Reading Between the Lines

Chapter 29: Favor

1 month later...

"I can't believe you didn't tell me until now!" I run frantically, simultaneously curling my hair at the same time.

I scurry around my tiny closet, trying to find at least one presentable dress to wear for tonight. Turns out, I should've brought some actual dresses with me before I flew from home. Who knew it would actually be needed?

Our first heat cycle was actually way worse than we thought. And, to make matters worse, mine was actually a week long. There was so much smash bros going on that we basically destroyed the entire house, despite how much Abhi and Divya triple-wolf-proofed everything. Luckily, neighborhoods here have free repair services for housing if they're damaged. Turns out, house demolitions due to heat cycles are pretty common. 

So for now, the others are staying with their respective families until the house is repaired. We still meet up frequently and hang out off campus, but it's nice that everyone is getting their family time back again. I went back to my apartment in the human world, and the sudden relocation has been great for me. I missed my apartment, having it all alone to myself as I did my own thing without anyone judging me. It's surprisingly been therapeutic being back here. Ironic, because a month ago, I was terrified to even step near the building.

"I literally told you the day before! It's not my fault you were zoning out by watching your cringe reality shows. Who even likes Love is Blind?!"

But it doesn't last forever. I'm going back to the Netherworld tonight, but not for the reason people might think.

"I DON'T, I WATCH IT FOR THE CRINGE! You could've at least told me that we were having dinner today. Oh, and that it's at a 5 STAR RESTAURANT!"

Prashanth is really bad at timing for someone who is so obsessed with windows of time.

"It's my sister, not the councilwoman of India. I can arrange that, though. Sid would do anything for me. But Prer is nothing to be scared of. She's a little overprotective of me, but it's not a big deal." 

He's such a brat. Did he just call such a powerful-ass figure's son by his first name and say that he could just have lunch with him out of the blue?

He has connections. And I mean, very powerful connections.

"Easy for you to say. I'm basically meeting your family! Do you know how important that stage is in a relationship? Like, I only met you in November! It's January! That's only two months! We don't even hold hands! All we do is just diss each other and-"

"Savi," he puts his hands on his hips and rolls his eyes. "You're getting stressed again," I'm like a hamster on a wheel until I bump into his chest, where he holds me gently in place with his hands. 

"You said it yourself. We're taking it very slowly. It's not my fault my mum and dad freaked out when I told them. Besides, the reason why we're doing this is..." he looks down, trying to hide his face from me. I notice a tiny smile from the way his cheeks crease.

"What?" I wonder as he desperately tries to hide his face from me. He looks back at me, still with an innocent smile on his face. He takes a breath.

"Right before I moved to Singapore, my sister and I promised each other that when we met our mates, we'd be the first person they met. When she found her mate, I was the first person in my family he met. I have to return the favor too, you know?"