Chapter 32: Special Girl

"Stupid! Just kissing a woman carelessly! It's not polite!" She thought. Her face felt very hot and red even though Leo had left 10 minutes ago.

Lucia took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The pounding in her chest was still audible. Different from the time she made love to Pierre that night, where she was drunk and didn't really remember what they were doing. Or a kiss when she and Leo were staying at the treehouse. The kiss this time was a little different, it was so sweet because it just happened.

When Leo's eyes opened after kissing her, she was in awe. Those amber eyes made her so mesmerized that she forgot the man in front of her at that time was her childhood friend.

"Damn Leo! Why are you so handsome?" Lucia was feeling very frustrated right now. Not only because of his visual appeal, but the sweet demeanor he showed made Lucia even more restless.

Her eyes looked up at the sky, where the stars shone with the moon. Lucia realized now that her friends had changed a lot from the ones she used to know. They were no longer boys who could only listen and follow her orders. They had taken a path that left her far behind.

"Cheating! They all managed to live a good life without me! As for me, I came back to this place because I have nothing left!"

Remembering what Leo had said made her feel a little at ease. Seeing Leo's sincerity, at least she still has someone who cares about her.

Lucia returned to her room and felt a little calmer. She heard her phone ringing on the table. Lucia took her phone and was surprised that it was Pierre who called her.

A strange sensation ran through her body, remembering what she and Pierre had done that night. Which made her feel much more embarrassed because they had done it more than once that night and since then she had not spoken or seen Pierre again.

"H-hello, Pierre?" She greeted nervously.

"Hi, good evening?" Said Pierre softly. Lucia felt that she was not talking to an old friend, but to a man she had just met. Feels very awkward and weird.

"Good evening! Have you arrived in London yet?"

"Yeah, I just got in two hours ago and I'm at the apartment right now. What are you doing?"

"Uhm... I just had talk with Leo!"

"Leo?"

"Yes! But he's gone!"

"He visited your place?" Pierre asked who somehow felt a little worried about one thing he didn't understand.

"Yes! He only came to give my favorite chocolate. I'm surprised he still remembers it!"

"Is that so? Thank goodness!"

"So why did you suddenly call me? Is there something important you want to say?"

"Am I only allowed to call you if there's something important? Sounds like a complete stranger!"

"That's not it! But weren't we strangers for a while?"

"Do you feel strange to me?" Asked Pierre. His tone became serious and cold. In contrast to Leo who likes to joke, Bryan who is frontal or Chris who never shows his true feelings. Pierre is a man who takes his life very seriously. If something was bothering him, he would definitely find out why.

"Isn't it, Pierre! I mean, we haven't seen each other in 12 years and it's not a long time to get back to that awkward relationship, is it? Especially now that we're both grow up and I feel like I don't deserve to be among you guys!" Lucia felt a strange turmoil in her heart. The feeling in which she felt was very different from her four friends.

"Did you ever feel that way?"

"No! I just feel like you guys are way ahead of me and I'm left behind alone." Lucia's voice trembled. She almost showed the sadness she should have kept to herself.

Pierre started to notice something was off and he wished Lucia could tell him something.

"Are you having trouble?"

"N-no, I-"

"I know, you've always been like that! If there's a problem, just say it!"

"I-I'm fine, Pierre! I just-"

"Am I important to you?" Pierre aksed. Lucia was surprised and felt that it was not a question she could answer with words.

There was silence as Lucia chose to remain silent for a moment. Her mind was spinning and her feelings were racing. Today, they displayed an attitude that Lucia probably would never have imagined before deciding to return to her hometown.

At that time Lucia thought that when they met again, they would not recognize her and forget her. Or if they still remember her, maybe they will pretend and consider it only a small part of their life that does not need to be remembered.

But what happened was the different. She received a piece of paper from Chris with his phone number and home address written on it. Chris asked her to contact him if she needed help. Bryan, albeit in a dirty way, seems to care enough about Lucia's life to offer her a job at his company even if it's for revenge. Leo even bothered to come to see her just to give her favorite chocolate, even promised to help Lucia pay off her debt to Bryan and now, Pierre was doing the same. Called her when he had just arrived in London just to make sure Lucia was okay.

Lucia's tears flowed, though she was trying to keep Pierre from hearing her cry because it was hard for her to refuse other people's kindness at the moment.

"Forgive me!"

"Hmm? You haven't answered my question! Am I important to you?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"It's okay! I was just curious. I've always tried to do everything I can to make you think I'm important! But you used to always say that you never need friends and all you need are people who can be your followers!"

"We were kids back then! So I didn't really think much about friendship or anything like that!"

"Is that so? So, as long as that person is useful to you?"

"Yes, that is so!"

"Okay, I get it! Let's just say it, but if I'm being honest, I feel really happy whenever you rely on me. So from now on, continue to rely on me like you used to!"

"What a weirdo! You really like to be bothered, don't you?" Lucia chuckled. She couldn't understand Pierre's way of thinking.

"Yes! If you're the one bothering me that's fine!"

"Okay, since you asked for it, from now on I will trouble you! You can't protest, you understand?"

"Alright, on one condition!"

"What's that?"

"You can't bother anyone other than me, you understand?" Pierre asked. Lucia quite understood what Pierre meant, but she didn't want to be overconfident.

"You mean, I can only ask for your help? Is that so?"

"Yes! It's just me!"

"Why is that? Leo and Chris also said they wanted to help me and despite being annoying, Bryan seems to really care about me too!"

"Is that so? So, they really care about you too?"

"I also don't understand why you guys are being so nice to me? Is this part of Bryan's revenge plot and the three of you want to help him?"

"Do you think so?"

"No! I was just guessing! After all, you guys were so kind, it feels really weird because you should hate me, right?"

"Look, I don't know about them but I'm doing this because I just want to make you stay. I don't want you to suddenly disappear and I really hate the feeling where you don't need me anymore!"

Lucia was stunned, the more she heard Pierre's words, the more she felt something strange in her heart. She didn't really know, what they really thought of her and why the reality she was feeling right now was so different from what it should have been.

"Pierre, you know what I'm thinking right now?"

"What?"

"I want to hit you!"

"Is that true?"

"Yeah! I wanted to hit you because you dared to have sex with me when I was drunk! You bastard!" She said with a small laugh. Different from before, now talking about sex to Pierre seemed normal. The shame and awkwardness slowly disappeared.

"I did it because you asked for it!"

"So because I asked you to, you immediately obeyed, right?"

"You teased me first! You think I can hold it?"

"But I'm Lucia Peterson, you idiot! You should be aware!"

"It's precisely because you are Lucia Peterson that I want to do it even more!"

"What?"

"You look so hot, that's why I'm really sorry!"

"Okay, I've forgiven you. So forget it!"

"How could I forget it?"

"Why can not?"

"Because right now, I want to do it again with you!"

***