Chereads / Grey Lies / Chapter 23 - Patch Up

Chapter 23 - Patch Up

I'm so glad I told her the truth. Hopefully, we'll be in good terms from now on. It will take time for all that to sink in, after all, that all happened 8 long years ago. I turn around a corner and feel a presence behind me. Is someone following me?

I turn around to look at the person but see nobody. Huh? I'm pretty sure there was someone here. Is it the paparazzi again? They never do leave you alone, huh. I hope they didn't see me with Claire though, I don't want her to suffer because of the rumors again after all that she's been through. I continue walking home, still feeling uneasy.

*Ker-Clack*

I open the door and step inside. The house is cold and quiet. I guess Leah left for her apartment. I close the door and head to the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee. I spot something very familiar on the kitchen counter and pick it up. It's my ear pin that I thought I'd lost yesterday; it looks... somewhat different though.

Wait, there's a note. 'Found this on the floor - Leah. It's good to know that I didn't lose it but, I don't think I removed it at any point of time in the house. Meh, maybe it just fell off. I put the pin in my pocket and start making coffee. I set on the table and pull out my phone.

So many unanswered messages. I open the messenger and read the texts. Most of them are from the reunion group, everyone who's attending it has answered. Should I go too? I mean I missed the ones before, it wouldn't hurt to go for once. And so, I reply to the group that I'll be attending it. In a matter of minutes, the group fills with all the women's responses about my reply. The ones who said that they won't be coming are coming now too?

Being a celebrity does attract a lot of people... mostly the ladies. Speaking of which, will Claire come too? She hasn't replied yet. It might be too soon but... I type a message to her personally asking if she would be attending the reunion and press 'Send' but, the screen shows an error.

'Contact blocked. Unblock to continue.'..? When did I even block her? Wait, could it be the person who changed the numbers before behind this too? Someone obviously misled Claire when she asked for my help that time, it had to be the same person. I should've asked her who it was.

I have another interview with her tomorrow. If she'd be fine to talk about it for a minute, that would solve this whole mystery. I unblock her contact. But, the main question is... why did they do that?

The next day...

I meet up Claire at the allotted place and take a seat across of her. She doesn't seem as uptight as she used to be as she finally offers me a genuine smile while greeting me.

Ashton: You seem different.

Claire: You think? I was just thinking about the whole 'thing' yesterday and figured that though it may take some time to get past everything that has happened or at least what I thought had happened but, since it's not really YOUR fault, I shouldn't really blame you.

Ashton: Is that so?

She's finally being a little easygoing, I don't want to make her uncomfortable by asking her about the culprit again. I decide to slightly change the topic.

Ashton: By the way, are you going to the highschool reunion next Friday?

Claire: Maybe, I haven't really been to the ones before.

She didn't attend them? Wait, didn't Drake say that there were too many rumors about us and that she never commented on them? Maybe she didn't attend them because she wanted to avoid the questions.

Regardless, it's good that we're not on the 'strangers' term now. Why does that make me happy though? We continue with our interview with all the awkwardness before no longer present.

A while later, we decide to take the interview outside and get some fresh air. We stroll through the streets, me obviously in my disguise. We come across a park that is or was very special to us. As if thinking the same thing as me, Claire halts, staring at the entrance. I look at her profile and it seems as if she too, is reminiscing about the past.

Ashton: Do you want to go inside?

She looks at me and nods. We step inside and I instantly remember everything that's happened here.

Ashton: It's the same as before. Do you remember this place?

Claire: How could I ever forget?

She slightly smiles and I smile back. That fountain is where I first confessed to her, behind that old tree is where we first kissed and the bench far in the corner is where we... broke up. I can recall it all as if it was just yesterday when it happened...