Pretty Lies

Chapter eighteen.

Gabriella hang up, instantly regretting the phone call.

"What have I done?" She asked her cousin, eyes wide with panic.

"No, no, no, you did fine, everything is going the way we planned." Isabella assured her, rubbing both of her hands, she hated to see her cousin this vulnerable, "remember, you're a strong, confident, young, woman and this asshole is no match for you, you should know that."

"Yes you're right.

Jason chewed slowly on the cheesy noodles of the lasagna his mama made for them before she left to take a short nap, as he kept eyeing the clock on the wall.

Mike looked at him then at the clock then shook his head.

"You won't miss it." Mike said suddenly, savoring the hot cheese.

Jason raised his head slightly, "what's that?"

"Your flight." Mike answered and his friend rolled his eyes.

"You gotta leave in half an hour." Jason told him taking a spoonful inside his mouth.

"You don't really have a flight, do you?" Sarcasm clear in Mike's tone as he leaned back against his chair.

"I gotta meet someone." He answered dryly, rising from his seat, taking his plate to the sink.

"Someone...yeah." Mike couldn't help the smirk on his lips, "may I ask who?"

Jason kept staring at him for some seconds.

Should he, like, tell him?

Fuck no, he's not in mode for a lecture.

But he really could use a friendly advice.

Friendly? From Mike? Yeah like hell.

Fuck this.

"I'm meeting the woman from last night." He finally answered after battling his subconscious.

Mike's eyes went wild as he tuned his head towards Jason and looked at him as if he grown another head.

Did he heard him correctly?

It must be something in the lasagna.

But then he laughed, "yeah yeah of course you are." He shook his head and took another spoonful.

Lasagna 1

Jason 0

When Jason didn't say anything and kept staring at him blankly, the smile on his face disappeared.

Correction :

Lasagna 0

Jason 1

"No no, don't! Ever! No, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into." Mike stood to his feet and paced back and forth.

"Why? Why is that?" Jason asked getting a little confused.

"Why? You're asking me why?." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, "why in the hell would she want to meet you after last night huh? You want me to tell you? Revenge bro!"

Jason almost chuckled at his ridiculousness.

"You watch a lot of movies bro." He mocked his word as he looked up at the clock one more time, "come on time to go asshole." He took his arm and dragged him towards the door.

"Just listen to me..."

"Goodbye see ya!" He closed the door behind him just as he heard him say, "you're making a huge mistake!"

"Hell that I am." He chuckled to himself, making his way towards his room to change his clothes.

He checked his phone one last time before he left the room to make sure she sent him the address.

He wore black jeans and a black buttoned down shirt, he tiptoed around his mom's room then walked slowly towards the door.

"Honey, going somewhere?" His mother turned her head towards him, from where she was sitting on the couch, holding a magazine in her hand.

Damn it.

He turned around, then put on a smile.

"Meeting someone."

"Who's that?" She narrowed her eyes at him, waiting for a convincing answer.

"A friend." He stuck with short answers.

"A friend, right...and do you usually dress up, like this when you meet your friends." She looked up and down at him and he sighed.

"Julie, I'm 30, do you realize that?" He looked at his watch, he should be in his car by now.

His mother sighed, closing the magazine then putting it on her lap.

"Jason I'm worried about you, you're not alright lately, your mood swings are putting on the edge, and the worst thing is, you're not telling me anything." Her voice cracked at the end and she looked down at her hands, "I'm afraid that one day I'll be gone without..."

In a second he was on his knees in front of her holding her hands and rubbing them gently.

"Hey, don't say that, I'm fine I really am, there's nothing you should be worried about, trust me mother." He smiled up at her and she returned the smile as she smoothed his hair gently.

"Now, I gotta go, don't wait up for me." He got off his knees, kissed her goodbye then left.

"A coffee shop." He tilted his head to the side once he got to his destination, it wasn't a regular shop really, it looked fancy somehow, it looked like a place where important people do their meetings.

He kept staring for a couple of minutes then shrugged before stepping inside.

The decoration was so soft from the inside, the entire place was built from wood and glass, there were round black tables in all the corners and some in the middle.

He chose a table next to the window so he could see her when she comes. Ordered a coffee. Waits.

"I'm leaving, you need anything when I get back." Gabriella said heading to the door but Isabella jumped in front of her.

"Did you take your gun?" She asked her rasing a brow.

"I'm sorry what?"

"Did. You. Take. Your. Gun." She repeated the not moving a inch.

"Why would I take it, I never used it, what makes you think I'd use it now." Gabriella argued flipping her hair behind her shoulder.

"Ugh, because." Isabella walked towards her cousin's room, then opened her nightstand's drawer pulling out a red box, "you can't trust strangers, especially this one." She opened the box then pulled out a white and gold gun, she checked if it was loaded, it was, before handing it to Gabriella.

Her cousin took it in her trampling hands and took a closer look at it.

It's been a really, really long time since she held it in her hands, it was a gift from her father in her 18th birthday, it fits her hand perfectly now.

"I don't think I'll need it, but just to shut your big mouth I'll put it in my hand bag." She told her and did what she said.

Isabella smiled at her then hugged her tightly.

"Whatever is gonna happen, whatever is he going to say, you're a strong, confident, young woman. I love you so much." She said through her hair.

"Love you too." She held her tighter then stepped back and walked out of the door.

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A/N: there's gonna be fireworks when Gabby and Jase meet 😂🤭
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_Romantica 🥀