BLIND DATE ( ENGLISH VERSION )

ALEXA’S POV

A few days passed after Ken and I were stranded in an abandoned house inside the campsite. Also, it had been a few days since the friendship we had with Caleb and Rhea, slightly going back to the old one. I was happy that even if Caleb and Rhea got separated from us at the campsite, I still enjoyed my time there. On second thought, it was actually not camping since the rain continued until the next day.

* Tok, tok, tok *

My attention was shifted to my bedroom door when I heard someone knocking. Hmm, who could be visiting me at this hour? It was already eight in the evening.

” Just wait for a moment,” I shouted and hurriedly took my nightrobe because I was wearing my nighties since I was about to sleep already.

” What are you doing here?” I confusedly asked him after I opened my door.

” May I talk to you?” He asked in a serious manner, which made me wonder even more.

” Let us talk in the garden. Just go first, I will get a jacket,” I replied. He immediately nodded, so I closed the door.

I hurriedly went to my cabinet, got a jacket, and immediately went to the garden. Before I went there, I instructed our maids to prepare James and me some snacks. Yes, you read it right. It was James who was knocking on my door earlier.

” Ahem,” I fake a cough to get his attention because I caught him staring blankly at the night sky.

” You are here,” He remarked and sat down properly. I hurriedly sat down on the chair parallel to him.

” Why are you here?” I straightforwardly asked, even if I was a bit confused.

” I do not know. My feet brought me here.” James replied without cutting off his eyes to mine. I felt something strange about the way he looked at me rather than feeling awkward. James’ eyes seemed so gloomy.

” Where have you been before going here?” I asked. I wanted to know more about the reason for his sadness.

” In our old favorite place,” He replied in sadness.

” James,” I could only call his name because I could not say anything.

” You know, I really wanted to fight for you. My old fiancée always motivated me to fight for you. It such a shame that I came back here late,”

” James, I honestly waited you. However, when you came back, he already replaced you,” I admitted.

James bitterly smiled at me and replied, ” It was my fault because I let you go,”

” It is not your fault. No one did. We were simply young back then,” I remarked to comfort him and lessen the sadness he was feeling.

” If we came at the same time, would you choose me over him?” He asked in wonder.

” I do not know, James. And honestly, we will never know because you came late. But, you know, I did not love him because I got tired of waiting you. I loved him during the time he exerted his effort to help me bounce back from my seatback,” I sentimentally told him.

” I l-love y-you s-so m-much,” He said while his tears were at the edge of his eyes. I held his hand that was on the table.

” I love you too, James but that love was not the same as before. I love you, but as my former bestfriend, you became part of my life,” I sadly told him as I looked into his eyes. He managed to wipe the tears falling from his eyes and smiled bitterly at me.

” I maybe fine with that, at least I am still part of your life,” James remarked with a sad smile on his lips.

” I hope that the smile you were wearing now be changed as time goes by,” I genuinely hoped.

” And I also hope that the smile you have right now will never be removed again. I will do everything to protect your smile at all costs,” He determinedly replied, which made me laugh a little.

” You sounded like my father,” I remarked in between my laughter.

” I am still your best friend. Well, it was a big coincidence that I was also your ex-boyfriend,” He jokingly stated, which made us burst into laughter. Haist, I miss this feeling every time I was with him before.

” Oh, you two seemed having fun there,”

James and I looked wherever the voice came from and recognized my parents looking over us inside our living room.

” You already here, mommy, daddy,” I happily greeted them when they approached us.

” Good evening, auntie, uncle,” James politely greeted my parents.

” What is happening? You two seemed so happy,” My mom asked in wonder.

” There is nothing special, mommy. It is because of James. It was getting late already and he was so dramatic,” I remarked to tease James.

” It is because of your daughter, auntie. She rejected me in the middle of the night,” James jokingly responded.

” Hey, I did not reject you,” I defended myself and slightly pinched his arm.

” Ahh, so am I still allowed to court you?” He asked while grinning.

” Of course not,” I replied and made a face at him as a child would do to her playmates.

” Psh, if Ken made you cry, I will kill him,” James replied in grumpiness.

” Ahm, we will leave you two alone because we cannot really understand what you are talking about,” my mother confusedly said and grabbed my father’s wrist, who was currently looking at us intensely. Ken and I exchanged looks and laughed together.

” You are dead. You confused mommy,” I childishly told him.

” Why me? It is because of you,” He jokingly blamed me, which made us laugh more. We looked like going insane because of our laughter.

” Anyway, Lex, I should go home now before your neighbors went here and asked if we were insane,” He said while smiling.

” All right, I will send you off at the gate,” I replied, and we walked together until we reached his car.

” You take care while driving,” I told him.

” Can I have a request?” James hesitantly asked me which I responded with a smile.

” Of course, what is it?” I asked.

” Can I hug you?” He asked.

I smiled before nodding at him. He immediately hugged me tightly, so I answered his embrace. We remained in that position for a few minutes before we let go of each other.

” Thank you, Lex,” James sincerely thanked me.

” Thank you too, James,” I genuinely replied with a smile.

” I should get going,” He said before entering his car.

JAMES’ POV

After I left Alexa’s home, I went directly to a bar near my condominium. As I entered, I could smell the mixture of alcohol and cigarettes roaming around the atmosphere inside the bar. I am not a minor to be forbidden from drinking, so I went straight to the bar counter while waiting for someone I had called earlier while still driving. The bartender gave me a bottle of beer which I drank right away since he was not there yet. After a while, I felt someone tap me from behind, so I turned around to face whoever did it.

” Oh, you are here. What took you so long?” I asked in a calm manner.

” If you are not one of my best friends, I will not go here. Especially because of what you did to the only princess of our family,” He replied and lightly punched my shoulder before sitting beside me.

” You know that I did not want that to happen. I was just caught up on the situation. If you were in my position, I was sure you will do the same thing, right?” I remarked while giving him a bottle of beer.

” Tsk, so, why are you drinking right now? She rejected you, was she?” Xander stated as he changed the conversation. This guy, really.

” She did not reject me, I set her free,” I answered.

” Set her free? You let that Ken win over you.” Xander jokingly replied.

” Stop teasing me already, I know you like him too for Alexa,” I irritably told him.

” Well, to whom Alexa is happier, I will support it,” He thoughtfully responded and drank the beer I handed him earlier.

” Is she will not be happy with me?” I sadly asked him. Of course, there was still pain even if I did what I did.

” This is the case bro, if you think she will be happy with you, you will not let her go, right?” He commented, which made me laugh.

” You simply studied in Singapore, now you are making sense,” I laughed while saying those words.

” Psh, you still do not have confidence on me?” He jokingly replied and punched me on my shoulder.

” You are enjoying punching my shoulder already,” I jokingly protested,

” That is not enough compare to the pain you brought to Alexa,” Xander seriously replied.

” I know, but your punches did not give me much pain compared to my heart,” I stated and let out a heavy sigh.

” You are too dramatic, bro. Let us have a drink,” He jokingly told me, which made me shake my head before drinking the beer I was holding straightly.

I slightly let out a heavy sigh after remembering Alexa. I did not want to let her go, but that was the only way to get closer to her again. I realized that I could protect her more if she allowed me to be part of her life again. That is why even if she simply looked at me as her best friend, it was all right as long as I could protect her. I am more than willing to set aside what I feel towards her if that is the only way I will ensure that I can protect her from that woman.

TO BE CONTINUED!Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.