Movers And Packers

Chapter 33

Tina's POV

It was another weekend as usual, but this one felt a little different. Trisha and I had decided to help Veronica pack up her stuff and move into Trisha's apartment. Since Trisha had officially moved in with Edam, she offered Veronica her place, making life a little easier for her. That way, Veronica wouldn't have to juggle multiple jobs just to keep up with rent and school assignments.

Before meeting Veronica at her apartment on Saturday, I had plans with Joe. He had texted, saying he'd pick me up for lunch and later drop me at her apartment.

When I reached the parking lot, I saw him standing outside his car, scrolling through his phone. He was dressed in black shorts and a simple brown shirt, exuding rugged handsomeness. His unshaven face and sunglasses gave him an effortlessly cool look.

I walked up to him, and as soon as he noticed me, I leaned in for a light kiss, but he deepened it instantly.

"You taste so good," he murmured against my lips.

I traced my fingers along his jaw, feeling the rough stubble. "You look handsome," I murmured back.

His hands stayed on my hips. "I've missed you," he said, a hint of complaint in his voice.

I sighed. "I know, but you also know how crazy classes are getting. Plus, I promised the girls a weekend together, so I need to finish all my assignments first."

He opened the car door for me as always, and I slid in. As we drove, he finally voiced what had been bothering him.

"I think we're spending too little time together. We barely even talk on the phone anymore."

I turned to him and explained, "I agree, but you know I'm on a scholarship. I can't afford to fail, or I'll lose it and then I'll have to go back home. You wouldn't want that, right?"

He sighed and took my hand. "No, I wouldn't."

I watched his steady hands on the steering wheel, his muscles flexing as he drove. My mind briefly wandered to that night after Edam's party. I was so emotional after seeing Trisha and Edam together as a couple that I was about to tell him I might go back to Fiji after graduation. I don't know what I was thinking.Thank God the idea of Thanksgiving saved me. That was the only topic I could come up with and yeah, pretending to be drunk last night. I was, but not that much. And the headache was from the ice cubes I had in my drink. I never liked ice cubes anyway.

While chatting through the drive, we arrived at Veronica's place. I gave Joe a sweet kiss before hopping out. He drove off.

As soon as I walked in, they both cheered.

"We just started packing," Veronica announced.

I threw my bag onto the couch and jumped in to help.

"You don't have to help me pack," Veronica argued. "I hardly have anything."

"We want to help," Trisha insisted, rolling her eyes. "Besides, we want to cherish these last moments in your shoebox apartment."

Veronica gave us an emotional look before pulling us into a tight hug. "I love you guys. Thanks for everything. Now, I can send my rent money back home for Mom's treatment."

"Of course," I said, squeezing her back. "But also, don't forget to send us daily texts confirming Trisha's place hasn't turned you into a party house."

"Hey!" Trisha smacked my arm playfully. "I'm a great influence!"

Veronica and I exchanged glances. "Right," we said in unison.

"Okay, that was fast," I said, flopping onto the bed. Trisha flopped beside me, and Veronica on the other side.

"I told you guys I didn't need help," Veronica grumbled. "I barely own anything."

"We know," Trisha smirked. "But at least we got to spend time together. Since the second year started, we've barely had time for fun."

"Yeah, no kidding," I groaned. "So many assignments, and on top of that, exams. Mrs. Smith already warned us that the commerce paper is going to be brutal. We cannot afford to fail, or our scholarships are gone."

"Ugh, can we not talk about exams?" Veronica said. "I'd rather talk about boys." She and Noah were taking some time off from their relationship. Like on a break.

Trisha grinned mischievously. "Speaking of boys, how's everything with Joe? Still smoldering and sexy?"

I smirked knowing what she meant. "Oh, you know, just being his usual Greek-god self. He picked me up today looking all rugged with his unshaven face, sunglasses, and you know.."

"Damn," Veronica whistled. "Lucky you."

Trisha wiggled her brows. "Did he pick you up or pick you up?"

I threw a pillow at her. "Shut up!"

Veronica giggled. "No, but seriously, when are you two finally going to move in together."

"NOPE." I cut her off. "Next topic."

"Fine, but don't expect me to let it go." Veronica smirked. "Trisha, what about you and Edam?"

Trisha sighed, staring at her phone with a soft smile. "He does this thing where he tucks my hair behind my ear when I'm talking. It's so simple, but every time, my heart just melts."

Veronica and I exchanged glances before I grinned. "At least you don't have a boyfriend who traces circles on my palm absentmindedly when we hold hands, like he's memorizing me."

Veronica sighed dramatically, resting her chin on her palm. "Ah, single life. No one to pull me closer in the middle of a conversation, no one to brush his lips against my forehead like a silent promise, no one to look at me like I'm the only thing that matters."

Trisha smirked. "Veronica, you don't need a boyfriend. You need poetry."

She smiled wistfully. "Or maybe I just want someone whose touch feels like a poem."

We all burst into laughter.

After freshening up, Veronica suggested we take an afternoon walk and grab coffee. It had been ages since we did that.

The city was alive, as usual. Cars honking, people rushing, street vendors calling out for customers. Yet, there was something calming about just strolling together with coffee in hand, catching up on life.

"Omg, look at that guy," Trisha whispered, nodding towards a ridiculously handsome man in a suit.

Veronica squinted. "Dibs."

"You can't call dibs on a stranger!" I protested.

"I just did."

We burst into laughter again.

"Man, I missed this," Trisha sighed.

"Same," I admitted. "We should do this more often."

We clinked our coffee cups together like champagne glasses. "To assignments, exams, and hot men."

And for the first time in weeks, we weren't just university students drowning in deadlines. We were just three best friends, living in the moment.

