MY BEST ADDICTION

Chapter 25

“Just follow me”, I said not even giving him the chance to say or ask anything. I walked into the building while he followed docile leaving me to wonder if that was the calm before the storm. I tried my best to walk on without turning to look at him. I nervously fumbled for my key and almost dropped it trying to open the door.
“Before you say anything please let me get something to eat, I’m starving right now”, I begged just as we entered the room. He nodded but stopped me before I could go for the snacks I longed for. I looked questioningly at him only for him to raise a bag in front of me.
‘When did he bring that? I didn’t see him with it earlier’, I thought looking from the bag to the holder in question.
“I got food on my way here. I had a feeling you would just depend on snacks if you were hungry”, he explained and I felt a little touched at his thoughtfulness.
“Thank you but this is a little too much so let me set it up so we eat together”, I said and smiled at him for the first time in almost a month. I left him and went to the kitchen to set the food.
“Where is your roommate?”, I heard him ask as I got everything ready.
“Ezra? Well she had an appointment earlier and won’t return tonight if that’s what you wanted to know”.
“Oh”, was all he said before entering the kitchen to help me bring the food out.
“Finally”, I sighed as we finished with our food. “I don’t know what I would do without you”, I said and stretched.
Seth smiled at what I said and I decided to tease him a bit.
“I meant the food not you”, I said and watched as his face fell with disappointment. I giggled at his expression and held his face so he could look at me.
“You are also important to me”, I said smiling at his flushed face.
‘Cute’, I thought and left to do the dishes while he took his shower. I had mine after him and got ready to go to bed but he had other motives. Just as I got to the bed he pulled me to him and let me lay on top of him while he played with my hair.
“I’m sorry I upset you earlier”, he said reminding me of what happened. I raised my head to look at him surprised he still worried about it.
“It’s okay, you are here now and that’s what matters”, I said and lay back on him to relish his warmth again.
“I missed you”, I said after some time to which he hummed still playing with my hair. The room became silent but it wasn’t an awkward one, it was calming that I found myself dozing off until my phone rang disturbing the peace. I checked to see it was from Bryan and looked at Seth to see his reaction. He raised a brow to ask what was wrong. I shook my head and he smiled at me.
“Hello”, I said and sat up to answer the call.
“I wanted to let you know I was home now and also ask if you had eaten”, he said and I hummed in response.
“Goodnight then”, I said when he became silent for a while.
“Penny please wait, um I also wanted to ask if you would be attending the annual workshop?”, he asked nervously.
“The workshop? Aren’t we all supposed to?”, I asked confused because I thought we were all to attend since it was beneficial to us.
“Yeah I guess so”, he said and I decided to help him out realizing he was having troubles saying what he wanted to say.
“Bryan take your time and talk, I’m all ears. Is there something you want on that day?”, I asked and I felt Seth’s body behind mine.
“Yes um I mean no. I just want to tell you something on that day”, he said and I heard Seth’s breath hitch. He moved closer and hugged me as if to stop me from disappearing from his sight.
“You want to tell me something? Can’t you tell me now? I’m free to listen to you”, I asked feeling stressed already since I had an inkling of what he wanted to say and I think Seth knew too.
“No, I can’t say it on the phone. I have to see you to tell you”, he said and I sighed. Seth buried his head in my neck and shook his head to say no.
“Okay, I’m going to hold on till then”, I said and we hang up.
“Why did you agree when you know what he was going to say?”, Seth asked and I tried to turn to look at him but he shook his head holding me in place.
“It’s because I know that’s why I want to hear him say it. That way I can also tell him what I feel too”, I said and he tightened his hold on me.
“Are you going to give him a chance if he asks for it?”, he asked and I could hear his voice breaking.
“I don’t think I’ll even have the chance to talk to him with how much you are squeezing me. I’m not going to accept his confession if that’s what it is but I still have to hear him out to be sure and also give him the chance to know that I can’t give him more than friendship”, I said and he loosened his hold on me. I turned to look at him but he avoided me.
“Are you sure?”, he mumbled and I sighed. Sometimes I wonder if he is a boss of a big company or a child.
“Look at me”, I said but he shook his head.
“Come on Seth, please look at me”, I whined and he raised his head to look at me.
“I promise. Now I’m sad you don’t believe anything I say”, I pouted and he tried to placate me.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that we haven’t seen or spoken to each other for a while and you were always with him so I got scared you had forgotten me”
“But how can you think I will choose someone else over you?”.
‘What did I do to make him think that way?’, I thought confused.
I was perplexed as to why he thought that way, I mean I knew him way before Bryan came along and I declined Bryan’s invitation to eat because I knew Seth was going to visit me.
“You haven’t given me an answer to my confession yet”, he said and everything made sense. So it was my fault after all.
“Seth listen carefully, I didn’t give you an answer not because I wanted to choose someone else. I wanted us to be sure of our decisions before we took any further steps. By the way I wanted to give you my answer at the end of the month when we had our annual workshop but I found out today that your company never attends our workshop so I guess I have to postpone it again”, I said making sure he knew how sad I was about the whole thing.
“Annual workshop?”, he asked and I nodded. He laid back down and pulled me to him once again.
“We never got anything like that. If not either Marcus or I would have seen it”, he said and I could feel the sincerity in his words confusing me.
“Maybe they sent it to S&S Group”, he said further puzzling me.
“S&S Group? How can anyone miss the two companies? They are both different from each other”, I said but he laughed.
“Hey why are you laughing?”, I asked and lightly smacked his chest. 
“You will soon find out that we really aren’t that different or not related”, he said and rubbed my back.
“How so?”
“Do you know who owns S&S Group?”, he asked instead.
“Who owns it? Of course, it’s Michael Spears”, I said and looked at him feeling proud with myself for knowing it. He looked at me as if he wanted me to find the similarities myself.
‘Michael Spears’, I thought feeling that the name sounded familiar. ‘Michael Spears, Spears’, I thought finally getting it.
“Michael Spears, Marcus Spears. Are they related?”, I asked and he nodded smiling.
“They are brothers specifically Marcus’ older brother”, he said and I widened my eyes in shock.
“Marcus has an older brother? I wonder how he would look like. Just imagining an older Marcus has gotten me very curious about his family. I wonder if he is handsome like him or more than him”, I said excited and he frowned.
“He has a family”, he firmly said and I snickered at his behaviour.
“What a bummer”, I joked wanting to see his reaction.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything about him”, he mumbled to himself but I heard and giggled.
“I was just teasing, don’t worry. You are still the most handsome to me”, I said and placed a kiss on his cheek to placate him.