Chapter 14

Hale's POV

As we stepped out of the bar, the night air cool against my skin, I looked at Chiara, still shaken but steadying herself. I wasn't going to leave her or her friend stranded, not after what just happened.

"Do you have a car?" I asked, glancing around at the dimly lit street.

Chiara nodded. "Yeah, it's parked in the bar's lot."

"Alright," I said, my voice firm but calm. "I'll drive."

She handed me the keys without hesitation, clearly trusting me after everything we've been through. I opened the passenger's door for chiara before sliding to the driver's seat. Noah and Lauren climbed into the backseat, still murmuring to each other. As I started the engine, the tension in the air started to ease. It felt like we were moving away from the chaos of the bar and into something a bit more relaxed.

We pulled out of the parking lot, and after a few minutes of driving, an idea popped into my head. "Hey," I said, glancing over at Chiara, "you guys want an ice cream?"

Chiara and Lauren exchanged a quick look before nodding enthusiastically. "Yes, please," Chiara said with a small smile, and I could see a bit of the tension leaving her shoulders.

"Alright then, let's find the nearest place," I replied, scanning the road for any open stores. After a short drive, we found a small convenience store, its neon lights flickering in the darkness.

---

We parked in front of the small convenience store, the neon lights casting a soft glow on the pavement. Everyone stepped out of the car, the mood lighter now that we were out of the chaos of the bar.

"Alright," I said, pushing open the door to the store. "Let's see what they have."

Inside, the cool air hit us, a welcome change after the night's events. The shelves were lined with all kinds of snacks, but we headed straight for the freezer where the ice cream was stocked.

I pulled open the door and immediately went for the vanilla. Simple, reliable, and exactly what I needed right now.

Chiara stood beside me, scanning the options before grabbing a chocolate tub with a satisfied grin. "Can't go wrong with chocolate," she said, her tone lighter now that we were away from the bar.

Lauren hovered next to her, squinting at the flavours before her eyes lit up. "Cheese ice cream!" she said, snatching it up like it was some rare treasure. I couldn't help but laugh a little—cheese ice cream was definitely a bold choice, but it suited her.

Noah was the last to pick, his eyes already set on strawberry. He grabbed it without hesitation and gave me a nod, his usual calm demeanor back in place.

With our ice creams in hand, we headed to the counter, paid for everything, and then made our way back to the car.

As we settled back into our seats, I realized something—aside from the chaos earlier, none of us had properly introduced ourselves.

"So," I said, twisting the cap off my ice cream, "maybe we should do proper introductions."

Chiara nodded, looking over at Lauren. "I guess we haven't really done that, have we?"

I started, breaking the ice. "I'm Hale, Hale Hawksley," I said, glancing around at the group. "Chiara and I already met under… unusual circumstances," I looked at Noah, who was sitting in the backseat, already halfway through his strawberry ice cream. "And this is Noah, Noah Jones, my best friend."

Noah gave a small wave, smiling at everyone. "Hey, nice to meet you all," he said, his voice as laid-back as ever.

Chiara and Lauren smiled at him, "I'm Chiara, Chiara Imber. And this is Lauren, Lauren brown, my best friend. We're just… trying to celebrate being reunited after a long time apart."

Lauren leaned forward a little, flashing a bright smile. "Yep! I'm Lauren. Cheese ice cream enthusiast, clearly," she said, holding up her tub with a laugh. "Chiara and I have been best friends forever, and we're finally back together after months of being in different countries."

"It's nice to meet both of you," I said, genuinely meaning it.

"So, vanilla, huh?" Chiara teased, glancing at my ice cream. "You strike me as more of a chocolate or something intense kind of girl."

I shrugged, smiling slightly. "Vanilla keeps things simple. I've had enough excitement for one night."

Chiara laughed. "I think we all have."

As we sat there, eating our ice creams and sharing small talk, I glanced at Noah and Lauren again. They were merrily chatting in the back, their heads close as they discussed something. It seemed like they were connecting, maybe in a way I hadn't expected.

Noah's POV

I took a bite of my strawberry ice cream, savoring the sweetness, and glanced at Lauren sitting next to me.

She caught my eye and smiled. "Strawberry, huh? Good choice." she playfully said.

