𝑶𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝑶𝒇 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 ✓

Chapter Six

THE next day Mal had a photoshoot with her step-brother Jackson, and they were both done by one o'clock.

"I had so much fun!" Jackson jumped up and down in enthusiasm.

"Me too!" she gave him a friendly hug, then held his hand gently to lead him through the streets.

"What are we going to do after that?"

"Well, I'm going to drop you off at the restaurant, and then I'll probably call Thomas..."

She drifted off for a few seconds, her mind switching to the thought of Griffin.

Why did he run away like that?

"Then what?"

"I... I don't know. We'll see how it goes from there, won't we?"

Jackson nodded with a grin.

The pair continued to walk through the main street, trying to keep a low profile so they wouldn't bump into any journalists.

"Remember, Jackson! Don't talk to paparazzi."

Soon enough, she was watching her step-brother enter the restaurant. She stared at the door for a few seconds, then turned to walk away.

But before she could take a look at the road, she felt a sudden hit against her body. She looked at the thing that hit her, and to her surprise, it was Griffin.

He was wearing the same clothes he wore the day before. The same leather jacket, the same black jeans, the same white shirt.

"Griffin?" she called in a soft, baffled voice.

He didn't reply.

"Griffin?"

He pushed her to the side slightly, then began to walk away, not giving her a second glance.

"Griffin?! Why are you ignoring me again?"

She shook her head in dismay, visibly hurt.

She couldn't believe she almost forgave him.

"Babe!"

A voice called out. She turned around, meeting the sight of her boyfriend. He stopped in front of her and bend over a little to catch his breath.

"Thomas?"

"D-Did you see Griffin pass from here, by any chance?"

She shook her head. "He went that way. And this is it, Thomas, I won't talk to him again!"

His face dropped.

"What, why?"

"Because he ignored me again! Do you think I like being ignored? And I hate it even more when my former best friend who was trying to apologize to me just yesterday does it again!"

"Babe, he..."

"No! That's enough, Thomas. I'm going in. Feel free to join me, if you want."

She then stormed away, pushing the door to the familiar restaurant and closing it behind her. Thomas sighed in dismay, then followed her inside.

"Okay, fine. You win, you're right." he began, "But you have to know that he didn't ignore just you."

She furrowed her eyebrows and reached out across the table to hold his hand.

"What do you by 'not just me'?"

"I was just with Pete and he said Griffin hit him this morning, and he didn't even apologize or even look at him. He just... Left."

"That's literally what he did to me just now."

Thomas nodded. "Mal, I really think something is wrong with him, and I won't rest until I find out what."

He squeezed her hand tighter.

"But I can't do it alone."

She nodded.

"I'm here with you, babe. Always."

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