Five Words

Chapter 27

~Cher

Nicolas speaks during almost all the time while he drives us to the restaurant. He tells me how he met Natalie. He tells me that he was working as a math tutor at the time because he needed extra money and he was really good at math. He helped a few students here and there till he met Natalie. After he met her, he made all the time for her to spend it with her. The more he spent time with her, the more he liked her. Natalie was being Natalie and she didn't flirt with him directly till she was sure that he liked her too. He never had the guts to ask her out because he was a nerdy boy and she was the popular cheerleader.

It is a typical cliché story, yet my heart still swoons when he expresses his love for her. I can see her cheeks flush as he speaks about them, and she never takes her eyes off of him the whole time he is speaking. I am happy for her. Natalie hasn't been exactly a heart breaker but she certainly is not the type of girl to stick around with one guy. To say the least, I am surprised that she has been dating him for over three months now.

Although Nicolas has never left any room for silence, the ride seems quiet to me. Ace doesn't speak or comment once. He doesn't make noises. He doesn't roll his eyes. He doesn't groan. He doesn't huff. He doesn't even go through his phone like he usually does. He just sits there, beside me staring out the window. I am not even sure if he is listening to what we're talking about. I don't know why he is silent all of a sudden.

When Nicolas pulls up in front of the restaurant, I wait till they climb out of the car to cover Ace's hand with mine.

He turns his head to me and waits for me to speak.

"Are you okay?"

He slips his hand away from under mine, "Yeah."

Embarrassed by my actions, I pull my hand back.

"If you don't want to be here, you don't have to."

He forces a smile on his face, "And miss mister mushy here talking more about his girlfriend that I absolutely despise? I don't think so." He chuckles and gets out of the car.

I shake my head at him and I can't fight the smile that's already on my lips as I exit the car.

My phone vibrates in my purse as we walk into the restaurant. I lower my head and rummage through my purse to find it. I bump into a hard chest in the process and I stumble backward with my open bag and a few items fall to the ground. But thankfully, two big hands wrap around my arms and hold me before I crash with the ground.

"Je suis désolé. Tu vas bien ? I'm sorry. Are you okay?" The man asks me.

"Oui, c'est bon. Yes, it's okay." I assure him and offer him a small smile.

The man kneels with me and we pick up my belongings together. He hands them to me when we're done and apologizes one more time.

"Did that man apologize? Or was he a jerk and didn't?" Ace whispers to me.

"Calm your horses down. He said sorry." I tell him.

"Okay." He rolls his eyes.

"Natalie, Ça t'a pris du temps pour arriver ici. It took you long enough to get here." I look back and realize the man who I just bumped into is Gabriel.

I cover my mouth with my hand. Damn. Gabriel did change. And drastically. Not in a bad way though. If anything, he grew more handsome since I have last seen him. But I didn't recognize him. And by the way, he acted with me, he didn't recognize me either.

"You just bumped into, Cher." Natalie points at me and he turns around with the same surprised expression that I am wearing.

"That's Cher? Our Cher?" He asks her in a poor English accent.