Chapter 20

Christian Bellister

My plan worked.

It had been my plan from the start. When I first met Hazel, I felt like she could be my friend. But that moment was short-lived for the three of us. We met for such a short amount of time. But luckily, during that short time, I had managed to record the look on my best friend's face when he was looking at Hazel. The amount of emotion he was showing would make anyone say that he didn't seem interesting. But I was able to see every tiny thing my best friend Jayden did. I was able to see the look on his face. I was able to comprehend how he looked at her. I was able to understand what he was thinking. I saw everything in slow-motion. How he smiled when he heard Hazel swear with such childish words. How he grinned when he made me apologise just because he wanted to see the smile on her face as she would notice the fact that she had won the argument. How he wanted to grasp every bit of her when she walked away, completely ignoring us and sparing no attention towards my best friend's disappointed face.

I saw it all. I was his Best friend after all.

But at once, all I had wanted to do was to make her suffer just the way she had made Jayden suffer. I wanted to tell her that my Best friend was in love with her the whole time. But seeing the way she treated Jayden after meeting him again after all those years, I felt anger towards her. After hearing how she treated Jayden's mum, I started to hate her. Loathe her even.

So I stepped up my game a little bit. I purposefully proposed to her and asked her to date me. I wanted to hear her side of the story behind her treating people that way. But whenever I got close to find out the truth, she always pushed me away in a very rude manner. That made me hate her even more.

I was finally glad when I saw them two whispering behind my back. When I heard their little banter, I was happy. Happy for my best friend.

But why did it feel like there was a notch of sadness in my happiness?

I felt guilty.

Why? Because while trying to understand the girl, I felt myself drawn to her. While I was pretending and making her realise her mistake, I had mistakenly let a bit of my heart out, making it catch some feelings itself.

I was drawn to the girl. The same girl who I hated. The same girl my best friend was crazy about. The same girl who treated me like nothing but trash.

When Jayden's feelings were out in the open, I felt that tug on my heart. Like a hammer slamming on my heart, weakening it. I realised, that I was not only playing the matchmaking game but was also caught up in it. My heart was slowly moving towards Hazel.

I mentally shook my head. This wasn't the time to think about my feelings for Hazel. This was the time to think about my successful plan. I just need to add more drama into it, so it wouldn't feel like I set them up. I mean, I was always the one to get credit. But this was about my best friend. I could do anything for Jayden.

The thoughts in my mind suddenly came to a screeching halt when I spotted one of Hazel's cats on the street. It was the white one; Snowy. I watched as Snowy walked while sniffing the ground in the moment. But when it stepped off the footpath and started walking on the not so busy road, I walked towards it to pick it up. Snowy's leash was let loose and I stopped all of a sudden when I heard Hazel's soft melodic voice call for snowy. I froze when she came into view, and then she froze when she noticed the huge van coming her way.

The driver was honking crazily but she was rooted on the spot, Snowy long gone. I snapped my head towards the distance and quickly calculated in my head that I had enough time to run over to her and drag her away from the road and especially from her death.

So I did what I did. After I dragged her away from her spot, we both fell down. She screamed in horror and I looked at her to see her foot was twisted.

Without any words, I simply picked her up and walked over to her apartment.

***

Hazel Sinclair

I was so close to my death. I could even see my whole life in front of my eyes like a film.

At first, all I was thinking that if I don't move and stay rooted to my spot, maybe, just maybe I could be free from this hell of a life. Maybe I could die and rest in peace.

But after I realised that I was dragged away roughly from the scene, from my death angel, I was beyond mad.

I was minutes away from my peace!

I screamed, a blood-curdling scream when I felt a soul wrecking pain, in my heart or in my ankle, I couldn't comprehend. And when I was picked by a strong pair of arms because I was like a limped dead body at the time, I passed out.

Again, out of pain or out of fear, I couldn't comprehend.

***

"Christian, why do you- Hazel?!" I heard a panic voice of Jayden in the background.

Couldn't see, was so dark.

"Hold on a minute. What happened to her? Why... Is she passed out?" Jayden's voice so loud, I felt as if someone was drilling it in my head. Or my brain.

"She's safe, man. I dragged her at the last minute. Or she would've been dead at this moment." Christian's cold voice was so clear in my ears, it felt as if my ear was right in front of his vocal cords.

I was sprawled on something soft. I could feel it, everything.

Could feel him.

"Call a doctor. Quick!" Jayden's voice was loud. Very loud.

He was loud.

"Bro, don't you think if I tell them the whole thing, they'd want us to call the police too!" Christian was yelling but his voice was far away.

Eyes, couldn't open them.

"Hazel, can you hear me? Come on, say something! Open your eyes! Dammit!" Jayden was angry. He was mad.

Slapping the mattress, he.

I could feel his hands enclosing my own, squeezing assuredly. "No injury. You'll be fine. Mate, she'll be fine, right?"

On the bed, left a mark.

"Jay, you're just being emotional. Calm down, she just passed out." Christian, it was him. Speaking from far, far away.

I wanted to open my eyes, wanted to speak out. Or even move a finger. But I was drained of all the energy. I think I was devoid of any power to respond. I could hear them clearly, fighting about protecting me, disclosing their feelings out in the open once again, but I couldn't move a lash. I hated this feeling.

Want to speak,

Want to talk

Want to shout

But couldn't at all.

***