Chapter 25

I listened to Ed Sheeran: How would you feel? And it went deep into my heart while writing this chapter.

Kara’s POV

*

“Monica the bitch shouldn’t have put him off that way. He was almost without sight.” Adrian murmured agonizingly for the umpteenth time, squeezing a handful of popcorn into her mouth. I did an eye roll, totally fed up of her constant ramblings.

“It’s not that easy Adrie. If you were in her shoes, you could have done the same.”

“I wouldn’t have.”

I shrugged. “Well, we can’t say.”

“Ufff, please. Love is unconditional and it is blind!” She argued with wide eyes, as if wondering why I wasn’t seeing things from her own perspective.

“Isaac was also blind, or close to being totally blind. Two properties can’t be blind in a relationship now, can they?” I argued.

Propping herself up on the edge of the couch where she still sat, she grumbled. “That’s not the kind of blindness that it meant. Love is blind in the sense that it doesn’t count your inabilities or condemn you. Neither will it fail due to lack in the other person’s disability or ill manners. You overlook all that.” Adrian exasperatedly explained.

I knew this movie meant so much to her but I was so sick and tired of her firing judgments upon judgments at the girl.

So, what if Monica didn’t want her blind boyfriend anymore? She had the right to do whatever she liked.

Love was loyal. Monica wasn’t in love, so she wasn’t loyal. End of discussion.

Obviously she’d only liked Isaac because he was handsome and he cherished her. She didn’t like him in a way that would scream commitment when their love got tested.

“Preach babe, preach!” I taunted.

Adrian heaved a tired sigh and her eyes began to turn glossy, making me sober up a bit. This was just a story that John Green came up with and she was here, tearing up. I could swear she had watched the movie a million times before and she knew each and every line by heart now.

“Alright, let’s see it from this angle. Take for instance, if Shawnie turns into something ugly, or maybe gets into an accident, rendering him an amputee-”

She was already jumping off the couch, with her heart slicing glare directed at me. “Heaven forbids! Not my boyfriend!” She exclaimed with a murderous expression.

Well, that was easier said than done. She didn’t want that for her boyfriend but wanted someone else to accept a blind boyfriend, especially one she obviously didn’t love.

Had it been that Monica loved Isaac, she wouldn’t have even considered leaving him in the first place. The thought alone would have made her feel guilty, without even truly dumping him.

“You see, I don’t blame Monica and see no reason why so many people should-” Our dorm door creaked open and our gazes snapped towards it.

I slowly turned towards Adrian, my glower already slicing through her whole body. She looked at me apologetically and gave me a sheepish grin, knowing she was supposed to have locked the door, being the last person to come in a while ago.

“Are you girls still arguing about that girl in ‘The fault in our stars?” Barbara asked as she popped her head in. She was also an economic student and lived in the dorm room two doors away.

I sighed.

Adrian on the other hand, suddenly looked like she was ready for a fight if Barbara didn’t support her strong motion which stated, ‘Monica is evil’.

“Yes.” I piped annoyingly, wanting to get on Adrian’s nerves just because.

She totally adored the author. Unlike me, she loved books. I didn’t see the need to read any book since they were only a bunch of ideas fabricated by someone who needed to make fame and at the end, they would live happily ever after. Or maybe die, it didn’t matter. Everything would only take place within the pages of a book.

Blah!

“And Monica is still a bitch.” Adrian added, which by the way, wasn’t needed.

I winced involuntarily.

“Come in, it’s not like we’ll chase you out if you do.” Adrian snapped at Barbara who opened the door and proceeded to also drag her sleepover bag in.

I practically gaped.

“Oh goodness, not again.” Adrian groaned. Barbara was now officially our dorm mate.

She came to our room so often nowadays and had spent so many nights that could also consider her as a dorm mate but I knew she would have an excuse again. Just like she always did.

“Sorry girls, last time in this semester. I promise.” She giggled sheepishly and dropped on the couch nearest to the door, like she didn’t have an issue with the world. She parted her silky red hair which had somehow managed to get into her face and smacked her lips together, her tiny eyes looking around.

“You can’t keep-”

“I’ll make it up to you.” She quickly interjected.

I could feel the tension and I could’ve sworn that I wasn’t the only one. It was better we talked about this now. It was now or never.

“You said the same thing two nights ago.” I muttered.

It was getting really irritating, especially because of the excuse she was clutching onto like a rescue line.

Apparently, her boyfriend was a bodyguard of a state Senator and his spoilt daughter had kissed him nights ago the moment she broke up with her own boyfriend, whom she’d been dating for two years; who she was still very much in love with.

