FROM STRANGERS TO SOULMATES (RE-EDITED)

CHAPTER 23 : GRAY'S EX

NEXT DAY

JUVIA'S POV

I got up with a worst headache which was new for me. I winced in pain,
"Ahh!!! It'shurting ..Ahh....Ahh...."

Hearing my voice, Gray came in with a glass of warm water and aspirin, "Here take this, it will help you recover from the hangover and the headache."

I believed his advice and took the tablet. Then suddenly, he began to gently massage my forehead much to my relief.

After sometime, when I was feeling a bit normal he stopped. He then asked me, "Juvia, do you remember how you ended up at the house and what happened after that?"

Truth to be told, all I remembered was falling on the sidelines of the lane. I tried to remember but it was vain.

"Sorry Gray, I'm not able to remember. Don't tell me I did something embarrassing which I might regret." I asked in worry and looked if I was dressed inappropriately.

But my dress was as such, he didn't do the job of changing me into nightwear which I was grateful to him for.

"Nah!! You were quite silent when a man dropped you here. I don't know how he came to know our address. I guess, you must have blurted out to him." 

Then he asked me what happened yesterday and how I turned up this drunk. 

I told him everything from the start how Bora was a jerk and how this was his doing.

"I'm such a cheap girl that I fell for a jerk like him. My dreams have shattered so do my heart. I believed that he was the man of my life but ......." I began to cry as the pain was very much for my broken heart to bear.

Gray hugged and patted my back,

" As you said that day how you hate to see me sad the same goes for me,Juvia. I hate to see you this heart broken. 
     Forget!!! he was just a passing cloud, I'm sure you will meet the man of your life soon. So cheer up.
    If you want to tell me;  I,Natsu and your brothers can take care of him in such a way that he wouldn't think of messing with any other girls in future. "

He pulled away from the hug and smiled. He leaned to give me a kiss which I was going to accept but he stopped by placing his palms over my lips and got up.

Now this was odd. Normally, Gray will be the one eagerly waiting for a chance to get a kiss which I never minded but today he restrained himself. Something was wrong with him.

GRAY'S POV

As I expected, she didn't remember her confession and its aftermath.

She was so hurt by that jerk, to relax I consoled her by hugging her.

Then as usual, I leaned to capture her lips but I restrained from doing that for some unknown reasons. She was left in shock as she found this act as strange. 

After some time, we got ready for college. There was an awkward silence between us ever since the morning neither did she nor I tried to break that silence.

When we reached the class usually she would cheerfully greet our friends but now she let out a vague smile for their greetings.

Our odd behavior didn't go unnoticed by them. The girls pulled Juvia to the corner and began to interrogate her.

"Hey Stripper, what's with the gloomy attitude with you two today? Did you make my sister cry?" Gajeel asked with a tone of anger as he was worried about his sister.