Dani →
Dani placed a delicious plate of classical breakfast in front of me-- eggs, bacon, two pancakes and two little sausages with orange juice. "Ooh," I smiled thankfully. "You're literally the best, you know that?"
"Mhm." She nodded in agreement then leaned toward me over the bar counter. "I need to talk to you. Especially since my big brother's still asleep."
I was suspicious of what she wanted to tell me. Why did it need to be so private? "What is it?" I asked before I could even pick up my fork.
"Nothing too serious. David told me you've got the press flying around you."
"Oh. Right." I sighed, not wanting to think about it.
"He was concerned. He knows you're not telling him the truth that it bothers you."
"Did he say that?" I raised my eyebrows and she nodded her response.
"And he said that you're afraid to make him feel guilty for the press invading your space and privacy."
"Wow." I looked down at my food. "That's... true."
"I see you're surprised." She leaned back, taking a seat across from me. "I know he had brain surgery, but he's still as sharp as ever. And he's a psychologist, so he probably can't help observing your expressions, body language and whatnot." She shrugged. "He also told me there's something you're not telling him."
My heart dropped and I swallowed nervously, gazing back up at her. "Why didn't he just tell me this?"
"Because he respects you. He trusts that whatever it is, you'll say it when you're ready."
I let out an unsteady breath, shaking my head. "I can't believe he's that good at reading people."
"So he was right? Are you hiding something?"
I wanted to deny it, but it sure would take some of this weight off of my shoulders. "I just don't know how to say it, okay?"
"I'm not asking you to spill, I promise. We just... we want you to understand that you can tell him or me anything that's plaguing your mind. Well, him first since he's your boyfriend and way more understanding than I am."
I used my fingers to brush my hair back out of my face.
"Anyway, I mostly wanted to help you deal with the idiot paparazzi."
I felt the slightest relief that she changed the subject, so I proceeded to pick up my fork and start eating. "I just ignore them. They keep asking me if I started dating David while he was a professor."
"They're looking for a scandal. You don't need to answer anything if you don't want to. But I do suggest you just smile, wave, and keep walking. As annoying as they can be, try not to get riled up. I swear, those people will do anything to get a reaction out of you just so they can headline it somewhere."
"Is that how you deal with them?"
She snorted a laugh. "Ha! Please! I'm known for using the most obscene, graphic profanity against those motherfuckers. My vocabulary becomes quite colorful when the press rolls around. Don't be like me."
I laughed lightly then stuck some eggs into my mouth. "I know your dad's behind all of it. They're not really interested in me, are they?"
"They certainly will be when you confirm you dated my brother while he was your teacher. Just be careful. I'll talk to my dad and see if I can get them off your back."
I was silent for a while, just eating my breakfast. I wanted to move the conversation in another direction, then I realized there was still so much to learn about her. So I just had to ask.
"What about you, Danielle?"
"Hm?" Her eyebrows flew up as she rested her chin in her hands. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, you've always been here for your brother and even me. What about you?"
"Oh, well, as you can see, I have no life." She shrugged carelessly.
"I don't believe you. You're spectacular and gorgeous so where are all the men or women that're supposed to be lining up for you?" I smiled at her and she chuckled.
"I'm sexually attracted to men, but I'm aromantic."
"Really? I didn't know that. So you have no desire to be in a relationship and you're fine with that?"
"I'm gonna be 33 this year. I think if I wanted co-exist with another man, I'd be married by now and exploding babies like a cannon. My mom gets on my ass about it like everyday."
I laughed. "I get where the both of you are coming from. You're her only daughter; she's probably been looking forward to a glamorous wedding since your conception."
"It pleases me to spite my parents." She sent me a mischievous smile and I laughed again. Wow, she was so much like David in that aspect--the playful deviousness and desire to offend their parents. It was endearing and youthful. "I might settle down, but that's like in the far, far... far future. Like when I'm sixty, suffering menopause, and much less attractive. At least that way he'll leave me quicker." The smile on her face was a proud one and it made me laugh. "I mean, I've been in relationships, of course, but they never hold. I just get bored and at one point, I stopped looking for someone to date. I'm happier alone."
