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› 16 › motives

"i just can't do this right now."

"i can't do this right now, okay?" i sigh in frustration, searching through my drawers rapidly.

it's been a long time but i know i kept one in here...

"dude, i'm just saying - why are you getting so worked up about nini? she's not going anywhere," howie chuckles. "you said it yourself. she's under house arrest."

"wait really? why isn't that in the headlines?" jack asks with interest.

shoving some of my clothes away, i manage to reach deep into the last drawer and hold onto a small glass bottle.

i bring it out and grin triumphantly.

throb.

"her team is forcing her to stay at home," i explain, sitting down on my bed and shaking the bottle of perfume. "she's been too awol according to them. her record label was the one who announced her break after all, not her. the fans haven't heard from her at all. yet she's been seen carelessly around la. and on some occasions, with me."

"oh, that's it?" jack waves his hand dismissively. "her fame and reputation is on the line? that's boring."

i spray the perfume all over my chest and breathe in the addicting scent that first caught my attention when nini said she loved it years ago.

until now, it's still got the charm.

jack - who's spinning around aimlessly on a chair with wheels near me - begins to cough. he glances at me with disapproval in his eyes.

"what are you doing??"

"i'm... using this perfume my mom gave me," i lie. i'm too embarrassed to say the real reason. clearing my throat, i stand up and begin to walk away. "anyway i'm heading out."

"you're not going to nini's place, are you?"

i freeze in place and turn around to see howie raising an eyebrow at me. "i've seen that perfume before."

oh great.

"she has my denim jacket," i say simply. i try to hold back the smile coming onto my face. "i'm just getting it back."

a cold breeze hits us right in the face the moment nini and i step out of in-n-out.

"that was unwarranted,"  nini curses, immediately bringing her hands to rub warmth into her arms.

i chuckle and take off my denim jacket. "here."

i put it around her so that it's covering her small frame. "why does it look better on you?"

"all your clothes used to look better on me," she jokes, clutching the jacket tightly.

"well then you can keep it."

"ricky i literally get everything for free nowadays, you should keep this."

"nah. take it as an apology gift for dragging you out today only to get in trouble."

"i really don't care about that though..." she trails off. after a moment, she reluctantly smiles. "okay fine. but when this gets out, everyone will truly be convinced we're dating again. just saying."

i give myself a second to think about it before saying, "i don't mind."

"wipe the smile off your face!"