Dark Faïz ( Book 1 ) [ COMPLETED]

Chapters 8-4

A feeling of panic seized me just at the thought of being alone with him. How was I going to convince him to cooperate with my project? I went to my office to drop off my things, pick up my purse, and finally go out to join my friends. Asarys, Lexy, and David were waiting for me outside the building for lunch. I only had a three quarters of an hour break, but these little moments with them were essential for me to continue my days with my tyrannical boss. When I arrived outside, the girls welcomed me with open arms.

— "The Teagan?" David proposed, talking about the restaurant across the street.

— "Okay. I'm starving," Lexy confided to us.

We set off toward our favorite lair of the moment. Asarys held me by my arm.

— "How was your morning? Not too hard?" she asked me.

— "Not worse, anyway. I'm no longer Reyes, but Zoa!"

— "That woman is a real dragon!" David said.

— "I grant you that, but I have some good news. I am in charge of writing one of the articles for the next issue of the magazine," I told them, excited.

My friends shouted with joy.

— "That's great, Zoe!" shouted Lexy, jumping around my neck.

We pushed open the doors of the restaurant and sat at a table at the back of the room. When the waitress came to take our order, we all opted for the special of the day, saving time to chat. I told them of my morning, full of twists and turns.

— "So you're going to have to work very closely with Faïz," concluded Lexy, crossing her arms on the table and facing me.

— "That's right," I replied, pretending to be enthusiastic.

— "But Will? He's not going to take it the wrong way?" David asked me, sitting beside Lexy.

Asarys flew to my rescue.

— "It's not as if they're really together, David. They broke up by mutual agreement two weeks ago."

David was right. I hadn't thought for a second what William would think when he heard this news.

— "Yes, that's right," Lexy admitted. "Moreover, you were in a more platonic relationship."

Her fingers imitated quotation marks. Our dishes arrived at that moment. My three friends seemed to have a million questions about William, but they restrained asking me...except, of course, for Lexy.

— "Zoe, you should tell us once and for all!"

— "Lexy, let it go. Stop. No one will have an answer today," Asarys said.

Knowing full well that I would one day have to face the questions of my three sidekicks, I decided to answer them now.

— "No, things didn't go any further with Will, and we didn't get back together, either. One side of me is waiting for that, but on the other side, I don't feel what he feels for me."

— "This has the merit of being clear," David ironically said.

— "I think you're dragging things out, Zoe. Maybe you're giving him false hopes for nothing," Asarys implied.

Great. I had the impression that the meal was being held in front of my judges. A certain unease settled at the table. I frowned.

— "Right now Will's not asking me for anything. The situation doesn't seem to bother him, and I didn't promise him anything. If today he asked me to try again with him, I would answer him with a definite no."

My voice had taken on an offensive tone without meaning to. My three companions looked glanced at each other.

— "It is because of Faïz?" dared to ask Asarys, on her guard.

— "I...I don't know! With Faïz, the chemistry was immediate, and I do not find the same connection with William. I need time. Can we change the subject?"

At that moment, the waitress picked up our almost empty plates, then came back the next second with our coffees. The service was fast, and therefore appreciable when we had little time.

— "I broke up with Lucas," Lexy announced.

— "I knew it!" Asarys shouted, pointing at her.

David, apparently aware of it, displayed a crooked smile, while I was in shock. Asarys looked at David.

— "Did you know about this? Why him before me?"

— "David came to join me at my workplace on Friday night," Lexy justified herself. "He found me devastated. What more can I say?"

— "Forget it, Lexy," David said. "This girl is just jealous of the bond that unites us."

He liked to put oil on the fire as soon as he could. I resumed the conversation.

— "Seriously, are you all right? You were pretty attached to him. Why didn't you call us? I would have come right away."

— "I didn't want to talk about it. Saying his name was too difficult, but I know it was the best decision to make. We were not on the same page."

— "I am sorry for both of you," I said sincerely.

I took her hand in mine.