Alpha's Blue (BXB)

Chapter Thirty One

It wasn't an easy feat to get up the next morning. After not having slept for more than an hour last night, I could barely keep my eyes open as I got dressed for the day. I could already feel nervousness and anxiety settling in the pit of my stomach as I picked up the necessary documents and made my way out of my apartment. 

I dropped a text to Tay to let him know that I was on my way to pick him up before getting into the car and driving to his dorm. 

Knocking on his door, I had to wait more than just a few minutes before he finally opened the door. 

"I just woke up." He confessed quickly before running back inside his room and shutting the bathroom door after him. 

"Are your clothes ironed?" I asked, knocking on the bathroom door after placing my stuff on his unkempt bed. 

His loud curse from the bathroom told me they weren't. Sighing, I headed toward his closet without another word. 

~~~

Fortunately, we weren't the only ones running late. Halfway through the drive, Tay received a call from Mr. Santos, relieving us of our worries. Apparently, he was stuck in the traffic and kindly asked us to wait for him for half an hour. 

I was surprised how politely Tay interacted with him, without letting him know that we were running late as well. He continued to talk to him for the rest of the drive and I had no idea what they were still talking about, but I was grateful to him for handling such a situation on his own. 

Both of us were seated at the table booked under the name of Mr. Santos and I couldn't help but fidget as minutes passed by in silence. Tay had busied himself with his phone. 

"It'll be alright. You're smarter and way better than me in all aspects. What are you worrying for?" Tay spoke to me for the first time since we had left his apartment. 

"Mr. Weber is going to be so disappointed if we don't get selected." I answered, expressing one of my concerns. 

"Is that what you are worried about? Mr. Weber?" Tay questioned, staring at me. 

"Yeah?" I half-questioned half-answered and averted my gaze from his. 

"Stop lying. It's you who'll be disappointed." Tay remarked, seeing right through my excuse. 

Staring back at him, I allowed myself to be honest. "I don't think I can afford to blow this up. I mean, let's be honest, how many people out there are jobless with better credentials than mine? Lots. I don't even know what I'm gonna do about the debt if it comes to that." 

Tay placed his phone back on the table before leaning closer to me. "This might be our first interview but it definitely won't be the last. There are so many opportunities out there. Even if this doesn't work out, we'll figure something out together. Promise." 

I allowed his words to sink in for a few moments before trying to lighten the suddenly changed mood. This kind of tense atmosphere was the last thing we needed right before both of ours' first interview. "It's like we've swapped roles. I used to be the one to say 'stop worrying'." 

Placing a smile on his face, he leaned back as well. "You still are. This is just one time thing." 

"I really hope it is. I hate this feeling." I answered honestly. 

"It'll be okay. Just put on a smile." He curved his thumb and finger to create a smile like shape before placing it in front of his mouth. 

I nodded my head in agreement. "Thank you." 

Tay smiled at me and I smiled back, determined to do what he said and just prepare myself for whatever was about to happen. 

~~~

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Tay wondered out loud as we exited the building. 

"Yeah…" I said, agreeing with him reluctantly. 

"What? You're not happy?" Tay frowned looking at me and I shook my head. 

"I am. It's just, wasn't Raymond too, uh, how do I say this, too friendly?" I asked, almost unsure how to express myself. 

"All because he hugged you goodbye? You're thinking too much." Tay answered, trying to dismiss my worries. 

"That's exactly what I'm talking about. Why didn't he hug you as well? You get a professional handshake and I get a hug? Isn't that weird?" I tried to explain again. 

"That's probably because of the way you froze up. He figured you didn't like it and I wouldn't either. It's called learning from your mistakes." He suggested before getting into the car. 

I got in the car as well without another word. 

"You're thinking too much about it. Didn't Mr. Weber say it's a start-up? It was probably his first time interviewing someone. Of course he didn't know what to do." Tay assured me again. 

"Yeah, that must be it." I said out loud, trying to convince myself. 

"We aren't even sure we'll get in. And even if we do, I don't think we'll be running into him much. Still though, worst case scenario - he makes you uncomfortable again, just straight up tell him you have a boyfriend, which you actually do." He said and picked up his phone before busying himself again. 

"You're right. I'm going to stop thinking about it." I answered him before spotting a food truck in the distance. "Wanna grab a bite?" 

"Sure." Tay agreed without looking up from his phone. 

~~~

"My apartment's lease expires this month. Do you think I should renew it?" I asked Tay out of the blue before taking a bite of my sambusa. 

"There's still a week left before the month ends. I think you should wait until we hear from Mr. Santos." He went to take a bite of his sambusa too before he suddenly stopped. "Or maybe Raymond will call you to let you know." He added with a cheeky smile. 

"Shut up." I narrowed my eyes at him. 

He raised his free hand as if surrendering. "Just kidding." 

We ate in silence until I remembered something I had wanted to ask him since last night. "I don't know if I should ask this but is everything really okay with Aaron now?" 

Instead of replying Tay took another bite and silently chewed while looking outside the window. 

I took his silence as his reluctance to say anything about Aaron and decided to not prod any further. 

"He acted like nothing happened. If it weren't for the bruise on his face, I would have thought it was all a dream." He let out a sigh before continuing. "He obviously doesn't want to talk about it and honestly, I'd rather not talk about it either." 

Shrugging, he looked over to me. "At least I wouldn't have to avoid him forever and he arranged another meeting with the musicians." 

I stared back at him, trying to figure out how he felt about it. When I saw no sadness in his eyes, I decided to voice my doubt. "And you're okay with it?" 

"Why wouldn't I be? This is exactly what I wanted." He gave me a small smile before focusing back on his food. 

"But, what about his feelings?" I asked again, remembering Aaron's smile when he was talking to Tay in the parking lot. 

"As long as I don't do anything that might lead him on, it should be okay. He'll get over me sooner or later." He responded in a carefree tone. "Plus, this is what he chose for himself. There's nothing you or I can do about it." 

Despite thinking that his last sentence sounded harsh to ears, I knew he was right. It was Aaron's life and he was the only one who had the right to decide things for himself. I just hoped to God that he didn't end up getting hurt or hurting Tay. 

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You're beautiful. Thanks for reading!