The worst part was that our dear ol’ Barbara witnessed ‘the kiss’, since the senator’s daughter had invited Barbara to her birthday hours before, and being the girlfriend of one of their bodyguards and also because Barbara’s dad and the senator were acquainted.

Since then, Barbara had been scouting with us some nights, hanging around every now and then. Just so her sorry boyfriend wouldn’t see her if he comes back to ask of her whereabouts for the umpteenth time.

“This time, I’m dead serious. I won’t come disturbing you girls again. Just let me have this night.”

“And you said that last night too.” Adrian added. With a huff, she strolled into the room, coming back out with a Can of Pepsi and rudely thrusting it at Barbara. I rolled my eyes, only Adrian would be so modestly rude to someone.

“But he keeps coming back.” Barbara looked pained, conflicted. I observed her with an emphatic expression. She looked exhausted, as if she hadn’t slept for so many nights even though she had, on our wide bed. Her pale skin looked flushed and her eyes were a bit red, matching the fiery color of her hair.

She looked just like a distressed Phoenix.

“This isn’t helping you babe. You can’t keep running.” I told her softly.

“I won’t have to run for long but for now, I really don’t have any other choice.”

Adrian pushed the bowl of popcorn away as she sat once again and shut down the laptop, placing it under the wide shelf, just below the decoder.

Our apartment was simple but also lovely, in a cool way.

The walls were painted in purple and cream, complimenting the color we decided to paint our wardrobes. The bed sheets in the room were the same color of the carpet in both the spacious room with king size bed and extra large sitting room, which was chocolate and cream but most of our possessions in the room were purple and cream.

We had a TV with basic amenities that had been run by someone sent by Stephano to set up this place when I’d just moved in here, a set of two couches and a sofa, and a medium size table. There was a fridge close to the adjoining between the room and the sitting room. Barbara opened her can of Pepsi and took a few large gulps, like someone dehydrated.

“Why don’t you just talk to him and settle things out?”

“No Adriana. The thought alone makes me really angry already.” She was good at schooling her expressions and thoughts, but not when it came to her boyfriend.

These past few days obviously hadn’t been easy for her and the Barbara I knew from our first year had always been the hardheaded one, who never cared what anyone thought about her but fought whatever threatened her peace of mind and mental stability.

No one could do that except her bodyguard, whom she was obviously in love with. Was this how pathetic I would also become when I finally found love? Would I care so much about the fortunate guy talking to other women or kissing them? A heavy sigh escaped my lips.

I couldn’t say yet since...I didn’t even have any idea what love felt like, talk less, the perks that came with it. Hopefully I’d still enjoy myself for a longer time and just keep this deal I had with Stephano.

With him around, I was sure nothing like love would ever come into the picture. He was stone hearted and only cared about himself.

“Look, you have to accept him for who he is and believe what he said.” I advised Barbara.

“B-but he kissed that girl.” She stuttered. She pulled off her jacket and pulled her red hair, into a messy bun atop her head.

“You said he didn’t kiss her. You said you witnessed her pressing his lips to hers and him pulling away. Stop punishing him this way.” I groaned.

“This is so fucked up. I’m glad I understand Lucas better than all this.” Adrian finally gave us her profile as she dropped her phone. I knew she was chatting with her boyfriend. She did that all the time and it was almost annoying but he was her boyfriend. Sometimes I wish I had a boyfriend, or rather a real boyfriend, not some alpha male guy who was just with me because of a business contract. After this deal between me and Stephano, I would consider anyone that has interest in me.

“I’m just fed up. I miss him, I really do but what he did was unforgivable.”

“And it wasn’t his fault.” I reminded her. At least she had a boyfriend who cared enough.

The poor guy had been frequent around here since four days now, spending the night just hanging around even though it was against the school’s regulations. It had been exactly five days since they fought and Barbara would always look for one excuse or the other just so she wouldn’t talk to him.

“I guess you’re right. Thinking about it just makes exhaustion wear me down. Guess I’ll lie down a little.” She got up and was walking into the room when Adrian glared at her.

“No.”

“Wha-”

“You’re not entering that room.” Adrian scowled.

“Let her be Ad-” I was interceding on her behalf when Adrian suddenly screamed ‘gotcha!’

“We’re going out. Bill is on me.” She suddenly grinned like a Cheshire cat and dropped her phone, which I now noticed was flashing green color.

Barbara turned around while I groaned, not liking the look on Adrian’s face. I knew that look so well. “Uh...what are we celebrating?”

“Uh...our existence?” She looked at me as if I’d just asked the most stupid question ever.

“This is a Friday night. It’s the only free night I ever get in my life.” Barbara exaggerated.

“Stop complaining and get dressed. It’s just eight pm and the drives takes twenty minutes.” Adrian was already heading into the room with a smirk.

