Eve

Chapter One: it was a long banter

Mary was lost in her thoughts, unpacking her belongings while looking out the window, when a voice interrupted her.
"Hey, ginger girl!"
Mary turned to see Kassia, her best friend, standing at the door, a playful grin on her face. Mary's face lit up with a smile as she recognized Kassia. She hadn't seen her since she moved to Oxford.
"Kassia! You came!" Mary exclaimed, as she rushed to hug her friend.
Kassia reciprocated the hug warmly.
"Of course, I did! I wouldn't miss your move-in day for the world!"As Mary and Kassia embraced, Mary felt a pang of sadness as she thought of her late mother. She had always imagined that her mother would be the one helping her settle into her new college home.
Kassia, sensing Mary's sudden change in mood, pulled back from the hug and looked at her with concern.
"Are you okay?"Mary gave a small nod, trying to brush off the emotional wave that had momentarily overwhelmed her.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just... thinking about Mom," she admitted quietly.Kassia's expression softened with understanding.
"I know, Mary. I miss her too," she said, placing a comforting hand on her friend's arm.
Mary appreciated Kassia's sympathy and tried to change the subject."So, where's Victor? The douchebag you call man" Mary inquired, steering the conversation towards a safer topic.
Kassia rolled her eyes and sighed.
"He's running late, as usual. Should be here any minute.""He's always late, huh?" Mary chuckled, amused by the typical behavior.
Kassia sighed again, expressing her frustration at her boyfriend's tardiness.
"You have no idea. I swear, he'll be late to his own funeral. But I love him, despite his annoying habits."Mary chuckled at Kassia's comment, both amused and annoyed by her friend's relationship woes.Victor wasn't good for her.
Just then, a knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Kassia's face lit up as she knew exactly who it was.
"Speak of the devil. That must be him."Kassia quickly opened the door, revealing Victor standing in the hallway. He had a careless smile on his face and a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
"Hey, babe," he greeted, stepping into the room. "Sure victor you can come in ." Mary said sarcastically with an eyeroll directed at victor.Kassia rolled her eyes again, but a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
"You're lucky you're cute," she admitted, accepting the flowers grudgingly.
Victor wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close.
"Of course I am. You just can't resist me."Kassia jokingly pretended to push him away, but gave in to his affectionate gesture.
Mary watched their playful banter with a mixture of amusement and mild annoyance. Sometimes she wonders if she just have bad judgement about victor and her bestie but still no man is good for her bestie.
As Victor and Kassia continued their flirtatious banter, Mary sat down on her bed, feeling slightly out of place. Despite her happiness for her friend, she couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. The reminder of her own loneliness made her miss a man's touch yeah she was all desires no love type of girl. Victor, sensing Mary's uneasiness, turned to her and gave her a sly smile.
"Hey there, ginger girl. Don't be a third wheel now."Mary forced a smile, trying to play it cool despite feeling uncomfortable.
"Oh, I'm fine. You two just carry on with your lovey-dovey nonsense," she replied, her voice slightly sarcastic.Kassia shot Mary an apologetic glance, sensing her friend's discomfort.
Victor, however, didn't seem to catch on to the tension and continued his flirty banter.
"Jealous, are we?" he teased, winking at Mary.Mary rolled her eyes, getting irritated by his attitude.
"Jealous? Hardly. I just have higher standards," she retorted, her tone dry.Victor chuckled, seemingly enjoying their little exchange.
"Oh, really? And what are your high standards, ginger girl?"Mary tilted her head slightly, not backing down from the playful banter.
"Well for starters, someone who actually knows how to be punctual," she pointed out, gesturing towards him.Victor feigned innocence, placing a hand over his heart.
"Aww, you're upset I was late? I thought my charm would make up for it," he said, giving her a charming smile.Mary raised an eyebrow, not fooled by his charms.
