SONG : NAMANANA - LAY

•••|||•••

I felt my heart drop as soon as Chloe asked the question that made me regret ever telling her about Jace. At that moment, I wished that the ground would just open up it's dark depths and swallow me up.

The embarrassment of what had happened four years ago hit me again and once again I felt like the rejection from that day had just happened.

I felt like the seventeen year old impressionable that I had once been and the insecurity that had taken more than a year for me to get over slowly crept back within me.

I had mistakenly told Chloe about Jace a year ago, on one of those nights I drowned my sorrows in the bottom end of a bottle of whiskey.

I hadn't expected to tell her anything about Jace but when she kept insisting that I actually started dating a guy instead of randomly making out with strangers in a club, I told her that I couldn't ever do that ever again.

Of course when she kept prodding for answers, I ended telling her the story about my childhood and my friendship with everyone from back then.

She didn't believe a word I said about knowing Dylan Rush. It didn't help that I could just call up Dylan and put him on the phone for her to talk to. Nonetheless Chloe believed me and listened as I told her about my best friend's brother that I had crushed on hard.

Of course I didn't tell her his name, for fear that she would use her detective skills and track him down just so she could give him a piece of her mind.

I remembered her cursing Jace the next day before she'll kept asking for a name and as I looked across to stare at my good friend, I felt almost grateful for having her.

Whatever playful smile that Chloe had when she had begun her questions a couple of minutes ago had disappeared, now replaced with a cold look that could freeze hell. Her eyes were narrowed at Jace, as if she was hoping that if she narrowed them enough they would be able to peer into his thoughts and discern what he was thinking.

Jace, had tensed up slightly at Chloe's question. However, to his credit he didn't turn to look at me once or even appear taken aback by her line of questioning.

Elliott was quiet, sitting across from me as he quietly sipped his bubble tea, watching us as if we were a good episode of soap.

"So which one are you?" Chloe asked again, frustration dripping from her voice.

The awkward tension that was in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

I wanted to say something to break the awkwardness but at the same time, I wanted to see how Jace would reply to her question. I wanted to know how he would reply and how he even felt about what had happened four years ago.

Ever since we had run into each other again, neither of us had talked about what had happened four years ago.

I knew my reasons. I didn't want to bring it up because I didn't want to talk about it and remember the harsh words he had said and the equally harsh way he had said it. I also didn't feel like I should be bringing it up at all. I felt like if we were to ever talk about it, Jace should be the one bringing it up.

I finally turned to look at Jace waiting for his reply.

After it seemed like he had no intention of doing so, Jace finally spoke.

"I'm trying to make amends now," he replied, his attention solely on Chloe as he said those words. His eyes stared at her unblinkingly, his face almost expressionless.

Chloe stared back at Jace without blinking, her face unlike Jace was painted with emotions that varied from anger to pity to surprise.

"So you're the guy that broke her heart then," Chloe said as they continued to stare at each other. It seemed like they were the only ones in the room at this point.

Jace gave a single nod in reply.

They continued to have a stare off. Neither of them made the move to look away. It was as if they were having their own competition and whoever looked away first lost.

When it seemed like they would continue to do so for the next hour or so, Elliott announced, "Class time everybody!"

I turned to face Elliott, "Already?" before I looked at my watch and saw that it was. I sighed in frustration, realizing that instead of reading up on the notes like I'd been planning to do, I had forgotten all about it.

I stood up and started picking up my uneaten leftovers. I pondered whether I could squeeze in a bite or two before we reached class but my attention instead drifted to the two that still sat there having a stare off.

"Break it up," I said. "We have to hurry to class if we want to get the best seats."

Neither of them moved.

"Let's just leave them," Elliott suggested.

Casting another look at the two, I nodded. "Let's go."

They arrived soon after Elliott and I reached class. They weren't talking but the tension that had been there a couple of minutes before seemed to have abated slightly.

I cast a curious look over at Chloe as Jace sat next to me, but her attention was only ahead.

Jace took his seat without a word, and despite the curious stares that were on us, wondering why Jace was sitting with us, I didn't feel like playing the attentive girlfriend at that point.

My thoughts were consumed with what he had said before.

He was trying to make amends?

I mentally scoffed as I thought over his reply to Chloe's question.

He was trying to make amends? Well, what a brilliant attempt he was making. Note the sarcasm.

Not only had he reentered my life without any warning, he had practically become an unwanted presence everyday. And now he had practically forced this charade of a relationship on me.

The professor came in and started his lecture, however, my attention wasn't on his teachings at all. My attention was on the guy next to me that was slowly driving me insane with both anger and however minute, pain.

