Blessing in Disguise

Chapter 17: How to start dating your neighbour: Step two

“We keep running into each other."

“Shall we meet on purpose from now on then?”

***

James really couldn’t understand it. Not being able to see your neighbour on weekends was normal. He could accept this. Not everyone goes out on weekends. He could also understand that people might have different schedules and don’t start work at the same time... or even finish work at the same time... some don’t even have a job or simply work from home. But it was total bullshit not to be able to meet Nyx for a whole week.

Back at the bus station was the last time he saw her. After that, it was like the woman never existed. James even considered the possibility of her being murdered by the friend of the dude she beat up or other possibilities of such nature. Maybe she died in her own apartment. Those medicines, for some reason, still bothered him. It was like the sight of the bottles of pills lived rent free in a corner of his head, and it narked him every now and then.

But every time such thoughts arose, he would rule them all out for one reason only. He knew for sure that Nick had been meeting with Nyx throughout the whole week. Almost every single day. But he never saw her. Nick met Nyx almost every day, but James couldn’t even get a glimpse of her.

Why was that?

Without realizing it, he was paying Nyx too much of his attention. James didn’t know when or how it started, but he realized one thing during this one week of absence from Nyx. He didn’t like the fact that she and Nick hung out together.

At first, Nick refused to tell him what the two talked about the day she got attacked. Then the next day, he refused to eat lunch with him and Miller, and when the latter asked him why, Nick let them know that he was meeting up with Nyx. James found it strange, but he didn’t think much about it. Until Nick returned with a food container filled with homemade snacks. His favourite snacks!
That’s when things started to get weird.

Miller had asked him about it, and Nick didn’t hesitate to say that Nyx had made those for him and wanted him to eat it all by himself. Then Nick proceeded to eat the whole thing alone! James could only stare at his friend eating his favourite snacks made by his neighbour that once made him pancakes.

It was right in that moment that a weird bitter feeling awoke in James that even he didn’t understand. He just felt as if he had gotten betrayed for some reason, but he wasn’t sure who betrayed him. He felt as if he had gotten lied to. Yet, James didn’t say anything. He just stared at Nick with bewilderment written all over his face.
Then the next day the same thing happened again.
And the next day too.

And the other day after that.

Again.

And again.

James wasn’t sure if he was more irritated by Nick eating food that always happened to be his favourite, or by the fact that Nyx was the one who cooked it and gave it to him. Why would she even meet Nick every single day? Why was she cooking for him?!

She told me she wasn’t angry at me.

Then why... why is she avoiding me?

Because James was sure Nyx was avoiding him. She went out of her way to come and tease him, call him “love” and “cutie” and other names, told him not to go on blind dates anymore, then she avoided him for a whole week for no apparent reason.

One of these days, when he was out of his apartment, the door to her apartment was open. JAMES didn’t go near it, but he also couldn’t fight the curiosity in him. His eyes stared at the open door, and his ears were perked up to listen to her. In the end, the only thing he saw was her cat. The cat got excited when it saw James and ran towards him, but the door closed when the cat was still halfway down the corridor.