IN 60 Days

Chapter 5-Trouble in paradise

"What do you guys want from me now... My blood? The hatred between us was toxic as it were... So we decided to try and be friends." I complained just wishing that they buy the story.

Cherry starred at me narrowing her eyes.

"Something just doesn't add up." she murmured.

"Friendship, Lilah and Tyler... never thought a day would come when this three words would belong in a sentence." Vanessa replied.

"All the blogs are carrying the news with really interesting captions like STEAMY LOVE TRIANGLE, ARCH ENEMIES OR WHAT, SECRET LOVE AFFAIR, WAS JAY JUST A COVER OR WHAT? .."

I hurriedly took her phone from her scrolling by myself.

One of the bloggers had even gone far to say she had sensed there was a love story amidst our hatred for each other.

"This is just ridiculous." I yelled.

"And your fans seem to have something to say." Vanessa reported.

She was more like the manager of Team JAH fan base.

"This is bad... I don't think I should read this with all the tension in the air." Vanessa replied.

"Read it... It can't get any worst than it is already." I replied.

She starred at me unsure for some seconds.

"Well... The first comment says what's wrong with Lilah, can't believe she is throwing away years of a beautiful relationship all because of a hot body, feeling emotional for Jay my cutie pie doesn't deserve this still Team JAH though by Lora the psychopath."

"She really is a psychopath." I mumbled.

"I just think Lilah is doing all this for publicity...publicity for what? That I don't know but it's such a pity how people are willing to throw true love and face trivial issues by Brandon."

"Can he just shut up... Publicity really?" I asked in disbelief hugging myself.

"This one says I think Tyler is just playing with her...wants to Turn her against Jay and win the contest... Feel pity for Jay cause Lilah is falling for it by Stacey."

"Imagine the bitch." I mumbled.

Vanessa glared at me, she wasn't a fan of any foul language of any form.

"Sorry." I whispered.

"I hate him...i hate him she would always say, knew that there was more to the story....let Lilah tell us if we should start rooting for another ship name by your favorite nerd Jackson."

I shook my head.

"More like Judgemental nerd." I whispered.

"Cut the whole crap out and just admit you have always been in love with Tyler Lilah... After all he is so hot by Alexa."

"Give me the phone Nessa." I demanded in anger.

Petrified she handed me the phone and immediately I switched it off.

"This people are insane." I mumbled.

"This people are your fans." she retorted.

"I don't even read some of the more judgemental and crude comments." she said.

"There are some comments worst than this?"Cherry asked looking shocked.

Vanessa nodded.

"Some of them even called her names. Their choices of words, one I can't repeat." she replied.

"The truth is that your fans feel betrayed, they are angry, confused and angry..."

"I thought we have already established that they are angry?" I snapped.

"This only means that either your votes drop or Tyler's... None of the two has happened though and that's well surprising...so...we wait." she replied about walking out, I held her hand.

She turned towards me then gently removed my hand from hers.

"This is your mess you better fix this." she replied.

"Nessa..." I called out.

She turned and then without another word walked out.

"Cherry please just tell me that you understand me, that I didn't do anything wrong." I said turning towards her silently begging for her support.

She bit her lip nervously.

"If it were to be another male hot friend you were hanging out with then there won't be all this fuss... There are just some boundaries we can't cross in our world.. Tyler is hot hell yes but I stayed away from him partly because he was your enemy and now this? Forget about me I know you that's why my blog is not carrying this news with an even more steamier caption but your fans, people that don't know, people that idolize you are also out there... You messed up and that's that." she replied already walking out..

"But... "

"....we are just friends." I mumbled more to myself since the hall was already empty.

I cursed inwardly as I almost tripped while chasing Jay down the hallways.

He stopped in his tracks, I ran and stood in his way to prevent him from continue walking in those quick strides of him and treating me like I didn't exist.

"Why are you avoiding me?" I asked still out of breath.

He sighed and made to move but I didn't budge.

"Am sorry but for how long is this going to go on?" I asked.

"As long as possible... For as long as I can be able to get your betrayal out of my head." he replied.

"Betrayal really? Don't you think you are over reacting we were just hanging out not like I was caught kissing him or...."

He glared at me.

"Should I be scared of that happening?"he asked.

I closed my eyes trying to restrain myself from losing control with him.

"Look I know that you are angry with me but I want you to understand that I have nothing to do with him... Heck weeks ago and I couldn't even stand his name!" I exclaimed.

"The point exactly! So why the sudden interest? Am I boring to you or does his bad boy ways appeal to you?" he asked.

