Intimacy

Part 14

He sighed then he stood up, "Sure." He said then he left.

So I grabbed my things and headed out, I went to the mall for like window shopping just to released my tension and pressures. Window shopping is like a therapy to ease my mind.

A boy bumped into me and I hissed with annoyance, "Watch where you're going." I yelled.

"Valerie?" Zabdiel called.

I sighed, dang it. Why do I kept on bumping into these guys?

He asked me if I can talk to him for a second and so I just agreed because I wanted to know why he wanted to talk to me.

I crossed my arm, "Speak." I said, sternly.

He nodded, "Joel he uhmm..." He said but he was running out of words, he looked like he couldn't spit out the words and I was running out of patience.

I raised a brow, "What?"

He took a deep breath then he continued where he was struggling to find words to say, "He never talk to us after you left angry that day and the worst part was he made us not to say a word to you about .. but I think you should know." He stuttered.

My mind started to get confused as hell and the curiosity inside of me was telling me that I should let Zabidel finished talking but this coward always stuttered like he had a disease or something.

I snapped my fingers at him, "Uhmm.. hello? What is it?"

He sighed, "I uhmmm.. I'm sorry. I can't." He said then he ran off, leaving me dumbfounded.

What the hell? What was up with him?

Was there something that I don't know about Joel? I thought we were close enough and treat each other like brothers and sisters but it turned out to be only one-sided just like my relationship with Christopher.

Zabdiel looked super nervous and that was why he ran off, I had no idea what was going on and I was eager to find out sooner or later.

I need to talk to Joel and make him spit the truth out so I dialed his phone number and waited for him to answer my call.

I dialed again, multiple times but he never answer my call and I started to get worried.

"Pick up the phone Joel, damn it!" I hissed.

I gave up for the eleventh time after attempting to call him but he never answered my call. I went outside the mall and called for a taxi, "Tarry Condominium please." I said to the taxi driver.

It was Joel's place and I'm pretty sure that he was at home, he had nowhere to go except staying in his bedroom because Zabdiel mentioned that he didn't speak to them after I left his place the other day, filled with anger so I assumed that he was in his bedroom. I hoped.

When I arrived, I told the taxi driver to wait for me. I just needed to check on Joel and why was he not answering my calls.

I knocked on the door and his mother opened it for me.

"Aunt Patricia? Is Joel here?" I asked and she nodded.

"He's upstairs dear but he told me not to disturb him." She said.

I nodded, "It's okay, I just want to talk to him about his assignments." I lied so she let me in and then she offered me the cupcakes but I just gave her a smile and told her that I was full.

I went upstairs and stood in front of Juan's bedroom, I leaned over to listen to what he was doing inside but I couldn't hear a thing do I twisted the doorknob. I saw him on the bed, he wasn't wearing any shirt on but he had his pants on so thank God.

His head rested on his pillow and when he opened his eyes.

I gulped.

He rubbed his eyes and sat up straight to face me, "I didn't know you were here. How long have you been there?" He asked.

I nodded, then I noticed his eyes were red, "Just now."

"Are you okay?" I added.

He nodded and gave me a weak smile, "I'm fine." He lied. I knew he was lying. There was something going on with him and his college friends but he was refusing to tell me and I needed to know the truth. I got so desperate.

"Joel, can I ask you something?" I asked.

He nodded, "What is it."

"Zabdiel, I saw him at the mall just now and he wanted to tell me something but he ran off. " I said.

His eyes widened and then he looked away immediately. "He's probably just guilty for not telling you all these earlier." He said , which made no sense at all because Zabdiel was just the person who laughed at the games Joel and Christopher were playing, as matter of fact Zabdiel wasn't involved in any of these crap so why would he feel guilty?

I rolled my eyes.

He lied again and again.

"Look I will forgive you and we can be friends again after you tell me what's up." I said, challenging him.

Well it was not really a challenge but I thought I know everything about this guy because we grew up together but I guessed I was wrong.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

He looked frustrated.