Four Hearts Intertwined

Chapter 5: Time Between Us

Betty and Adeline went out of the elevator and waved their hands goodbye to Yna's son, who chuckled, looking at them as they parted ways. They went to the nearby coffee shop, "Cup of Java." They ordered their favorite cold coffee, a slice of chocolate mousse cake, and Tiramisu. Betty also ordered an iced coffee for Johnny. Johnny just arrived as they ordered, and they sat together at the far-end table with a large abstract painting behind the wall.

"Betty told me that you have been chatting again. The same guy, I presume." Johnny said curiously, sipping his iced coffee while Betty ate their shared cakes on the center table. Adeline leans on the chair while holding the straw on her iced coffee, thinking.

"He's coming here with his family for a business trip next week and asked me if I could meet him in person." She nodded, as she would get nagged again by Betty.

Betty and Johnny looked at her, sighing. They can't stop her from meeting this Maxim. They want Adeline to be happy with a guy who would care for her the more she cares for them. A man who would see her not as a bank of money but as a woman who needs a man's security and affection. A man who always pays attention to communicating at a far distance. And a man who will take her seriously. They do not know much about Maxim, but Betty and Johnny decide to try it.

"Okay, Adeline. Just follow what your heart says. Whether it will hurt you or not later, you know that Johnny and I will always be here for you." Betty held Adeline's right arm, smiling, and Adeline felt lighter with Betty's comforting words.

"Hang on." Johnny just remembered something.

"What happened to the blind date I arranged for you last week?" He said as he forgot to check with Adeline.

"Wait, what? Blind Date?" Betty does not know about it, exchanging looks with Johnny and Adeline.

"Oh, That? I left. The blind date you arranged for me looks edgy. He may seem cool from the outside, but the moment he opened his mouth. Gosh, I felt like he was Nathan."

"Nathan? You mean that asshole who keeps borrowing money and never pays it back?" Johnny asked while Betty looked at him annoyingly and smacked his head.

"Yah! Johnny, you idiot. Why did you do that? The blind date? Do you want to be grounded for acting stupidly?" Betty nagged at him as he nodded in shame.

"Hey, Betty, stop it. It's not his fault; he wants to see me happy." Adeline holds Betty's right arm reclined on the table.

"Agh, he's giving me a headache right now." Betty looked at Johnny furiously as she sipped her iced coffee continuously. Johnny scratches his head as he is apologetic to both of them.

Every weekend they meet and spend time together. Although Adeline would look like a chaperon with these two sweeties, she enjoyed their company. Johnny works in an IT company, and weekends are their best time to meet. They share everything they like, such as watching horror movies in the cinema and strolling around the park, and they like hanging around the park reserved in all four seasons of the year to watch the sunset.

Adeline giggled silently, looking at these two love birds acting childishly. Adeline is the only child, so Betty and Johnny are not her friends, but she treats them like her sister and brother. Betty and Johnny looked at her and were surprised to see her pale face, yet she was smiling. She did not notice it at all.

"Hey, Adeline, your nose is bleeding." Betty worriedly said, and Johnny gave her a napkin placed on the table. Adeline covered her nose where it bleeds. Betty went to sit beside her and asked her to lift her head while holding the napkin to her nose. Some customers were watching.

"This is concerning, Adeline. Did you go to see a doctor?" Betty worriedly said.

"Yeah, the doctor said I'm anemic and lack iron. So, I am taking the medicine prescribed by the doctor." Adeline explained while the napkin soaked the blood out from her nose.

"You're working too hard; you need to give yourself a rest sometimes. Betty told me you still work even on weekends when your department is busy." Johnny's simple advice.

"Don't worry, it will stop, and this does not always happen. Maybe I am just stressed from too much work that I forgot to care for my health." Adeline said as she reached for the napkin to change that Johnny gave her.

Because Adeline was still pale, they decided to watch a movie in their apartment. Johnny came along with them. They went to the nearby dairy shop and bought chippies and fizzy drinks. They got into the elevator and saw one of their neighbors from the 9th floor. Johnny greeted her as she stepped out of the elevator and greeted them back with a sweet, calm voice.

"Is that nerdy, your neighbor?" Johnny curiously asked while they were inside the elevator.

"Yeah, her name is Loren [Chapter 3]; we met her while we moved in with our stuff. She helped us out." Adeline said as she checked her incoming text message on the phone.

"Yeah, we were surprised when she handed us a business card from a tattoo shop. That's when we discovered she's a tattoo artist and said she would give us discounts if we planned to have a tattoo." Betty said.

Johnny was in disbelief, scratching his left cheek with his point finger. "A tattoo artist?! That's the first nerd I've seen as a tattoo artist. Most tattoo artists I've seen and known don't dress like that and have tattoos on their bodies or faces. Just wow."