I starred at him shocked.

"You know that's not true... Why would you even say such a thing?" I asked.

"Cause I don't know what to think anymore... The news and... "

"The news really? The media don't know me Jay... It's just the entertainment news! They don't give two f***s about me, but we have been together for 7 years I thought you knew me better than this." I replied.

"That's what I thought too... Didn't you see those pictures... You both were gazing into each other eyes love struck." He blurted out.

"Really? That was just a picture!" I defended.

"Well that picture just that picture was enough to make your Dad call me so early this morning putting him 2 minutes behind his schedule and he almost cleared all his schedule to come down here today if not that I convinced him that I had everything under control and even told him we were still together so he had no need to panic." he replied.

I angrily looked at him.

"I came here to talk about us but if you rather want to talk about others... including a man posing as my dad then I guess there is really nothing to talk about." I said about leaving.

He held me back.

"Li," he Murmured.

I looked up to meet his gaze.

"You know I do love you and trust you but the turn of events are just throwing me off balance... Everyone around me is saying the same thing..."

"Saying what Jay?" I softly coaxed.

"Saying that you and Tyler look good together... He is the people's sweet heart after all and am just the..."

"Guy I love." I completed interrupting him.

"Because I don't want to look good together with Tyler... I just want you... I don't want what people are saying to change the way we see ourselves. We do look great together."

"Then would you stop whatever it is you are having with Tyler?" he hopefully asked.

"But Tyler is not such a bad person if only you take out time to know..."

"Wait first you are hanging out with Tyler and now this? Not such a bad person huh? you are defending Tyler. Have you forgotten that almost a week ago Tyler was punching me in this same f*****g hallway?" he shouted seething In anger.

Students were beginning to look at us and we were about having a large audience.

"Calm down, " I whispered.

"That was just a misunderstanding, I am sure there is a ..."

"Forget it... I thought as much... " he replied walking out.

"Trouble in paradise?" An annoying familiar voice asked.

I turned and there he stood.... with a black hoodie, black trousers hanging deliciously down his waist and a black pair of sneakers to finish off the look Tyler stood in his glory.

"What do you think?" I mumbled defeated after checking him out.

"I think your pretty boyfriend is over reacting and the news isn't always as it seems."he replied.

I gazed at him surprised regardless of the fact that we both were the ones involved it still shocked me that he saw reasons with me.

"What?" he asked.

"You are the only one who sees reason with me! Though I don't appreciate you calling my boyfriend pretty, "I quickly added shooting him a brief glare.

He chuckled.

"Bitter pills princess but that's exactly what he is.... Pretty, petty and a goody two shoes. " he replied.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"He is not petty maybe an extremist at perfection but I find that very hot and adorable." I defended.

"Hot is this," he replied gesturing to himself.

"Are you always this full of yourself or is this that time of the month?" I retorted.

"I wouldn't..."

Whatever he wanted to say was interrupted by Ariana Grande's voice as seven rings filled the air.

I brought out my phone from my backpack.

It was Dad. I gasped frightened. It had already stopped ringing.

Woah it's official I am royally screwed.

The ringing started again.

"Who is that?" he asked I bet noticing my mortified scared expression.

"My dad" I whispered like he could hear me from Paris.

"Want to answer him?" he asked eying the phone which was still ringing on my hand.

"I have to hear him out at some point don't I?" I asked.

"No if you are scared to answer it then don't...." he simply replied.

I looked at him unsure of what to do.

"Jay would.... "

"He isn't here... He is probably at a corner sulking and am right here. Don't pick his calls or better still block his number.... I have done that to my old man like multiple of times when he thinks he can run my life through a phone. " he replied.

I nodded my head, then bringing out my phone which I had dropped in my backpack out of fear I declined his call then immediately blacklisted his number. "

"Done." I replied grinning.

"Welcome to the dark side. " he replied smiling, a genuine smile, his dimples in display.

He looked so cute... Pretty and adorable.

Pretty boy I thought then inwardly chuckling I shook my head.

Tyler would certainly kill me if he could read minds I thought.

"Follow me." he suddenly ordered.

"Why?" I asked confused.

He looked at me like he couldn't believe his ears.

"Your schedule is clean, you don't have any important classes today, your pretty boyfriend is upset, your friends want to have nothing to do with you and the whole school is talking about the picture." he replied.

I frowned.

"You do know that his name is Jay right? " I asked now worried.

"Who?" he asked faking confusion.

"My boyfriend! "I replied.

"Oh pretty boy? Nah I didn't know." he replied.