One hour later, we were entering into an exclusive club named Short Fiona, in Napola. It wasn’t far from school. “How did you even know this place?”

Adrian smirked at me. “Shawnie’s cousin owns it.”

“Wow. Sis-in-law is making positive impressions.” I crooned mockingly.

“Let’s have a great time, bishes!” Adrian yelled in our faces. A mere glance at Barbara made me realize I wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to be around here.

“Why are you shouting?!” I screamed back. The place wasn’t that noisy that we wouldn’t totally hear each other except through screams.

“Let’s act like those girls in the movies, caprá!” She giggled. As we went straight towards the bar, I was glad we didn’t attract any unnecessary attention. People were moving their bodies lazily to a sensual song, just a floor away from us and the neon colors were flashing brightly, blindingly.

“What would you like, ladies?” The barman asked. More like bar guy. He was good-looking, with the pointed nose, thin lips and forest green eyes so full of life that defined his face but...nah. I couldn’t flirt with him. He was good looking though, not as good looking as my fake boyfriend.

“A glass of tequila.” Adrian replied absentmindedly, already taking a few glances around as if she would get the whole view of the club within mere seconds. I hardly drank but after a full cup, I would be so smashed that I would instantly start taking more till I passed out. The smell made me feel sick, just like the smell of drugs.

“Don Simon for me, mix it with something stronger.” Barbara said in a flat tone.

“Don’t you think that would be too strong for you?” A deep but calm voice spoke behind us. We all turned around, well all except Barbara who stiffened beside me.

“Baby-” the guy started again but there was a slam on the counter. She’d just slammed her palm on the thick glass counter.

“You followed me here?” She asked without turning around. Mouth agape, I and Adrian watched the scene unfold with excitement glistening in our orbs. The guy was totally drool worthy, no wonder she’d been moping around for days.

My gaze flitted to Adrian before moving back to him and his defining features of black spiky hair, a dark but fascinating aura emitting off him and five o’clock shadow. He was definitely her bodyguard of a boyfriend and I silently said a prayer to heavens in hope that he’d never get hit. He looked too handsome to ever sustain any sort of injury.

Also, the look he was currently giving Barbara was a total panty dropper, as if she was the only girl in the club. The pleas in his eyes as he stared at her spoke just how well he was going mad over the way she was treating him.

“I-i had to. I’m sorry baby and I promise-” he tried to inch closer but she turned around swiftly and raised a hand. Like a robot, he stopped. Hmm, interesting... He heaved a sigh and raked a hand over his hair, looking dejected. He didn’t look so brave when she was now glaring at him— it was obvious she had him wrapped around her pinkie.

“You kissed her.” Barbara spat maliciously.

“It wasn’t my fault babe. She kissed me, not the other way around.”

“You know what? Maybe I shouldn’t have come here. I should’ve known you would follow me-”

“I’m not leaving you. I’ll kidnap you if that’s what it takes. I’m sorry, I’ll say it a thousand times over even though you’re the only one that could ever bring out this part of me. I’m desperate baby, I-i love you.”

Silence suddenly settled between us as I and Adrian stared at the bodyguard boyfriend. Adrian kept her eyes glued to the guy, her lips parted and a smug look on her face. I almost snickered but every fiber in me stiffened when I heard his confession, the three words filled with so much raw emotion that it was heartwarming.

I didn’t believe in things like this, it was all fairytale to me but hearing such a rugged looking guy confess his love for my friend just made me feel hopeful, maybe there was hope for me too after all. Emotions rippled through me as I held back a sob of victory, glad things were finally better between them.

Just those three words, they held a promise. Maybe the time would come someday, when a man whom I felt the same way for, would also reciprocate my feelings as well. Adrian was still staring, gobsmacked while Barbara now had tears leaking and strolling down her rosy cheeks.

“I can’t live without you baby, hell-” Barbara jumped into his arms and pressed her lips to his; kissing him hungrily as if trying to restitute for all the times they had both been apart.

Feeling like an intruder, I turned my head away and that was when I truly stiffened. As if this night couldn’t be any more surprise-filled. Angry stones rolled down my throat and difficulty descended upon my shoulders as I struggled but in vain to take a gulp. Was this what true love felt like? Two people lost in each other’s intense gazes that they had no idea what was happening in the world.

The woman was staring up at him, just the way the bodyguard had stared at Barbara seconds ago. She was a red lipped fair woman in the tight hold of Stephano, resting comfortably in his arms in a corner of the club and he was equally locked in her gaze, though I couldn’t see his face. The smile on her face screamed contentment.

They were gazing into each other’s eyes. She looked … satisfied. Yes, that was the word. And I realized I was the other woman at the moment. I couldn’t approach them.