Chapter 23

Hazel Sinclair

Silence.

It was a very serious one. Very deafening and yet, so quiet.

The soft hum of the engine and beeping noise was the only noise surrounding the air around us.

Then I clipped my seatbelt on, and the car stopped beeping.

"Thanks," Jayden spoke in a heavy tone.

I still didn't look at him. Had it not been the incoming text on my phone, Jayden would've said something.

*Everything ok?*

The text was sent by an unknown number but I quickly saved it under Marcus' name.

*Oh, absolutely. I'm sorry about tonight, by the way. We can do this some other day?*

His reply was quick.

*Why not. Though I wouldn't want to complicate things more between you two.*

I contemplated telling him a summary of what we were.

*Jayden's a bit protective. He won't be mad...* I sent. Well, I hoped.

I looked at Jayden, his jaw was clenched shut and his eyes were solely on the road. His right hand on the gear and the left on the steering wheel. I noticed the index finger of his right hand was drumming eagerly on the gear tool.

I almost had a euphoric feeling by just watching his hands. It felt like I suddenly started to develop more feelings about the man who was beside me driving his convertible.

I noticed there were two messages from Marcus, left unattended.

*If you say so. I don't want any hard feelings between that man of yours and me.*

*You must be tired, go to sleep. I'll come by tomorrow to get your car and take it to my dad's garage. Again, sorry about that.*

And then, when I was about to reply, in came another text from him.

*Goodnight, Hazel.*

I smiled sadly, he must think something else is happening. I shut my phone after typing a quick goodnight to him as well.

"You're done?" Jayden's voice was clipped with heavy emotion.

I looked at him, my brows in a frown.

"What's up with you?" I asked.

He scoffed. "What's up with me? I gave you space for three days and I find you going on dates with a random guy at midnight?"

My eyes widened and I gave him my best annoyed expression. "Woah, hold on! It was only for two days!"

"I don't care how many days it was! The point is that you've been going around and-"

"And being a whore? Just because I was eating ice-cream with a friend?" I said, cutting him off.

Noticing that my ice-cream is with Marcus because I told him to hold it for me to add my number in his phone, I cursed silently.

Dammit! I really wanted to eat that ice-cream.

"I... I didn't mean that. It's just that I don't like this guy..." He parked the car in the basement parking of our building block. "He's... weird. I don't know."

"He's not weird. You're just scared. You think you'll lose me if I make new friends?" I confronted him.

He looked up at me, his eyes blazing. "Don't, Hazel. Don't you dare bring up my fears. You know how I feel-"

"Then let me make new friends, for God's sake! I'm not whoring myself around. I want to surround myself with people so I don't feel alone. I want to feel happy. I don't want to stay this way for the rest of my life..." I looked down to wipe a stray tear on my cheek without it being noticeable.

There was pregnant silence in the car. We were both lost in the sea of our thoughts. At least I was, he was just looking at me, and his eyes seemed to be void of any emotion.

I bit my lip, if I had my ice-cream with me, it wouldn't be so awkward.

He sighed, finally. "You go home, I have some work to do."

I stopped biting my lip, a frown settling on my lips. "What work?"

His eyes bored into mine, then he looked away out of the car. "I was supposed to do something right now but I need a few things for it."

Right. So he couldn't tell me.

I got off the car and slammed the door shut loudly. Walking away, I stopped and turned around. Urging him to roll down the passenger door window, I said, "You better not start a fight with Marcus or I swear I'll kill you."

Because I had a feeling he was going to see Marcus.

***

Getting ready for an actual sleep at three in the morning, I yawned as I jumped in my bed.

Then there were three raps of knocking on my front door. At first, I ignored it. But then another set of knocking, may I remind urgent, rapped on my door again.

Letting out a soft, annoyed, and sleepy cry, I lazily got myself up from the bed. I was going to kill if it is something irrelevant.

Opening the lock, I asked in a lazy voice. "Who the hell it is at this time?"

I was too lazy to peek through the peephole so I opened the door.

My hand was ready to land a punch on his face. Jayden was stood there with a crooked smile on his face. Just as I raised my hand, he backed away.

"Woah, whoa! Woman! Hold yourself!" His eyes went wide at my annoyed face.

"You dare show up at 3 in the morning after kicking me out of your car, which I might mention, you forced me in?" I yelled at him.

He chuckled. Inviting himself in, he walked to my kitchen and dropped a bag full to the brim.

"Well, I'm here for you." He smiled.

Gosh.

"For me?" My hands rested on both of my hips as I studied him looking at me with an amused expression.

"Yeah, we could do stuff..." He checked me out. "You look sensual in my shirt, babe."

Then he winked.

Don't blush, don't blush, and don't blush.

Crap. Shit.

"The word 'good' was good enough." I rolled my eyes as an involuntary smile crept up my face. Seeing my expression, he laughed. "Let me see what's in the bag."

He made a weird gesture. "Sure, it's all yours."

Walking over to it, I looked inside and a surprised gasp flew out of my mouth.

Tubs and tubs of ice-cream! Salted chips! Almost every junk food I liked was stored in that bag.

I turned to Jayden. A dorky smile was present on his lips.

"I thought we could start over and do comfortable things that all couples do... And I'm sorry about tonight and your ice-cream which I made you leave with that twat." He rambled, which made a chuckle to bubble out of my mouth.

When he noticed that I just laughed, even a little, he stopped.

He stilled!

"Do that again." He smiled and took me in his embrace. "You just laughed. Do it again."

I chuckled. "Why?"

"It really sounds heavenly music to my ears..." He moaned.

I smacked playfully at his forehead and hugged him wholeheartedly.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"Anything for you." He grinned.

And so, we spent the night eating ice-cream and talking like a newlywed couple.

Err... Newly-made couple?

The point is, that it was divine to feel happy, finally.

***