rich heart.

fifteen.

I looked at myself in the mirror, my eyes were red and puffy, I think I cried all night. I hated that Charles still had that power over me.

I was happy Lando found me that evening, he made me smile again and brought me home like a gentleman.

I haven't talked to him for a couple of days now, I stayed in bed most of the time. The Monaco store was going well, so I had no reason to get out of bed.

Today was actually the first day I did my makeup again, trying to look decent atleast.

I walked in the kitchen, the mug was still on the floor, shattered. A reminder of the fight with Charles, one of so many. Too many.

I sat down on the kitchen counter, just looking at the shards. As I was about to clean up the mess, my intercom began to ring.

I quickly walked to the intercom and looked at the screen. What was doing here?

I pressed the button. "What do you want?" I talked through the intercom. "Please Noa, let me in"

I sighed, pressing the button to let him in. I paced around the room, waiting for him to get upstairs.
My heart was racing, I wasn't ready to see him again, I also didn't expect him to show up here.

He knocked on the door, I sighed before opening it. We just looked at each other for a while, before I let him in.

He looked at the broken mug on the floor, but didn't say anything about it. I walked outside, to the balcony and he followed me.

"I'm sorry Noa" he said softly, barely hearable. I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't reply, not because I didn't want to but because I didn't know how to.

"I didn't mean it, I know you're not fucking him. I was just.." he didn't finish his sentence. He just walked next to me and put his hands on the railing. "You were what?"

"Jealous" he said. I didn't expect for him to say that. I also didn't really know why he would be jealous. "Jealous? Really?" I said, almost getting mad.

He was getting jealous? Now? Right when I was starting to get over him?

His hands were clenched around the railing. He wasn't looking at me, just staring ahead. "I just don't want you to fall for someone else" he said as he turned his face to me.

I shook my head, I couldn't believe him. He moved on pretty quickly, he moved on way before we even ended things and now he was telling me not to fall for anyone else? Selfish.

"I like Lando but we aren't dating, we are not even going on dates." I leaned against the railing.  "We're just friends"

I didn't know why I felt the need to tell him this. It was none of his business.

"He doesn't want to be your friend, Noa" He chuckled a little. "He obviously wants more"

"He likes someone else Charles" I sighed, I was tired of this conversation. I walked inside again, trying to end this subject. "You want something to drink?"

"Water is fine" he said as he walked in as well. He seemed a little more relaxed but I could see that there was still something on his mind.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I put a glass of water in front of him. He was leaning against the counter, just like the other day.

His hands started playing with the glass. "I told Charlotte something stupid, something I shouldn't have said"

I closed the fridge, looking confused. "What did you say?"

He looked up, meeting my eyes. "I told her you were dating Lando and now she wants a double date, tonight"

Was that the reason he came to apologize? Because he needed me?

"So you want us to pretend we're together?" I rolled my eyes. First he's jealous that I'm hanging out with Lando and now he wants me to act as if I was dating him?

He sighed, it was obvious he didn't want that either. "Just once, I don't want another fight with Charlotte, we are already in a bad place" His eyes looked at me, almost begging.

Begging me to pretend to love Lando, while moments ago, he was begging me not to fall for him. I was confused but I could see that he was confused as well.

He didn't want to ask this, he hated to ask this.

But how could I deny him when he looked at me like that? I could never deny him anything.

"Fine" I sighed. As I said, I hated that Charles still had that power over me.