Chapter 4

“ This is your ride?” I asked him while rubbing my temple. 

“ Yeah. I don’t like the color but its works for me. What do you think?” He looked at me with a hopeful expression. 

“ It’s a bicycle? There is not even a backseat. Where am I supposed to sit?” I asked him and rolled my eyes. 

He chuckled. 

“ Haven’t you seen those old school movies where the heroine sits at the front and then the couple goes on the ride in the town?” He gave me an amused smile. 

“ I am not sitting there.”

Famous last word of a girl who is sitting at the front and enjoying the summer breeze. 

“ Isn’t it amazing?” Triston asks from behind me. 

“ Yeah. it's really nice.” I said. I don’t know where he is taking me but right now I don’t really care. I just want to escape. My phone was constantly ringing so I switched it off and threw it inside my bag. 

“ I think I am going to buy one for me too.” I told him, I don’t know why I told him this but I just did. 

“ I know the place. I can take you, tomorrow maybe.” He said. Even though it should have been a question I felt it was more like a statement. 

“ Why not today?” I asked him. 

“ Because today we are going for a little trip at the Back lane.” 

I turn around to look at him but it was distracting so I turned again. 

“ Back Lane? Why? What is there to see. A few rumbled buildings or old food stalls?” I asked him. 

“ You will see. Just wait.”

“ You are not going to murder me right?” I asked him with a smirk. It was a silly question even if he was he was not going to tell me. 

“ Depends on how you react.” he said and leaned further on my shoulders. 

“ You are weird?” 

“ I will take that as a compliment. Now shut up I am driving.” 

I nodded. 

Back Lane is a local name for the old town. The old town is an old market area. In sixties, it was a hotspot for youth but as the town grew and started developing. The small market got shut down. Small food stalls still work there but the major buildings are practically empty. 

Abandoned buildings came into view and I must say they still have those vintage vibes. He stopped in front of a food stall and asked me to stay out. He came back with some food bags. I eyed him but he only shrugged. 

He stopped in front of one building and asked me to go in. I hesitated but when I saw he is already moving with his cycle in tow I followed him. 

“ It used to be a very famous clubhouse back in the sixties.” 

I looked around and see that he is right I can see the reception and lobby area. It is cleaner than other buildings as if people stay here. 

“ Does anybody cleans it?” I asked him. 

He was walking in front of me. 

“ I do.” He replies. 

“ You, Why?” I asked him. I was curious. 

“ Because it’s my place. My home.” 

“ Your home?” I question him. 

As we moved to the first floor I saw that it was very clean. I can not believe that nobody leaves over here. It looks like people do live here. There were only six rooms three on each side. What kind of place did he bring me to. 

He turned to look at me and he must have seen something on my face because he replied. 

“ Don’t worry. Only kids of our age live here. No shady business I swear.”

“ Why do they  live here?” I ask him. 

He looked at me with vulnerability in his eyes. 

“ To feel safer.” He replied. 

“ They feel safe here alone.” 

“ I know Maverick Woods. He is your dad.” He asked changing the subject. 

I nodded. 

“ How do you know him?” 

“ I work at his gym on weekends.” 

I was puzzled but didn’t ask him. My instincts are telling me to press the matter but today’s revelation tells me to keep it little light.  

We reached the third floor which was the roof-top. There was also a big hall and two rooms. It feels like a small suite designed for special guests. 

I looked around and found that surely somebody does lives here. And that somebody could be Tristan. 

He parked his bicycle inside the non-working lift. And I smiled looking at how smartly he used that space. 

“ So you live here.” 

In the living room area, there is nothing but one vintage table and mismatched chairs. 

I sat on the green one and he sat on my opposite. He opened the take out and the smell of delicious aroma assaulted my nose. 

“ Tell me it's Mexicans.” He raised his brow at me. 

“ Your wish is my command, My lady.” I laughed at him. 

