Chapter 16

This was not how I had planned for this day to go. I was intended on taking a long hot bubble bath after apologizing to Drake and then binging some sappy romance movies with ice cream to tend my very fresh sour heart. And not leaning against the wall of my dorm building, waiting for Drake to come.

I am still in the clothes, I had changed in after swimming for almost two hours in the lake and my hair hanging in loose curls down to my waist. I didn't bother to change anything and just came down the stairs, which mean my face is makeup-free.

The rumbling of the engine brought my attention to the black jeep slowing just in front of me. Drake opened the driver's side of the door and stepped out to meet me but I didn't look at him, my gaze was fixated on the pretty brunette sitting in the passenger side of his jeep.

Her long straight raven hair was falling like a curtain hiding half of her face but from how little was visible, I can tell her face contours were sensuous in a seductive way. Almost like Nina Dobrev with full pouty lips. She was busy looking at her phone and I had to tell myself that the drop in my stomach is not because I am jealous. I can't be. I am just...…disappointed.

It was only last night Drake told me that he liked me and now he is with some other girl. On top of that, he brought her with him to meet me. He sure as hell loses interest very fast. And I am disappointed 'cause I believed his every word.

How dumb of me?

"She is Sophie", Drake's words brought my eyes to him.

"What?", I asked startled.

"Sophie", he said pointing to the girl sitting in his jeep, "My half-sister."

"Oh", I said feeling lame for jumping to the conclusion. Shit. I am glad people like telepaths don't really exist or if Drake was one, he would have run like a bat out of hell in the opposite direction from me after hearing my imbecile thoughts.

"Yeah", Drake said shifting on his feet, "She was with me when you messaged me and I uh.. kinda wanted to come here as soon as possible so uh, I brought her." He said and looked away, rocking on his heels.

I had to choke the smile that was trying to breakthrough. In so few words Drake divulged that he was waiting for me to contact him and when I did he didn't even bother to drop his sister at home before coming here to meet me. That's kind of flattering.

"That was nice of you", I said with a small private smile.

"I would have introduced you to her but right now she is reading some kind of crime-thriller novel and if I interrupt her, she will claw me to my bones. So I will save the introductions for later as I like my face the way it is", he joked but then a serious expression marred his face, "I had to ask you something, Grace."

I nodded. "Who is Brian?", he asked.

Crap. "He is. Uh. My boyfriend." Probably. I am not sure that if he is still my boyfriend or he dumped me.

Drake nodded as he had expected it. Well, the stunt that Brian has pulled off was not leaving much to the imagination. So obviously, he had already figured it out.

"Do you love him?", he asked looking straight into my eyes.

"Yes", I lied without missing a beat. I could have said no but what was the point of doing that. I don't want to lead on Drake, I want him as a friend. A friend that I didn't have for years except for Cassie. I want to live again and not get tangled in messy relationships, regardless I break up with Brian or not.

Drake was silent for a while before he said, "You're lying." My jaw dropped at his assessment and I can only imagine how wide my eyes were. His blue eyes were piercing in me. "I'm letting it slide for this once but I'll make it very clear to you, Grace, I don't want you lying to me. Ever again", he said in an authoritative voice that almost made me contemplate saluting him with a loud, "Yes, sir."

His eyes were blazing with the promise of something. What? I don't know. But I had a nagging feeling that whatever it was, it was going to rock my world. And I can just hope that it will be in a positive way.

"I'll meet you tomorrow in the class", he said backing to his jeep, "Until then." And then he was gone in a blur. I kept standing there until the tail-lights of his jeep were no longer visible.

Did that mean we can be friends?

I groaned out loud in the bland night sky and stomped my way to the dorm. I don't know what I am aggravated on, maybe on myself for not telling even a lie properly or maybe because he called me out on it, but I made that a point to slam the front door and the door to my room.

Childish? Sadly, yes. But it gave me a little satisfaction.

Just when I was going to fall on my bed, which sounded like heaven, a faceplant, a knock on the front door stopped me from doing it. Ugh, why can't I just get a break? I contemplated leaving Laura to attend whoever was there but then thought better of it.

I opened the door just as Laura came from behind me, a delivery boy was standing with a large bouquet of red roses with him on the other side. I gave Laura a questioning glance over my shoulder and she shrugged in response.

"Grace Coroners?", the delivery boy asked.

"That would be me", I said again looking over my shoulder but Laura was a no-show.

"Can you sign it here, ma'am?", he said thrusting a notebook in my hand. I signed and took the flowers from him before closing the door. There was a white notecard dangling from its one stem. I took the notecard in my hands and read it.

FORGIVE ME, AND PLEASE CALL ME.

I let out a long-suffering sigh. Brian.

I took the flowers to the kitchen and filled a vase with water. I cut its stem on the ending and arranged it in the vase before carrying the vase to my room. I don't have much furniture in my room, so I kept the vase on the nightstand and grabbed my phone from the bed.

Maybe I should wait for a while and let him get roiled in his predicament. That will teach him a lesson. But I don't want to do that. It might sound silly but I don't want to go to bed knowing that I have something unsettled and also I don't want him losing sleep over it. That he will, for sure. So, I dialed his number and he picked it up in the first ring.

"Grace...", he let out a long breath, "Jesus, I was beginning to think you won't ever talk to me."

"I had planned on that", I said just to make him suffer a little more although it was a lie.

"I know and I deserved that", he said, "But you have to know, Grace, that I didn't do anything because I don't trust you. I do, babe. Why won't I? I was just..... jealous. And didn't knew how to handle it."

He is telling me everything that I already know. "I know", I told him, "Needless to say I don't want you to do anything like that ever again. Because Drake is my friend and you've to accept it. Every now and then I'm going to hang out with him and you can't act like a jealous prick every time I do. You have to trust me."

"I do", he said in a low voice. "I just don't trust him." I felt a stab in my heart when I heard the vulnerability in his voice.

"Well, you don't need to", I said, "You know me. And I won't do anything like that to you."

He was quiet for a while and then he said, "Yeah."

I sighed in relief and prayed that I won't ever do anything stupid that will cost me, Brian. Although I have my apprehension about that.

We talked for almost an hour after that, laughing at his insanity and while we were at it, I told him about Drake's visit sans the part where he called me out on my lie. I felt a little guilty for keeping things from Brian but I couldn't bring myself to rectify that. After a long time, I was feeling like everything is falling in place, maybe. It might be the case that I am delusional but whatever I am going to protect until it lasts.