I shook my head already giving up on the argument.

"So are you joining me or what?" he asked.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked.

He chuckled.

"Friends remember?" he asked.

I nodded.

**************************************

"Scrolling your phone is not really the best way to make a girl fall for you, you know?" I asked irritated.

After our crazy get away from the school we were currently in Tyler's "secret spot" also known as an abandoned warehouse in the middle of nowhere, we had taken so many turns that I couldn't even remember the route we took.

I was both scared and bored out of my mind while Tyler was busy on his phone.

He frowned, looking up from his phone.

"And always complaining isn't attractive either." He replied.

"Is this what you do when you are with Leslie... Look at your phone all day and not even look at her?" I asked.

"We don't really do much of talking, more of you know..." he trailed off looking at me suggestively.

I gazed at him genuinely confused then it hit me.

"Seriously you p*****t!" I exclaimed.

He chuckled.

But am bored really." I complained giving him the puppy dog eyes.

"Then find something doing... Am not babysitting you." he simply replied unmoved by my puppy eyes that works on almost everyone.

I grabbed his phone.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked glaring at me.

"Let's play a game." I replied grinning at him.

"God you are such an overgrown baby... I don't want to." he replied.

"Then I won't give your phone back." I threatened.

There was silence for about 5 minutes, for a second I feared he wouldn't budge.

"Okay what's the name of the game?" he asked.

"Twenty questions." I replied excitedly.

"How does that work?" he asked.

"You never played twenty questions?" I asked shocked.

He shrugged.

"In between schooling, swimming classes, piano lessons and other things I had to indulge in, in my father's word was of importance to me as an heir... nope no time for games." he replied.

"No wonder you are so grumpy." I mumbled.

"We ask each other twenty questions which we are to answer truthfully." I explained.

"Let's make it ten." he bargained.

"Nope... It's twenty question for a reason not ten." I replied.

"How about fifteen?" he asked even more desperate.

"Okay whatever... " I replied afraid that he might just change his mind.

"Go first." he ordered.

I glared at him.

"Favorite food?" I casually asked.

"None." he replied.

I raised a brow.

"Chinese or Italian food?" He asked.

"Certainly Italian." I replied almost immediately.

He grinned.

"Great taste in food."

"Its food... If I don't have a great taste in it, then I wonder what I have been doing all my life with my taste." I cheekily replied.

He chuckled.

"Why Leslie?" I asked.

He shrugged.

"She is reliable, convinent...."

"All the qualities of a good vacuum cleaner and not a partner." I retorted.

"So how about you? Why are you with pretty boy?" he asked.

"Obviously because I love him." I replied.

"No I don't think you love him... You are just with him because he doesn't push you out of your comfort zone. He never tests your limit... Just boring, safe and convinent, and also you are just desperate to be loved." he simply replied more like he has been wanting to tell me This for days.

"Why would you even say that? I love him." I replied.

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" he asked amused.

"You know what? I don't care what you think I love Jay." I mumbled.

"Wow no need getting all defensive princess." he murmured.

"Do you even believe in love?" I asked.

"Surprisingly I do," he replied smiling fondly.

"I used to love someone too but now I know better... Love is not meant for a certain set of people, am one of them."

"Why would you even say that? What about your parents? Don't you wish to find someone you would love so much you would want forever with them?" I asked.

He chuckled.

"Sadly am a product of an arranged marriage. Mom was sad but couldn't leave, she was bounded by a powerful contract one as potent as love itself. A contract between two powerful and wealthy families and I might just end up in one." he replied with a note of finality like he could see what the future holds.

I wanted to probe in more into the matter but I feared he might just close up completely.

"So what do you want to do when you are done with college?" he asked.

I starred at him surprised.

"Isn't it obvious I would have to get a masters in business management then..."

"I didn't ask what you have to do but what you want to do. What makes you happy?" he asked.

I smiled.

"Well if am allowed then I just want to be a model for now... Don't get me wrong am also interested in running my father's business I would just have to get a degree in business management. But before I take over the reins of his company I want to explore the world, Go for shoots in different places and then try out my hand in fashion designing... Something exciting, colourful, challenging and thrilling, the dream is to set up my own brand... Then I would just have to deploy major roles In my father's establishment to trusted people like Jay, he seem so interested and invested in business besides he got the brain for anything."

"I have a perfect name for your brand." he said.

I laughed.

"What is it?" I asked.

"DPS" he simply replied.

"What does that even mean?" I Asked curiously.

"D pretty boy." he replied.

I laughed.