"Your charm can't make up for everything. Being on time shows respect for others' time and feelings, something you seem to struggle with," she said, keeping her voice steady.Victor chuckled, unfazed by her pointed comment.
"You're quite feisty, aren't you? I like that in a girl," he replied, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Huh?? Wait didn't this guy have a girlfriend Mary reasoned .Mary bristled at his comment, her annoyance growing.
"And there you go again, thinking you're charming everyone with your flirtations. It might work on others, but not on me," she retorted, crossing her arms.Victor chuckled again, enjoying their banter a bit too much.
"Oh, I like a challenge. And you're certainly a challenge, aren't you, ginger girl?" he remarked, his eyes studying her intently.Mary's irritation flared at his persistent nickname and his unwavering confidence.
"Stop calling me 'ginger girl'. And for the record, I'm not here to be a challenge for you. I have better things to do than play your games," she snapped, her patience wearing thin.Victor raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying her feisty reaction.
"Oh, I think you secretly love it," he teased, taking a step closer to her.Mary's eyes widened slightly as Victor invaded her personal space. She stood her ground, not backing away.
"You're incorrigible, you know that?" she remarked, her words laced with both frustration and amusement.
"And your entertaining" Victor smiled. Oh she wished she could wipe off that taunting smile he always had it rip out his tongue at least.
Mary shot a glare at Victor, her irritation with him growing. She found him arrogant and flirtatious, and disliked how he treated her friend, Kassia.
Kassia, witnessing the tense exchange between Mary and Victor, looked concerned but didn't intervene.Mary turned to Kassia with a fierce protective look in her eyes.
"Kassia, if this fool doesn't leave me alone, I swear I'll rip his dick off," she said bluntly, her voice filled with anger and concern.
Mary then faced Victor again, her gaze hard.
"You see, this is why she should leave you. You don't deserve her, you arrogant jerk," she stated, her words laced with determination.
Victor chuckled at Mary's warning, his arrogant demeanor irritating her further.
"Oh, I'm not scared of you, ginger girl," he teased, taking a step closer to her.
Kassia watched their exchange with growing unease, knowing that her boyfriend's behavior was unwelcome and disrespectful.Mary gritted her teeth, frustrated with Victor's stubbornness.
"You should be," she retorted, her voice firm and resolute.
But Victor ignored her warning, continuing to crowd her personal space.
"Or what? You'll punch me?" he teased, a defiant smirk on his face.
Mary's patience had reached its limit. The arrogance and boundary-crossing behavior of Victor were the last straw.
"You're such a goddamn jerk, you know that?" she hissed, her voice filled with anger.
Victor chuckled, unfazed by her harsh words.
"Oh, now now, don't get all worked up," he taunted, taking another step closer.Mary felt a flash of anger coursing through her veins.
"Don't push your luck with me," she warned, clenching her fists.
Just then, Kassia stepped in between Mary and Victor, placing a hand on Mary's arm.
"Hey, hey, calm down," she said, her voice gentle but firm.Mary took a deep breath, trying to rein in her emotions.
"You're lucky she's here," she muttered, glaring at Victor.
Kassia gave her friend a small, pleading glance.
"Mary, just chill, okay? This isn't worth it," she implored, her voice pleading yet sincere.Mary knew Kassia was right, but her anger refused to subside.
"He's such an insufferable jerk, though," she grumbled, still seething with frustration.
Victor, who had been silently observing the exchange, let out a smug chuckle.Mary couldn't help but be irritated by his amused reaction.
"You think this is funny, don't you?" she retorted, her eyes narrowed at him.
Victor shrugged nonchalantly.
"A bit," he admitted, a small smirk tugging at his lips."Of course you do," Mary grumbled, rolling her eyes at his arrogant attitude.
Kassia, still trying to diffuse the situation, spoke up.
