"Did the two of you had a fight again?"
I faced Annika and shook my head as we stare at Leonel again. Leonel who was actively flirting with Hennessy, one of the girls in our unit. One who likes to talk about her makeup all the time. I felt my mood shift into an ugly one again.
After taking me home that day in the library, he stopped messaging me. I thought he was busy with midterms as all of us were but right after exams, he was actively avoiding me.
Up to the extent where even Annika could sense the sudden rift between the two of us. It made me wonder if I had done something wrong or said something inappropriate.
I breathed softly trying to calm myself from the anger blooming inside of me.
"I'll go home first, since the training is over"
"Oh okay, get home safely"
I took my bag and stood up from my seat, walking out of the room and into the hallway. Not even glancing at Leonel's direction as I know he had done the same.
It was frustrating the hell out of me. I don't even know why I'm so angry at him. There was nothing between us, atleast nothing serious. But, he had told me about what he wanted to do, about how he had been attracted to me. And yet, he does nothing but shamelessly flirt with someone else.
"Fuck"
I cursed as I stomped my way towards the bathroom. I needed to wash my face just to calm the hell out of these emotions.
I didn't like this, I knew what this was, and I didn't like a single bit of it. Jealousy is ugly. It bores a hole right through you, making it seem like you're short minded and immature. And I don't like that.
I washed my face and dried off multiple times before finally deciding to just head back home and ignore these feelings.
As I was leaving the bathroom, a voice halted me and I turned around to see who it belonged to.
"Huh? You didn't go home yet Qian?"
"Oh, hey Pau, had to go to the bathroom first"
"Oh, I see, I thought you went home first"
Paulo, was the shortest guy in the first aid unit, the one who stood before me always. I smiled at him and shook my head.
"I am going too now"
"Oh, do you want to go home with me? I mean we're going to the same direction anyway"
"We are?"
He nodded rather happily which sent one of my eyebrows up.
"We practically live near each other, I guess you never knew"
No, I didn't. I rarely go out of our house and I don't really have friends around our neighborhood so I never took time to know them.
"Huh small world"
"It is, so want to go together"
"I mean, yeah sure why not, are you done for today too?"
"Well, almost done, I just need—"
My eyes squinted as Paulo's words died down and his gaze slid past through me, right behind me to be exact. I craned my neck just enough to see who was behind me and I almost stifle a sneer when I saw Leonel standing there. His gaze icy cold, his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"The commander said he needed to see you Pau"
"Oh, right now?"
Leonel gave him a cold shrug before waltzing towards us until he was right next to me. I didn't let any emotions out until he had finished talking to Paulo.
"I guess after your agenda in the bathroom is done, you could go to him"
Paulo's eyebrows knitted in between as he let out a sigh and offered me an apologetic look.
"Sorry Qian, I'll walk you home next time I promise"
I didn't really care if I was being honest but I still gave him a half-smile.
"That's fine, I'll go now then. Bye"
I waved Paulo goodbye, not daring to look at Leonel and turned to walk away.
My nose scrunched up at the familiar feeling of him walking right beside me. I tried to ignore him until we get past the stairs hoping he would stop right there but he didn't. He was following me, silently, almost as if he was a ghost staring at me.
I had enough.
I twirled around only to hit his chest. His arms fast as they grabbed around my waist. His scent hitting my nose again as it seem to invade my whole being. I didn't realize he'd be so close to me. I could feel those butterflies fluttering in my stomach again. Those heartbeats quickening as I stared at his black eyes.
He sucked in a breath just lightly before he said.
"Careful Qian"
And that was enough for me to realize that this man holding me so closely right now was the same man that had avoided me for weeks.
I gritted my teeth and placed my palm on his chest, pushing him away from me.
"What do you think you're doing?"
His eyebrows shot up but his words came so softly.
"What am I doing?"
"If you're avoiding me then just do that. Why are you even following me?"
I could have sworn he had looked surprised but he quickly masked it and shove his own hands inside the pocket of his pants.
"I'm not avoiding you, I was busy"
"Busy flirting with someone else?"
I felt my jaw tightening as a lazy grin plaster across his face.
"Are you jealous?"
"It doesn't matter if I am, you're a jerk"
I said, the anger coming back through me once again but I turned around once more. He's going to spout some bs instead of telling me anyway. It doesn't matter.
It shouldn't be, but his laughter echoed through the empty stairs. This laugh that promised no happiness and joy.
"Paulo was flirting with you too"
That made me turn around towards him again. This time I could perfectly see it. That muscle in his jaw ticking as if he had wanted to bite down on something hard. His eyes the same icy ones that he had used to stare down Paulo earlier.
"He wasn't, you're just assuming things. And if you want to avoid me forever then better do it right. Don't avoid me only to follow me again afterwards"
I hissed as I walked down the stairs not bothering to look back at him.
I'm not particularly happy that he had talked to me again or that he had been jealous. No, I wasn't. And I never will be happy to make someone feel jealous.
That's an ugly feeling after all.