Chereads / Darkness and Desire : The Heart of a Beast / Chapter 17 - CHAPTER 17 - Longing

Chapter 17 - CHAPTER 17 - Longing

 Hana sat on her bed, staring blankly at the wall as her mind wandered back to Thane. She couldn't believe how much she missed him already. It had only been a few hours since he'd dropped her off, but it felt like an eternity.

 She sighed, feeling a pang of longing in her chest. Why was she missing him so much? She barely knew him! Just as she was starting to get lost in her thoughts, her best friend Amelia burst into the room.

 "Hey girl, where have you been? I've been trying to reach you for days!" Amelia exclaimed, plopping down beside her on the bed. Hana hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "I was just...uh...dealing with some stuff," she said vaguely.

 Amelia's eyes narrowed. "Stuff? What kind of stuff? And who was that hot guy who dropped you off? You're not exactly the type to ride off into the sunset with some random guy!" Hana felt her cheeks flush as she tried to brush off the question. "Oh, him? He's just a friend," she said nonchalantly.

 Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Just a friend? Hana, I know you too well. You can't fool me! Spill the beans, what's going on?"Hana laughed nervously, trying to deflect the question. "Really, Amelia, it's nothing. Just...drop it, okay?" Hana said "Oh, him? He's just a friend."

 Amelia replied wigling her eyebrows "Just a friend, huh? I saw you two kissing through the gap in the door. So, you kiss your friends on the lips now? I never knew that was a thing. Where's mine?", Hana's face turned bright red as she realized she'd been caught. "Amelia, it's not what you think!"

 Amelia said "Oh, really? Then what is it? Because it looked like a pretty passionate kiss to me!"Hana sighed, trying to come up with an explanation. "It was just a...a moment of weakness, okay? It didn't mean anything."

 Amelia raised an eyebrow. "A moment of weakness? With a guy who looks like that? I'm not buying it, Hana. You can do better than that." Hana laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Okay, fine. Maybe it was a little more than that. But it's still nothing serious, okay?"

 Amelia grinned mischievously. "I'll be the judge of that. So, tell me more about this 'friend' of yours." Hana said "Oh, him? He's just a friend.", she added "Okay, fine. He's my boyfriend, okay?",she said "Aha! I knew it! I knew you two had something going on! Spill the beans, girl! How did you two meet? How long have you been dating? Tell me everything!"

 Hana smiled, feeling grateful for her friend's support. "Thanks, Amelia. That means a lot to me."Amelia: "Just a friend, huh? I saw you two kissing through the gap in the door. So, you kiss your friends on the lips now? I never knew that was a thing. Where's mine?"

 Hana's face turned bright red as she realized she'd been caught. "Amelia, it's not what you think!"Amelia said "Oh, really? Then what is it? Because it looked like a pretty passionate kiss to me!", Hana sighed, trying to come up with an explanation. "It was just a...a moment of weakness, okay? It didn't mean anything." Hana respoded "Okay, fine. He's my boyfriend, okay?"

 Amelia said "Aha! I knew it! I knew you two had something going on! Spill the beans, girl! How did you two meet? How long have you been dating? Tell me everything!", Hana laughed, feeling a bit overwhelmed by Amelia's enthusiasm. "Okay, okay! We met a few days ago, and...it's a long story, but basically, he's been helping me with some stuff, and we just clicked, okay?"

 Amelia's eyes widened. "Clicked? That's an understatement! You two are like fireworks exploding in the sky! I can't believe I missed it!", Hana blushed, feeling a bit self-conscious. "It's not that big of a deal, really.", Amelia grinned. "Oh, I think it's a huge deal! You deserve it, Hana! You deserve all the happiness in the world!", Hana smiled, feeling grateful for her friend's support. "Thanks, Amelia. That means a lot to me."

 Later that day, Amelia invited Hana to join their catering/hospitality and hotelier services department-which was Hana's major-for dinner. Hana agreed, and they headed to a nearby restaurant. As they sat down at their table, Hana noticed a guy staring at her from across the room. She tried to ignore him, but he kept leering at her.

 As the night wore on and Hana had a few drinks, the guy approached their table. "Hey, you're looking pretty lonely over here," he slurred, his eyes fixed on Hana. "Why don't you come and join me?", Hana rolled her eyes. "I'm not interested," she said firmly, But the guy wouldn't take no for an answer. He kept pestering her, trying to get her to come with him. Amelia noticed what was happening and quickly intervened.

 "Hey, back off, buddy," Amelia said, her voice firm. "She's not interested.", The guy sneered at Amelia. "Mind your own business," he said, But Amelia stood her ground. "I am minding my own business," she said. "And my business is protecting my friend."

 The guy looked like he was about to get aggressive, but Amelia's confident demeanor made him back down. He muttered a few curses and stormed off. Hana breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Mel," she said gratefully. "I owe you one." Amelia smiled. "Anytime, Hana. That's what friends are for."

 As they finished their dinner and left the restaurant, Hana realized that she was glad to have Amelia as a friend. She knew she could always count on her to have her back.