Frosted (Hate at First Flight #3)

18. Seven Months Too Late

SONG : NAMANANA - LAY

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I felt my heart drop as soon as Chloe asked the question that made me regret ever telling her about Jace. At that moment, I wished that the ground would just open up it's dark depths and swallow me up.

The embarrassment of what had happened four years ago hit me again and once again I felt like the rejection from that day had just happened.

I felt like the seventeen year old impressionable that I had once been and the insecurity that had taken more than a year for me to get over slowly crept back within me.

I had mistakenly told Chloe about Jace a year ago, on one of those nights I drowned my sorrows in the bottom end of a bottle of whiskey.

I hadn't expected to tell her anything about Jace but when she kept insisting that I actually started dating a guy instead of randomly making out with strangers in a club, I told her that I couldn't ever do that ever again.

Of course when she kept prodding for answers, I ended telling her the story about my childhood and my friendship with everyone from back then.

She didn't believe a word I said about knowing Dylan Rush. It didn't help that I could just call up Dylan and put him on the phone for her to talk to. Nonetheless Chloe believed me and listened as I told her about my best friend's brother that I had crushed on hard.

Of course I didn't tell her his name, for fear that she would use her detective skills and track him down just so she could give him a piece of her mind.

I remembered her cursing Jace the next day before she'll kept asking for a name and as I looked across to stare at my good friend, I felt almost grateful for having her.

Whatever playful smile that Chloe had when she had begun her questions a couple of minutes ago had disappeared, now replaced with a cold look that could freeze hell. Her eyes were narrowed at Jace, as if she was hoping that if she narrowed them enough they would be able to peer into his thoughts and discern what he was thinking.

Jace, had tensed up slightly at Chloe's question. However, to his credit he didn't turn to look at me once or even appear taken aback by her line of questioning.

Elliott was quiet, sitting across from me as he quietly sipped his bubble tea, watching us as if we were a good episode of soap.

"So which one are you?" Chloe asked again, frustration dripping from her voice.

The awkward tension that was in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

I wanted to say something to break the awkwardness but at the same time, I wanted to see how Jace would reply to her question. I wanted to know how he would reply and how he even felt about what had happened four years ago.

Ever since we had run into each other again, neither of us had talked about what had happened four years ago.

I knew my reasons. I didn't want to bring it up because I didn't want to talk about it and remember the harsh words he had said and the equally harsh way he had said it. I also didn't feel like I should be bringing it up at all. I felt like if we were to ever talk about it, Jace should be the one bringing it up.

I finally turned to look at Jace waiting for his reply.

After it seemed like he had no intention of doing so, Jace finally spoke.