Summer's P.O.V

    HIS FACE WAS so beautiful and still it would be an understatement. I was the first to look away and break the silence. "I'm sorry," I mutter and took a large step back.

    He nods and shoves both of his hands on his dark blue jeans. He just stares at the floor. "Yea, yea I'm sorry too," he says. I nod my head and I tried to make my feet move, but it couldn't. It seem rooted to the ground and I can feel his scrutinizing gaze on me.

God, this is so awkward.

    I was about to open my mouth to mutter something but he beat me to it. "Do you need a ride?" he asks. I look back up to him and he wrinkles his nose. He seems slightly annoyed with his brows furrowed. Again, he confuses me.

"Umm, no thanks, Seth's picking me up," I reply, shifting my weight from one leg to another. 

"Dennis is...?"

"Running errands for mom."

"Mhm," he hums instead. Then silence again. This has got to be the most awkward position I've ever been in years.

"I can still give you a ride though," he says with his face still slightly scrunched.

"No it's-" I start to argue but he cuts me off, "Look Summer, mom told me to offer and I think it was an order."

    I flinch from the sudden raise of voice. People were already starting to look and gave curious glances. I guess he noticed it too because he sighed loudly and audibly. "I'll drop you off yours and either ways we'll see each other later again," he says, pinching the bridge of his nose.

    I closed my eyes in frustration for the second time in the last minute or so. I guess I have no choice, either ways, I didn't want to be seen alone too. So I obliged and just nodded. He leads me to his black Mercedes that seemed new. Last time, he was driving around with a dark navy blue Porsche. I opened the passenger door and sat down with ease. Everything seemed more slick with this one, it seemed to be more spacious too because even if we were sitting this close, it felt like miles stretched between us. Strangers. It sounded so foreign for it to describe my relationship with Matthew. Never in a million years would I have thought that word would describe our situation currently.

    The air inside was so thick, it was almost suffocating, I debated on whether I should roll down the window or not. I decided on the latter, there was a reason why the tints on these windows are so dark, Matthew was the type of person who cares a lot about his privacy and he might not be pleased with the idea of me rolling down the window. I fixed my eyes outside to avoid any more awkward glances or looks.

I can't handle that at least not now.

    For some reason, a nostalgia still manages to hit me. He always drives fast, but it was smooth. I could fall asleep in his car while he drives. It was soothing. I felt my stomach tighten at the idea. But no, I can't. Not again.

    The whole ride was dead silent and once we arrived at my house or estate as what it claims to be. He buzzes the buzzer and talked to one of the guards who then later opened the gates. Everyone knew him anyways, so it didn't take long for the gates to automatically open. He drops me off in front of my house and I quickly open the car door. I mutter a quick thanks and took a last glance at him. He wasn't even looking at me, he was staring straight in front. He looked so stiff. I closed the door and quickly walked the last few steps before I finally entered my house.

I sighed loudly upon closing the door. "Miss, what would you like for your afternoon snack?" my maid asks.

"Ice cream, I could really use some," I reply back.

    The maid offers me a smile and I smile back before she disappears to the kitchen and I head up to my room. I quickly text Seth that I got a ride home and he responded quickly with, "Thank mother of God!"

    I chuckle at his response. It must be really traffic then. I checked the time, 3:34. Time does fly quickly, I have to start getting ready if I want to look presentable at the Walters.

    So I quickly hit the shower. Afterwards, I took an ice cream break, letting my hair air dry a bit before blow drying it. I didn't bother curling or straightening it, leaving it to my natural brown wavy hair that fell just past my shoulders and on my chest level. For makeup, even if my mom insisted on full face. I decided to only use my all time favorite : Glossier Tinted Lip Gloss, Boy Brow and Lash Lick. Those work as a trio and I also swiped some Hoola bronzer on my cheeks and temples.

"Dear, are you finished?" my mom asks, knocking the door.

I nod my head, "Yup, I'm just gonna dress myself."

