42

42

Jenny’s POV.

I carried my phone, staring at the screen for the umpteenth time for any information about Sophia. She had gone to Ian’s house yesterday and she hasn’t come back yet. Today was Saturday. She never said that she was going to spend the night at his house and besides, she had texted me yesterday that she was coming back home. So why hadn’t she come back?

I sighed, dialing her number as I have been doing since yesterday night when she hadn’t arrived. It was the same outcome. She wasn’t picking up her calls which was getting me really worried.

I dialed her number once again. She still didn’t pick. I sighed as I ran my hands through my hair and sent her a quick text, asking where she was.

She had sent me her location when she was leaving for his place so I had decided that if she isn’t back here in the afternoon and she hasn’t replied my texts or called back then I’d have no choice but to go to his house and make sure she was still there.

I stood up from my bed and walked to the bathroom. I quickly had my bath, washed my hair and brushed my teeth. I left the bathroom and went to sit in front of the vanity, staring at myself.

I sighed as I oiled then combed my hair into a bun. Just as I tied my bun firmly, my phone vibrated and I jumped up from the vanity, picking up my phone with anticipation of seeing Sophia’s text and making sure she’s fine. But it wasn’t a text from Sophia. Instead it was a text from Ronan, telling me he was sick and that I shouldn’t bother coming anymore.

Fuck.

I had even forgotten that I was supposed to go to his house today. If he was sick then I could probably just do something like a surprise for him and just go to see him and make sure he was okay.

I quickly opened my closet and looked for something to wear. I envied Sophia for one thing—the fact that she didn’t have to bother herself much about what clothes to wear but still ends up slaying in whatever she decides to wear.

Unlike me, I had to look for a bunch of clothes before I finally find something pretty to wear just to make sure I don’t end up looking like a pauper.

I picked up my bag, my phone and my car keys and walked out of my dorm. I got into my car and headed for Ronan’s place. I hadn’t even had breakfast yet but I figured I could just eat something at his place. I could probably just fix breakfast for the both of us and just try to get my mind off everything and Sophia too. I needed to make myself believe that she was alright or else I wouldn’t be able to rest until I saw her myself.

It didn’t take long for me to pull up at Ronan’s house. There was another car parked in his drive way that wasn’t his. I shrugged it off. It was probably a friend of his visiting him since he was sick.

I got down from the car and closed the door before going into Ronan’s house. I shut the door and halted instantly at the sight in front of me. Ronan was lying on his couch and there was a lady on top of him. Naked. Riding him.

“Ronan,” I breathed out, my eyes stinging all of a sudden. They finally noticed my presence and she scurried away from him.

A sob escaped my lips and my eyes remained wide as I stared at them. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Ronan, with another lady.

“Why did you come?” He asked, sitting up on the couch calmly and wearing his shorts. He looked unaffected whereas the lady was the one looking embarrassed and covering up her body with whatever piece of clothing she could find.

“What do you mean why did I come?” I asked, blinking. A tear fell on my cheek.

“I remember I told you that I was feeling sick and you should come,” he answered, as if I didn’t just meet him in a compromising situation. He stood from the couch and shoved his hands in his pockets, walking forward to me. Suddenly he didn’t seem like the kind guy that I had once known. It was like there had been a veil that had been covering his true character from me all these while and now I could finally see him fo what he really was.

I gulped, the tears stinging in my eyes. “I came here because you told me you were sick…I wanted to make sure you were going to be fine…I wanted to help you feel better but…you lied to me because you wanted to bring a woman into your own home? You’ve been cheating on me all this while?” I confronted.

“It’s only called cheating if we were together in the first place. We weren’t,” he answered flatly.

“What do you mean we weren’t?” I repeated slowly. “We went on dates, I stayed over at your house a few times, I posted you on my social media, and you’re telling me that we were never together? Never together?” I shook my head, unable to understand. “You were just leading me on?”

“If putting it that way would make you feel better,” he answered with a shrug. “You were the one throwing yourself at me.”

