43. What haven't I done wrong?

43. What haven't I done wrong?
Garber’s POV

My mind is all over the place and it’s not my fault. Things have been going really bad for me and I have no doubt that they would get even worse if I get home without giving my sister something to look forward to.
That devil in human form terrified me more than the thought of going crazy because I knew for a fact that she would continue to torture me even in my insanity.

That was why I dragged myself down to the cafeteria despite my nausea. I needed to ask Mia.

I sighted her in the middle as she waved me over excitedly. The smell of oil in the air and the noisy clatter of plates.
The loud chewing and gossip were getting to me on a different level.
My sensitivity was on another high and all I could do was block it.

So when someone threw themselves at me and started apologizing frantically with their cleavage exposed just to get my attention, I didn’t react.

In that same breath, I sidestepped her and sat at my table, draping my hand over Mia’s shoulder thoughtlessly.

My actions almost felt robotic as she pushed a plate in front of me and pressed a kiss on my lips, to the horror of the lady who’d bumped into me.

“He’s my man,” Mia said with a glare. The other one folded and turned around.

I wanted to yawn and just close my eyes for some months because of the fatigue weighing on me, but instead I smiled and started a conversation at the table with some other members of the football team.

Or did I?

I laughed at something, and nodded at what someone else said when I felt teeth sink into my earlobe.

It hurt even though it would have seemed like a love bite to everyone else.

Some were cooing at our supposed PDA when I turned to Mia with a frown, only to be met with a bigger frown.

I raised my left eyebrow in questioning and mouthed, “What?” for an explanation.

“Are you forgetting something? What you want to ask me…” she was smiling as she said it through gritted teeth and I would have scolded her or thrown her out of my table if not for what she had on me.

“What’s that?” My frown deepened with irritation as I asked, trying to mask my emotions so as not to gather more attention than there already was.

Because despite the number of us in the cafeteria, people still managed to make my table the object of focus, even way before the situation with my family.

“Dinner,” she leaned in and whispered to me in an angle that would have looked like a kiss to anyone else—even to the other guys on the table.

The reminder of dinner wasn’t about food, rather the main reason why I came here in the first place…

How could I have forgotten?

I plastered a small fake smile on my face and pulled her in by her waist.

“Babee,” Mia cooed, getting into the act like it’s all she was living for.

Somehow it made me feel like she would regret this sooner or later. But again, there was only one way to find out.

I returned the kiss briefly on her lips, to everyone’s amazement—and when I say everyone, I meant everyone, because I could feel the extra pairs of eyes on my back from all the directions of the cafeteria as Mia captured my lips and wouldn’t let it go.

No doubt she was doing it for the show.

In fact, what would someone who had taken a bold snap with my dick not do for the show?

She finally let go and I felt even more nauseous and dizzy.

I swallowed it down and tried to think of something simple.

Like kissing Luis in the bathroom again and spreading his legs while he moans and begs for me to fuck him.

Color rose to my cheeks… much better.

“We too will fall in love.”

“Do you guys have to shove it in our faces?” some people muttered from the table and all around.

Of course, the kiss got captured on camera and will end up on our school’s chatting platform for a while.

Mia looked smug as she rested her head on my shoulder, dishing them more PDA while urging me.

“Hmm hmm,” I cleared my throat, “Mia, would you like to come eat dinner at my place tonight?” I finally asked the question of the day.

Even though it was the second time I was asking, and when I thought she would give me a direct answer so I could escape from her heavily scented perfume for fresh air, she remained unmoved on her spot.

“Mia?” I called out again. This time she merely shrugged without acknowledging me. I let out a small awkward laugh in place of what I’d have normally done.
Okay, perfect.

“Babe,” I called and then she finally sat up.

Her acting all proud for an invitation that was sent by my sister was ironic to me.

Rina, as far as I’ve known, has always seen every other woman as competition of some sort—which is why I’m certain they wouldn’t get along. Because they had the same goal, which clashed in all ways.

Which was to always have the limelight.

Of course, just like every other girl I’ve been with, she wanted to be publicly acknowledged by me.

But despite the truth that they might—will—clash, I still hope that they get along. It’s the only way I can be certain that she won’t out my secret with Luis.

“Yes,” she looked up at me, blinking her fake long eyelashes like some rag doll.

“Would you like to come eat dinner at my place tonight?” I asked for the third time, getting ready to lose my patience if she pretended not to hear me again.

But this time, she smiled, looked around, then kissed my lips before saying yes.

Cheers and applause from where the cheerleaders sat turned into everyone cheering and making a big deal out of it.

Even someone who was making a proposal didn’t have an audience like this as the people at my table started to drum “Say yes!” before it turned into a chant from the whole cafeteria.

Even the teachers supervising us only stood like guards, not bothering to curb the noise.

Just perfect.

Mia looked smug as she pretended to debate my question when she was clearly the one who had told me the first time I asked her in the morning to ask again in the cafeteria.

If I didn’t know better, I would have thought she did it for all this noise.
However, even now that I do know better, it still feels like that—because Luis isn’t around.

If she had tried to shove the fact that I chose her in his face, then it was clearly a waste, because I’d scanned the cafeteria as I came in and didn’t see him.

I sighed as I glanced around before looking back at her.

Wait, did I…?
My forehead furrows in a frown, my nose wrinkles like I’m trying to squeeze my brain for an explanation.

Was that Luis or someone who looked like him?

I remembered Mia looking around and telling me to wait a bit when I’d just entered—because her “audience” wasn’t around yet.

If she finally urged me after some time, does that mean…?

I swallowed a dry lump that was really just air in my throat.
Oh, how painful it felt when I scanned the area again, my heart beating loudly in search of that slender person who had dark brown hair and slightly broad shoulders but a slim build.

Oh, did my heart drop with a thud when I noticed him trying to leave the cafeteria with shaky shoulders.

Did my headache return?

Did I fight the urge to just tell everyone to shut the fuck up and sit their asses down so I could run after him and try to explain?

To tell him that this wasn’t what it looked like?

Yes.

Oh, the answers are painfully yes.

But what did I do?

Instead of running after him to calm my raging heart, I stood frozen on the spot.

I had just tried to kiss him, and the only reason why he had pushed me back was because I was in a relationship—which I denied so aggressively.

Only for me to ask her out on a date at my home in front of the whole school.

Perfect way to keep your word, Garber!
I needed something to punch. A wall. A face…

Inhale.

Exhale.
I mentally reminded myself as I called my thoughts back to the present. To what stood in front of me.

Mia said “yes,” while everyone else congratulated her for being the first person to visit my mansion.

It was technically one—and it was also true that I’d never invited anyone else over.

More like, the area was too private for just anyone to enter, even if they were superbly rich.

This was because it was mostly occupied by other politicians and some celebrities—all who had secrets to keep. Some even had their own estates inside the estate.

And Mia, whose relations were with the city’s gang—since her brother is a gang leader—could never have dreamed of visiting in her life.

Yet she made me beg her.

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH GAY BUGS!!
GO LESBIANS
GO BISEXUALS
GO TRANS
LOVE Y'ALL