A Hundred Weddings [PUBLISHED]

Chapter Eighteen: Friendly Date

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: FRIENDLY DATE

I find Lance leaning against the wall outside Jeremy's office, scrolling through his phone. He looks up when he notices me and grins, showing his perfectly white teeth.

"Hey," He greets "I was waiting for you."

"You were?"

Lance wraps his arm around my shoulder. "Didn't you say last week that we'd go on that date you promised me the first time I came here?"

I flip through the memories in my mind. "Did I?"

He slightly pinches my nose. "When I called and you said we'd go on a date after class once your dad is released from the hospital. Well, your dad is fine and it's Monday, so..."

Okay, now I remember. "Oh. Yeah. Alright."

He presses me closer to him and hugs me with one arm. "Ah, finally!"

I laugh and push him gently. "This is just a friendly date"

"If you say so." He winks.

We walk through the hallways, his arm still draped on my shoulders. Glares from random girls are shot at me so I snake my arm around his waist just to annoy them more. They practically kill me with their eyes.

Once we're out of the building, Lance turns to me. "You sure Sir Jeremy won't mind?"

"Why would he? I told you, that teacher and I aren't dating. We're just close because our families were friends for years"

He makes a skeptical face. "He stayed with you in the hospital with your dad."

"Again, he's just a family friend who cares for my dad." I defend.

"And he kept scowling at me when I visited you."

"He's just protective," I raise an eyebrow at him "Do you still want us to go out or not?"

He presses a soft kiss on my temple. "Of course I do."

Lance brings me to his car, a black Audi, and opens the door for me, bowing his head in respect. I laugh at how silly it is. Once we're both inside, he plays a song in the music player and starts the engine. The voice of the singer sounds very familiar.

"Do you seriously listen to your songs in your car?" I amusedly ask him.

"Nah, just wanted you to hear how awesome we are," He says, laughter in his eyes.

"You guys sound like a bunch of cats" Actually, it's sexy with a hint of cuteness. It's also a little annoying.

He puts both hands under his chin, forming a V. "Am I a pretty cat?"

"A pretty cat who is being strangled under water"

He huffs. "You're so mean"

I laugh and pat his head. "Let's just go."

He starts to drive. "Where do you wanna eat? Please don't say anywhere or I'll hate you."

I slap his arm and look straight through the windshield to think and notice Jeremy walking out of the building with Jewel. My eyes follow them as they walk casually side by side towards my fiancé's car. Where are they going? Why are they still together?

Lance notices them too, "Jewel is so obsessed with that guy."

I immediately look at him with inquisitive eyes. "You know her?"

He shrugs. "We dated for 2 months when I was in Korea last year. It was a secret because she's older than me and I was a minor back then. But I really liked her."

"And how'd you know she's obsessed with Sir Jeremy?"

"Why'd you think we didn't last long?" He mutters, his hand gripping the steering wheel tightly "She kept telling stories about her and that guy. I was obviously just a rebound. They just broke up a week before we dated so I should've seen it coming, right?"

I'm speechless. Didn't Jeremy say that he and Jewel were done seven years ago?

* * * * *

We end up in Starbucks because I'm craving for their blueberry cheesecake.

Lance orders a hot brewed coffee while I order frappe with chocolate kisses. He looks at me funny when I ask for more chocolate syrup and whipped cream from the female barista.

Once seated, he says, "You can't even taste the coffee in that."

I take a sip from my delicious cold coffee. "What can I say, I like my cream with coffee."

He shakes his head in disgust. "You're an abomination to coffee lovers."

"Shut up." I slice the blueberry cheesecake and put it in my mouth. I literally close my eyes and moan at how delectable it tastes.

Lance makes a gagging sound. "Well that was disturbing."

"Hey now, don't judge my love for this cheesecake. I didn't judge you when you enrolled in our school." We've been friends for almost a month, and he still refuses to tell me anything.

He brings the mug close to his lips and inhales the scent. "Oh how much I love coffee."

I scowl at him as he watches me with teasing eyes while he drinks his black coffee.

"Come on. You promised that you'd tell me on our date."

When I was in the hospital, Lance called and asked how my dad was doing, I told him he was still unconscious but doing fine according to the doctors. Then this guy proceeded to ask me if I could go out with him once my dad is awake since our supposed date was cancelled last time.

I was still hesitant because would it really be ideal to go on a date with him while I was engaged? He perceived my quietness and convinced me by promising he'll tell why he's in our school if we go out in a friendly date.

I've been asking him that for days yet he remained secretive. So, I agreed and now here we are, having our first date just so I can get that answer from him.

He chuckles as he places the mug on the table. "Alright, what would you want to know?"

I roll my eyes. "Why are you in our school when you're clearly a celebrity. Shouldn't you be homeschooled instead? Hailey said you're here because of a girl. Is that true?"

He shakes his head. "No, not really."

"Then why?"

Lance fidgets with the rim of his mug. "It's quite a long story."

I refrain from rolling my eyes. "I've got time, Lance"

"Well," He pauses as if contemplating what to say next. "Let's start with my dad first. He had a wife and two kids, but he cheated on his wife with my mom, Carlisle Knight. He left his family to stay with my mom when she gave birth to me. Anyway, when I was five, my dad proposed to my mom and when his ex-wife found out about it, she drowned their son then killed herself after." I gape at him, still in utter shock from what he just said.

What kind of mother does that to her own son?

Lance continues, "My dad got drunk in his brother's house and when he was going home, he, uh... he got into an accident and killed someone."