Picture Perfect

Chapter Twenty: Jealousy

Sabrina Daniels
Fifty- One, Fifty- Two, Fifty- Three...

I have left approximately fifty or more messages and calls to Francis who for a week was now snubbing me. I can't criticize his decision; it was my complete fault in the first place. I should've understood that he went to the mall with Olivia to buy me something, but I pushed him away. And in worst cases I couldn't stop myself from thinking of the almost kiss with Caleb. It was troubling me for days!

I supported my spine on the back of the couch and I gazed at the TV, without exclusively concentrating on the occurrences taking place in the flick. I overheard footsteps outside. The person's shadow was exposed under the spacing of the doorway, evidently he or she was wandering back and forth.

I tiptoed toward the entrance and Caleb halted once I unlocked the door. "Caleb, I- I didn't know you were here."

He cleared his throat as if he had rehearsed something. "I umm, I,"

I interrupt his rambling and invite him inside. Caleb walks in cautiously. He requests to talk to me by my small arrangement of couches. I plop myself on a seat across from him and waited. He exhaled nervously.

"Look about the almost kiss, it was wrong." He started, "I mean I know you have Francis even though you're not on speaking terms but I also have a girlfriend in Europe where I grew up in."

I bobbed my head in understanding. "I'll keep that secret between the both of us don't worry."

He rises to his feet and gives me a long squeeze before pulling away. He was on his way out the exit before he twisted around. "Are you coming or not?"

My mood lightens up and I shadow behind his figure, not even sure where we were headed to.

**

Francis Payne
I lowered the senseless cap and followed Oliver all over the shopping center.

My phone shuddered inside my pouch. I fished it out to uncover an additional text from Sab. I pushed the power button of the mobile device to shut it down. Although I was lured to respond to her, I have chosen not to. It was a definite necessity to take a timeout for a while after all the events.

We were at the new smoothie place when I glimpsed the blonde haired girl across, inside the knickknack shop. She maintained her hand in the air, a statue of liberty figurine hung as a keychain clutched in her tiny fingers. My lips played into a small grin. I couldn't disagree with it. I did in fact miss her dearly. The smile weakened upon getting a view of Caleb.

It's as if he was oblivious that he was the source of my anger toward Sabrina.

Oliver calls me all of a sudden. "Follow me,"

He offers me my smoothie before we leave the store. "Where are we going?"

"It's time to confront him."

**

Sabrina Daniels
The streets were quiet compared to the usual rowdiness that went on every day. I didn't believe that New York could be so peaceful at two o'clock AM. I indeed underestimated this place.

When Caleb and I reached the old building, we wandered around to the back door and slipped inside. Most of the time, me and my friends would pass the main entranceway but now since it was extremely late we decided it was best to pass a different route.

He escorted me to my room and I gave him a hug. Once I arrived inside, Meg joggled her wrists as Ave sprang to her feet. It appeared as if they were waiting for me the whole day.

"You were out with Caleb until now?" Ave asked, not bothering to have a proper salutation.

I hang my coat on the door and plop down on the couch without a word said.

"Sab this is going too far. Just because Francis is ignoring you doesn't mean you can go out with another boy as if he's your back up plan."

I could feel my blood rush through my system. "He's not my back up plan Avery! He's only a nice guy who's taking me around New York to help me with my internship."

"Are you sure it's just the internship?"

I jumped to my feet and went toward my room. I couldn't believe Avery thought of me as a cheater. Has dating Oliver transformed her into a new person already?

"If you think I'm cheating on Francis, you two might as well join him and Oliver. I am done."

I slammed the door and locked the knob to prevent them from coming inside.