Possibilities

・♡『Part Fifty -Four』♡・

Renna took the bag into the house, leaving Briella at the car, going over what she said. Her feet carried her while she held her head down, lost in her mind.

How would I ask him out? Or find the confidence to start that conversation? Am I ready for another relationship? I don't know. Should I wait longer?

She has been at Kelan's a couple of times with Jada and Briella, so thankfully she had a basic awareness of where to go without paying attention. Her thoughts kept her distracted.

Am I certain I like him, or am I just confused? With his unlimited kindness and my vulnerability. I would hate to hurt him because I was confused. No. Yeah, I like him. I think. I'm sure. Do I want to? I told myself—and Jensen—I would stay single forever. I said it would be better. Now I'm crushing again and considering—How did I fall—What happened? When? What do I do? How do I hint at him to ask me out? I've never done anything like—

"Hey, I can take that," Jensen said, snapping her out of her head, and cutting off her wild thoughts. She stood in the doorway to an almost bare bedroom. It only contained a bed, a set of drawers, a bedside table, and a small desk. Jada and Kelan stood on the other side of the bed, pointing around the room and having a discussion of their own.

Jensen stood in front of her. He held out his hands to take the bag from her.

She blinked as she returned to reality. "Oh." Looking down at the bag, her brain clicked and she understood. "Oh, yeah. Here."

"Thanks." He turned and placed it on the bed.

Back through the house, she passed Briella carrying his laptop into him.

Next, she brought a stack of five books. On her way through the apartment, she read the blurb of a murder mystery book. It wasn't something she would normally chose to read, but she had to admit it sounded intriguing and had her wanting to open the book.

In the room with everyone else, Jensen took the books from her and placed them on the bedside table. She looked him in the eye. Opening her mouth, she wanted to say something—preferably something to make him smile or laugh—but the butterflies in her tummy became too much, and she looked away. He turned away and she walked out, wondering how she would do anything to hint her interest to him.

Jensen started unpacking while everyone else brought in his belongings. After emptying the cars and joining Jensen in his new bedroom, they all helped to unpack until Briella's stomach grumbled as loud as a dog's growl, and everyone paused and laughed.

"I'm ordering lunch," she announced, pulling her phone out from her back pocket of her denim shorts.

With a quick discussion, they decided on two different restaurants and Briella ordered online for them all while they unpacked. Jada and Briella bought Indian. Kelan, Renna, and Jensen ordered from McDonalds.

They were almost done unpacking when a knock on the door stopped them.

The delivery guy smiled big as soon as the door opened. Very happy and kind. A young man. Their age maybe. Somewhere in his early twenties, or perhaps younger. "Have a wonderful lunch, guys," he called out over his shoulder as he left. Renna had never seen a delivery guy so happy.

They thanked him and sat down in the lounge-room to eat. The couch only had enough room for three people—four if they squeezed together. Jensen, Jada, and Kelan sat on the couch while Renna brought a cold water jug from the kitchen and Briella followed behind with glass cups.

Placing the jug on the coffee table, Renna took a seat on the floor and grabbed her food from the paper bag. She faced the group on the couch, leaning her back against the coffee table. The edge dug in but she put up with it.

"You wanna sit on the couch?" Jensen asked her, shuffling forward to get up.

She shook her head. "No. It's okay. I'm fine on the floor. Thanks."

Briella walked over with the five glasses and took her food from Jada. Before she could sit on the floor with Renna, Jensen stood up from the couch and moved aside.

"Here," he said to her. "You sit on the couch. I'll take the floor."

"Such a gentleman," Briella replied, taking his seat on the couch. As he sat beside Renna, Briella made eye contact with her and winked.

They talked with their mouths full. Discussed future arrangements for Jensen's room and the boys' house. Things they could change, move, or add. The girls were more excited about the plans than the boys. Soon, the conversation switched to Briella's apartment, then to pets, ice-cream flavours, and to who would survive a zombie apocalypse.

After that, Briella, Jada and Kelan shared stories from their school years. Memories they all shared. Jensen added stories from his school. Another school in town. Renna talked about her high school experience in her home town and went on to discuss her move to a new town on her own.

She also learnt of Jensen being one year older than the four of them, but due to being held back in grade five, he graduated the same year as them.

The girls told of the day Jada and Briella met Renna. When Renna literally bumped into them while walking around the university campus.

Renna dropped her notebook and a piece of paper ran away with the wind. Briella chased it and got it back for her while Renna picked Jada off the ground and apologised non-stop. Another girl they were friends with—Kate—helped pick up Jada's books. Renna only met her four times before she moved away with her family.

In that instant, they became friends. Walked and talked all the way to the carpark.

Jada studied medicine and still does. One day, she'll be be a fantastic nurse. Briella studied to be a vet but switched after two years to study engineering. Renna told Jensen what she had studied, and he looked at her shocked.

"You were studying accounting?" he asked, astounded.

"Yeah," Renna answered. "I thought it would give me a better future. But after a year, I wasn't very happy, and Jada and Briella convinced me to follow my dream of baking."

Briella chuckled. "It wasn't easy either. It was like you were determined to be sad for the rest of your life."

"Even I was asked to talk you into leaving," Kelan said.

"Oh, yeah." The memory came back to Renna as if it had happened yesterday. "You were so awkward about it and quit half-way through your speech."

"Well, I didn't know you well back then and I didn't think it was my place to tell you what to do." He gestured to Jada sitting beside him. "But this one practically begged me to help."

"She wasn't listening to us," said Jada.

Renna shrugged. "I thought I was making a smart decision by choosing to study."

"And choosing to be unhappy," Briella said, taking a sip from her glass.

Jensen leaned in towards her, and without anyone seeing, their hands rested on the floor next to each other, their fingers brushed together. "I bet you felt incredible when you finally quit to pursue your passion."

She held his stare. "I did. I was terribly nervous I had made the wrong decision, but I was so, so happy."

♡