"I'm guessing you don't want children either."
She grimaced. "I simply cannot bring an innocent child into this cruel world. I just enjoy other people's children and pray for their souls."
"I want kids. Maybe two or so." I drank some of my orange juice then set the cup down. "David's eager for a family, which I can understand. He's almost 38 and he deserves to be with someone who's... ready in every way. I admit, I'm scared that it's not gonna be me."
An empathetic sadness crossed her face. "You know, after his fiance passed away seven years ago, his friends and I did everything we could to just get him out the house or set him up with another person. He was so devastated and nothing seemed to help. David just lost connection to everything and everyone. Then he met you and he was suddenly as excited as a puppy on steroids."
"When I think about it... I remember being shocked when I found out he hadn't told anyone about his tumor. I was the first person to know and he was willing to let it kill him. So you're right; he was definitely disconnected from everyone in his life." I finished my breakfast. "Anyway, it makes me happy to know he's not so depressed anymore." I began to blush a little bit. "I guess we both helped each other get over this obstacle that is life." I rolled my eyes playfully, but I was serious. I barely spoke to anyone and I was too quiet before I met him. My voice was often lost in the mix of others, and I found it the more I spent time with David.
I got off of the bar seat and washed my dish. "That was good; thanks. Okay, I'm gonna go wake up Sleeping Beauty so I can take him to the doctor's."
"Alright. Tell me how it goes."
**
"Aw, I missed you!" Lucas threw his arms around me then ended up swinging his legs around me. It knocked the wind out of me, considering I was as strong as a newborn.
"Oh, god, you're choking me," I squealed out as he let me go and fixed my hair.
"Sorry, bean. Come on; everyone's in the car."
My friends had come to pick me up so that we could all spend the rest of the day downtown, walking around and squeezing in as much fun as possible before school started tomorrow.
Lucas tugged me toward Jonathan's car then entered the passenger seat. I opened the door to the back and was quite surprised to see my old roommate sitting inside with our other friend, Ava. Keeping my shock at bay, I climbed into the car and shut the door as Jon drove away.
"What's up, baby!" Ava reached over Nash to give my shoulder one hard, affectionate squeeze. I smiled at her, darting Nash a quick glance before fastening my seat belt.
Yeah, this was awkward. I used to have like a debilitating crush on him and he actually still had feelings for me. Like I said... awkward. We gave each other half-hearted smiles before I faced front and stayed silent.
Overall, I cherished my group of friends, so I was more than excited to just relax downtown with them. We played music loud in the car, singing along to everything and chatting about random things. Once we were downtown, Ava dragged all of us inside of the mall and we headed straight for the food court.
"Ugh, food! I could cry!" Ava gushed, holding her cheeks.
"I want Chick-fil-a, stat," Lucas said as Jonathan agreed.
"It's on me, Hawking!" Jon took his roommate by the hand and pulled him to the Chick-Fil-a express.
"I want Panda express," Nash decided. Ava and I followed him and he paid for the both of us when we got our food.
"Thanks," I appreciated as we walked to the table that Jon and Lucas had found for us.
"So," I started to speak, narrowing my eyes at Lucas. He glared at me, knowing exactly what I was about to ask him. I chuckled. "You haven't done it, have you?"
He scoffed. "You haven't done it either, have you?"
"Okay, what're we talking about? Stop with the coded speak," Ava urged, darting her eyes between the two of us.
"He wanted to know if I met up with my ex, Lucien, yet," Lucas explained. "But he hasn't told David the secret of the fucking century."
"More like the biggest secret since the beginning of all time. You really haven't said anything? Not even dropped a hint?" Ava's eyes widened. "Cas, you gotta tell him."
I sighed. "I'll just keep my mouth shut then."
"No, don't. Guys, back off," Nash defended me, opening his bowl of rice and popcorn chicken.
"Personally, I don't think it's your secret to tell," Jonathan said in my favor. "Look, I'm pretty sure the only person that's supposed to let David know his fiance is alive is his damn fiance."
