Ava's PoV
I found myself alone in the practice room, unsure of where everyone had gone. Despite not knowing their whereabouts, I realized that our rehearsal was already over. Feeling a mix of emotions, I decided to lay down on the couch and let my thoughts wander, once again fixating on Ezra. However, my gaze shifted to the herbal drink that William had given me, and a smile involuntarily formed on my face. He was a green flag, someone who showed positive signs. He's a walking forest.
If only I could convince my heart to develop feelings for William instead, perhaps I could finally move on from my unrequited love and have a chance at a fulfilling romantic life. But that was easier said than done. Despite my efforts to at least forget Ezra even just a moment, thoughts of Ezra continued to invade my mind, persistently reminding me of the bittersweet reality I found myself in.
"Oh, you're back," Ezra said as he entered the room, holding a paper bag and drinks in his hands.
"Where have you been?" I asked, taking a seat and adjusting myself.
"Isabella stopped by to check on you... Why didn't you tell me that you were sick?" he inquired, concern evident in his voice. I simply smiled in response.
"It's nothing serious," I reassured him, taking a sip of the herbal drink to mask my awkwardness.
"You should have at least informed me so we could reschedule our practice and wait until you were fully recovered," he insisted, he's sincere but I'm already down today so I don't have the energy left to be happy.
"By the way, where's Isabella?" I asked, noticing a wide smile spread across his face. Heh.. she's his happy pill.
"I escorted her back to their classroom. Oh! I brought some herbal drinks. They're good for metabolism," he explained, handing me one.
"Thanks, but I already had one. William gave it to me," I replied, causing Ezra to frown.
"Oh, did you meet him?" he asked, seemingly oblivious to my presence earlier. I couldn't help but laugh. He was so engrossed in talking about Isabella that he didn't even glance when I left earlier. Whatever...
"Yeah, he came by earlier just to give me this. Isn't he a green flag?" I said, half-jokingly. Ezra's expression turned serious, but he eventually smiled.
"Good for you. If you want, you should go on a date with him," he suggested, and in that moment, I remembered when he said, he didn't like the idea at all, that he was warry that someone would steal me from him, but it seems like he didn't mean it.
"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, what's in the paper bag?" I asked, trying to hide my disappointment. He happily revealed a box of cookies, and it was painfully obvious that they were a gift from Isabella.
"Hehe, look! Isabella gave them to me because she felt bad about leaving during the party," he exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with joy as he looked at the cookies. Why did I ever fall in love with this man? My head is throbbing.
"Good for you," I muttered, forcing a smile. But deep down, I couldn't shake the thought that Isabella was with another man that night. I didn't want to tell Ezra because it would shatter his feelings but keeping this secret felt like I was deceiving him. Maybe I could give him a subtle hint instead.
"What would you do if she already likes someone else?" I cautiously asked, watching as his expression turned to shock. He gazed outside for a moment, a bitter smile playing on his lips, before turning his attention back to me.
"Then it's a dead end for me. I won't force her to love me, and I'll try to move on. But since she doesn't have feelings for anyone right now, I'll continue to make an effort. Maybe one day, she'll finally give me an answer," he replied, his words filled with a mix of determination and resignation. I nodded, understanding his pain all too well. We were both trapped in the realm of unrequited love. I wanted nothing more than for him to find happiness, even if it meant enduring my heartache. I had already prepared myself for that, patiently waiting for the day they would be together so I could finally start anew. It's crazy, I know, I'm fighting a losing game.
"By the way... about that night... I'm sorry," he suddenly said, catching me completely off guard.
"Yeah, it's fine. There's nothing to be sorry about," I forced myself to say, but my face grew hot with embarrassment. Damn it, Ava! This is not the time to blush. He looked at me, and I tried my best not to avoid his gaze.
"You don't hate me? I mean, we're friends, and you're aware that I love someone else," he said, his voice filled with worry. Oh...
"Are you scared that I'll tell Isabella about it?" I asked, seeing right through him. So, you bring up this topic because of Isabella again. What about me...
"Hahaha, you idiot. You don't have to worry about that. I won't tell anyone, I promise," I replied, doing my best to hide the pain that was tearing me apart inside. But it hurt like hell.
"Really?" he asked, seeking reassurance, and I nodded. Well, Aubrey already knows about it... Wait! I forgot! I have a blind date later! Ugh... She wanted to confront Ezra yesterday but I managed to stop her. In return, she asked me to attend the blind date her mom set up for her. Fuck...
"I'm sorry," Ezra apologized again, and I nodded in response.
"We're still friends, right?" I asked, seeking reassurance, and he quickly nodded.
"Of course, you're my only best friend forever. Nothing will ever change that," he firmly stated, and I playfully tapped his arm with a smile on my face.
"Of course, hahaha. Let's move on, okay?" I suggested, and he agreed. Yeah, dwelling on it will only hurt me more.
We had lunch together and attended our classes as usual. The atmosphere between us remained unchanged. After the long hours of class, we walked together to the parking lot. Isabella was already there... Oh, they have a dinner outside tonight.
"...." okay...
"Hi, big sis! How are you feeling?" she asked as soon as she saw me. She calls me big sis because she's a year younger than me. And she's the youngest in our squad, so we treat her like a little sister.
"I'm fine. Anyway, I'll be going now. I have an appointment tonight," I informed her, and she nodded.
"Where are you off to?" Ezra asked as he opened the car door for Isabella.
"I'm going on a date too," I replied, and he nodded.
"Good for you. Have a great time," he said, but before I could react, a fancy car stopped in front of us. It's an incredibly expensive car! And it has the Adams family crest. The door opened, and just as I expected, it was William. He's looking at me and even has flowers in his hand.
"Hi... Hmm, why are you here?" I asked, slightly confused, and he simply handed me the flowers. He's a bit shy!
"I'm here to pick up my date tonight, of course," he said seriously, but I could see his ears turning red.
"You're my date... You knew it from the beginning?" I asked, still puzzled, and he shook his head.
"No! I was also surprised when Aubrey told me that you'd come with her instead. She just told me an hour ago," he explained in a defensive tone, which made me laugh. That side of him, I found it cute.
"Hahaha, you're so defensive," I teased, and he sighed.
"I was afraid you'd think I'm a stalker or a weird psychopath," he confessed, and I laughed even more. His reactions and gestures were amusing.
"Not at all. I'm really glad it's you. You have no idea how nervous I am just at the thought of having dinner with a stranger. Hahaha, at least I know you, right?" I reassured him, and he smiled.
"Hmm... shall we go now?" he asked, and I nodded. I looked at Ezra and Isabella, who were chatting inside the car. Yeah... He doesn't mind if I'm with someone else, especially when he's with Isabella. His world revolves around her. I looked at William and nodded.
"Let's go," I said, and he carefully assisted me in getting into the car. Yeah, so this is what it feels like to be treated like a princess... It feels uncomfortable.
To be continued...