We ate quietly for some time. After eating we head to the balcony.

It was surely made for some special guests. There are still some molds and broken in some places. But entirely the view is soothing. 

Tristan came with two ottoman chairs and I without saying anything sat on one. 

I looked at the mesmerizing view of the town. It was great. I can see my dad’s hospital. It is not the tallest but it's the brightest. Even in broad sunlight, I can see it. Maybe it's because I love them so much that I am always able to find him. 

“ Whenever, I feel alone. I sit here and look at the view. It's beautiful.” He says. His voice seems far away. 

I looked at him and he is still lost in watching the sky. 

“ I don’t feel alone. I never am.” I whispered. 

I firmly believe this. 

Zander doesn’t love me. Sure it hurts. My friends are liars. I get it. But I am not alone. I have my family and they are everything to me. 

He turns to look at me and he smiles softly. 

“ You are like a light, I guess.” 

“ Light?” I frowned. 

“ Like sunlight. You brighten things up.” 

“ How?” I asked him. 

“ I don’t know.” he tucks my hair behind the ear. 

I pushed him away lightly and he chuckled. 

“ Why do you live here?” I ask him finally giving in to my curiosity. 

He sighed but still answer. 

“ Because I do.” 

“ What kind of answer is this.” 

“ I just met you. What do you want me to give you my life history? Just like this.” he emphasized his statement by flicking his wrist. 

“ Fair enough.” I said. 

When nobody speaks he broke the silence by saying. 

“ You can come to my place whenever you want. I won’t mind.” 

I smiled at him. 

“ And why would I do that?” I tease him. 

“It's up to you if you want to. It's only a suggestion.” 

“ I might consider it but I can’t say the same to you.” 

“ I know. Even I don’t want to get caught by your fathers.” 

“ Hey,” I punched his shoulder and continued. 

“ Dad Mave will never hurt anybody.” 

“ I know. But I have seen the look Dr. Nicholas gives whenever you are not looking at all the boys near you. It's life-threatening.” He mimicked the look but fails miserably. 

“ Don’t be mean. He never does this. He is so sweet and soft-spoken.” 

“ I never said that. I am just saying that he is protective of you.” 

“ And that’s the bad thing?” 

“ I didn’t say that.” 

“ Whatever,” I say and we both again fell into the comfortable silence. 

____________________________________________________

“ Hey wake up!” someone shouted. I opened my eyes and I see that I am lying on the white mattress. I stand abruptly and then everything that had happened today slammed into me. 

I groan and fall back again. 

“ You don’t have any survival instincts. What if I did something to you while you were sleeping?” Tristan shouted from somewhere I can’t see. 

I moved and wear my shoes. I am fully clothed, my high neck te is completely in the place as well as my skirt. I must have fallen asleep outside. 

“ But you didn’t right.” I drawl while pulling my bag from the floor.

He was rummaging his kitchen cupboards writing something on a piece of paper. 

“ What are you doing?” I went toward him and overlook his list. It was some grocery shopping list. 

“ Making a list is what I am doing.” He looked at me and winked. 

“ Normal people do these types of things.” 

“ Are you mocking me?” I asked him. 

“I dare not.” He feigns horror. 

“ Your list is shit okay. All these things will only cost you double and will not even last a month.” I snatched the list from his hand and threw it in the dustbin. 

“ What the fuck Red! Why did you do that?” he rolled his eyes at me. 

“ We are making a new list.” I ignore the nickname. 

“ I..um, Actually I am tight on budget.” embarrassment colors his cheek. 

“ So what. Tell me the budget. I am James, handling budget is what we do.” I nudge his stomach with my elbow because that’s my reach.  

He tells me his budget which was consideringly high for a monthly grocery list. He had messed up notions and I helped him make good use of vegetables. Earlier he was more relying on frozen foods, but the new list is filled with nutritional foods as well that are not even heavy on his pocket. 

“ I think that would be enough.” I asked him and he nodded. 

