Chapter 128
Chapter 128
RASMINE.
Thurried to the front door to get it.
Finally, one normal person who isn’t part of the whole drama in my life decided to pay me a visit.
Claire.
It was a Friday morning, and instead of dragging ourselves to school like every other week, Claire and I had made other plans. Shopping. We were lumting for my birthday dress and maybe–if we had time a dress for the engagement party tomorrow.
Anything to take my mind off things. Especially after watching the news clip I found on 1*******m over and over again where June spoke about Kester and their love story. Repeating, again and again, that the deal her father made with him had nothing to do with their engagement. That Kester earned it.
I could hear his voice behind every line.
He had made her say those things. And desperate, infatuated June would gladly walk barefoot across thoms if it meant pleasing him.
Let me grab my phone–uhm, just sit. I’ll be right back,” Itold Claire after a quick hug. Her smile was soft and tired, but it was the first sign of peace I’d seen all week.
I moved fast. I didn’t want to bump into Kester. I didn’t want to see him. I hadn’t seen him since the night we fucked and let out steam, but I didn’t need anyone to tell me that we were only able to let out half the steam. There was still a lot of friction between us.
“Okay, Claire, I’m ready-“I called out, hurrying down the stairs with my eyes glued to my phone.
But when I looked up, I stopped cold.
Claire and Kester were standing inches apart in the living room, staring at each other like they were locked in some silent, electric war.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, and Kester replied even before Claire had the chance to do so.
“Yes, Mine. Everything is fine.” His voice was calm. His eyes were unreadable. And then–just like that–he turned and disappeared up the stairs without another word
But Claire didn’t move.
She stood there like someone had just cracked something inside her.
Whatever little conversation they had must have gotten to her a lot because I could see the effort she was putting into hiding the tears forming in her eyes.
1 had enough shit of my own to carry, and if Claire was bleeding inside, she’d have to stitch it up herself–for now.
We stepped into the huge shopping mall, and our moods lightened instantly. Shopping was kinda a thing to me. I loved it
My eyes scanned the entire place, wondering where we should go first. Then, a dress just a little bit ahead of us stole my breath. Sleek. Elegant. Birthday perfection
“Claire, over there,” I pointed excitedly, and we both giggled and approached the store.
+25 BONUS
The said store had everything I needed. It was as if the racks had been curated for me. I didn’t even feel the urge to check elsewhere unless I just wanted to spoil myself with options.
It took more than an hour to try out different dresses for the engagement party. But I found the one. A perfect fit.
I added jewelry to match, couldn’t resist a few extra pleces, and picked out a stunning dress for Claire, too, as an appreciation and a way to pull her out of whatever heavy cloud was following her around.
“Come on. What is wrong with you? Can you just cheer up for a second?” I said to her, trying out the pair of shoes I’d like to get.
Claire let out a sigh that came from somewhere deep. Her shoulders sagged. “It’s not that easy, Kasmine. Especially knowing he’s getting engaged to someone else tomorrow.”
She looked away. “I actually thought I had a chance.”
I blinked. For a second, I almost laughed. “You thought you had a chance?” I let out a soft, disbelieving chuckle. “I mean… no offense, Claire, but my brother never gave you his attention. Not even once.”
“You’re wrong, Kasmine. He actually did. He led me on. And I don’t think what he did after that is fair,” she said. I stared at her.
And for a second, I swear I thought I hadn’t heard her right,
Kester? My Kester?
Led Claire on?
Claire stood still after those words. She looked like she was done hiding whatever had been eating her up all morning
I stared at her, heart beginning to thump weirdly. “What do you mean he led you on?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. “Like are you saying he flirted? What–what are you even talking about?”
She laughed under her breath, but it wasn’t funny. Not even a little. Her arms folded across her chest like she needed to physically hold herself together.
“You remember that date I told you about?” she said, not looking at me. “The one where I said the guy was cold… barely looked at me and never called back?”
I nodded slowly, unsure where this was going, but my pulse had started to race anyway. I remembered that date clearly. Claire had refused to tell me who the guy was. And she had come back from it looking crushed, and I’d told her the guy sounded like an asshole not worth remembering.
“Well,” she said, turning to look at me now. “That guy was Kester.”
My ears rang
“What?”
She nodded once, lips pressed together. “Yeah. Your brother. He asked me out. We went for drinks and dinner at that exquisite restaurant off Silvergate Avenue. I didn’t even know how to act. I thought maybe–maybe he had finally seen me and chose me.”
I could feel my legs weakening underneath me. Like someone had kicked a wall inside my chest, and I didn’t even have time to catch my breath.
“He never told me,” I whispered, mostly to myself.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 101
Claire kept going. “He ghosted me after that night. I cried like a fool for days. But then…” She paused and pulled out her phone, flicking it open. “He started texting, me agalh. Out of the blue. A few days later. And then he called. Asked if I was okay. Said he was sorry he’d been weird. That he was going through stuff. He sounded sincere, Kasmine. And I bought it. Hook, line, and sinker.
She looked up at me, her eyes glassy. “We talked most nights. I started thinking maybe he just needed time. Maybe he was warming up. But then just like that, he went back to being the same cold–hearted asshole. No texts. No calls. Like those nights meant nothing to him. Lille I meant nothing ”
I didn’t know what to say. My throat felt like sandpaper.
Kester.
My own Kester.
And he never said anything about it to me. Not even a slip.
I couldn’t look Claire in the eye anymore. I stared down at the shoes I’d been trying on, but they suddenly felt stupid and heavy.
A swirl of feelings churned in my chest. Shock. Betrayal. Hurt. And yeah–jealousy.
Because what the actual fuck?
Before I could even piece my thoughts together or say something halfway rational to Claire, I caught a glimpse of someone through the glass storefront window.
My eyes narrowed instinctively.
The woman. Her gait. Her tight brown curls pinned at the nape of her neck. That brown hospital cardigan she had draped over her arm.
Wait. I’d seen her before..
Leropita Hospital.
The receptionist, Melissa.
Before I knew what the hell I was doing, my legs were moving faster than I could think. I muttered something like “I’ll be right back” to Claire, but my mind was already several steps ahead, pushing through the store door and into the mall walkway.
I’d have to get the truth out of this woman today, one way or another.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 129
