute everybody leaves, they go back to being strangers.

"We don't spend time together anymore." Ethan pointed out.

"It's better this way." Althea replied dryly.

A sad smile appeared on Ethan's face on hearing this. He wished he could tell her the truth about his relationship with Cindy but there really was no point in doing it. Althea always manages to find out a way to belittle him. If not for this relationship, she will find out some other excuse of pushing him away.

"I miss us." He whispered under his breath.

"There was never any us, Ethan." Althea replied.

"Yeah. You made sure of that." Ethan said, observing her from the angle of his eye. "I am talking about the time when we were friends. Good friends. Before high school and all."

"You mean, before you became a playboy?" Althea asked.

"Yes." He mumbled. "It's senior year. We will be in different colleges in few months. You will be dating some Harvard guy and I'll probably be living in a frat house of some stupid college. Is it too late to rekindle our friendship?"

"Probably." Althea commented.

Ethan let out a groan on hearing this. "Why do you always act like you aren't affected by anyone's feelings Althea? Stop being so emotionless, dammit."

Althea felt some tears prick the back of her eyeballs but she kept her face blank. She had mastered the art of keeping an emotionless face for years, no matter how much she wants to give in. She couldn't show him that he affected her, because that would give him the upper hand, which she couldn't afford.

Men like Ethan were to reminded again and again that they are not the one in power because they won't be able to handle it. They were to be challenged because the minute you submit to them, they lose interest. Althea has known from years that the minute she admits to Ethan that she feels even an ounce of what he feels for her, he would move on to some other girl, a new challenge. That's why Ethan and Althea never fitted together, they knew each other a little too much.

"Don't be overdramatic, Ethan. You are the one dating other people. Remember?" She said. By now, they had reached the parking lot of Harper mansion but neither of them left the car.

"No. You don't get to drag my relationship. Because God knows I would never look at another girl the minute you are mine." Ethan slammed his hand at the steering wheel.

"Mine? I am not a trophy, Ethan. You won't own me." Althea snarled.

"God! You know I didn't mean that. Stop twisting my words." He growled back and stopped himself from doing something he will regret, like punishing her with a long, hard kiss. "I just miss you, that's all." He whispered.

"Whatever." She huffed and walked out of the car. A servant came to take all the shopping bags and followed her inside.

"Althea Harper!" He shouted her name loudly and she angled her neck to look at him. "One day, you will realize how wrong you are but it will be too late then."

Althea didn't bother to reply and walked inside.

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