Ghosted

Chapter 2

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Bright's POV

I checked my watch one more time. It was now almost seven o'clock. Where the hell was Ben? He and Sandra were the only ones missing.

I understood about Sandra being late. She was always late. She was never on time to anything but Ben was a different story. Ben has always been a punctual person to anything. Should I start getting worried?

The driver of the tour bus that our company had hired for the day approached me.

"Is everyone here?" he asked. "Should we be on our way now?"

"Not yet," I replied. "Please, let's wait a few minutes more."

At exactly a minute after seven, Ben's car eased its way into our company parking lot. He jumped out of his car and started running towards me.

"I was starting to get worried," I said when he was within earshot. "What happened, your uncle kept you on the phone?"

I regretted what I just said when I noticed his cheeks turning pink. He was always sensitive about anyone referring to his boyfriend as 'uncle'. That was because everyone knew that his boyfriend was eleven years older than him. old enough, at least for me, to be his uncle.

I had to admit that when I discovered that he had found a new boyfriend. a sharp stab of jealousy had hit me. Yes, I am aware that I have no right to be jealous. I now also have my own boyfriend and I love my boyfriend dearly. It's just that, I guess it's a natural thing, when someone who used to love you has replaced you with someone else, it stings. And it stings bad.

Ben did not reply to my question. He simply muttered, "I'm sorry" and got inside the bus.

And now for Sandra. I'm gonna wait just five minutes more and if she doesn't show up by then she would have to follow on her own steam.

When it was ten seconds to the time I had allotted for her. I started the countdown, "Hundred and one, hundred and two, hundred and three..."

"I'm here!!!" Sandra shrieked, adjusting the strap of her backpack as she sprinted towards the tour bus.

"Let's go," I said to the driver after I made sure that everyone in my group had comfortably and safely settled in their seats.

I made my way to the back of the bus.

I noticed that the seat beside Ben was empty. Should I take that seat? He was looking away, out the window, seemingly in deep thought.

I decided to take the empty seat beside him.

"Penny for your thoughts," I said as I settled down into the soft cushioned seat.

He looked up, startled.

"Sorry for interrupting your loving thoughts about, what's his name again, Mango...... Mangosteen... Manwha?" I wanted to kick myself for teasing him about his boyfriend's name. It just revealed that I was still sore about him finding someone else after we broke up.

Again, he ignored my question.

And then I noticed something different about him.

His eyes... his eyes looked swollen... like he'd been crying. Did he have an argument, a lover's quarrel perhaps, with his boyfriend? Was that the reason that he was delayed in coming to the bus?