I couldn't even deny myself the truth that seeing him everyday brought me painful agony. They were from the memories from four years ago that always seemed to pop up whenever Jace was near and also the fact that despite what had happened, a small part of me still cared for Jace Frost.

My phone vibrated in my hand, drawing my attention quickly away from my thoughts.

I unlocked the phone without even registering who it was that had messaged me.

Are you free today, Lipa?

I felt the blood drain from my face as I finally registered who was texting me. Only one person called me that and that one person was someone I didn't want to see or hear from ever again.

I had forgotten all about Jordan's text from that day at Venice Beach. Honestly, I had hoped that he had mistakenly sent me that message heralding his return and that I wouldn't hear from him again.

But given his message, that text hadn't been a mistake and he had actually meant to send it to me.

I stared at my screen, hoping that the message would just magically erase itself from both my phone and my memory, but it didn't. Instead it stared back at me as if it was daring me to reply back.

Before I could decide whether to ignore it or to reply back, anothe message popped up.

I wanna meet up and catch up.

My eyes widened at how outrageous his message was. He wanted to catch up? After what he said to me the last time we met?

I wished right then he would just magically appear in front of me so I could give him a piece of my mind.

Before I could calm myself down another message popped up.

For old times sake.

Then as if he was texting spastically, texts after texts appeared on my screen, one after another.

Let's meet up.

I miss you.

Can we talk?

Lipa, I'm sorry.

Of all the texts that Jordan Wolfe sent, the last one was the last straw.

Seven months ago, I would've jumped at any apology that he would've given me, followed by an excuse for what he had said. But he never called, nor texted to explain himself or ask for me to take him back.

He had even known how hesitant I had been when he said that we start dating, but he had said those words that had just made me feel even worse about myself.

But here he was, seven months late and sending a half-assed apology through a text  message.

Seeing red and with my emotions on end, I typed out a reply.

Get lost, Jordan. Leave me the fuck alone.

I turned off my phone and shoved it into my bag, hoping that by doing so I could almost pretend that Jordan Wolfe never existed.

I didn't notice until Jace whispered into my ear that he had leaned in close enough that the hair on my neck stood up instantly as he breathed on me.

"Is there anything I need to know?" he asked in a low tone.

My eyes darted to the girls sitting in front of us who eyed me with a look of envy.

I rolled my eyes at them, knowing that from their point of view, it seemed like Jace was whispering sweet things into my ear.

I pushed aside my need to push him away as I leaned in and said, "It's nine of your business." I turned back and focused on the class, hoping that listening to the lecturer would drown out any thoughts of Jordan or Jace.

Jace didn't say anything for the rest of the class. It almost looked like he had been paying attention to it. I wouldn't be surprised if he did of course.

He was always interested in school.

"Are you done for the day?" Elliott asked as we walked out of class.

I nodded. "I have to meet some people later on." I didn't mention that they were Georgia and Krystal because I had still yet to mention anything about them yet.

Georgia had called earlier on to say that if I would be free to grab coffee with her and Krystal. She promised that Jace would be out of my hair because the guys would call him away.

Knowing that that would be the only chance I could get to free myself from Jace Frost for sometime, I agreed. I also had wanted to meet up with them and catch up.

"Do we know them?" Elliott asked as we headed for the parking lot.

I shook my head. "Not yet. I'll introduce them to you soon. I promise."

The both of them nodded.

"So Jace, got any plans later?" Elliott asked as he looked over at Jace who had finally caught up.

Jace nodded. "It seems like I do."

"I was hoping you and I could talk," Elliott said with an edge to his voice. "Y'know man to man."

Jace chucked. "I don't want you getting hurt, mate."

Elliott's eyes narrowed. "That's hilarious. I'm sure I can take you on blindfolded."

I sighed as they stared off at one another.

But before I could say anything to break up their testosterone fueled state, Chloe beat me to it.

"Uhm...Phillipa," she said as she touched my arm softly. I looked at her, she wasn't looking at me, her eyes were staring at a spot further in front. "Is that who I think it is?"

I furrowed my brows together in confusion as I turned to see who she was talking about.

It didn't take me long to see where she was looking. A crowd was slowly gathering around.

I narrowed my eyes to see who she was referring to, but I didn't need to look harder.

He drew anyone's attention to him easily. As if we were moths and he was the flame that drew us to him.

In the middle of the crowd, smiling carefreely was someone I had wished wouldn't show up in front of me ever again.

Jordan Wolfe.

•••|||•••

How was the chapter? ❤💋🔆

The song above is Namanana by Lay. It just got released today and is amazing. It's in English and is off of his US Debut Album ❤❤🔥🔥🔥#thirdchild #namanana