The Troubled Billionaire

Chapter 38: Stares and Sneaky Glances

I could feel his gaze burning a hole at the side of my head.

A few hours after that encounter Aiden and I had with Paige, Dylan and Blake, I am already sat here at our usual table, with my friends looking at me with a questioning gaze. They saw me walk in with Aiden, laughing about something that he said, and that was enough to make them ask me what the hell happened.

And so I did.

I sat down and retold the story; how I cried and confided in him the whole time he told me what happened, how I knew that Chase is going to be married off bitchy, fake, Megan, how Aiden and I ended up staying out of the house until four in the morning and how we ended up having to sneak in again just to get inside the house.

We got caught, of course — well, nothing too serious happened anyway.

So after I retold the whole story, they just sat there and gaped at me for the longest time. I rolled my eyes at them and told them how it was completely normal for siblings to have a fight and make up right after.

I received a smack on the back of my head after I said those words.

Evil, sadistic friends.

As I glared at them and told them what I want to say as they stared at me in mirth, that's when I felt his stare burning a hole at the side of my head.

It made me think that maybe looking back at him and making eye contact wouldn't be so bad. Maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't destroy me like it always does. But, obviously, I'm wrong — every goddamn time.

The moment I made the decision — the very bad decision — of meeting his gaze and taking in his surprised expression which slowly morphed into happiness with a small smile tugging at the side of his lips as his jade eyes twinkled beautifully, that's when I knew I mcouldn't simply look away and when I felt that burning in my heart.

In that simple moment, I couldn't help but feel like it was just the both of us, lost in our own world, without caring who could see and who would talk.

The tug on his lips grew each passing moment, until it became a small smile. I swallowed the lump that started to form on my throat and just stared back at him with a blank look on my face. The smile on his lips slowly started to slip away, his twinkling eyes becoming dull every passing second, until the only thing I could see is the stoic expression on his face.

Oh Chase, I thought. Feeling my heart pang from the immense pain just by seeing how his happy expression turned to a blank one so quickly and seeing that I was the reason behind that, I averted my gaze from his eyes, and willed myself not to look back at him.

But, failing miserably — obviously.

I sighed before I slowly looked back at him, as discreetly as I could, without my friends — who are laughing about something — not notice my actions. Instead of coming eye to eye with the familiar and comforting forest green eyes I have come so used to seeing, I saw a pair of amber eyes staring back at me, eyes filled with sombre and a small frown plastered upon his lips.

"Is he okay?" I mouthed at Aiden, who seemed to be confused by what I just said. Either he didn't understand what I was saying or he didn't understand why I asked that question, I have no idea.

He merely raised an eyebrow at me and that was enough for me to understand that he really did have no clue of what I just said.

I sighed once more before repeating mg question. Understanding dawned upon his face before he slowly shook his head, a renewed sadness brewing in his eyes.