"Different Directions "

Part 13

" So you know how it all started at the bar, Jin and I talking about stuff and gradually the conversation turned to us and our relationship. I know it's hard to hear this but I felt we were not going forward and when I mentioned that I did not see a future with you.." Geo immediately ducked when he saw Shana picking up a cushion near her to throw at him " You did not think you should have spoken about it with me instead?" He looked at her with a half-smile. " Babe listen .. I loved you and well I still do but when I saw how Jin reacted to me telling about this, you should have seen him. He grabbed my hand and just blurted out saying if I were not planning on marrying you and having kids with you to let him at least try. We were after drinks so I thought he would forget about that but the next day he kept wanting to meet up and talk. After a while, I thought he is my best friend who I could trust with my life and you were my life. I thought I should at least see what could happen." He paused and looked at Shana to see if she was going to say anything. Shana sat looking at him feeling a bit hurt about how all was in the past tense already. She looked at him half hating him for moving on so fast half loving him for being the adorable man she loved. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized she too was thinking of him in the past tense now. She cleared her throat thinking it did not hurt as much as before either. She smiled at him " Go on." Geo stretched his legs and brushed his hair behind. " Jin had no idea I had me April. April was not even in my thoughts when I ran into her. We had lunch together that day and as much as I knew I was doing wrong I knew she had been liking me for a long time. So I told her what I was thinking and she jumped and said yes. My only worry was knowing how much I would be hurting you." He sighed " That was my only worry, I just wanted to do something to help Jin and you but I do not know why I did not think to be honest with you might have been better in the end." He paused for a few seconds, he nodded as if he was telling something to himself. " To be honest, I thought you would start blaming yourself if I just ended it like that. The more I thought about it, I thought it would all work out but my one condition to Jin if it were to be serious between you two, he needed to tell the truth to you." Shana chewed on her bottom lip before she spoke: " Is Jin serious about me?" She looked at Geo with questioning eyes. " The man cares for you a whole lot babe, He was upset with me when he found out about April. He was more upset seeing you hurt." Geo looked at Shana and motioned her to come sit close to him on the couch. She did as he said and they looked at each other. " What are your thoughts on Jin, Shana?."  Shana leaned her head to the side and rested her head on the couch. " I like being with him and I feel more of a woman when I am with him and I know I like hanging out with him But I still do not know how serious I am about him or what are my feelings towards him are." She touched her cheeks with her palms as she spoke again " I been thinking of him as your best friend and then some times as someone I want to spend time with but never thought more than that". She told Geo honestly. Geo too relaxed and rested his head on the couch. He asked for her hand and she gave them to him. He looked at her hands and then smiled at her." Jin is a great guy babe, I am not forcing you to like him back but give him a chance to explain his side and if you want to spend time with him just do it and see where it can go." Geo and Shana were both quiet for a few minutes.  Shana looked at Geo nodded " I will try" She whispered.

The doorbell rang and Geo paid the delivery guy. Geo had ordered lunch for both of them. They both sat on the stools next to the counter to open up the food packs when Shana's phone rang. She excused herself and walked into her room. She looked at her phone half expecting it to be April but it was Mum. " Hi Mum" Shana answered excitingly. " Hi love, how are you?" " I am good, I wanted to call you later to let you know about the interview".  They spoke a bit more and hung up. Shana checked her miss calls to check if April had called again but there were no miss calls since morning. Shana felt guilty and contemplated if she should check in on April now that Geo had explained things to her. " I better find out Geo's thoughts on April first." She told herself. She walked back to the kitchen and sat on the stool. She grinned at Geo and he looked at her knowing she was up to something. " Geo, you have spoken to April recently?" Geo slurped his noodles before he spoke. " We haven't spoken since the day after the incident at Jin's place. I wanted to call her several times but I needed to sort things out first. I needed to know what my feelings are towards you and then this whole situation." Shana drank the last bit of her sweet corn soup before she spoke. " Did you and April get close during this time you both pretended to be a couple." Geo looked at Shana and raised his eyebrows." Did you speak to her?" He asked looking at her suspiciously. Shana tried not to smile " I am just asking".  Geo served more noodles. " Yes, the first time when we were drunk but I gradually started to like her. She is not my usual type of girl but maybe that is why I like her." Shana's tried to hide her excitement. " SO YOU DO LIKE HER?" She asked excitedly. He grinned " yes I do, But please know I started liking her just recently not when I was with you or when we just broke up or anything." Shana laughed. " Geo, its ok hon, we can talk to each other." Geo looked at her fondly. " we can huh! we both are ok? you don't hate me?." Geo asked her sincerely. " I don't hate you, But wish you would have done this in a different way, Honesty always works for me."He nodded " I am sorry for this big mess babe." Shana saw his sincerity in his eyes. She understood he was trying to do something good though it went wrong. Three people are hurting in this situation. She took a deep breath and made her mind up to help April. " Geo,  Call April up and tell her how you feel, you know she likes you and now that you like her why not let her know?" Shana looked at him and then at his phone motioning him to do it now. He wiped his lips with a tissue and then sipped some water. "I was thinking about it." He picked his phone up and walked out to the terrace. She felt a bit better seeing she at least did something to help April. Shana looked at her phone again. No calls from April since morning. She looked at the clock on the wall. Three-thirty pm. She looked at Geo. He was looking at his phone but not talking. He walked inside" No answer" He told Shana while typing a message. " Sending her a message letting her know I would like to talk to her."Shana picked up her phone and dialed April's number. No answer. Shana's heart began racing. She felt something was not right. she redialed. No answer. she checked her WhatsApp messages from April. The last message was from last night " Please Shana, Help me I am not feeling too good." Shana's heart sank. She looked at Geo " I need to go see April." She realized she did not even know where April lived. " Geo, what's April's address?" Geo sensed something was not right." What's going on?." " I will explain later, I need to get to April fast". He did not question her. He picked up his wallet and car keys and opened the door for Shana to walk out. She locked the door and they rushed to the car.

They rang the bell again and Geo tapped her door. Shana dialed her number and still no answer. April's neighbor must have heard them, She came out and looked at them. " I have not seen April for about two days, I thought she might have stayed over at your place." The neighbor said looking at Geo. Shana looked at Geo and raised her left eyebrow trying to suppress her smile. Geo looked embarrassed but quickly responded to the neighbor" no! I have not seen her for a few days." The neighbor joined in to try and see if April was at home. The neighbor finally called the reception and asked them to come to April's apartment. A few minutes later the security and the day manager opened April's door. Shana and the neighbor were the first to go in. Shana looked around and it was dead quiet. Shana thought maybe April had gone to the hospital. She suddenly heard the neighbor gasp and shout April's name. Shana ran towards the room where she saw the neighbor went in. Geo followed with the security and the manager. Shana's body started shivering when she saw April on the floor, white as a ghost motionless. She called April's name but and touched her body. April was cold. She looked at Geo " call an ambulance  NOW!." Geo rushed near April and checked her pulse. " She has a pulse!". Geo dialed the ambulance. The neighbor came in holding a glass of water in her hand and splashed some water on April's face. They all looked at April hoping she would move.