“ You know a lot about money management.” 

“ That was the first lesson Uncle Jullian gave me. Every penny is gold so you should spend it like gold. And I learn about food from Dad Mave.” 

“ He is a true businessman.” 

“ You know a lot about me. But what about you? I am curious. Tell me or I might die from suspense.” 

He grabbed his bag and move toward the elevator to take his cycle. 

“ The day I turned eighteen, I left my father’s home. So this is where I live.” 

“ He gave you this place?” 

“ No. It’s my mother’s. Nobody knew about this until one day I got the old letter. Technically it’s mine now.” 

I nodded. 

“ So that explains the job.” 

“ And I also rented the rooms here to kids.” 

“ How do they pay you the rent?” I asked him. 

“ That’s tricky. It is cheap actually. They won’t take the room if it's free so they pay me whenever they can, no pressure from my side.” 

After talking to Tristan I am seeing him in a new light. Even though he himself is living with a tight budget, he didn’t complain about it. But only is trying to help others. 

“ You are a nice guy.”

“ Or I am only playing the part so I can get into your pants.” He purred and winked at me. 

I chuckled. 

“ So where are we going?” I asked him as he gestures for me to sit on her bike. 

“ I will be dropping you at your place and then I will be going to Henry’s.” 

“ You are going to the strip club? Woooah, Can I come? I would love to see you flex these muscles for me.” 

He barked a laugh. 

“ No, you can’t. I am a part-time bookkeeper there until they can get somebody full time. If you want to see me flex these muscles. The strip club is not the place, come to the practice sometimes.” 

“ You play?” I was amused by his skill. 

“ Yeah, Tennis. It's not as famous as Soccer but it still offers scholarships.” 

I nodded. Understanding dawned on me. 

“ You are saving for college.” 

“ You guessed correctly. I want to have a backup plan if my scholarship falls.” and he muttered something under his breath, which I could not make sense of. 

I hummed and an idea struck me. But I kept it under wraps until I know the full details about the situation. 

My phone was still switched off and I made no effort to switch it back. I asked him to drop me at the gym so he didn’t have to take the long turn. Someone saw me standing there and offered to take me back home. Which I accepted because this is what it is. 

He dropped me home and I head straight back to my room. 

After taking a bath I dived into my bed and took a deep breath to analyze what the fuck just happened today. 

Zander came on me with all his raging anger, my friends were lying to me for god knows how much time. And how big of an idiot I am that I never even realized this. 

Now that I am thinking about this clearly, I am understanding that this has been going on for a long time. Whenever I find them talking secretly and would ask them what was going on, they would slide it under the rug. Last year when I asked them if they would like to go for the carnival in the next town. They all said no, with some lame excuses. I can guess where they all went. But why would they do this to me. 

Am I really clingy? 

They don’t like me. 

“ Aahhh.” I screamed in frustration and my eyes landed on the polaroids hanging on the side of the wall of my dressing table. 

They are so many pictures of us. Mainly me, Zander, and Emma. I looked at them again and in the next second, I ripped them up and shredded it. I don’t fucking need the reminder that they were lying to me or were with me because of some fucking pity. 

I rummaged my wardrobe and bring out the dress Hannah gifted me and the hat Trent gifted me on my birthday. While I was destroying my bedroom for all the stuff they ever gave me or gifted me. I realized that I don’t have anything from Zander. He never gave me anything.

I was just an idiot trying to live some fantasy. All these years I was all over my head, thinking that he only acts rudely toward me but inside he does like me. 

How could I be so wrong?

How could I be so clueless? 

I looked at my window. His curtains are closed like always but it's time to end things for once and all. No more harboring feelings for someone who won’t return it. No more dealing with friends who won’t mean it. 

I took almost ten long strides and closed the window and draw the curtains. For the first time, I am the one who is drawing the curtains. The bridge is already burned, now it's time to spread its ashes to the river.