"Here, I just got this today for you," my mom says, entering and handing me a Gucci bag. I raise an eyebrow.

"You mean Dennis got it today?"

    I doubt my mom actually got that and took the time and effort to just get me a dress. It wouldn't cross my mind that my mom would go out of her way to do something like this. She laughs and I mentally cringe.

"You know me so well, dear. But, to be fair, I chose the dress," she hands me the bag and I accept it.

    I didn't have the strength to argue. I quickly dismiss her and open the bag. It was a black halter dress with thin straps holding it in place. It was those kinds of dresses where the back is slightly longer than the front, but not that noticeable when I wore it. The skirt part was slightly meshed that you could see some skin through the dress. It fell below my knee. Finally I looked at myself in my full length mirror.

God, I looked the same six months ago.

. . .

"So, how's the hotels going?" my dad asks Mrs. Walters.

"It's good, I mean Matthew's the one handling it now," she says looking at Matthew who just nods.

    He clearly didn't want to be in the conversation. Mrs. Walters was at her early 50's, yet she still manages to look like 30 and it's a skill I need to learn when I grow up. She looks so clean and well put together, just like my mom. But, my mom takes hundreds of hours to just look like this. Maybe Mrs. Walters does too, all I know is that she's heavy with the night creams and those anti-wrinkle stuff. She would usually hand me one every time I go to their house.

"How about you Jericho? Anything new with the hospitals?" Mrs. Walters asked.

    The Hart's Hospital was very known in the suburb and also through the east coast. It was a corporation that my grandfather started and passed to my dad. Thankfully, my dad was an only son and got the share to himself. It was going to be split for me and Seth and I was really thankful that the used to be company starting with 4 hospitals has already given itself a name and a corporation with over 20 hospitals in the United States only.

"Same old, same old, we're recently trying to find a new company though," my dad replies and suddenly I'm interested again because honestly, when did this happen?

"Really now?" Her eyes widen just a bit, probably also shocked with the news.

    I looked at my brother to see if he had any clue and from the looks of it. He clearly knows what's going on and he gave me on of those it's-good-just-wait look.

"Yes, in fact, I'm looking to open an oil company," my dad announces.

    My eyes widen. Oil? We didn't know a thing about oil, or maybe it was just me. Still, we were in the medical side of things.

"That's great Jer', actually, Matthew wanted to do that as a sideline too, oil companies seem to be increasing nowadays," she replies.

"Yes and from my research it seems easy to build one, I can partner with Matthew if he wants," my dad says.

    My eyes widen. This has got to be the most shocking dinner I've bought myself in. "No it's fine Mr. Hart, I've also got a lot in my plate," Matthew politely replies and I almost slouched back in relief.

    We were situated at their dinning hall that I know was only used for occasions like these, if the party is bigger, we would have used the grand dinning hall. I was sitting beside no one on my right and Seth on my left. In front of me was Matthew Walters sitting beside his sister, Mackenzie. Mrs. Walters took the end of the table as host. My parents were sitting across each other, nearest to Mrs. Walters. Thus, every time I look up from my plate I can't help but glance at Matthew and sometimes I catch him looking at me. My knees go weak every time I'm under his gaze. I can't help it, he's so near yet so far. So real, yet it still seems like a dream.

    Dinner passed by quickly with a few awkward glances and lingering stares with Matthew. There wasn't much that happened. We didn't really acknowledge each other much and our families were just hell bent over business, money and basically corporations. We said our goodbyes to Mrs. Walters, Matthew and Mackenzie. I politely hugged Mrs. Walters and she kisses me on the cheek, "Nice to have you again after such a long time."

    "Thank you," I say, slightly embarrassed because I was sure everyone heard it but no one bothered acknowledging it.

. . .

[ 1699 words ]

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I re-edited this chapter, so hopefully it's a lot more smoother now. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and let me know if there are any grammatical wrong sentences or spelling too!!

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