Chapter 31 Well, it could have been worse
Kendrix
Maybe I shouldn't have said what I said, and honestly, I hadn't meant to say it.
“You look cute when you're annoyed.”
I had thought about those words many times than I would like to admit, but I've actually never spoken them out. Until now.
And I immediately wish I hadn't said it.
Not because I regretted it per se, but seeing the horrified expression on Stephanie's face was enough to make me want to take those words back.
“Stephanie,” I called, but she didn't so much as blink. I realized she was staring at something behind me.
I turned and saw a brown haired boy and a young lady walked in holding hands. They headed straight for the counter without looking at our direction. They probably hadn't noticed us yet.
Stephanie, on the other hand, looked like she's just seen a ghost. Her face was drained of all colour and she was sitting stiffly. I wasn't even sure she was breathing at some point.
“Hey,” I reached out and touched her hand on the table. That seem to jolt her out of her thought and she flinched.
“Hm?”
“What happened?” I asked with her genuine concern.
“Nothing.” She plastered a fake smile on her face. “I'm fine.”
I lifted an eyebrow, indicating I didn't believe her. “Talk to me. What's going on?” I asked again.
The fake smile grew wider. “I said nothing, why would you think something is going on?”
“Because you look like you're watching your study nightmare in HD.” I noticed her eyes flickered behind me to the boy and girl standing by the counter. “And because you keep looking that way. Do you know them or something?”
“No, I don't.” She said quickly, too quickly.
I leaned back into my seat and folded my arms. “Look, I appreciate you bringing me here, I really do. But if I'm gonna talk about my thoughts, so should you. Or this evening will turn boring fast.”
She finally tore her gaze away from them. “For the record, I wasn't going to ask you to talk about your feelings, but I get your point.” She exhaled heavily.
“That guy over there is my ex boyfriend who broke up with me at junior prom after I found out he was cheating on with a girl that I later realized was my best friend.” She rushed her words.
My eyes widened in shock and I was actually speechless for a few seconds. “Wow, that is…intense. I am so sorry you had to go through that.”
“Oh, it's okay. I'm over it. I'm over the both of them, really. I don't care that he's here. And I don't wanna think about why he's here with a girl that's not Emily. Maybe he's cheating on her too.” She shrugged casually, but I could sense she was still uncomfortable.
“We can leave now if you want. I'll cause a distraction and give you enough time to sneak into the car. I'll get the pizza from Doris and we get the hell out of here.” I stood to began carrying out those plans in my head, but Stephanie drags me back down.
“No, actually. I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm really okay. I'm not going to hide from him when I wasn't the one who ruined our relationship. Besides, it's not like he's going to see us. He seems really into his girlfriend.” She said.
Her eyes flickered behind me again and I widened. I didn't need to ask what happened because I got my answer barely two seconds later.
“Oh my God, Phanie! Is that you?” A voice screamed behind me.
Phanie? What kind of ridiculous nickname is the that?
Stephanie looks ready to disappear, but she plastered a smile on her face, a tight I-do-not-want-to-talk-to-you kinda smile. The idiot didn't seem to get the hint as he walked towards us and stood at our booth. He had left the girl he came with at the counter.
What a rude date.
I stared down at him. Now that he was closer, I recognized him as the boy from the post Brooklyn found while she was insta-stalking Stephanie. To be honest, I immediately didn't like the guy.
It's not just because he cheated on her with her best friend—a very shitty thing to do and one that I immediately hated him for—the guy just seems off in a weird way.
Too smiley and too wide-eyed for someone that was meeting the girl he betrayed. Either he was just an idiot or he was sus as fuck.
“Noah, what a pleasant surprise!” Stephanie said, the sarcasm in her voice was pretty obvious.
I decided to lean towards idiocy when Noah didn't seem to catch the sarcasm in her tone. Instead, he actually laughed.
“It's so good to see you, Phanie. How have you been? It's been so long since we last saw. We had such a great at time junior prom, but you didn't pick any of my calls or texts again.” He pouted as if he was offended.
