𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗜𝗔

14

Ophelia's POV

"You just saved my life, Opi" Liliya was quick to thank me after taking the medicine I brought her.

I feel like it will be useful for me too, because at this moment I was hardly catching my breath after running from Arden's dorm to the college.

"Do you feel better now?" I asked her.

"I do. I'm finally breathing again" me and Lili were standing in front of the sinks in the college restroom. Lili was there for longer than I was.

"God, I was so frightened by what you told me on the phone" I was taking breaks between my words.

"Sorry, I didn't want to scare you. If Dareen was here I would have asked him, not to bother you with my problems" Lili tucked her beautiful ginger hair behind her ear.

"Don't say that. I'm always here to help you. Aren't you going to do the same for me?" I would never let my friends suffer in silence without helping them. If they are in trouble, I'm sure that I will do anything to help them. They just need to let me do that.

"Of course, I would do the same for you. You're my friend, Ophelia" she pulled me in a tight hug, almost taking my last breath away from my lungs.

"I believe that we need to get to know each other more because I didn't expect you to have asthma when you're a speed skater, Lili" I hugged her back.

"Right. I've had health problems with my lungs since childhood, but I've always wanted to do sports. It took me a while to learn how to breathe while skating without getting short of breath. I'm doing fine right now" she slowly broke our hug.

"You are a true fighter" I laughed.

"You too, Opi" Lili affectionately smiled at me.

"I craved to ask you this before, but I couldn't since you seemed like you are not ready to open up about that. Did you perhaps know Arden's younger brother?" Lili carefully asked me. Her eyes were looking directly at me.

Since she's asking me about Jace, that means that she has heard somewhere about me and him. I don't want to hide anything from her, so I should probably say the truth about me, Arden, and Jace.

I can't tell this here.

"Let me tell you everything somewhere else. It's a lot to say"

"Okay" Lili understood me.

Now we just needed to find the right place for us to talk.

***

I and Liliya took a seat at the tiny coffee shop in the middle of this town's center. We made our way here by her car.

It was the quietest and most comfy place to have a chat about anything.

"Hello. What would you like to order?" the waiter came to our table, which was at the far end of the cafe.

"I would like one caramel macchiato" Liliya ordered her drink.

"For me, americano with vanilla syrup and light caramel brulee topping" I wanted something sweet after having a run around the campus today.

"Should we order a dessert?" Lili asked me.

"You can choose it," I said.

"We will have a couple of brownies too" Lili finished our order by choosing a dessert for us.

"Alright, your order will be made soon" just like that the waiter left us.

"Dareen just texted me that he will be back late at night. That means I'll be sleeping at my place" she seemed to be upset about that.