Chiara [PUBLISHED] ✔️

Twenty-six

My entire being lit up with emotion as I said those words out loud. Exhilaration, delight, dread. And I didn't even know whether the words were true. But they were enough to make Maeve flinch and look away.

And selfishly, I was fucking glad.

"I don't think there's anything more for us to talk about." I wanted to cut the conversation short, because I didn't feel like hearing Maeve shit all over Chiara.

Of all the people I knew, she had the least right to do that. She had hurt me too much to ruin anything for me ever again. And that pain still lingered in the depths of my heart, even if I just proclaimed my love for someone else.

I got up.

"Please, don't push me away." Maeve's gaze returned to me, her eyes wide and huge and teary.

"I'm not pushing you away." I turned to her. "I'm going back to my friends."

I had to get my thoughts and feelings in order. Maeve couldn't be a part of my life anymore.

"Jackie, I'm sorry." She whispered. "I know how I acted when we were together, but I need you to know I never wanted to hurt you. And if I did, I'm sorry."

"So am I."

With those words, I left her on the smart bench and walked up the staircase to join my friends once again. I wondered if all the unresolved feelings were going to come back and bite me eventually. Probably.

I caught Chiara's worried gaze as I joined the terrace again, she was sitting with Reina and Maggie. But Bryan was already inviting me over to his table and I promised to talk to him. The sun threw its weak rays over the table and I enjoyed the warmth on my skin. The entire world turned orange and red and pink.

"Alright, talk." I tried to open the bottle of champagne and Bryan took it from me when he saw my struggle.

"It's about-"

"Chiara." I said under my breath, knowing that people heard their names better than other words. "I guess everything you talk to me about lately is connected to her." Fortunately, she was on the other side of the terrace, surrounded by girls looking at her dresses.

"It's about her dad, Victor Abbot." Bryan's voice lowered.

"Amazing. Why should I care?"

"While I was investigating James Wright, Josh's dad, I realised he was just a little fish compared to the fucking loan shark that is Victor." Bryan's eyes flickered around the terrace, until eventually he chose to get up. "Come with me."

And maybe I didn't have enough fight in me to refuse, but I followed. While Bryan stomped through the hallways, I barely dragged my feet. The thoughts of Maeve and her words swirled through my mind. How dare she say Chiara is bad for me when there was no worse person for me than Maeve?

I unlocked the door to my room and let Bryan in. Steph wasn't around. I put the bag with the dress in the closet, hoping Bryan didn't wrinkle it.

"Alright, what did you find out?" I asked, making myself comfortable on the bed. Bryan put the bottle of champagne on my desk and poured us some. But I was suddenly too tired to drink.

"Josh's dad is broke." Bryan said.

"Yeah, I know." I sighed. Surprise flickered in Bryan's eyes. "Chiara told me."

"Ah, I guess she would tell you the truth about that." Bryan mumbled. "James Wright is indebted to Victor Abbot, he spent all his money gambling."

"Bryan, I know." I said through my teeth, wondering if he was truly bothering me only to tell me all the things I already knew. "Chiara told me everything."