In Omnia Paratus (AU) - Book 2

Surprise

So double update because not much is happening :)

"Right I have something to ask you." I said to Lily and Matt as I came out of my room one evening that week when I knew they were both here.

"Oh it doesn't sound good." Lily mumbled frowning at me as I sat opposite them both.

"That party that you're having Matt? Uhh social gathering at your dorm? Can I have a plus one?" I smiled gently at the both of them.

"Is that plus one Richard?" Lily smirked.

"Maybe." I grinned.

"Of course. Don't worry about it, but uh you shouldn't have to ask." Matt nodded at me and smiled thankfully at him.

"Thanks, but uh I don't know. You guys don't seem too happy with me seeing him." I bit the corner of my lip.

"What do you mean?" Lily frowned at me.

"Whenever I go off campus and it's not with you, you get really weird about it. Both of you actually I announce that I'm meeting my boyfriend and you go all stiff and tense as if I'm dating a criminal or something." I scoffed at them both.

"We like Richard." Matt nodded.

"Yeah, we do." Lily nodded as well in time with him.

"So what exactly is the problem? Me?" I asked carefully.

"Well kinda. I don't know. It's weird, you're dating someone older than you." Lily widened her eyes.

"I realised that like two years ago when I first started to date Richard. Thanks Lily." I laughed.

"No like you have this whole other world. He's at university. I don't know it sounds silly." Lily shrugged.

"It's fine. I get it, you haven't seen him in a while but you were really good friend with him if you remember." I nodded happily.

"Yeah true." Matt added.

"Okay cool." Lily smiled.

"So no problem?" I asked.

"No problem. See you and Richard Friday night." Matt confirmed as I got up to leave and call Richard.

- - - - -

"You sure everything okay?" Richard kept asking me this as I held his hand tightly and pulled him towards Matt dorm excitedly to get to the gathering.

"Yes Richard. I'm nervous that Lily's going to be rude but other than that, I'm fine." I smiled.

"It's fine. I know all these people they all know me. No one will even notice any difference." Richard assured me as we reached the door.

"Alright, if you say so." I scoffed as I opened Matt door and heard the music straight away. His dorm was fairly bigger that ours which always made me wonder why everyone was always at our place but hey.

"See no one gasped as we walked in so we're already a step close to blending in and not being noticed." Richard whispered into my ear as I smiled at him.

I spotted Lily and Matt and I pulled Richard over to them. "Hey." I smiled to Lily.

"Hey." Lily said. "And hey to you too." She said turning to Richard, he placed an arm around me and I felt instantly a little better to be cradled against his chest.

"Hey what's up?" Richard said.

"Not much, how's university life?" Matt started a conversation that I did not follow. Richard basically fell straight back into place as he was before and started chatting to everyone of my friends as if they were his best friend.

I pulled Lily aside as we went to get drink and we laughed about it for a while.

- - - - -

"Ollie." I smiled seeing him stood on his own and decided to drag Richard towards him.

"Look, Jenna--" he tried to make an excuse as to not talk to me.

"Richard." I snapped putting him in front of me and getting him to apologise to Oliver. He did so, quite politely and then they shook hands. I rolled my eyes about 50 times.

"I do want to hang around and get to know everyone better though." Richard said smiling at Oliver.

"Were you close to them before?" Ollie asked.

"Quite close, I guess." Richard glanced at me for reassurance.

"We all used to hang out." I nodded along.

- - - - -

"While you're here, I thought I'd ask. Have you got anything for Jenna for her birthday yet?" Richard said as he separated from Jenna and talked only to Lily and Matt.

"Not yet. We were going to do a party being 18 and all but she isn't in to all that so we thought a day out. Go out for lunch and do something. Not sure yet we still have two weeks." Lily explained to Richard.

"Yeah well I had a thought, I'm not sure whether you'd be in on it but I'm going to do it anyway but I was thinking we could all pitch in." Richard said before explaining his whole plan to the both of them.

"I like it." Matt said confidently.

"Surprisingly me too." Lily smiled. "We can get everyone in on it and it'll be great."

"I'm glad you like the idea." Richard sighed a breath of relief. "Then of course we drive somewhere and get lunch or go out for the day or something, I know it's a Sunday her birthday and you have assembly but--"

"We will skip assembly Richard, don't worry." Lily smiled.

"No I was thinking make her go to assembly with you and the rest of us get the idea ready. Make her think we don't care much that it's her birthday then surprise her." Richard smirked.

"Evil. I like it." Matt smiled.

"You're only 18 once. I had a party Jenna will have a--" Richard stopped mid sentenced glancing over at something he didn't like at all.

- - - - -

"So that's the mysterious boyfriend you told no one about?" Oliver said to me as I sat down with him on the sofa. He was being sarcastic.

"Yes he's great. You've may have met him, but he's not like that all the time." I mumbled leaning back on the sofa tiredly.

"He shouted at me last time I spoke to him but if you say he's alright, then he must be." Oliver laughed gently as he sipped his drink.

"Did you read that book I gave you?" I asked thinking about it as I looked at Matts bookshelves.

"What one?" He questioned.

"You know the one with all the annotations inside. It's really good you know what one." I poked him.

"No I don't." He frowned.

"Come on. I know Matt has it you'll know it when you see it." I grabbed Oliver's hand and pulled him through the crowds of drunk and tired people until we got to Matt door and I slipped inside, where he followed.

"This one." I said grabbing it from Matt shelf and handing it to him.

"You never gave me that book." Oliver laughed looking across at me.

"Yes I did." I mumbled.

"No you really didn't." He continued to laugh at me.

"I did, see it has my annotations in it." I groaned opening the book in his hand.

"Oh Jenna. This is your book, you leant it to Matt not me." Oliver sighed sticking it back on the bookshelf.

"Oh of course, yeah. I totally forgot, my mistake." I shook my head a bit confused. "You should read it though it's a great book." I smiled.

"Jenna?" Richard called walking into the room quietly.