Joe's POV

I had promised Tina I'd come and help with the moving. Since Sunday was usually reserved for family lunch, I asked Mom if we could have brunch instead. Surprisingly, she agreed. Maybe because I framed it as "spending quality time together before I go help some helpless girls." Moms are soft when it comes to chivalry.

After stuffing myself with a ridiculous amount of food because saying no to Mom's cooking is a crime, I headed to Veronica's apartment. When I arrived, Noah and Edam were already there, carrying boxes like overworked delivery boys.

"Ah, look who decided to show up," Noah smirked as he hoisted a particularly heavy box into the trunk of his car.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm late," I admitted, rubbing the back of my head. "But in my defense, I had to survive a family brunch that could've put me in a food coma."

"Excuses, excuses," Edam teased. By now he has become a good member of our group.

I wasn't expecting Noah to be here. He and Veronica had recently decided to take some time off from their relationship, but seeing him here told me it wasn't a real break. More like a commercial break before the show resumed.

We packed up the remaining boxes, and the girls finally joined us. Once everything was loaded, we drove off to Tina's new place.

"So how was your girls' night?" I asked Tina as I drove.

"Amazing," she grinned. "After packing, we strolled down the streets like we owned the city. Then at night, we drowned ourselves in vodka and ate an unhealthy amount of takeout."

I chuckled. "Living the dream, huh?"

"Absolutely. I needed it. To just relax and be stress-free for once."

I nodded. "I'm glad you had fun. You deserve it."

She smiled at me, and for some reason, that one little gesture sent a weird warmth through my chest.

When we reached Trisha's apartment, I was... speechless.

The building was something out of a high-end travel magazine. It had a grand lobby, fancy elevators, and probably security cameras that could see into your soul. The parking lot itself was bigger than our lecture hall.

"Uhhh... how can Trisha afford this place while she's on a scholarship?" I whispered to Tina as we stepped into the elevator.

She gave me a questioning look. "What?"

"Nothing," I mumbled, pretending I didn't say anything. But seriously, did she invent a new kind of scholarship? The Luxury Living Fund?

When the elevator doors opened, my jaw nearly dropped. The place looked like a five-star suite. Huge windows, modern furniture, and a kitchen that probably had appliances worth more than my old car.

"Welcome home, Veronica!" Trisha announced dramatically, throwing her arms wide open.

Veronica rushed to her and hugged her tightly. Meanwhile, we got to work, placing boxes and small furniture where she wanted.

Noah wiped an imaginary sweat off his forehead. "You know, we should start a Movers & Packers company."

"Oh, totally," Trisha smirked. "We'll be the brains of the operation, and you boys can do all the heavy lifting."

"Right, because nothing screams 'fun' like unpaid labor," I quipped.

Trisha crossed her arms. "Well, imagine how sexy you guys would look lifting all those boxes, exposing your muscles and six-pack abs." She winked at Tina, who immediately joined in.

"Exactly," Tina said playfully, eyeing me. "I mean, who wouldn't want to see that?"

I shook my head. "Okay, first of all, I don't have a six-pack. More like a one-pack. A very strong and loyal one."

"Hey, no one is allowed to admire my man's abs except for me," Trisha pouted, wrapping her arms around Edam and kissing him.

"Eww, get a room!" Tina scrunched her nose.

"Hey, that's my room now," Noah added with a grin. He glanced at Veronica, and she blushed. It was subtle, but we all caught it.

Veronica smiled at him. Her way of giving the green light.

Just as we were about to tease them further, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get that!" Trisha shouted, rushing to the door. A few seconds later, she reappeared holding a large pizza box like it was the Holy Grail.

"Pizza is here!" she announced triumphantly.

Veronica narrowed her eyes. "When did you order that?"

"On our way here," Trisha said nonchalantly. "I knew we'd all be starving after moving stuff, so I took initiative." She placed the pizza on the coffee table and headed to the fridge. "Now, let me get something to drink."

Everyone grabbed a slice except me.

Tina frowned. "Why aren't you eating?"

I leaned back and patted my stomach. "I already had family brunch, remember? Mom combined an entire breakfast and lunch menu into one meal. I'm still recovering."

Trisha returned with drinks and handed everyone a glass and uttered.

"I know you're all probably wondering how I can afford this luxurious place while being on a scholarship. I can tell the question is on your minds, but no one dares to ask not even Edam and the girls.

Well, the truth is, my dad's cousin is one of the richest men in India. When he found out I got a scholarship, he offered to cover my rent. He has always treated me like his own daughter maybe because he only has sons. He doesn't want me to work, so he insisted on paying for everything. As for this apartment, it belongs to one of his friends, which is how I ended up here.

Guess I got lucky, huh?

Everyone fell silent, as if they had just seen a ghost, so I chose to break the tension.

"Hey," I said, standing up. "I have to leave now. I have to be at the café soon."

Veronica got up and hugged me warmly. "Thanks for helping me move, Joe."

"Anything for you," I assured her. "And if you ever need anything, just let me know."

Tina walked over as Veronica stepped aside.

I leaned in and murmured, "Would you like to hang out this afternoon?"

She smirked and whispered mischievously into my ear, "I'd love that."

I brushed my nose against hers. "So what time should I pick you up?"

"You don't have to. I'll help Trisha pack some of her stuff, and they'll drop me home. Just let me know when you're coming."

I kissed her forehead and gave her one last smile before heading out.

As I left, I could still hear Trisha's voice teasing, "Awww, look at them! Lovebirds in action!"

And then Noah's voice, "I swear, if you two start making heart eyes at each other again, I'm going to barf."

I shook my head with a laugh and walked out, already looking forward to seeing Tina later.

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"True friendship is not just about sharing laughter but also about standing together in silence, knowing you're never alone."