BETRAYED

Chapter 3: The Secret Whispered

"We'll need semi-sweet and dry, thanks... How much? I don't know, Kiki, just get enough of everything I gave you. Oh, and don't forget about the chips!" Naomi chattered incessantly on the phone, meticulously controlling every detail of the upcoming party. She didn't even notice me entering the room at first. Finally, as her eyes swept over the decorators, her gaze fell upon me.

"Ash, you're finally here!" Naomi rushed over, extending her arms to embrace me.

I happily found myself in her embrace. A delicate scent of jasmine and vanilla emanated from her, her hair cascading in curls neatly over her shoulders. Her white linen dress with a belt accentuated the curves of her body. A nude gloss adorned her lips, reflecting the light. Naomi sparkled with anticipation for the party, excitement evident on her face.

"Hi, you picked a pretty nice spot," I remarked, surveying the surroundings.

The villa Naomi rented for the party was a three-story building with a luxurious pool in the backyard. The first floor featured a large guest area - the main space for the party, as well as a spacious kitchen. In the living room, aside from a huge TV, a fancy home theater system, and a wall-length sofa, there was a table piled with pizza boxes and beer cans.

"Of course, no one doubted my tastes and preferences," Naomi demonstratively brushed her locks off her shoulder and headed towards the back exit, gesturing for me to follow her.

We stepped out into the backyard, and I breathed in the freshness of August.

"I want to move the table from the kitchen out here. Guests will like this location better than the kitchen, so they'll also prefer to eat and drink here. What do you think?"

"I think you're right. Do you have someone to help move the table, or were you counting on me?"

Naomi smiled guiltily, and then we made our way to the kitchen. Sorting out the table, Naomi transferred half of the food from the living room table onto it. I was tasked with unpacking the disposable tableware and arranging it so that it was visible to every guest. Soon after, Kiki, Naomi's classmate, arrived with wine and beer snacks. We scattered the chips and crackers into small bowls, opened the wine, neatly arranged on the kitchen counter, and then started making punch.

I kept glancing at my phone screen, waiting for a call or message from Nick. In the morning, I had sent him several messages, including an invitation to Naomi's party, but Nick only replied briefly: "I'm at practice."

We met when I was a freshman. Leo and I decided to attend a charity basketball game, even though neither of us were particularly passionate about basketball. The price for entertainment seemed enticingly negligible, and of course, we couldn't resist the urge to help those in need. During the game, I found myself lost in my own thoughts, but towards the end of the second half, I realized I had been keeping an eye on a specific player throughout. A brunette with a red headband, wearing jersey number 52. He was probably the strongest player on the court. The way he confidently handled the ball impressed everyone. His face exuded absolute calmness, betraying only a slightly squinted attentive gaze. At some point, it even seemed to me that our gazes systematically began to intersect.

He played for the "Worms" team, which ultimately won with a score of 67:51. The spectators bid farewell to the players with loud applause, after which they began to gradually disperse. Leo and I followed suit.

"Next time, come up with a more fun activity," I said to Leo as we stepped into the corridor.

The sports complex where the competitions took place was a two-story building. The first floor housed the indoor basketball court we had just left, as well as a fifty-meter swimming pool, divided into 12 lanes, emitting a faint smell of chlorine. Further down the corridor was a gymnastics hall equipped with everything necessary. On the second floor were smaller halls, mostly for martial arts and various styles of dance. Each hall had its own separate changing rooms - for men and women. The walls of the wide corridors were adorned with numerous photographs of coaches and students of the sports complex. Mostly, there were photos of those who excelled in sports and brought the complex many victories. There were also cabinets filled to the brim with trophies and medals, next to which were neatly framed diplomas indicating who the respective awards belonged to.