It admittedly stung when Jon referred to Rowan as David's fiance. I mean, David wouldn't just dump me and resume his engagement to this man, would he? And to be honest, I did think I was at a loss. If only I had a way to really know what their love was like, to see if it was strong enough to break any barrier and overcome the strongest tides.
Maybe it was. I didn't want to doubt us but maybe one look at Rowan was enough to make everything between us crumble.
"You know what I want?" Lucas asked, chewing a piece of his burger. "A hot dog."
"Well, maybe you'd get one if you meet up with Lucien." Ava smiled sarcastically and we laughed at her comment. She turned to Nash who was silently eating and smirked at him. "Have you met your new roommate?"
"No, but his name's Tristan Lovett."
"Be nice to your roomie this time." She gently tapped his cheek with her palm and he narrowed his eyes at her. "And don't fuck his best friend, 'kay babes?"
He grumbled something incoherent and continued eating.
"Tossing some shade there, Av?" Lucas rhetorically asked her, squinting his eyes.
"Are you staying at David's?" Jonathan inquired from me and I nodded.
"Yup. It's not that far from school and I don't have to pay for a room or meals. It's worth it."
"He asked you to move in, really?"
"No. I kinda just did." I shrugged. It just seemed like the natural thing to do to move some of my things to his place because I loved being with him so much. I hadn't exactly thought about where I'd go should a certain someone swoop in from the dead and lay waste to our relationship.
I suddenly didn't feel like eating anymore. No matter what I did, this was just going to haunt me. No matter how hard I tried to squash it, it just resurfaced to the forefront of my mind.
After eating, we all walked around the mall for a short while before we headed outside. Jonathan suggested that we take a walk through the fountain park. I'd only been there twice before and it was gorgeous. It was basically a park with all kinds of fountains and incredible little statues, trees, flowers, and greenery; it was perfect for fresh air too.
But by the time we got outside, we were quite surprised and startled by a round of blinding flashes along with a chorus of people calling my name.
"What... in... the world?" Ava faltered.
"Come on, guys, let's just head to my car," Jonathan told us before the press rushed over and crowded around us. It was very uncomfortable for me; I was never confident being the center of attention, and they were drawing eyes from bystanders.
Ava took my hand, letting me know I wasn't alone, while Nash tried his best to block them from practically running me over under their feet. God, I needed a bodyguard now. Had it really come to this?
"Casper, over here! Give us a smile!" I wanted to ignore them, but I remembered Dani's advice to give little polite smiles even if I didn't want to answer any of their repetitive questions.
It was always the same old thing. How's David's recovery? When did you two start seeing each other? Did you date him while he was your professor?
And they did ask me those exact questions, trying to break a response out of me. The more they asked, the angrier I felt toward Mr. Larsen for hiring these people to chase me like a dog. I wasn't anything special. They weren't gonna ever get a story out of me. Yet, they persisted, just to torment me and invade my space.
It took some time, but my friends and I all made it to Jonathan's car and climbed inside. We shut the doors and quickly sped off.
"Gosh, are you okay?" Lucas asked me, furrowing his thick dark eyebrows and pouting. I leaned forward, burying my face in my hands.
"I'd love to throw up, but I'll manage."
"How do you deal with them? I think I'm blind," Ava mumbled.
"It'll stop. They'll eventually go away."
"How do you know that?" Nash queried with all the world's concern in his gleaming eyes.
"Because." I sat up and put on my seat belt. "The same thing happened to Rowan. The press and paparazzi is nothing. I'm... I'm still waiting on the death threats."
"Hell no. Death threats?" Ava's eyes grew huge as she shook her head vigorously. "You need to tell the police! Like seriously."
"Are you kidding me?" My brows flew up in disbelief. "Have you seen David's father? He's a multi-millionaire with more than enough power to stop the police or bribe them to turn a blind eye. Besides, a bunch of death threats isn't scaring me away. Thanks to Rowan, I see this one coming."
"So what's after death threats then?" Jonathan questioned.
I bit my lip, swallowing anxiously. "After that... I stay the hell away from all of you."
________________
Author Note:
Babesss! This probably wasn't my strongest chapter but it's long af! There's going to be a time jump in the next chapter and that's where the real interesting parts start rolling in. Hope you're looking forward to it ;*