[ Rain's POV ]
I had already finished picking up my basic necessities, but Michael and Sean weren't done yet. They insisted on "window shopping," which, in Sean's world, usually meant actually buying things.
We stepped into a high-end luxury boutique. The air inside smelled like expensive leather and air-conditioning. Sean fit right in, he moved through the aisles with the ease of someone who never had to check a price tag. A rich man, truly.
I wandered toward a glass display case and stopped. Nestled on a velvet cushion was a delicate silver bracelet with a tiny, shimmering raindrop pattern. It was beautiful. Then I saw the price tag and nearly choked.
Oh my god. My mom would actually kill me if I spent a semester's worth of allowance on a piece of jewelry.
"You like that?"
I jumped as Sean's voice sounded right behind my ear.
"No. It's way too expensive," I said, quickly backing away from the glass. "Are you done?"
"Yeah. Just waiting for them to process the card," he said casually, nodding toward a pile of shopping bags.
"Wow. You really went all out," I muttered.
"Let's go eat dinner. I'm starving," Sean said, ushering us out.
We settled into a nice restaurant for dinner. The tension of the day started to melt away as the food arrived.
"Finally! Dessert time!" I cheered as the waiter brought out a massive sundae. "It feels like it's been a decade since I had something this sweet."
"Eat all you want," Sean said, leaning back with a satisfied smile. "It's on me."
"Thank you, Papa!" Michael and I chirped in perfect sync.
Sean laughed, but then he reached into one of his shopping bags and slid a small, elegantly wrapped box across the table toward me. It had the logo of the luxury store we had just left.
"What's this?" I asked, my mouth still half-full of ice cream.
"Open it," Sean urged, his eyes sparkling.
I carefully pulled the ribbon. My heart dropped into my stomach when I saw it. It was the raindrop bracelet.
"Oi. Sean, no. Absolutely not," I said, sliding the box back toward him. "Take it back."
"I bought it for you, Rain."
"It's too much! I can't accept something this expensive."
"I'm insisting," Sean said, his voice turning soft and serious. "Consider it a thank-you gift for all the lunches you've made for me... and... just because you're my friend."
"Just take it, Rain," Michael chimed in, unfazed.
"He once bought me a shirt that cost eight hundred dollars for my birthday and probably thought he was being modest. He's hopeless."
I looked at the bracelet, then at Sean. He looked so hopeful that I was afraid I'd break his heart if I said no.
"Okay. Fine. Thank you, Sean. I'll... I'll take care of it."
"Yey!" Sean beamed. "Here, let me put it on you."
As he reached over and clicked the clasp onto my wrist, his fingers brushed against my skin. My heart made a weird, sudden thump that I couldn't quite explain.
"I'm tired," Michael groaned, leaning his head on my shoulder and breaking the moment.
"Tsk," Sean hissed at him.
"What? I'm Rain's friend too! You're too possessive of your 'friend,'" Michael teased.
"Rain..."
The soft, familiar voice cut through our laughter like a blade. I turned around, and my heart turned to lead. It was Athena. Again.
"Rain. Can we talk?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Athy, we already talked," I said, my peace of mind vanishing instantly. I stood up, gesturing to the guys. "Let's go home."
"Rain, please. I'll tell you everything," she pleaded.
I stopped. Tell me what? I looked back and saw her eyes—they were wide, glassy, and filled with a desperate kind of fear.
"Go home first, guys," I told Sean and Michael. "I'll talk to her."
"I'll wait for you," Sean countered immediately. "Michael, you can take a cab."
"Ehh... fine," Michael grumbled, sensing the shift in the air.
Athena and I sat down at a quiet corner table. Sean moved to a spot a few yards away—close enough to keep an eye on us, but far enough to give us privacy.
"Help me, Rain. Please," she whispered, her hands shaking so hard she had to tuck them under the table.
"Help you with what?"
"Fran. He... he..." She couldn't finish. She looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack.
"Calm down. Here, drink some water," I said, pushing my glass toward her.
"Fran won't stop bothering me," she finally choked out.
"What? I thought you weren't in contact anymore."
"He suddenly wants me back. He won't take no for an answer."
"What?" I stared at her. I couldn't believe it.
Fran was a lot of things, but desperate? Going back to the girl who supposedly broke his heart? "Athena, that doesn't sound like him."
"And he's hurting me," she whispered, her voice dropping to a terrifying level. "Like he used to."
I felt a jolt of electricity run through me. "Stop. What are you saying? Fran would never do that."
"That's the reason I broke up with him, Rain! He always hurt me! Please, help me!" She lunged forward, grabbing my elbows, her grip frantic.
I looked at her, and for the first time, I felt a flash of pure, cold anger. Not at Fran. At her.
I knew Fran. I had known him for years. I knew his temper, I knew his "Ice King" persona, and I had felt his aggressive grip on my wrists. But Fran was not a monster. He had treasured Athena. He had been destroyed by her.
"Let's stop this right now, Athena," I said, standing up so abruptly her hands fell away. "I know Fran. And I know he isn't like that."
I didn't wait for her to respond. I turned my back on her lies and walked toward Sean, my blood boiling.