Dream World

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

“Nothing. I am just wondering what plans you have up your sleeve this time. What game are you playing?” Ethan asked him.
“I am not playing any games. I am done playing games with her. Whatever I do with her from now on genuine and real. There is no secret agenda, there is no secret plan. I love her and trying to play games with her was the reason I lost her in the first place. This time, I am done with the games. This time, I am risking it all with her. There are going to be too many questions but I am willing to answer them all. So no games, this time. I am done with that” Bryan said to him.
“Are you sure? Because if you are not playing games, tell me why you are making passes at her. She has a boyfriend. I don’t need to remind you that Skye exists and he would kill you if you go near her” Ethan said to him.
“And I genuinely do not care that she is with him. Very soon, I am going to have all the answers to the questions that I have. When I do, I would come for whatever it is that she thinks that she has with Skye. I would put a permanent stop to it. That would be the end of whatever it is that they have. Until then, he can have the fun he wants” Bryan said to him.
“And are you any better?” Ethan asked him.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Bryan said, throwing his question back at him.
“Maxine is allegedly carrying your child. What do you think Cora would do when she finds that out? You are just nineteen and you are going to be a dad soon” Ethan reminded him.
“I would take care of Maxine when the time is right. She is not having that baby. I already told you that” Bryan said to him.

All Ethan could do was look at him. Whatever plan Bryan had, Ethan knew that there was no way in the world that it was going to end well for any of them so he decided to let go of the topic. The bell went off and Ethan packed his bags in a hurry.

“Where are you going?” Bryan asked him.
“Oh, I have this lunch date with Josie. I would have asked you to come along but I don’t want you to feel out of place. If it is totally fine with you, you can join us. She wouldn’t mind” Ethan said to him.
“No, I would take a hard pass on that. I need to find something to do. I have a couple of places to be and I need to make time out for my mom. She has been complaining that I have barely made time for her and I know that I have” Bryan said to him.
“Alright. I guess I would just have to see you tomorrow. Would you be coming for practice tomorrow?” Ethan asked him.
“I took an indefinite leave from the team. I would be back as soon as I can” Bryan said to him as he headed out of the classroom.

He walked away and headed to the hallway, hoping to catch Cora there but he didn’t. He hadn’t seen her for the second part of the day. She must have gone to attend to royal matters again. He wondered how she kept up with her grades despite being the only daughter of King Leo. Bryan headed home to change before hitting the gym in the basement of his house. He heard his mom drive in. she must just be returning from the regular weekly grocery shopping. He figured that she would need help offloading and unpacking but he fought the urge to help her with it. He finished up with the gym and headed back to his room.

“I saw Maxine outside. She said that she had been trying to reach you. I didn’t know if you were home so I told her to come back later” his mom said as he passed the kitchen by.
“Hey mom. Thank you for that. I don’t want anything to do with her. I don’t know why she is not getting that point” Bryan said, changing his mind about heading for his room.

He decided to talk to his mom for a bit.

“Well, that is the consequence of you bringing her here three weeks ago. I already told you. She is always going to manipulate you, one way or another and if you do not train that soft spot of yours that you have for her, it would ruin you. I need you to know that” his mom said to him.
“I already told you, mom. I don’t feel anything for Maxine. I don’t need her. I don’t like her. She came because she needed help and I helped out” he said to his mom, hoping that his statement didn’t count as a lie because technically, he wasn’t lying.

He also hoped that the consequence of that action wasn’t a baby. He was too young to be a dad. He was too popular to be a father. He groaned at the thought of telling his mom that he had gotten Maxine pregnant. She was going to have too many questions and he wasn’t sure that he had all of the answers to those questions. He pulled out his phone and looked at it.

“Your mind is far away. What is going on?” she asked him.
“Don’t worry about it. I just have too many things going on in school” he said as he exited the kitchen.

****

“What do you mean by that?” Cora asked her parents sitting opposite them in the limo.
“Skye is not the one for you. He is a commoner, a very arrogant one as that. He stands against everything you stand for. Your father and I do not approve of your relationship with him. You are a princess, for heaven’s sake. What the hell are you thinking?” her mother asked her, sternly.