Only You

Ch 8

“Who was that? What happened to you? Why didn’t you answer your damn phone!?”

“Where were you? Do you know how worried we were when we got home and you were not here? If it were not for the guys, we would have called the cops about your sudden disappearance,”

I had to hold myself from rolling my eyes at their tone. My friends didn’t have the right to be this angry at me. Not after what they tried to pull at me just minutes ago and at what I went through tonight.

Not that I would ever tell them, I won’t burden them with my near-death experience. Plus I had promised Rowan to be quiet about it. Again, not that I would tell them if he didn’t ask of me. It’s just I know they’d feel guilty if they knew.

Still… it doesn’t give them the right to do this to you. Don’t they know Zach was the reason you ran away? And if he didn’t throw s****l innuendos at you the entire time, you wouldn’t have left in the first place….

For once, I like my conscience. It finally said something that I could agree to. Sighing aloud at their non-stop accusations, “Really? Did you ask Zach what he did or why I left him after I slapped his sorry excuse of a face?”

They looked offended when I said that but I merely shrugged and made a beeline to the kitchen to get myself a glass of water. If I stayed and looked at them any longer, I was afraid I’d burst. I’m so angry at them for defending that a**hole.

Heck, not only did they force me to leave the comfort of my room, not giving me space to recover at all but damn it! Zach was there out of the blue! In our god damned living room! And I had no idea!

He all but apologized for his behavior and blamed it on the alcohol he had! Like how dare he! He even claimed that he was nervous to see me again, ha! As if!

After I threw a fit at him for being an a**hole and told him to never talk to me again, the guys left. Now that, that made my friends angry but never the less, they kissed, even Brie kissed Beck on the lips before they left us.

As much as I was annoyed and slightly furious at them, I was also happy. At least one of us had a guy to go to and not just Tessa, even if it meant temporarily for Brie. But deep down, I wish Brie would end up being happy with Beck, the guy’s been pinning on her since college days.

“He said he was sorry, he said he deserved it. So why are you being and acting like a b***h,”

“You guys call me that, did you forget?” acting like a b***h I can, I tried to cross my long legs at the ankle as leverage yet it backfired. I feel weird doing it.

“Don’t do that. You look stupid and you know we call each other that. So tell us, who is he?” Tessa threw her hands up, exasperation clear and I can’t help but clear my throat. Here goes the backup storyline that Rowan gave me earlier.

Let's just hope they buy it, “He is-”

“Why does he look like Ryan?” Brie adds abruptly, cutting me off and I groaned internally. I did hope they didn’t notice the similarities. It was dark in front of our door for crying out loud! But of course, I fled inside the house before they got in, so I’m not sure what they saw.

Maybe they had a word with him before getting inside? My conscience guessed, and somehow, I think so too.

“It’s a long story,” shrugging, I hope they’d somehow choose to talk about it later. I mean, look at the time. It’s already half-past two in the morning.

“We have time,” they glared at me and I can't help but feel like screaming. Since when has my life been so messed up! Ugh! Curse you Greens! They are the cause of this.

“Fine, but you! Tell me when did that! With Beck! Happened...” Brie looked taken aback by my gesture, but then nods as if she didn’t mind. “And you! Make sure I don’t hear Zach’s name ever again. Whatever it was I felt for him in high school, is no more. Get that through,”

Looking like she knew what I was going to say before I said it, Tessa shrugs as she drags us to the couch and made us face each other. “Now tell us who he is and where you were tonight,”

“Yeah, and what happened to you?” Brie touched my forehead, a worried tone took over, and I tried not to flinch at her sudden touch. “Nothing happened, I bumped into a wall,” they didn’t look convinced yet said nothing. Thank god. Later then.

“Who is he?” they rewind like a broken record and this time, I didn’t hide the groan.

“A cop,” safe choice.

“Why were you with a cop?”

“Because I was supposedly drunk?” a stupid remark. Even they know that.

