Chapter 8

"I thought you were partying," Revi said after giving the waiter our orders. Gael gave him a deep and low chuckle while shaking his head.

"He's with a girl earlier. I saw them," I inserted.

Revi looked at his best friend with his lips parted. "A girlfriend, perhaps?"

I shrugged. "Maybe? I heard they broke up so maybe they were really the real thing."

"I thought you don't fancy gossips, Amelia?" Gael asked, teasing.

"I just happened to hear. You two didn't even have the slightest intention to keep it private, though."

They both laughed because of what they've heard from me. Minutes after the waiter delivered the food on our table, we started eating.

I had a hard time slicing my steak which made Revi swap our plates. He gave me his plate of sliced steak and started slicing the steak who was supposed to be mine.

"So, who's the girl?" Revi asked while busy slicing the steak on his plate.

"Which girl?" Gael asked back, also busy slicing his steak.

Revi let out a hearty laugh at what Gael said. "Oh! I forgot that they're that many. I'm sorry. But the girl I was referring to was the girl whom Amelia saw earlier who was with you."

Gael nodded. "Oh, that's Victoria."

"Victoria...?" Revi asked, asking for more details.

Gael shrugged. "She always says Victoria Kelly so I assume Kelly's her last name."

"Stupid!" Revi said, chuckling.

I was just silent while eating but I joined the talk whenever there's a need for me to involve myself but mostly, I just listen and laugh whenever I hear something funny.

"Will you go to school tomorrow?"

"I always do."

Revi scoffed. "Right. But what I mean is that will you stay until the whole day's class is finished?"

"It's gonna be boring but if you miss your buddy that much, then I will."

"I like you, bro but it was not to that level where you feel special to me in a romantic way."

"What?" Gael asked in a confused tone of voice which the latter only replied with a simple shrug.

I was about to finish my steak when Revi held my hand placed on the table. I turned to him with an unknowing look.

"Are you fine?" He asked sincerely.

I nodded.

"Anyway, I want to ask you two about something trivial," Gael said which stole Revi and my attention.

"Trivial?" I asked, intrigued.

"What is it, Coln?"

I noticed how Revi's grip on my hand tightened.

"Well..." Gael trailed off, leaving me curious while Revi was just patiently waiting for whatever his best friend is gonna say.

"This is for Amelia."

My forehead creased. Revi glanced my way for a second. "For me?"

Gael nodded. "What's the merit you'll get if a guy posts you on social media?"

My forehead creased more in confusion when I understand his question but when I remembered what was the reason for his argument with that girl earlier who goes by the name Victoria, I nodded. "W-well... Revi always posts me on social media," I said before stealing a glance at Revi.

Gael raised a brow from what he has heard but he didn't say anything.

"It's not merit, actually. It's a certain feeling you'll get if a guy posts his girlfriend on his social media account. I'd dare to say, men like that are often to find."

Revi nodded, in favor of the last part of my answer. "So what feeling is that?"

Revi let go of my hand before shifting on his seat. "You'll feel assured," he said which made Gael look at him.

I smiled at Revi before nodding at Gael, backing up my boyfriend's answer. "Assurance."

Gael lifted his glass of water while hiding his smirk underneath his glass while looking at both of us. "But the thing is... she's not my girlfriend,"

I leaned on the table a bit. "Really? What is she, then?"

"A fling," Revi muttered.

I gasped before nodding. Again, it's not new to him already. I don't know but something from what I've heard from their argument earlier made me hope that he's finally keeping a girlfriend, moving it to the next level from 'fling'.

"Why not settle already, Gael?"

"He sure won't..." Revi whispered which sounded like he's hiding a hint or something.

"Again, don't call me Gael." He warned me which didn't even bother me one bit. I even smiled wider.

Gael turned to Revi. "Could you tell your girlfriend not to call me that anymore, Rev?"

Revi shrugged, obviously not having any plans on telling me to do so.

Gael stood up from his seat. "I'll go first. Let's just see each other at the party. You're going, okay? I'm expecting you there, Revi."

"I will, I will. And hey, drive safely. Do you want me to fetch you later?"

Gael snorted. "Some other time. I think I'll need a car later."

There's a dirty meaning of what Gael has said but I shook the thought away. Gael went out of the restaurant, leaving the two us alone. I looked at Revi who's silently looking at the path his best friend took.

"Revi? Let's go?"

He snapped before awkwardly smiling at me.

"Right. Let's go," he said before putting our bill on the table. He was about to get my shoulder bag from me when I swiftly avoided it from his grasp. It's not that heavy so it's fine. He held my hand swiftly before intertwining our fingers while we're walking out of the mall.

He was just silent the whole drive until we reached my boarding house. He seems thinking about something so I didn't bother to talk to him because it might disturb him from getting things together inside his head.

"We're here," I muttered softly while looking at our two-story boarding house from inside the car. I heard Revi's deep sigh which made me turn to him who's still holding onto the steering wheel.

"Please be careful on your trip to Kyser," I said. He didn't answer and just stayed looking in the front. What's he thinking?

I was about to open the door when he called me. "Amelia."

I turned to him once again. "Are you fine?" I asked worriedly.

"I am. There's just something bugging me."

"What is it?"

"We're good, right?"

My eyes widened. I didn't know where's that coming from but because I was concern about it, I replied.

I smiled. "Of course, we are."

He nodded.

"This relationship is sailing smoothly. As long as we're honest towards each other, this relationship is not just fine but even far greater than that."

His glistening eyes didn't escape my vision.

"Right. That was just a random question. No need to think about it much, Amelia."

I chuckled before nodding. "You still have a party to attend to. No need to see me off," I said.

He shook his head. "I'll make sure that you're already inside first before leaving," he insisted.

I nodded before going outside his car. I opened the gate which created a creaking sound.

I am shy and timid but being in a public relationship with Revi for years made me pretty confident. Although my heart leaped a beat from time to time, I braved myself to disregard Revi's disturbing thoughts.

I left the small opening of the gate and run back towards Revi's car who hasn't left yet. I stopped in front of his car and even though tinted, that didn't hinder me from looking at the driver's seat as if I'm looking right at him.

He immediately went out of the driver's seat with his questioning look. "What's wrong, Amelia? It's cold outside-"

I walked towards him and immediately slammed my body towards him for a tight hug. He got taken aback which made him step back a little because of my sudden action. I encircled my arms on his neck as I buried my face on his manly-scented neck.

I felt him touching the back of my head, softly caressing my hair while giving me little kisses on top of my head.

"What's bothering you that made you do this?"

I lifted my head to meet his eyes. He raised his brow while a smirk is plastered on his face. I pursed my lips as I stared at him lovingly before closing my eyes, putting the embarrassment I am feeling aside.

I gave him a peck on the lips without warning before opening my eyes, only to see his shock expression.

"W-well... that was my way of assuring you that all is well."