For Real? ✅

Chapter 6

TESS

Bright sunlight wakes me up the following day.

I rub my eyes sleepily, pull Greg's blanket over my eyes and try to continue my exciting dream of where I am a millionaire.

Yeah, when you don't have something, that's what you want.

However, it feels like my dreams have disappeared for good.

After a few minutes, I realise that I'm not going to fall asleep back again. The curtains were drawn, making the room extremely bright.

That's Greg's apartment for you, bright and sunny like himself.

"Greg, close the curtains..." I mumble sleepily.

He doesn't answer.

"Greg?" I question, my eyes now open.

There's no response.

I'm in such a comfortable position, huddling in the blankets, that I don't feel like turning to look for him.

I move my hand further across the bed, to see if I can find Greg.
I don't find him.

I open my eyes and turn around to his side.
The bed is empty, the blanket bunched up near me.

I am about to get up when I hear Greg's speaking. However, it's not to me.

I think he's on the phone with someone.

It's very hard to hear him because he seems to be talking softly into the phone.

"What else do you expect me to do?" Greg's voice was low yet harsh.

Something about the way he's speaking bothers me.
Like he is saying something he doesn't want anyone else to hear.

"I-I really didn't know what was happening, Man, I am so confused." He sounds broken, hopeless, distant. Very unlike himself.
I think he's talking to Andy.

"And yeah, that's when she saw me. I think she was surprised too...No, she disappeared after that".
Andy says something again.

I think he's forgotten that I'm sleeping in the next room.

"Are you sure? I really can't have another problem now..." Greg breaks down and cries in rough, dry sobs.
It destroys me to hear him like this.

At this point, I want to get up and go hug Greg. That I'm there for him, no matter what.

Then he says what could have been the worst thing to hear at that moment.

"Tess? No, she doesn't know anything. She passed out at the party...No! Of course, I can't tell her this... Are you insane?... I don't care, Andy, I can never explain this to her, so quit it."

These words are cold and harsh, and they cut through me like a knife.

Is Greg hiding something from me?
WHY would Greg hide something from me?

I am uncertain at this point.
What had happened at the party?

Something that Greg is so desperate to keep from me?
Whatever it is, it can't be good.

Greg is still talking to Andy.
"What do you mean you had to do it? Unless it's him, again...No dude, it's just-.... Fine! I'm not interfering, it's your life after all..."

Andy is saying something, and Greg stays silent for a while before speaking again.

"I know that we've been friends for a long time, and I know what you intend to do... It's just that I trust you, you know and that I don't want anything to..."

Then he starts yelling.

"Shut up! You hardly know what you're even doing! This will surely put you in trouble one day, I'm telling you..."

Andy yells something back, and it's so loud that I can hear his voice over the phone.
It is weird to see him shout, as he hardly ever opens his mouth, and if he does, he doesn't shout.

"Oh yeah, and what you're doing is totally fine, isn't it? Crushing on a girl who's your...No you listen, you-"

Then Greg lowers his voice.

"Okay, I'm not going to yell, I can't afford to wake Tess up... Yeah, she's sleeping..."

They talk for a few more minutes, now casual and relaxed. The worst seems to have passed. In fact, Greg's cracking jokes again.

Do I confront Greg? Or do I pretend like I was sleeping the whole time?

I understand Greg, I trust him enough to know that whatever he's hiding doesn't concern me.

That maybe I'm just overreacting.
That maybe I am a possessive girlfriend after all.

And what was the whole argument with Andy about? I'm surprised that I hardly know anything about him or whatever he did.

What could he possibly be doing anyway? As Greg said, he was just crushing on some girl.
But it did sound more serious than that.

I turn around in the bed and resume my old sleeping position.

I think of everything that happened last night. I had to ask Greg to delete those selfies of me, but knowing him, he would have already posted it online.

Then my thoughts wander over to Leah, speaking of whom, where was she?

I don't remember her coming back to Greg's place.

Was she still at the party? Is she back home now?
I reach for my phone and dial her number.
She doesn't pick up.

I'm about to call her again when Greg returns to the bedroom.
I quickly shove my phone under my pillow and shut my eyes. I try to breathe as slowly as possible.

Greg is looking at me. I don't dare to turn, move, or even breathe.

It's going to be so bad if he found out that I had eavesdropped on his conversation.

"Morning Tessie!", he calls out, in a falsely high voice, "Wakey, Wakey!"

I turn slowly and stretch my arms. I fake a yawn for extra effect.
Greg doesn't seem to suspect anything.

In fact, I see none of that rasping depressed creature he was a while ago, in front of me.

"Morning Greg", I sing out sweetly.
If he was playing this game, so was I.

He looks relieved.

I find it unsettling.