My eyes widened in realization. How did I never noticed this? How did I never see that he never felt anything at all for me?

I gulped, then wiped the tears running down my cheeks before nodding at him. “I’m sorry, I thought we felt something for each other,” I mumbled then turned around, fumbling with the door knob for a feel minutes before I was able to open the door. I rushed out as fast as I could and got into my car. I slammed the door shut and rested my head on the steering, hot tears streaming down my cheeks. I sniffed, wiping the tears away from my eyes. I shouldn’t be crying for a guy like Ronan but I couldn’t help it. It really hurt me. I had been thinking of him as a guy I could be with…I already thought of him as the guy I was with and I left myself fall for him not knowing that this was the kind of guy he was.

I felt extremely stupid.

I picked up my phone and tried to dial Sophia’s number once again but she still wasn’t picking up. I texted but she didn’t reply. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration, loosening the bun in the process.

I made up my mind. I was going to Ian’s house. At least he should know where she was. She was at his place after all. And she told me she was leaving but maybe she didn’t end up leaving yesterday. Or something happened and she was still at his place.

But what I really needed right now was my best friend.

I revved the engine of my car and sped out of Ronan’s driveway.

I stood in front of Ian’s gate, ringing the doorbell on the wall. It took a few minutes before the gates opened itself. I peeped inside, but there was no one there. Just a vast compound with a pool and three expensive cars parked in them.

I walked in and the gates closed itself again. I stood in the compound awkwardly, not knowing what to do or where to go.

Ian walked out of the house and into the compound, dressed in shorts and shirt. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked to me. “Jenny,” he said in forms of greeting.

“Professor Ian,” I answered with a grim smile.

“Just call me Ian,” he answered with a chuckle. “Where’s Sophia?”

“She’s not here?” I asked at the same time someone walked out of the house and walked towards us. A man. Af if he sensed me staring, he raised his head and met my eyes.

As I gazed into his eyes, I felt an inexplicable jolt. His piercing stare seemed to see right through me, yet I couldn’t look away. His chiseled features were like something out of a dream – sharp cheekbones, a strong jawline, and lips that curled into a subtle, enigmatic smile. His skin was deathly pale, but it only added to his ethereal beauty. His dark hair was perfectly messy, framing his face like a work of art.

His eyes were the most captivating feature – deep, mysterious pools that seemed to hold a thousand secrets. They sparkled with an otherworldly intensity, leaving me breathless and bewildered. His presence was both captivating and unnerving, like a whispered secret. I felt drawn to him, as if an invisible thread connected us. He exuded an aura of mystery and power that left me awestruck and wanting more.

Time stood still as I took in every detail of his face, every curve and every line. I felt like I was drowning in his gaze, and I couldn’t help but wonder who this stranger was and what secrets he held.

I opened my mouth to talk, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. I ended up closing my mouth, my heart pounding hard in my chest as I stared at him. I was awestruck. When last had a man rendered me soeechless like this?

Ian cleared his throat and I quickly snapped my gaze back to him. “She left yesterday,” he answered my question. “Didn’t she go straight home?”

“I don’t know…I’ve been calling and texting since yesterday but she hadn’t been replying. That’s why I came here…to see if she was still here,” I answered and my eyes snapped back to the guy now standing beside Ian. I raised a brow in question.

“He’s my brother, Jacob,” Ian explained as he finished his phone out of his pocket.

“Didn’t you order her Uber back home?” I asked Ian and he shook his head.

“We had an argument and she left before I could even do that,” he explained.

I frowned. “An argument?” I questioned and he didn’t say anything. He put his phone to his ear, grinding his teeth together and his face going hard. I presumed he was dialing her right now but she wasn’t picking up.

“You haven’t heard from her since yesterday?” He asked, his eyes narrowing on me.

“She texted me that she was coming home but she hasn’t picked or replied my texts since then,” I explained.

“Who else knows about this?” He asked.

“Just me,” I answered slowly. He gave a nod and turned around, walking away. “Come,” he said.