Friends to Lovers

Chapter 8

Days had passed by, and everything went back to normal, including Mila and me. Mila tried to look after me even if she's already with Warren, yet that makes her time to be half in us.

Sometimes, I wish that she wasn't with him because I'm starting to be jealous. Mila's making more time for him now than me. She began to be an MIA in my life now. I could feel her slipping away from me.

"Was it Jacob's birthday today? s**t! I forgot to go!" She almost screamed. I avoided her gaze as I looked from afar.

I sighed before I replied, "Jacob surely would not be happy for that reason, Mila." She only looks at me with those sad eyes, full of repentance.

"Lau, I am very sorry," Mila rushed said as soon as she faced me. I even saw her running towards me. I don't know what to say because honestly? I am not happy for her about forgetting my birthday. I didn't go home so we can celebrate it today.

I looked at her from toe to head as I looked intently into her eyes. I could see how tired and she's trying. When I didn't respond in a second, her tears suddenly fell to her cheeks, and it made me panic!

I widely smile as I tried to hide my sadness for her missing my day, "Hey, hey, it's okay," I said instead as I wiped her tears with my hands touching her cheeks.

She's missing all special events in our circle of friends, and they began to look for her existence.

"Lauren, where's Mila, by the way?" Someone asked me, but I couldn't look nor face him.

"She's working late," Jacob answered for me. I looked at him, and he just smiled at me, telling me that he got me. I mouthed him 'thank you.'

"Oh, gosh! I'm so sorry, Lau! I forgot that it's our friendsary today!" Mila said, panicking while looking at me in her dining with a lot of her favorite food on the table.

I want to complain! I want to shout at her for being missing these days! I wanted to cry because I began to realize that Mila's slowly forgetting about me because of someone.

On second thought, she told me that I was special than him for her. How sad when people suddenly change for someone they just met. It is not fair for the people who want to care and give attention to her and for the people who love her and wanted to be part of Mila's life.

Where am I? Where am I in your life now, Camila? I'm starting to hate birthdays and all promises made to me, yet turn into broken pieces.

I looked up as I faced her and smiled at her, "It's okay, but I have only one request from you, make sure that you'll be coming to our outing next month," I calmly said as I tried not to cry.

"I-I promise! I'm sorry, Lau, I am," Before she could say anything more, I immediately stood up as I turned my back at her.

"Stop promising for something that you can't even fulfill, Less talk, more action, Mila," My last words to her before I walked away.

After that, I didn't see her anymore besides from quick from our duty at the warehouse. I don't if she's avoiding me or she's embarrassed by what happened that night. I chuckled as I realized that I was the one who keeps walking away from her. Mila always tried to reach out from afar, but I'm already building walls around me, and it saddens me to do that because the last I would do is hurt her.

Weeks had passed, and it also means that Mila has been dating Warren for that long than Mila usually dates a guy. It surprises me, to be honest, and hurt for invalid reasons.

They are serious to each other, huh? I could see that every single day. Warren always picks up Mila at the end of her duty. I could not even see her that often anymore. She has been distant to us, to me.

"Where's Mila? She's already late on our meet-up time," Jacob complained to me while he keeps looking side by side at the road. Our co-workers complained too because I'm the only one who's telling that we should wait and be complete before leaving for the outing.

I can't go without her. It is the only time we can bond, and I want to take this chance to be with her since she's been missing-in-an-action. I missed her so bad.

"Miss Lauren, we need to go now," Jacob sighed after he looks at our co-workers with frown faces because of Mila, "I'm sure that she'll go after us," He added.

I let out a big sighed. I looked around, trying to find Mila if she's already walking from afar, yet she's not. She better be there. I hate people who keep promises.

She's not the Mila I knew. I guess people do change. I wish that she didn't

You can't make people stay in your life even if how hard you try for that someone. Things happen, and that even breaks me more. I don't like that kind of reality in us. I am expecting more than this. If I could only confess my feelings, will something change too?

I hate it! I hate to prioritize other things than myself. I hate how loving my personality is towards people! I'm tired of caring for someone who can't even see me.

I sighed as I looked at Jacob as my tear fell from my right cheek, "She's not coming, Jay," I whispered, but enough for him to hear it, "She's not coming," I told him, finally giving up about Mila's coming, "But she said that she would, she promised, Jay," I cried on his shoulder as he made everyone go to the bus, leaving us behind.

"She did," I added.

"I know," Jacob hugged me back, "Lauren, she kept her promise," He whispered, which makes me look around as I suddenly saw Mila staring at us with full of betrayal in her eyes.