He Was a Friend

/22/ He's guilty. /

"Was I wrong?" Martha asked him while he was driving the rented car assigned to them.

They're on their way to the technical convention that will start at 8:30AM. His eyes darted off to his phone's screen which was up on the phone holder, since he was following the map to the convention's location. It was 7:15AM.

He exhaled.

"You weren't wrong. I realized it a lot later than that though," he retorted, his eyes fixed on the road.

He heard her snort.

"I'm somewhat... sorry, now that I realized it. I should've known sooner. I didn't intend to hurt you," he added sincerely.

Martha didn't respond.

"But, Lou isn't aware of my feelings. So if you see her next time, don't lash on her again like that. If anything, it was all my fault," he went on.

He stopped on the traffic light, and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

"I was just wondering how come you are so talkative today. I guess in the end, it's still out of your concern for her, is it?" Martha sulked.

He checked her expression through the front mirror. She was crossing her arms and pursing her lips.

"I'm sorry," he said, in an even more serious tone. That was really all that he can say anyway.

He heard her say, "Pft", and assumed that the conversation already ended.

Checking his phone again, he saw that the app was signaling him to turn right after 200m and followed through.

"But I don't get it. She doesn't know you have a thing for her, but she's here with you now? What's with that?" she snarled at him.

"Tell me something I don't know," he complained.

"She's that clueless, huh? Or maybe she's actually an expert on this dating-flirting game?"

"You're going in the exact line of thoughts I had when I learned she's coming with me," he smirked. "And I'm going to tell you the ending now, to save you the trouble. Nope – she's just plainly clueless," he added, with a bit of amusement in his tone.

"Serves you right," she sneered.

He laughed, seeing her reaction on the front mirror.

After a few minutes, they already reached the hotel where the convention will be held. He got his laptop bag at the backseat and gave the keys to the valet parking driver.

He looked back when he noticed that Martha was not walking beside him. She stopped walking, and her eyes were fixed on her phone, which she has been locked on since five minutes ago.

What could be so interesting to make her stop on our way to a technical convention we've prepared a month for—

"Eric. That woman's face and yours are plastered all over the news just now," she muttered in disbelief.

He clenched his jaw, and tightened the grasp on his laptop bag which he almost dropped after hearing what Martha said just now. It took him just two seconds to discern what caused it.

He hissed and combed his hair in frustration.

I knew it would be like this.