"Mary, just ignore him." she reasoned, her tone gentle yet concerned.Mary knew Kassia was right, but the fact that Victor was getting under her skin frustrated her.
"I know, but it's so hard to ignore him when he's acting like such a tool," she admitted, her annoyance still evident in her voice.Mary felt a pang of irritation at Victor's smugness.
"You can drop that smug smirk, you know," she couldn't help but remark, her voice edged with annoyance.
Victor chuckled, his smirk widening.
"Can't help it. You're way too easy to rile up."Mary clenched her fists.
"And you're way too easy to dislike," she retorted, her voice laced with disdain.
Kassia placed a gentle hand on her arm, trying to coax her into letting it go.
"Come on, Mary, just let it go," she whispered.
Mary, still seething with irritation, took a deep breath and tried to rein in her emotions.
Kassia gave her a sympathetic glance, understanding her friend's plight.
"I know you're tired and stressed, but it's not worth getting riled up over him," she said gently, her voice full of concern.Mary nodded slightly, her irritation slowly abating.
"I know, you're right," she conceded, her voice a mixture of exhaustion and resignation.
Kassia gave her arm a gentle squeeze, silently offering her support.
Meanwhile, Victor observed the exchange, his smirk slightly faded as he sensed the shift in Mary's demeanor.In contrast to her earlier fiery reactions, Mary now appeared more worn down, her shoulders slightly slumped and her eyes lacking their usual spark.
Kassia watched her friend with a mix of concern and sympathy, knowing full well what she was going through.
Meanwhile, Victor, who had been enjoying the earlier spectacle, now looked a bit puzzled by Mary's sudden change in demeanor.Victor's smirk had faded completely, replaced by a hint of confusion. Mary's tiredness and vulnerability were palpable, and he seemed taken aback by the stark contrast to her earlier fierce demeanor.
Kassia noticed the shift in his expression and took it as a sign that he was finally picking up on Mary's struggles."Wow, Mary, you look exhausted," Victor remarked, his voice tinged with a mix of surprise and concern.
Kassia shot him a sharp look, silently warning him to be careful with his words. She knew that Mary's exhaustion was due to her ongoing struggle with depression and sleep deprivation.Mary raised her weary eyes to meet Victor's. Normally, she would have snapped back at him for commenting on her appearance, but in her current state, she simply didn't have the energy.
"Gee, thanks for stating the obvious," she muttered, her voice lacking its usual sarcasm.Victor scratched the back of his neck, clearly unsettled by Mary's subdued state.
"You okay? You look like you haven't slept in days," he said gruffly, his usual smirk replaced by a hint of genuine worry.Mary couldn't even manage a sarcastic remark. His question, though worded bluntly, held a note of genuine concern that she wasn't used to hearing from him.
"I'm fine," she mumbled, her voice flat and lacking conviction.
Mary let out a weary sigh, her energy for bantering long spent.
"Just hurry up and dump him, I promise I'll be better," she muttered, her voice lacking its usual edge.
Victor chuckled lightly at her comment, a smirk forming on his lips.
"Oh, yeah? You think you can do better than me, ginger girl?" he teased, his arrogance resurfacing.
Kassia shot him a scathing look, her eyes filled with frustration.
"You really shouldn't say these things, you know," she scolded.Victor, realizing that he had triggered Kassia's ire, tried to brush it off with a casual shrug.
"Come on, I was just joking," he said, his tone nonchalant.
But Kassia wasn't having it.
"Yeah, well, your jokes are more annoying than amusing," she retorted, her voice laced with annoyance.
Victor looked a bit flustered, unaccustomed to being reprimanded so thoroughly.
"Jeez, fine, I'll shut up," he conceded reluctantly, his smirk replaced by a reluctant expression.

(Hey guys it's me your author. Eve is my very first book on Wattpad so please be supportive 🥺❤️ I'm literally like this right now. The book is way more than you think it is but I'm excited tho 🥹. Uhm thank you? Iono)

I suck at recommending songs but ...

https://open.spotify.com/track/0GO8y8jQk1PkHzS31d699N?si=mMALaB2_S6Cl9ol7Ovv6vw