WHAT COMES AFTER THE END OF THIS

Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Yrene's PoV

The fact that it was too much to take in and process could not be denied and when Jason dropped me off at home and left after showering me a thousand kisses, I made my way up to my room. I touched my lips which were not five minutes ago covered by another's and proceed to think of the day I had had, wow, some day it had been. I find out Jason is in love with me and has been for some time now , which is still hard to believe though,  and that everyone but myself knew it. A part of me is extremely angry  at him for not having told me earlier but the bigger part of me is happier than anything that he loves me and I hope against hope that someday, I too, would be able to love with equal vigour. I am sure of my feelings for him now, and I like Jason Dawfield, a lot and I'm falling for him little by little, have been falling for him little by little for a long time, subconsciously, perhaps ever since that day he took me to the graffiti alley.
After showering I quickly run down and get myself a granola bar to eat before completing my dance routine. And after another shower I finally sit down and do my homework. When I'm putting away my books, Ross enters my room and locks it.
"Rossy, why'd you lock the room?"
"Need to talk to you about something, wouldn't want Raymond to hear."
"What's up?"
"Sit down with me."
"You're scaring me, Ross."
"Nene, please."
I walk up to him and sit cross legged on my bed and he does the same.
"Do you trust me?"
What? What was this about? I wanted to tell him I did but that wouldn't be a completely  honest reply, but in truth I barely trusted anyone. Anyone.
"Yeah, why?"
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
The riddles were making my head spin. What did he know? What did he find out? And who did he find out from?
"Ross, what are you on about?"
"Chase Drew."
The breath was knocked out of me in one swift second and my mouth became dry as parchment. I tried to form words but they came out as gasps, I felt the anxiety kicking in and I feared what would happen now. Would my brother hate me? Would he think of me as someone with a loose character? Would he hate me forever, for in a manner ruining his name? How did he know? Who else knew, obviously other than Chase, Jason and I, who told him? Was it common news now? Would my name be dragged through the mud at school tomorrow? Would Chase be fired? Oh my God.
My thoughts are running a mile a minute and I cannot breathe properly. Ross quickly gets me a glass of water from the jug on my side table and smooths my hair,
"Hey, hey, now don't freak out okay? It's fine. Breathe."
Something in his voice tells me that he was not mad at me, just disappointed that I didn't trust him enough to tell him.
"How do you know? Who else knows?" My questions are stringed together in a hysterical demand.
"Relax munchkin. Calm down and we can talk about it."
Taking a few deep breaths and a few sips of the cold water I nod and calm down.
"How do you know?"
"Well I have kind of known for a long time now, like since that day you came home in his shirt, when you said you had been at Katie's."
"How did you know it was his shirt?"
"Bring the shirt to me." On wobbly legs I walk into my closet and bring out the plain white button down and hand it to him. He takes it from me and makes me look at the sleeve. Oh. There in the most elegant embroidery, were his initials. But it still didn't make sense how Ross knew as there were about a million other people with the same initials.
"Yeah, but other people could be named that too. Like have the same initials."
"Well, other people don't use the same Bvalgari cologne with it and neither do they used to wear it to school every Thursday and then suddenly stop wearing it when my sister decided to come home in it." Wow. Detective skills on point. I smile sheepishly at him and he adds,
"Not to mention I've seen the way he used to look at you and you at him and also not to mention I might have seen him coming into your room at the gala."
Now i am full on embarrassed by his confrontation and I tell him so.
"Nene, darling, it was never about you being with him because as I said, I would always support your decisions no matter what. I was extremely shocked, yes, but I never hated you for it, I never can, not even if you decide to become a stripper, okay, that's a bit extreme but you get the point. But pumpkin I was actually disappointed that you  didn't tell me, I waited for you to, but you never did. And then after I saw him leave your room not a four hours later I saw you walk in with Jason and that confused me a little and I thought Chase might have pressurised you into something and I was about to lose my shit but instead I came here to ask you. So tell me. Please."
I hug my brother before telling him everything, how I was in love with Chase, what he made me promise, how I now have feelings for Jason, and Jason's confession for me. A to Z, I gave him all the details and the entire story.
"Wow... That is quite a lot. I am glad that you have found happiness with Jason but my heart breaks for what you wet through with Chase, but I guess it was all for the better."
"Same. Brother. Same."
"But Nene, you didn't have to hide it from me."
"I don't know, I just felt like I had to."
"Why?"
"I would tell you if I knew, something inside me wanted it all to remain hidden. But now it doesn't matter, does it? Chase and I aren't together and you ,alongside everyone else, know about Jason and I, besides it's not like I had a choice in that matter."
"I know pumpkin, I really do, but promise me something?"
"Depends on the promise." I eye him sceptically and he flicks my forehead,
"Promise that you won't hide anything from me." I guiltily tug at the sleeve of my shirt, pulling it to my hands to hide my scars from him and nod, gulping.
"That's like my good girl!" He pulls me into a tight bone crushing hug,
"I'm here for you. No matter what. Always and forever."
I nod into his chest.
"You have nothing to hide from me. At all. And don't you dare try to keep me in the dark again, you hear me?"
I nod and sniffle once again as he kisses my forehead.
"Rossy, I was just scared, I didn't know how you'd react. And I wasn't sure if I was in the right at that time myself. How could I bring you into it?"
"Well, you will bring me into it from now on. Even if you make the biggest of blunders, I will be there for you."
"Hey, monkey man, it isn't like you're not hiding something from me." I get out of his embrace and give him my infamous , 'suspicious of you', glare.
"Wh-what are you taking about?" He stutters and I know for a fact that I am right. I men tally give myself a high five and interrogate my brother,
"Aelin, huh?"
"What are you saying?" He blushes furiously at the mention of my best friends name and I smile at him,
"Gotcha! So... Since when have you liked my best friend, brother dearest?"
"What are you saying? How do you know?"
"Well, that last question has just confirmed my hunch. And to answer it; brother, you aren't the only one that notices how people look at each other, in vase you have forgotten, I am a brilliant people reader. Remember when I could, just by the slight change in your demeanour could guess what was wrong? Yeah, I'm still pretty good at that. So answer me."
He looks away from me and runs his hand through his hair before mumbling out an answer,
"A long time." I'm taken aback by his answer but by now, due to having listened to Jason's confession, I have figured out the way men think and why they don't straight up confess to women.
"Ask her out."
"Are you nuts?"
"Nope." I answer popping the 'p'.
"Then why would you suggest something so outrageous?" He looks flabbergasted to say the least but what I say to him next leaves him in a state of shock and disbelief,
"Because she looks at you the way you look at her."
I kiss his cheek and get up to go to the washroom. When I return he is still sitting like a mannequin on my bed and I literally have to smack him to get him moving.
"Right. Good talk."
"Good talk." I agree with him before pushing him out of my room.
"Nene, by the way, you're having dinner with me. So come down." He says sternly and I catch the underlying tone, he notices me not eating and wants to keep an eye on me. After flipping him the bird I trudge down the grand stairwell in tow.