“I can’t believe I’ll see you here. If I hadn't crashed the gate at your engagement party, I wouldn't have seen you and you could have married her,” Noah told Levi as if he was still very happy.
I was just looking at the two of them. Asteria is quietly eating same as me. Levi seems unhappy because of this Noah, the opposite of how his former friend feels. I wonder why. Why before? What happened to the two of them and they seem to be friendship-over.
“Why? Weren't you invited?” None of my own question to him.
It tilted its head to look at me. It suddenly smiled as if it meant something so my forehead furrowed.
“I was not invited. Maybe it's because he's still mad at me. I don’t know,” he shrugged at me and turned back to Levi whose face remained emotionless.
"Why didn't you invite me?" Noah asked him.
He looked up and grinned for a moment. It even shook before looking at Noah.
“Why are you here? As far as I remember, you are not allowed to come here.”
I was surprised by what Levi said. I was even more amazed at his actions when he suddenly let go of the spoon and fork he was holding.
Noah laughed in an irritated way. I look back and forth at the two of them because even Ria has looked at them.
“I have my ways, Lev, you know that. Besides, I’m still your best friend. Aren't you glad to see me again?” he said meaningfully and smiled again.
Why do I feel so weird about his smile? Is there something I need to know?
I saw Levi clench his fist then turn to his friend. Before he could speak, I sneezed.
"Do we need to excuse ourselves so you can talk properly?" I asked both of them.
Levi immediately looked at us and at the same time the softening of his expression. He suddenly moved his chair closer to his daughter's side and kissed it on the head.
“Are you done eating? What do you want for dessert?” he asked like nothing happened.
I turned my gaze to Noah. He looked at my daughter and Levi and I while smiling sadly. There seems to be thinking and worrying. I also noticed the scar on his right eye, it looked like it was a deep cut.
"What happened there?" I couldn't help but ask him.
Later, he turned his attention to me and my question.
"Huh?"
“Your scar,” I didn’t say to him myself.
He was stunned. He suddenly grabbed that scar as he looked at me. Later, instead of answering me, he looked at Levi for a moment, so my forehead furrowed even more.
Before he could answer, the latter sneezed so I looked at him. It signaled to me that Ria and I were done so I just nodded.
"I'm not done yet," I said hesitantly to him.
It looked at Noah for a moment and then came back to me as if thinking. I bit my lower lip out of embarrassment. Even when I actually ate very slowly.
“We’ll go first. We're just out there, going for a walk,” he said goodbye to me so in turn I nodded.
When it stood up, I also stood up. I approached him to give him a kiss and my daughter. Before they left, Levi whispered something to me, which surprised me even more.
“Don’t listen to anything he would say to you. Follow us after you eat,” he said softly to me.
I nodded sparingly. He also smiled sparingly at me and then said goodbye. I waited for them to disappear from my sight before I sat down again, beside Noah.
"Have you been in a relationship for a long time?" he began.
I did not look at him. Instead I kept my eyes on my food. What's up with the two of them?
"Uhm… we've known each other for almost six years," I casually replied to him as I resumed eating.
I heard him sneeze. What happened between him and Levi?
“You? He hasn't even mentioned that one about you. Why didn't he invite you to our engagement party?” I asked him again.
I don’t know why I’m suddenly become curious about him. I just can’t understand why even listening he doesn’t want me to do that to Noah. He knows me, I’m a curious cat and the things I want to know don’t put me to sleep. It gives me anxiety big time.
I tilted my head to look at Noah. I blinked quickly when I caught him staring at me. His right elbow rested on the table as his hand was placed on his chin. He’s staring at me like he was staring at my whole body and soul. He seemed to want to know something and just looking at me he would know it.
“He betrayed me many times; business and love life. Maybe because of too much guilt? I don’t know. I’m still considering him as my best friend, though,” he answered me seriously. At the same time, I saw the pain in his eyes.
"Betrayed?" I asked out of the blue.
He laugh at it. A fake one, and then he looked away from me. He continued to eat and then shook.
“He impregnated my ex-girlfriend,” he uttered that made me speechless.
That was the last thing Noah told me before he got the call and left me there. I suddenly felt nauseous so I never stopped eating. I even noticed the trembling of my hand as I searched for my bag. I also feel the pain of my heart and there seemed to be a big blockage in my throat.
I almost fell when I stood up. I faintly walked out of that restaurant and my eyes immediately searched for Levi and my daughter but I couldn’t see them.
When Noah told me that, I still wanted to ask him and he would give me an explanation but I couldn’t. I suddenly remembered Levi's instruction to me before he left me recently.
Should I listen to him?
Who is telling the truth?
Is there anything he keeps from me that I need to know?
Who is the woman he got pregnant with?
Besides my daughter, does he have other children? Damn it.
I reached the rock formation not far away. I remember that place very well. There he approached me the next morning after I slept in his room.
I lazily sat there and dipped my feet in the water. The strong wind blows my hair. When I turned to my left, I only saw Levi and Ria. My forehead furrowed when I saw a woman lowered in front of my daughter, she seemed to be talking to that.
My eyes narrowed while looking at the three of them. When I couldn’t really see who that woman was, I didn’t hesitate to approach them.
As I got closer the more and more anger I felt when I saw who it was. She's really here?
Anne suddenly stood up. My mouth dropped open as her arm anchored to Levi's and my daughter's gaze followed. My steps toward them were quick and large. As soon as I could get close, I immediately pulled my daughter away from them.
"Lumiere," Levi called me so I looked violently at him and the woman next to him.
Instead of answering Levi, I focused my gaze on Anne. I looked at it from head to toe. Levi took her hands off him so I nodded.
“Are you really kidding? And in front of my daughter?” I exclaimed at her and looked at her intently.
It did not respond. Instead it just avoided looking at me so I turned to Levi.
I laughed before looking at my silent daughter. There was fear in her eyes.
“Let’s go?” I asked her. She shyly smiled at me and simply nodded.
I just nodded and left them both there. Carrying my heavy will as I held Asteria. This vacation is going to be messy. I can feel it.