My Little Mind Reader

37. Harder to Breathe

Wayo's POV

Pha asked me to accompany him to a birthday party for one of his friends. She was actually the Campus Star last year. I'm not exactly excited to attend, I don't know Pring well, but she's never been nice to me. I couldn't believe she invited me to her party, but I understood she didn't invite me specifically when he explained that she told him to bring his friends.

"Pha!" Pring said happily when we all walked up. She scanned us over, Beam and Forth holding hands, while Ming attempted to hold hands with Kit but was met with resistance. Pha stood close to me and Kao brought up the rear, looking very much like he wished he was anywhere else. Pring smiled, and immediately grabbed Pha's arm to pull him to the backyard. We all followed.

"I've been waiting for you, Pha," Pring said, mostly ignoring the rest of us. She handed him a drink and draped herself on his arm. After a minute of silence, she looked at the rest of us a little oddly and continued, "I didn't expect you to bring so many friends."

"This is Yo and this is Ming, you might know them from the Moon and Star Competition this year," Pha said, turning to introduce us all. "You'll remember Kit and Beam, of course. This is Forth, Beam's boyfriend, and this is Kao."

I don't know if it's just me, but Pring's smile faltered when she looked in my direction. Kao stood closer to me, probably sensing my discomfort. Why was she holding onto Pha's arm like that? Worse, why was he allowing it? I'd heard he didn't have a good relationship with any of his ex-girlfriends, so why is he so close to this girl?

As everyone picked up drinks, Ming stopped focusing on Kit and looked at Pha and Pring carefully. Pha hadn't tried to push her away and he smiled down at her comfortably while she looked up at him with a sweet smile. I'm trying to be polite and not take it seriously, after all it wasn't my place to tell Pha how he should treat his friends, but the way she's looking at him is making me feel strange.

"Of course, the new Campus Moon and his runner-up! I remember you now," Pring said, giving us both an artificial smile. Ming leaned down to whisper in my ear, "She's fake smiling, Yo. It's scary."

"It's nice to see you again, Pring," I said, trying to fight the unusual feeling in my chest. "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks," Pring turned back to Pha. "Would you like something to eat, Pha? The caterers are bringing out the food, I'll get you a plate."

"That's okay, Pring," Pha said, holding still when she tried to pull him away from us. "You have a lot of guests, you don't need to take care of me."

"A good girlfriend always wants to take care of the man she loves," an older man said as he stepped up to stand next to Pha and Pring. He reached out and put his hand on Pha's shoulder. "I assume you're Pha. You can call me Dad."

Pha looked a little confused, but smiled at the man who appeared to be Pring's father. My heart wasn't beating properly anymore. Had I heard right? Didn't Pring's father just refer to Pha as the man Pring loves and ask Pha to call him Dad?

"Dad, these are Pha's friends," Pring said, indicating the rest of us.

"You must have been excited to introduce your girlfriend to all your friends," Pring's father said, smiling at all of us expansively. "She's the same way, she hasn't stopped talking about you for the last three weeks."

Pring giggled, still hanging on Pha's arm. Pha turned to me, his face pale. What was going on? Pring's father looked at his daughter fondly, and said, "Ah, to be young and in love." Then he turned to us, telling us to enjoy ourselves before he walked away.

I was still staring at Pha, trying to figure out this feeling in my heart. I watch Pha finally extricate himself from Pring's grasp, but I couldn't look at him anymore. A seething anger was burning inside me. It was three weeks ago that Pha and I broke up. Three weeks that Pring has been talking to her dad about her boyfriend ... Pha. Two weeks since I'd agreed to give him a second chance.