Iridescent

CHAPTER 17

"I decided to start over. New place, new job, new friends so that I can get something new in life. I was fed up by the old. They say people who remain in your life for a long time are your well wishers. It was clearly wrong in my case. I was betrayed by my own sister! I always thought no matter what, Laura will always support me. Support my ass!" She scoffs.

She takes a deep breath and then looks at me. I try to smile at her, but it's not easy.

Amy senses this. "I don't want your pity, Jai. I wanted to get all this out of my system. I hadn't told a single soul about this, and it was getting suffocating." She shrugs.

This time I really smile.

"This means a lot to me. You know what? I really think you shouldn't cry over that idiot! He didn't deserve you.
But I find it hard to believe that Laura is guilty here. Think about it. She shared her secret stash with you! That means she was happy for you, right?"

She thinks about it for a while. Then she snorts. "It might have been a charade for all we know."

I nod, not convinced. But I need to distract her now. "Hey! Think about this! If they hadn't betrayed you, you wouldn't have met me! You wouldn't get to call this hot piece of man meat your friend!" I try to joke and she finally smiles.

"You are so cocky,"

"At least I got you to smile!"

"That you did."

It's silent for a while. Then I speak up. "So. . . When did this happen?"

"Nearly a year back. Why?"

I nod. "What's your age?"

"Twenty four."

"So you mean you went to an amusement park when you were twenty three?! You are so childish." I shake my head at her.

"Hey! There's no age limit for going to an amusement park, is there?" She asks defensively.

"No there isn't. But imagine how a kid would feel when there's a twenty four year old baby screaming louder than her on a ferris wheel!" I let out a high pitched scream.

She pushes my shoulder. "I do not sound like that, okay? And a ferris wheel isn't that scary." She blushes.

I smile. At least she forgot about that idiot. That reminds me. . .

"You said you had your first boyfriend when you were twenty three?"

"Yeah," she answers warily, but I'm beyond shocked.

"How?"

"What do you mean 'how'? It just is, okay?"

"But-"

"What was Laura going to ask you before you interrupted her?" She asks before I even start.

"What?"

"When you told her your full name, her eyes widened like in recognition, and before she could complete, you stopped her. What was she going to ask?"

They are right. Women are the most curious creatures on Earth.

"Um, what?" I feign innocence.

She narrows her eyes. "Don't play dumb with me, Mister! Now tell me what you're hiding." She demands. "How does she know you?"

"She doesn't!"

She begins to think and babble. "Okay, so Laura is a big time make up artist. That means she goes to decorate people's face like a Christmas tree. Hm," she pulls her eyebrows together. "Then, the only way she can know you is through these fashion shows. Did you sponsor them?"