Love Deception

Angela-Chapter 9

I'm now panting heavily. "W-What?"

"You heard what I said." Charlene gives me a hard stare.

I look away, what have I just done? I just kissed Charlene. The girl I'm working against. What If mom finds out? What would she think? No, how would dad feel? Dad wouldn't find out, he's too much of a workaholic. Why wouldn't he care though?

"Breathe." Charlene says, placing a hand on my hip.

That's when I realise my pulse is like a beeping time bomb. And if I don't get out of here in the next few minutes, I think I just might. Calm down.

I close my eyes.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

One problem at a time. My eyelids fly open, "Why don't you want to forget what just happened?" I ask, my voice a steak knife in the silence.

"Why did you kiss me?" Contrary to me, Charlene's voice is extremely calm.

I stare at her. Why did I kiss her? Maybe because every time I see her I get this unfamiliar feeling in my chest. It feels like a lightning bolt, accompanied with this tightness in my chest. A heart attack? Do people usually give other people a heart attack with just their presence? Probably not.

"That doesn't matter." That's all that gets out of my mouth before Charlene starts again.

"I think it does when it involves you kissing me." She grins.

"Well...It doesn't." I start to wipe my lips and brush my hair out with my hands, while also avoiding Charlene's' hard gaze. Why does she keep on starring?

A long, silent and awkward moment passes between us.

"Do you like me?" Charlene's tone is curt.

Before any of my thoughts turn into coherent words, a loud ring rips through the silence. Thank god. Charlene fetches her phone out of her pocket, stepping away from me and turning. Her warmth leaves my body, leaving me cold-not that I needed to have unnecessary warmth. Taking the opportunity, I slip out of the nurses office, I check my watch Sarah gave me, it's already second period, science.

I let out a breath, I absolutely can't go into the class looking like a cherry tomato. Preservation, Perseverance, Perfection. I swipe a hand over my ponytail and clear my throat.

As I open the door, 23 pairs of eyes land on me.

"Sorry," I close the door gently. "I had to go to the nurses office."

The teacher nods at me and continues on, Sarah gives me a small, bearly noticeable signal to come sit next to her. As soon as I take a seat I'm swarmed with questions from my friends.

"Are you ok?"

"What happened?"

"Where's Charlene?"

"Ladies." The teacher gives us a warning, making their voices into low hushes.

I give them a meek smile. "I'm fine, I just have." I trail off, what was I supposed to tell them? That I was kissing Charlene? "I just got a little dehydrated and hot." That was believable...right?

They all nodded. "So, where's Charlene?" Sarah has an uninterested tone, but I know she's curious. What I don't know is why.

"Oh, she got held back because there was something she needed to clear up at the office and since she was already there, it was just easier." I went with the vaguest answer possible.

Just like that, like speaking about her manifested her arrival, she walks through the door as easy going as ever. The teacher pays no mind to her, so she sits next to her friend, Lisa and starts chatting about what she missed.

"So break off into pairs to create this presentation" The teachers voice comes into my ears.

Chatter breaks out and instantly everyone starts to go to their pairs, Elise-the girl who got only one question wrong on the science test- turns to Tina. Charlene to Lisa, Me to Sarah.

I turn to Sarah, "We should go to yours to finish it if you want." Sometimes-ever rarely though- her brother would be at her place. And if I had an opportunity with him, I would take it.

"Sure." As Sarah said that, the bell rung.

"Cool." I said that a little too breathlessly.

----

"Sorry if this is a little late." Sarah turns to me. "But my brother is currently staying at my place."

My heart goes to my throat, "What?" I couldn't hide my horrified tone, even if my life depended on it. I planned to go to her place to see her brother, I didn't think he'd actually be there.

I was so scared that Sarah would be able to hear my uneven, rapid and shallow breaths. The elevator was big, but was it enough space to accommodate a girl trying to hide the fact that she needed to flirt with her best friend's brother from said bestfriend? Probably not! All of a sudden I felt my cheeks flush with warmth.

The small ding, followed by the doors opening smoothly pulled me out of my panic. Our steps toward her door misalign with my heartbeat thrumming in my ears. As I step in the apartment, I lay eyes on him. Alex Kang, oldest son, set to take over his fathers business next.

"Alex" I spare him a quick glance.

"Angela." His rough voice was like sand paper to skin.

Sarah led me to her bedroom after her and her brother's silent glaring contest.

I sat down at her desk. 

"Sorry." She looked down at her phone. "I have to go to this charity with Marcus." Her scowl deepening.

"That's ok." I stopped for a moment. "How about I stay here, finishing the project. I like your apartment better than my own anyways."

After endless persuasion, Sarah finally budged. As soon as she left, I texted my mother.

Angela: I'm alone with Alex right now. I think I can finally get some improvement.

Mother: Good, after your embarrassment you had at her engagement party, you better not mess this up. God knows your father won't have any of it.

Angela: Right.

I sigh to myself why did I have to be assigned the job in goddamn having to get Alex Kang to fall for me.