safety pin

Chapter 15

"I keep being your second option when you're always my first."

-

"I'm so glad that we decided to meet up! I've missed you, Jade, so much." Candice happily said as she took another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. I smiled at her.

We were in my apartment after we decided to plan for Candice's birthday last night.

"I know right? There's nothing better than all of us sitting in one room, drowning in ice cream." Scar said, finishing her ice cream and putting it on the table. I felt my phone buzz on my lap, it was a text from Steve. We weren't talking about something in particular, but all I know is we kept texting nonstop ever since the bowling day.

"Is it healthy for you to eat two buckets of ice cream alone?" Candice asked Scar who didn't seem to mind eating the rest of our ice cream.

"I don't think anything we do is healthy." Grace replied.

"It's healthy because I said so," She paused, looking at my ice cream then continued, "Are you going to eat that?" I pulled my ice cream away from her sight so she won't take it away from me.

"Hey, you got your own two buckets!" I exclaimed, she huffed and crossed her arms around her chest and when I was sure that she won't take my ice cream anymore I decided to text Steve back.

"You haven't left that phone of yours ever since we sat down, Jade." Grace observed. I looked away from the screen to find them curiously staring at me. I locked my phone the second Steve sent another message and put it on the table, which made me look even more suspicious.

"Happy now?" I smiled tightly. They all exchanged looks like they were having a silent conversation with only their eyes.

"Is it Niall again?" Candice dared to ask.

"What? No." I replied. If I were them I'd have thought the same thought too, but unfortunately we still haven't talked since the night he went to Chloe's house. I was trying so hard not to think about it. I keep making myself busy with work and maybe Steve and the girls... Anything but to think about him. They looked at me again suspiciously, trying to decide whether they should believe me or not.

"I haven't spoken with him for a week or so, I swear." I tried to convince them again since I already know what floats inside their heads and I don't want it to keep floating.

"So, Candice, any special occasions on your special day?" Grace asked, finally deciding to let the topic go. A smile appeared on Candice's face.

"I totally forgot that it was this Friday! But no, I guess I don't have. All this sudden work I have to do on my own is somehow preventing me from thinking about anything else." She said with exhaustion. As soon as she finished her sentence her phone rang for the third time since she sat down with us. She looked at her phone, but she didn't look pleased.

"Speaking of the devil." She said, maybe to herself as she grabbed the phone and answered the call. We watched her as she stood up and went to my room I guess to take the call, we already knew that she won't be out in less than half an hour so all sat next to each other quickly.

"What are we going to do?" I half whispered so that she won't hear me.

"I thought we could just give her a mug or something, Candice is not really into big presents." Scar shrugged, talking in a serious tone.