My heart skipped a beat the minute he asked that question.
He moved closer to me and placed his hand on the door.
For almost a week, I had succeeded in killing the feelings I had for him starting from the first day I saw that video.
I ignored him in class and stopped worrying myself about him the way I used to.
But now, the dead emotions were rising back up.
Making it hard to tell him the decision I'd make right from the day I saw the video.
"I need your answer, Clara." He said.
I blinked rapidly. "I...I.." I was struggling to talk when he placed his middle finger on my lips.
"You can just stay quiet, Clara." He mouthed, took away his hands from my lips and moved his head closer to mine.
My breath hitched. What he was trying to do.
My heart pounded when his lips softly brushed mine.
I wanted to push him away, to tell him to stop and walk away but my body wanted it.
I wanted what I'd missed for more than a week now.
His lips melted into mine, I responded by sucking all the sweetness from his mouth when I heard a thick masculine voice.
"Clara!" I quickly cut away from his kiss and shifted my gaze to whoever called my name.
I froze. It was him. It was James Hunter.
Words got stuck in my throat. I stared at him waiting for the worst to happen.
I saw that feeling in his eyes. That disappointing emotion.
"I...I..brought this, you forgot it." He stammered, stretching out my wrist watch to me.
How on earth did I forget that?
I gently took it from his hand and clutched tight to it.
He shifted his gaze from me to Ethan and then back to me before he left.
I exhaled and looked back at Ethan. What on earth was I thinking?
I clenched my fist and held the door knob.
"Clara, look at me." His voice sounded softer now.
I turned back and avoided his eyes.
"It meant nothing to you?" He asked quietly.
My throat dried. Why was he asking me that now? After everything.
"Good night, Ethan." I whispered and pulled my hand away from him before entering the room.
Of course, Ivy and Emile were even dropping because I found them standing right at the front of the door the second I stepped in.
I shut the door behind me, staggered to my bed and sank into it.
"What happened?" Ivy asked, walking towards her bed.
"Stop pretending like you didn't hear it all." I voiced out, staring at the white ceiling.
"Who was the guy that made you stop the kiss and talk to Ethan that way?" Emile asked.
I blinked and changed my position on the bed. "Someone." I replied.
I didn't want to tell them it was James Hunter. The Celebrity King.
"Are you in love with that someone?" Emile suddenly asked.
My nose flared. Of course not, I couldn't be.
But why do I feel like I just cheated on him?
Why do I feel like I did something terribly wrong?
Oh shit. I ran my hand through my hair and shut tight my eye lids.
What the hell is going on with me?
My phone beeped. I ran my hand on the mini table and took it.
My mind suddenly shifted to my dad. I hope it wasn't a message from him.
Because he'd always like to remind me of the condition anytime I was a few months to my birthday.
I muttered a quiet prayer and unlocked the phone.
It wasn't a message from him but James. I opened the messaging app and scrolled to James' account.
"Hey." That was the short message he sent.
"Hello." I texted back and sent a hand emoji.
"Something is between you two right?" He texted.
"Between I and who?" I texted back, faking ignorance.
"You and Ethan."
"Of course not." I responded.
"What I saw said it all." He texted back.
I typed a reply, erased it, then typed again.
Why was I suddenly nervous texting him?
It was ridiculous.
"It's not what you think." I responded.
I sniffed why I was trying to defend the fact that Ethan and I weren't in a relationship when James and I aren't even friends.
"It's fine, just texted you to inform you about my absence for lectures and project practice tomorrow." He texted.
"Why?"
"It's personal, good night." He texted back and sent a sleeping emoji.
"Yeah, good night." I sent it back.
I blinked. Was he angry about what he saw?
I stared at the screen for some while yet no reply.
Of course, I wasn't expecting a reply after a good night.
I locked back the phone and dropped it on the mini table.
Today wasn't the way I'd hoped it to be.