I laughed. "Yeah, it's been my favourite since I was a kid."

We fell into an easy conversation, and somehow, the topic drifted to music. I wasn't expecting much, just the usual small talk about artists and bands, but then Lauren mentioned something that made my ears perk up.

"You know Alec Benjamin?" she asked casually, taking a bite of her cheese ice cream.

I sat up a little straighter. "You're kidding, right? I love his music!"

Lauren's eyes lit up. "No way! He's amazing, right?! The way he tells a story through his songs—it's like each one is a mini-movie."

"Exactly," I said, feeling a rush of excitement. "It's like he pulls you into the narrative, and suddenly, you're living it with him. Songs like 'Let Me Down Slowly' and 'Mind Is a Prison'—man, they hit hard."

"Right?!" she agreed, her enthusiasm matching mine. "And 'The Book of You & I'? It's such a simple melody, but the way he weaves the lyrics together is just… ugh, so good."

We both laughed, that kind of heartily laugh you get when you find someone who understands exactly what you mean. I could feel the excitement building as we traded favourite lyrics and talked about how each song felt like it told a part of our own lives.

"He's just so raw, you know?" Lauren continued. "Like, he doesn't try to sugarcoat anything. It's all so real and relatable."

I nodded. "That's what I love about his music too. It feels like he's just telling it like it is—no pretenses, just honest storytelling."

For the next few minutes, we were completely lost in our own world, talking about our favourite Alec Benjamin songs and what they meant to us. It felt effortless, like we'd known each other for way longer than we really do.

As we kept chatting, I couldn't help but feel grateful for how the night had turned around. After all the tension earlier, this was exactly what I needed. Music, ice cream, and good conversation—life was feeling pretty good right now.

Hale's POV

The car was filled with the soft hum of conversation, everyone happily eating their ice creams. Noah and Lauren were in the back, completely engrossed in their conversation about Alec Benjamin. I could hear bits and pieces, and the way they were connecting over the music made me smile. It felt like the tension from earlier had melted away, leaving us with just laughter and a sense of calm.

As we neared the end of our ice creams, a thought hit me—I hadn't even asked for Chiara's number. After everything that happened, it seemed strange that I hadn't made that simple connection. We were bound to run into each other again, and I wanted to be able to reach out if needed.

"Hey," I said, turning slightly in my seat to look at Chiara. "I just realized—I never got your number. Might be a good idea to exchange, in case we need to get in touch."

Chiara looked surprised for a second, then nodded with a smile. "Yeah, I didn't think about that either. Let's do it."

We all pulled out our phones and started exchanging numbers. First Chiara, then Lauren, and finally Noah. It felt like we were sealing the night with a new kind of bond, one that hadn't been there when we crossed paths at the bar.

Once we had everything saved, I turned back to Chiara. "So, where am I driving you guys? I don't want to keep you out too late."

Chiara gave me her address, and I quickly plugged it into the GPS. It wasn't too far, just a short drive away, which was good since the night was getting late. We drove through the quiet streets, the city lights casting a soft glow around us.

As we pulled up in front of Chiara's place, the conversation was still flowing easily. We sat there for a few more minutes, talking and laughing, reluctant to end the night just yet. It felt nice—like we had all found some comfort in each other after everything.

But eventually, the time came. Noah and I needed to head back, calling a taxi was the best move.

I turned to Noah. "Ready to call it a night?"

He nodded, though I could tell he'd had a good time chatting with Lauren. We ordered the taxi, and a few minutes later, it arrived. After saying goodbye to Chiara and Lauren, we hopped in the cab and headed to my place.

As we drove away, I glanced over at Noah, who was still smiling from the conversations we'd all shared. Tonight had been unexpected in a lot of ways, but as I looked out the window at the city passing by, I realized I wouldn't have changed a thing.

(⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧(⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧(⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧

A/N

ALEC BENJAMIN SUPREMACYYYY!! I LOVE HIMMMM!!! Anyway, here's a clarification. Even though chiara have a mansion that she inherited from her parents, she doesn't live there. She merely visited it before which is her first appearance. She have a car which her uncle William gave her, but she took the cab when she went to the mansion. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT NOAH AND LAUREN???