MY BEST ADDICTION

Chapter 28

After becoming official with Seth, he asked that I spent my weekends with him so far as it didn’t affect us. I agreed since I also wanted to spend more time with him but couldn’t because of studies. The week passed by in a blur and I hadn’t seen Bryan anywhere. He missed all his classes and none of my calls could reach him. Though I was worried I tried my best to make sure Seth didn’t realize it and smiled at him when he came to my dorm for me.
“Penny what’s wrong? And don’t think about saying it’s nothing because I know something is wrong”, he warned and I sighed.
“It’s nothing, it’s just that studies is taking a toll on me”, I assured and thankfully he believed it.
“Should we postpone our meet up then?”, he asked and I looked at him in disbelieve.
‘We barely saw each other and he wanted to cancel our weekends too?’, I thought baffled.
“Don’t get me wrong. I want to spend my time with you but I don’t want to be stressing you out on top of your studies for my satisfaction”, he explained caressing my cheek.
“I’m fine and I agreed to your proposition because I also want to see you”, I said holding his hand. “I want to be with you all the time, you know that right?”, I added looking at him with pleading eyes. He finally smiled and placed a kiss on my lips making me smile too.
I finished with my work and left campus with him. We cuddled and talked about how our week went and before we knew it time had passed and it was very late. I felt myself dozing off and heard a goodnight from him before succumbing to the familiar darkness.
I woke up to the noise from outside the room. I groggily walked to the door and opened it only to find an excited Haven and an upset Seth arguing.
“Can you guys please tone down your voices, some of us still want to sleep”, I whined and Seth glared more at the giddy Haven.
“I’m very happy, I can’t believe I now have to call you my sister-in law”, she exclaimed pulling and twirling me around.
‘Sister-in law?’, I thought perplexed after she had stopped twirling us around. I looked at Seth to find him with a stunned look on his face. He composed himself and shrugged leaving me with to Haven’s torment. I pulled her with me into the room and closed the door after her.
“Hello sister-in law”, she teased when I sat by her.
“Please stop it”, I begged embarrassed still not over the name. “We just got together, it’s not like we are married”, I continued causing her to roll her eyes at me.
“Whatever”, she muttered and went quiet.
“What’s wrong Haven?”, I asked when I saw the serious expression on her face.
“Are you sure about this?”, she quizzed confusing me.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you love Seth?”, she elaborated and I stiffened.
‘Did she not want me with her brother?’, I mused worried. I remembered how she much she was against being with him at the beginning and lowered my head. Multiple ‘what ifs’ ran through my head making my face darken more.
“Don’t start it”, I heard bringing my head back up to look at her.
“What?”
“I know that look. You better not give me that look and start overthinking things. I’m not asking that because I don’t want you with him. I’m asking because I want you to be sure about your decision before you go deeper in this relationship. He may be my brother but I care about you too and wouldn’t want our friendship to be broken because of him. I want you to be sure that’s what you really want and not because of some fleeting emotions”, she explained and I sighed in relief because I didn’t know what to do if she really didn’t accept our relationship.
“Yeah, I really do love him. I admit that I admired him at first because of how much he had worked hard but after spending time with him I realized it was more than that”, I explained smiling.
“Please calm down, some of us are still single…….”, she started but I interjected.         
“Single by choice, don’t think I don’t know about the guys who have been asking you out but have been rejecting”, I added silencing her.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask for a while now. What would you have done if Seth and the guy you met at the Nest had been different people?”, she questioned seriously but felt no threat in her words. I understood that even though she looked out for me against her brother she still looked out for him. I smiled at this revelation.
“Um about that, I did think about what to do for a while since I wanted them both in my life at a point. But to be honest I thought of ending things at the Nest because I felt guilty about feeling that way for someone else that wasn’t Seth, it felt like I was betraying my feelings even though I knew nothing could come out of my feelings for your brother since we worked together. Well it wasn’t as if things could work out between us since we couldn’t know our identities outside the Nest”, I stated seriously.
“What if he hadn’t agreed to stop seeing each other, what would you have done?”.
“I would have quit at the Nest for good”, I answered.
“You love my brother that much?”, she asked and I hummed in response.
“But seriously what made you fall in love with my brother of all people? That stupid Casanova brother of mine who doesn’t even know how to cook”, she asked playfully and I laughed at her expression.
‘But what did she mean by he doesn’t know how to cook. He always cooked whenever I stayed over’, I thought but before I could ask her what she meant my phone rang.
“Hey Ezra what is it?”, I asked when I answered the call.
“Are you returning today?”, she asked and I got worried thinking something was wrong with her. She didn’t sound like her usual happy self and that made me more worried.
“I’m not sure, I might be back tomorrow. Is anything the matter?”.
“I’m bored all alone”, she said and I chuckled. I giggled at her outburst and looked in Haven’s direction when an idea pooped in mind.
“Let me call you back in a minute”, I said and hang up.
“What do you want now?”, she asked even before I could ask anything.
“Well my friend Ezra is alone at the dorm and want to know if you are up for a girl’s out”, I muttered expecting a negative response from her but I thought wrong.
“Seriously girl were you expecting a no from me? Have you forgotten how many times I’ve been trying to get you to have fun?”, she yelled excitedly pulling me to the bath to take my bath.
I rushed back to the room to inform Ezra.
“Get dressed and ready for a girl’s out”, I said.
“What? Is the world ending? Penelope Whyte inviting me to a girl’s out. Aren’t you with Seth?”, she asked.
“He’s busy and it’s not like it’s only us. Haven, his sister is organizing the whole thing. Just get ready, we will get you at the dorm”, I explained and she muttered under her breath. I felt the phone snatched from me and heard a beep signaling the end of the call.
“Time waits for no one, miss”, she said and pushed me towards the bath. Whiles in the bath I thought of ways to convince Seth to let me go out but came up with nothing. After my bath I decided to just try to talk to him. I walked to his study and knocked on his door. He called me in and motioned for me to wait for a moment since he was on a call. I was filled with the nostalgic feeling of watching him work and almost forgot why I was there.
“What’s wrong Penny?”, he asked when he finished with the call.
“Um the girls and I decided to hang out but don’t worry we won’t be out for long and……….”, I started but he interrupted me.
“Okay but let me tag along”, he said and shut his laptop but I stopped him.
“No Seth you can’t come with us. I already feel guilty for interrupting your work so please continue it”, I said but he looked worried for some reason.
“Are you sure you’re okay going without me? I can leave this for later if you want, it’s not much anyway”, he asked and I nodded.
“But earlier you looked…….”, he tried to say more but I cut him off by kissing him.
“I promise I’m fine. If there’s anything Haven and Ezra can help with it and we will be back before you even know it”, I assured and he nodded.
“It’s not as if you need my permission to go out in the first place”, he chimed in and pulled me to him. He kissed me leaving me breathless.
“This is more like it, earlier was not enough. Now leave before I change my mind and keep you here with me”, he said smirking at my reaction. I rushed out flushed at what transpired.
“I guess things went on well”, I heard startling me. I cleared my throat before answering the smirking Haven. She laughed leading me back to the room to finish dressing up.