C - 2.2
763 Words
For the rest of the conversation, Dylan can see the shift. He feels a strange prickle of disappointment when he notices you’ve retreated, offering only short, polite answers. Martin notices it, too, and internally kicks himself for the awkward turn. He sighs to himself, though he still thinks this is a good start.
Feeling overwhelmed by the sudden rush of emotions, you tell them you’re going to head home. Martin immediately insists on driving you, but you strictly tell him he shouldn’t leave his friend alone.
"Well, he came here without inviting me! How can you make it sound like I’m the one ditching him?" Martin complains.
You just roll your eyes at his dramatics. "Anyway, I am going alone, and you are not going to fuss over it."
You give him a pointed look, daring him to argue. Martin shrinks back slightly and nods in defeat, knowing better than to push you when you've made up your mind.
Once you leave, Martin watches as Dylan’s eyes follow you until you disappear from sight. Martin shifts his position, resting his chin on his folded fingers as he stares at Dylan. When Dylan finally realizes he’s being watched, he groans internally. He knows Martin won't let this go, they’ve spent too many years together for Dylan to even try fooling him.
"Soooooooo?" Martin draws out the word. It annoys Dylan how observant his friend can be when he wants to be.
"Well, you saw," Dylan mutters.
"What did I see, exactly?"
"Stop playing dumb, Martin," Dylan says, rolling his eyes.
Martin just grins. It’s clear you’ve caught Dylan's interest, and Dylan isn't going to deny it. However, how he’ll actually act on it is still a question. He tells himself it’s just a flicker of curiosity—the kind that usually fades after a few days. Martin nods along when Dylan says as much, though he secretly suspects this might be more than just a passing interest. For now, Martin decides to stay stay quiet, he won't interfere until Dylan says otherwise.
A week passes...
You fall back into your daily routine. At the office, Sunny suddenly jumps on you, earning a scolding. She announces that she’s going shopping after work and won’t take no for an answer. Across the room, Sally looks at you with hopeful eyes. With a sigh, you agree. You feel like you owe them some quality time, especially since you’ve been trying so hard to keep your mind busy lately.
"Good! Prepare yourself—you're going to help me carry all the bags," Sunny declares.
"What? Why? Are you planning to open your own boutique or something?"
"That’s a good idea! But no, Martin’s birthday is coming up, and I’ve taken the liberty of planning the whole thing."
"You still have four days until his birthday!"
"Well, better to be prepared early, right?" Sunny grins.
You groan, while Sally laughs silently from her desk, having easily guessed the direction of the conversation.
Fast-forward to the mall, and you find yourself cursing Sunny every five minutes. The bags they’re both carrying around are already enough to stock a small shop. Eventually, they decide to find a shopping cart before they cause an accident. Sunny just shrugs off your complaints, and Sally isn't helping either. She suddenly decides she needs to buy something of her own and promises to rejoin the group in half an hour. You can't even make an excuse to leave, since they both know you never go shopping unless you absolutely have to.
After a very long day, Sunny finally decides she’s done shopping. Sally rejoins the group with a few bags of her own. The three of you grab some food at the mall before Sunny drops you off at home. You’re so exhausted that you just drop your bag, change your clothes, and collapse directly onto the bed.
The next morning, you wake up with a bitter taste in your mouth since you fell asleep without even brushing your teeth. You hop into a warm shower and stay there for a long time, letting the water wake you up.
The next four days fly by. The three of you spend all your time preparing for the party, while the birthday boy, Martin, occasionally shows up to tell you you're doing a great job. He reminds everyone that there's no need to make it a huge event, since he only plans to invite a few close friends.
- Writer