“Oh, are you talking about the same junior prom when you cheated on me with my best friend, blamed it on a freshman, and still had the audacity to gaslight into thinking I was crazy for not wanting you back?” She inclined her head. There was no smile on her face as she glared at him.
I didn't intervene in their exchange because Stephanie obviously had it handled, but I really want to punch this motherfucker in the face for what he did to her. Just one punch.
“I see Emily ended up telling you the truth. It was her idea.” He sighed.
“No, she didn't. I found out from the girl you lied against. She wasn't so happy when she found out she was being used. And thank you for letting me know whose idea it was. But I really don't care.”
“Well, it's good that you don't care anymore. I don't either. It's all in the past now, Phanie. We could start over. Emily and I are done, I promise.” He said softly.
Okay now, I'm seriously contemplating punching the guy. Who the fuck runs into their ex and the first thing they do is ask them on a date?
Oh, and the asshole hadn't acknowledged me. He clearly saw me, he just chose to ignore me. Me.
But I chose to calm down because this isn't my fight.
His voice dropped to a whisper. “You're the one I've always have feeling for, Phanie.”
This time, I actually laughed.
What? It was funny. And I'm not known for holding in my reaction. It's a miracle I stayed quiet for so long without reacting.
Stephanie glanced at me with an amused expression on her face. She didn't seem offended. Her idiot ex, however, seem to feel the opposite.
“What's so funny, dude?” He seethed.
“You.” I said without hesitation. “You're pathetic and it's funny.”
It wasn't technically an insult, it was a fact.
His face actually reddened with rage. “Oh yeah? I'll show you pathetic.” He raised his fist to punch me.
Yes, the idiot wanted to fight me in a public place.
I sighed and simply moved out of the way. He punches the air instead. He tries the second time and it was the same result. I wasn't actually putting effort into dodging him, I was sitting and he was standing, yet he couldn't hit me. Talk about a shitty aim.
Stephanie full on cackled at the display. That only seem to annoy dick-faced more. The girl he came with finally walked up to us.
“Baby, let's go.” The girl tried to hold his hand but he shrugged her off harshly.
“Maybe you should give up on hitting him now, Noah. Honestly, you look ridiculous and he is enjoying the hell out of this.” Stephanie said.
“True.” I nodded.
He stopped trying to hit me, but he didn't storm out angrily like I expected either. He just stood there, boiling in rage. I turned to Stephanie again, completely intent on ignoring him and his girlfriend who kept eyeing me.
When he thought I had lost my focus, he swung again, but this time I didn't dodge. I caught his fist midair. I stood up, crushing his fist and intending to snap a few bones out of place.
Judging by the way he screamed, I'm sure I did break a few bones.
His girlfriend was yelling at me and threatening to call the cops, Doris popped her head out of the kitchen and went right back into making pizza. Stephanie just sat there, legs crossed and looking smug as hell.
“I told you.” She said in a singsong voice.
The idiotic ex finally managed to free his hand—I let him go—and he put some distance between us. I smirked.
But he didn't look at me, he turned to Stephanie.
“Is this who you're with now? Your Stepbrother?” He yelled.
So he did know who I was. He had just pretended not to know me. Fuck him.
I want to punch him again when Stephanie stood up and took a few steps towards us.
“We should go now. I think Noah has learnt his lesson.” She snorted and patted his broken hand. He glared at her. She looks at the girl beside him. “You deserve better than him. I hope you know that.”
She breezed past the both of them. We hadn't taken more than a few steps when ‘bigmouth’ said something.
“What would you mother say when she finds out you're fucking your Stepbrother?”
Stephanie turns towards him slowly. “What?”
“Well, I guess she wouldn't have a problem with it. Considering she married the father for money, now the daughter is doing the same thing with the son. Whores.” Idiot snickered.
I didn't see Stephanie moving. One second, she was in front of me. Next, she was across the room and in front of Noah.
I didn't stop her as she clenched her fist and punched her ex boyfriend in the face.