It was always you

Chapter 6

Rhea was, understandably, a little miffed at how late I'd gotten.

But she was a sweet soul who happily let me bribe her into forgiveness via the gift of a coffee and gossip.

"So," she began long after I had settled into the table she had been holding down for us in the overtly busy coffee shop, "Allen has left?"

"Yes, I walked him to the car park before coming here."

"And?"

"And what?"

"How are you feeling about him leaving to go see his girl?"

I paused, my cake bite left hanging mid air on its fork, "I am feeling happy for him?"

She looked up at me from her coffee with warm eyes, "It is okay to be a little upset, Nat. I would be too."

"Upset? I will miss him, yes. But I have you and our plans for the weekend. I am only happy he can be with Nessie for her birthday."

"Oh, honey. That is so kind of you. I couldn't be so strong in your place."

Now my confusion was at its highest. I put away my fork, giving Rhea all my attention, "Strong in what place?"

"Well, to watch the guy you are pining over go away to his girl friend for the weekend. I would be burying myself in ice-cream and sappy chick-flicks by now."

I stared at Rhea, open mouthed, shocked beyond measure. And then I laughed, so hard, so long that it brought tears to my eyes.

"You...you thought...that I. Oh my god, Allen will bust a kidney over this."

Rhea watched wide eyed, "What? Why are you laughing? We all see how you look at him!"

Slowly I let my laughter die away, her words sobering me. How was is that I was becoming a topic of discussion for so many. And that too alongside a topic I had no interest in.

"And who is included in 'we all'?"

"Well," she smiled at me a small, apologetic smile as if reading my annoyance at having been discussed, "Me, Carrin, Larry."

Larry wasn't in any of my classes but he shared some with Rhea and Allen and had quickly become close to the former. And was on good terms with both Allen and Carrin.

And hence he'd become a part of our, so to say, 'group'.

"So let me get this straight," I finally picked up my fork again, taking a bite and chewed on it just as I chewed on her words, trying to centre myself. Waiting for me amusement to replace my irritation before continuing, "When me and Allen aren't around, you three spend time talking about us."

"No," she declined vehemently, eyes wider than ever, "No. It was just...Yesterday when you two left us to go study Carrin made a comment on how close you two seemed to be and Larry said he hoped you two would just confess soon. I pointed to him then that Allen was already taken and we tabled the topic." A pause, a deep breath, "It was only later, on my own, that I gave more thought to their words and I thought that you did look a little sweet on him."

I snorted, "If being good friends with a guy has me going 'sweet on him', I should be interrogating you on your relationship with Larry."

Rhea blushed, quickly turning her attention to her cupcake, "We are just friends."

My smile turned teasing, "Yet you would want to be more."

She shrugged, not looking at me, yet not denying my allegation.

Still her continued discomfort had me sobering, "Rhea, I will not push if you don't want to talk about this, but let me say this: I think he is into you."