Why Can't It Just Be You?

~ Fifteen ~

I'll Forget Him

"I'll pick you up tomorrow night."

Phoebe blinked her eyes. She couldn't believe hearing it from Zarkos Rozena.

The guy smiled and seek her eyes. "So?"

Well, at this very instant, Phoebe was quite disturbed of the things happening to her recently. First, it had been almost two weeks since she didn't see Evandros. Yes, he would go call and text her to know how she was but that was all. He no longer came for the tutorial class. He always had the best alibi for not coming... She knew there was something wrong. She couldn't just figure out what was going on and she was really, really agitated with it that it almost broke her apart.

Second, Zarkos had started to be visible at home. It started when her Ba-ba invited the young man for dinner to discuss some business matters... Business, as told by her father. Yet, as Zarkos' constant visit at the Perkos mansion, Phoebe came to realize that it wasn't about business anymore. It was about her.

And now, as she was facing him at the grand living room while both of them were seated on the sofa, she finally confirmed her suspicions. Zarkos had indeed an interest on her. In fact, right this moment, the guy was asking her out.

Phoebe bit her lower lip.

"Phoebe?" Zarkos called her up.

The girl cleared her throat before speaking. "I don't think Ba-ba will permit it yet. I'm still young and I don't think dating---"

The guy smiled at her. "Come on, Phoebe, we both know you're father already declared his approval of this... even before I'm thinking of asking you out."

"So you're doing this just for Ba-ba?"

The guy smiled at her again and she couldn't deny that he looked even more charming of that smile on his face. Zarkos was still hot... that she couldn't deny. He had been her crush for years. But now, everything was just not the same anymore. Evandros just took away all her admiration for Zarkos in just a short span of time. She couldn't believe how her admiration for years would cease in just a short time... all because of one man who no longer visited her in almost two weeks and it was freaking her out already!

"This doesn't have anything to do with your father. I'm asking you out because I feel like doing it. Well, hope you can figure it out now that I like you a lot, Phoebe."

Oh, the straightforwardness of this guy!

She bit her lower lip again.

If, Evandros wouldn't still show up today, she would go out with Zarkos and she would see how the former would react.

♢♢♢♢♢♢♢

"If you won't come this afternoon..." she warned the guy in the other end of the line. She just told him about Zarkos' invitation.

"Go ahead, Phoeb. Date this man. It's okay." Evandros' voice, as she detected, was calm and assured like there was no hint of even a little frustration or... jealousy.

Suddenly, it scared her young heart.

"What?" she muttered, disbelieving.

There was no reply.

"Y-You're kidding, right?" she asked, still in denial of the indifference in Evandros' voice.

She heard him taking in a deep breath.