Chapter 61 Unexpected run-in
NANCY'S POV
'I loved this man.'
It wasn't just a thought that came to me; it landed heavily, and it terrified me.
All the strength in my body suddenly felt like it was sapped away, and I couldn't even bring myself to me.
I, Nancy, had a strong feeling of love for Jaxon Landon. The thought was astounding, and even dropping a bombshell on me couldn't have hit harder.
"Nancy!" Diana's voice snapped me back to reality, and when I regained my focus, I realised that she had even snapped her fingers in my face just to grab my attention.
Her face scrunched, "What's wrong with you? You look out of it..." She took a step closer and then touched a hand to my cheek, "Even your face is pale and cold, almost as if you just saw a ghost."
"Are you alright?" She peered at me with concern.
It took a second for me to entirely regain my senses, "Am I...Yes, yes, I'm fine."
My eyes just had to find Mr Landon then, and I found that he was also staring at me, but not with the concern that Diana had expressed.
He looked like he knew I was about to lie and was waiting to see what kind of lie I could come up with.
I ended up saying the truth, but furtively, "I didn't get enough sleep last night, I think that's why."
All through the time frame in which I made that statement, my gaze remained on Mr Landon, and I caught a slight brow raise, but it was too fast for me to determine what it meant.
In the next moment, he took a slow sip of his coffee, looking very composed, and for a split moment, it struck me that he didn't care.
For him, it was as if last night never existed, as if I hadn't gotten on my knees and...and...
A breath stuttered through me, and I realised that if I continued that train of thought, I wouldn't be able to hold myself back from bursting out in tears.
So, I turned to Diana and gave her the fakest, reassuring smile I could muster, "I'm fine."
"It must be the alcohol you had last night..."
"Hangovers tend to do that," Mr Landon cut in before she could finish.
My gaze snapped to him in an instant.
Hangover?
Was that what he was choosing to call what we had last night?
I should have known better.
While this had turned out differently for me, it was still the same for him. Just a fickle arrangement that could end whenever he wished.
"I didn't even drink that much." My words came out sharper than I intended.
Diana snorted, "I thought you'd learnt to handle your alcohol, but I guess you're still the same old Nancy. Vanessa bested you."
I turned to her again, "How do you know that?"
She wasn't there when the whole incident had occurred last night, and I could remember that it wasn't until much later that she emerged from the restroom, already drunk.
"Mason gave me the details."
"When?" My eyes narrowed faintly.
"This morning, silly, I was up way earlier than you think. Although I drank way more than you did last night, I don't tend to get hangovers. Did you forget that?"
I shook my head slowly, "No, I was just confused for a second there."
"Anyway," Diana said, grabbing a glass of water, "You should text Mason, he's worried about you."
"He has nothing to worry about," I answered.
"Oh yeah, he does. His girlfriend was the one who forced you to drink..." Daina stressed.
"I wasn't forced," I negated, but my tone was slightly weak.
"Of course you weren't," Diana nodded her head with a sarcastic smile.
"What are you both talking about?"
I stiffened when I heard Mr Landon say that.
"Nothing," I answered without looking at him.
"Oh, it isn't anything. Nancy here was forced..."
"Diana!"
I snapped.
I knew I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it.
Who told Diana to run her mouth? Certainly not me.
She glanced at me, gaze filled with part shock and part hurt, "Why are you yelling at me?"
"I wasn't yelling..." My voice trailed off, and I bit down on my lower lip, still shocked and filled with a sense of guilt at my sudden outburst.
"I'm sorry, but let's just...let's keep that to ourselves..."
"Please," I mouthed quietly to her, trying to hide my face from Mr Landon, who was now glancing between us.
There was a questioning look on his face.
"Is there something I should know?"
I moved to answer him, but Diana beat me to it, "No, nothing."
Relieved, my lips curled gratefully at her, right before I lowered my head to let out a small sigh.
I raised my head when a glass of tea was thrust in my line of sight.
It was Diana.
"Take it, you'll need it for your hangover. It works wonders."
"Thanks," I said.
The tea was warm, and I cooled my fingers with it for a minute before taking a large swig from the glass.
When I pulled my hands down, my gaze met with Mr Landon, and I hurriedly looked away.
I couldn't understand why he was staring so intently at me, but it made me uncomfortable, especially since I now knew how I felt about him.
A while after, I found my way out of the kitchen before I could get asked any more questions, and only came out when I was sure that he was out of the house.
Diana and I had breakfast, and then we headed to school.
There, the most unexpected thing happened.
I ran into the most unexpected person. She was holding a cup of coffee and had traversed down the hall in a rush, bumping right into me just as Diana and I turned the corner.
"What the hell? Are you blind?"
"Why can't you watch where you're going?"
I didn't even know who it was yet, because I hadn't gathered myself, but the shrill yell was enough to make me freeze.
My head snapped up, and sure enough, it was those pair of blue eyes that stared back at me.