“What?!” they looked almost in disbelief, of course they know I wasn’t drunk. I was fuming when I left the club. Barely drunk on anything. On rage maybe, but surely not on alcohol.

“Sofea! Tell us! Who is he and why was he with you?!”

“A new friend?”

“Stop playing around!” they hit my shoulder, and I can’t help but groan.

Damn my friends are rough with me. And just a few hours ago I thought about them, about how I should have been nicer to them! All of that s**t before I thought I'd die in the hands of those scary men, gosh these ladies! If only!

“Fine, fine. I called him to talk. I needed to talk to someone after what Zach tried to do to me in the club so I called him. He picked me up and we were talking at some café. That’s why I didn’t notice the time,”

Their eyes were trained on me like I'm some child. As if they could see all the secrets and lies if they stared longer. Then as if a silent communication was on, they faced each other and sighed aloud. Guessed they bought it?

“Okay, fine! Then explain to us why he resembled Ryan? I remembered Ryan was tall and all, and I honestly thought it was him. But when I got a look at him, he was buff, like BUFF and Ryan was not!”

Tessa pressed her hand to my forearm, also pressing the word buff, and I can’t help but frown at her. They won’t like the answer, I can already see the future on this topic. No matter how I tried to coat it. And did she have to exaggerate the word buff? I know that, I can see it clearly.

“And don’t try to be snarky about it! Don’t ask us why we didn’t ask him earlier. We were worried about you, and it seemed like he didn’t want to stay longer. He left after telling us to make sure you are fine,”

Brie added dramatically just as she held my face in her hands. Okay, my friends are weird, or maybe this was one of those overprotective moments. Did she have to squeeze my face like I’m a ball? And as much I tried to hide the pain, I couldn't help but grimace when the squeeze hurt the cut on my lip.

“Fine, you caught up with the fact he looks like Ryan. He is Ryan’s older brother,” there! I said it as I pushed her hands away, shielding my swollen cheeks. Oh, my poor dumpling cheeks.

I gave up on the lie I had brewing and both of them let me go as if they were struck by lightning. Mouths open like fishes and if I had my phone with me, I would have snapped and saved it in the ‘threats album’.

“WHAT!” I put my hands on their shoulders, keeping them down. They looked like they were ready to attack him for being related to Ryan. “Calm down. Sheesh,” they glared like I wasn’t funny.

Hey, in my defense, I wasn’t trying to be.

“Tell us everything!” yikes, twice in one day, it certainly is my unlucky day. And it's practically so early for this s**t.

***

"Can I help you?" groggily answering the phone, a baritone chuckle answered from the other end. "Did I wake you? What time did you go to bed Sofea?"

Frowning at the unknown tone, I peeked at the caller id and saw an unknown number flashing proudly, "May I know who is talking?" another chuckle and if possible, it sounded oddly familiar now, my senses waking up.

"Does the name Rowan Green ring a bell? Are you up yet kitten?"

At the mention of the name, I got up and looked around. My room greeted me and I cursed when the clock mocked me. 12.30 pm. Damn! I overslept.

Oh my god, we went to bed super late last night and the girls won't let me out of their sight after I explained to them about Rowan. I told them Rowan's made-up story, and somehow they bought it, but it didn't mean they'd leave me alone.

"Hi... uh... did you say something earlier?" another chuckle before he cleared his throat, "I asked you to send me your schedule and your usual whereabouts. I need to assign men to look after you. Remember?"

"Oh... Oh! That... Yeah, I have it with me. I'll forward it to you in thirty,"

"I'll be waiting then, take your time kitten,"

"Right, right. So... uh..."

"So I suggest you get your pretty little self up, get showered and then send it to me,"

I wasn't sure if I blushed because of his words or because of embarrassment. "Right... that too. I'll.... I'll talk to you later Rowan,"

I have never felt so embarrassed in my life. Oh god! What is going on in my life!?