It Is okay.
It Is okay.
LIORA
“Mara.”
I froze, my heart pounding in my ears as I gulped, staring at the scene before me. She was crouched on the floor, staring at Jaycee, whose face was twisted in pain. Her head turned the moment she heard my voice, and she stood up, wiping the tears from her face. Her eyes were swollen.
“Hey, it's okay.”
I spread my arms, and she hugged me tightly. Her body felt unusually warm, making me wonder if she was coming down with a fever. I gently rubbed her back as her body trembled.
“Thank you for coming.” She shook, and I shushed her, rubbing her hair while my eyes remained on Jaycee, who was already looking at me. I could see the fear in his eyes, and my jaw clenched tightly.
This bastard doesn't deserve the tears that fall from your eyes.
She pulled away from the hug, smiling weakly. “Where's Azrael?”
“He has a meeting with the mayor. Ralph's whereabouts have been found, and Azrael went there, you know.” I smiled. “Stop crying. You'll fall sick.”
I wiped her cheek, smiling softly, my heart aching for her.
Just how much does she care about that man to cry like this?
“You love him?” I whispered, loud enough for only the two of us to hear.
Her eyes widened in panic before darting to Jaycee, who quickly looked away. A frown settled on my face.
Why did she react that way?
She grabbed my hand and dragged me upstairs. We entered her room, and she locked the door behind us. I was startled by everything that had happened, but there had to be a reason.
“Love him? How can I love that man?” She hugged herself, speaking fiercely, her brows knitting together.
I stepped closer. “But you were crying.”
She slapped her forehead.
“That doesn't mean I love him, Li. We only fucked. That's it. Besides, he's my boss. I don't even know much about him. He ghosted me, remember? I was only crying because I thought he got killed... by Azrael.”
I took a step back, my hand lifting in shock. “Y-You know?”
“Come on, Li. How wouldn't I notice what he did to you? I'm your friend. We've known each other for a very long time. I saw how uncomfortable you were and checked the CCTV cameras to find out what happened. I saw how he groped you. It made my skin crawl. Joel was the one who brought him back, and I saw how Az destroyed his dick.” She shrugged. “I don't think he'll be fucking anyone anytime soon. I had to put on that crying act in front of him so he'd leave thinking he had won. I don't want some obsessive, revenge-driven jerk in my life.”
My eyes blinked rapidly at her words, my mouth opening and closing as she continued talking.
Worried, I held her shoulders.
“Mara... I understand you perfectly.”
She paused, a smile spreading across her face.
“But on a serious note, you should become an actress. I was so worried that I left Azrael in a state of confusion and ran here. I thought my best friend was about to go through something no woman should ever experience because of me!”
My vision blurred with tears as the guilt in my heart disappeared, replaced by relief.
“Ooh, what a crybaby. Come here, come here.” She clicked her tongue and pulled me into a hug.
“You should know what type of friend you have, Li. Besides, I already have a certain crush on a certain guy. It's just that he's being a jerk and already has a girlfriend.”
My eyes snapped open immediately, a knowing smirk spreading across my face.
“And do I happen to know that certain guy you have certain feelings for?”
She stiffened immediately, and that confirmed everything.
She likes Joel!
Niceee. Very niceee.
I pulled back.
“Don't worry. I understand. Don't say a word.”
Her eyes shifted elsewhere, and she cleared her throat.
“You're misunderstanding things again.”
I exhaled heavily.
“Yeah, yeah. Go into the bathroom and freshen up, girl. Let's think of ways to boot that man out of your house.”
“True. I completely forgot about him.”She pressed a hand to her forehead before turning toward the wardrobe.
“I'll be done in a few minutes... or maybe an hour.”
“Take your time.”
I waved my hand and turned toward the door. I opened it and walked out, closing it behind me. Just as I was about to head downstairs, I saw Joel walking up with a glass of juice in his hand, and my brows lifted.
“Didn't Azrael ask you to return to him immediately after you dropped me off here?”
He shrugged. “It looks like he doesn't need me since he told me to stay here with you.”
“I see.”
I nodded, my eyes moving to the glass of juice as a thought crossed my mind.
“Is that for Mara?”
“Yeah. I saw her crying. I didn't know what to give her...”
I quickly moved behind him and pushed him toward the door.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing, but you'll thank me later.”
“She’s inside. Good luck.”
I pushed him into the room, removed the key from the inside, and locked the door from the outside.
“Liora!” he called, banging on the door lightly. “Is that a shower?”
I covered my mouth to hide my laughter, tiptoeing away.
Work your magic, girl, and make that man fall in love with you!
Soon, I reached the living room, and Jaycee was still lying down, facing the other direction. I sat on the chair opposite him, crossing my legs and folding my arms as I looked at him calmly.
Silence lingered for a while before he stiffly turned his head toward me.
“It's you.” His voice was hoarse. “I knew it was you because of your scent.”
Then his eyes shifted upstairs.
“What are you thinking, coming here? Mara isn't going to listen to anything you say.”
I scoffed.
“That shouldn't be your concern right now, Jaycee. You should be thinking about which country to run to by the time Azrael gets back and finds you still in Mara's life.”
.Note:
Hi, readers!
I don't know if anyone is still reading this book. 😂 But I'm finally back!
I saw your messages on Facebook before my account got banned, and I was truly touched. I also read your comments, and your support means so much to me.
I'll be continuing this book, as well as Claimed By The Alpha Triplets. Both stories still have about 200 to 300 chapters left, so we still have a long journey ahead of us.
Thank you for sticking with me. Let's see how it goes!