CHAPTER 21

"What does Zion mean about avoiding and ignoring me?" I spoke in my mind.

Dave gripped Zion's wrist tightly and was fuming at Zion.

Before they led to a bloody fight, I restrained them from each other.

"Stop! Why are you quarreling with each other?" I shouted and asked them both. But they didn't respond to me. Dave lost his grip on Zion. And they kept on silent.

"Was my question hard for both of you?" They looked at each other.

Without a thought, Dave grasped my waist and said,

"Dave, I will borrow Arien for a while." Zion shouted at Dave and brought me on his shoulder to run away to his car. Dave was stunned and couldn't react.

Zion put me in the front seat of his car and he dashed his car far away from Dave.

In the middle of the park, Zion stopped the car and stared at me.

"I'm sorry, Arien. I mean, we didn't want to fight in front of you. My mind went blank and I couldn't think anymore when I saw you being happy with Dave." Zion bowed his head to the steering wheel because he didn't know how he would face Arien in the eye because of the circumstances that had happened to them.

I waited for him to explain everything. And also about why he ignored me and how he was on a hill as well. I looked around at his car and I noticed his car window was smashed. Then I looked at Zion and saw his fist was bleeding. My heart was aching seeing Zion being depressed. I caressed his back to comfort him. "I don't know if stroking his back gently will cheer him up." In my mind,

Zion glanced at me. He lifted his head and said, "Aren't you angry with me, Arien?" I sighed at him and held Zion's hand to treat his wound.

"Did being angry fix every misunderstanding? Everything will get worse if I get angry, too. Anyway, I won't force you to explain everything to me. You can tell me anytime." I stated.

"You are very kind and understanding, Arien. I want to explain everything to you. But I didn't know why I acted this way either. I don't know why I feel annoyed when you are with another man. I feel sad when you are sad. It hurts me a lot to see you having a hard time." Zion leant his back on the seat and covered his eyes with his arms because he was about to cry.

"I didn't know Zion was having a hard time like this. And I didn't expect him to feel what I felt. We felt the same way toward each other. Is Zion like me as much as I like him?" That's what I am thinking right now. As I stared at Zion, I put together all my thoughts to get the best plausible answer about our feelings. But I still don't expect everything to end well, because I lied to Zion about my appearance. And Zion didn't realize his feelings for me yet.

When I was about to touch Zion's face, his phone rang, and it startled me. Her mother called him to remind him about dinner for tomorrow with their family friends.

I told Zion to take me back to my apartment, since it was very late at night.

We arrived at my apartment and Zion held my hand and said, "Goodnight, Arien. See you tomorrow. I nodded, and he smiled sweetly at me. I headed inside my apartment.

The next day, because it was Saturday, I went to see Dave for practice.

"Dave, I'm sorry about last night. I didn't say goodbye to you."

"It's OK Arien, as long as you get home safely, it doesn't matter to me, anyway." Dave didn't ask anymore about what happened after we left him.

After our practice, I go straight to work.

On Zion's side. They are having a family dinner with family friends.

The family friend was Jessica's family.

"Jessica my dear, you are beautiful as usual." Zion's mother complimented Jessica.

"Thank you aunt, you're beautiful as well." Jessica responded.

"Anyway, your mother and I were talking about the date of your engagement to Zion. We decided on the date to announce it. Before you graduate, we will hold an engagement party for you. Are you OK with that, Jessica?" Jessica nodded at Zion's mother brightly.

"Mom, I won't agree to the engagement. You never ask my opinion about it. I have no plan to get engaged, mom!" Zion stood up and left the table. He went to the terrace for fresh air because he was being pressured by his mother. And Jessica followed him behind.

"Zion, what's the matter? You're always opposed to our engagement. Our parents have already decided about it. And your mother likes me too. I don't see any problem with it or do you have someone you like, Zion?" Zion was stunned by Jessica's question and suddenly realized everything about the person he liked.

"Hahahahaha!" Zion laughed like crazy because now he understood why he felt agitated and annoyed when he saw Arien with Dave. That's why he felt a pain in his chest, because he was jealous. He now realizes he likes Arien, or even loves Arien now.

"Have you become insane, Zion?" Jessica asked.

"Hahaha! Of course not! I mean, I just realized now that I have someone in my heart."

Jessica frowned and asked him, "And who was that woman in your heart?"

"That's none of your business, Jessica."

"Don't tell me you like that freaking ugly woman on our campus."

Zion became furious when he heard Jessica calling Arien a freaking ugly.

"Don't get involved with Arien here, Jessica, and never touch her. Or else you'll be sorry." Zion threatened Jessica and left her. He headed to his room.

Jessica shouted, "Do you think I am afraid of anyone, including you!?"

Jessica got enraged knowing that Zion liked Arien. Her anger with Arien went so deep that she wanted to destroy her into pieces.

The next morning, because Zion realized his feelings for Arien, he planned to visit her in the apartment. He bought flowers and fruit for her.

He pressed the doorbell and was excited. He thought the one who would open the door was Arien.

He prepared himself for how to greet Arien. He fixed his appearance once again from the reflection in the glass window.