Pitbabe S2, Chapter 22 pg 6

 Pitbabe S2, Chapter 22 pg 6

   “Necessary how?”

   “Just necessary.”

   I sighed, realizing that when someone as rational as Charlie resorted to answering like a thoughtless kid, it meant he’d decided not to spill anything. Pressing him further would be pointless.

   “Can you delete it, then?” I asked calmly. “Or are you okay with answering questions about it later?”

   “I can delete it tomorrow.”

   His clear answer told me this was a calculated move with specific conditions, something I couldn’t change.

   “It’s… fine,” Charlie said softly, before slowly lifting his head. His gaze, fixed straight ahead, made it obvious where his focus lay.

   “I’m human too. Missing my ex isn’t weird. If anyone asks, I’ll just say I posted it because I missed him. That’s all.”

   Up until now, Charlie had been cautious about Babe, avoiding any mention or action that could be linked to him, which made sense. But now, the walls he’d put up seemed to be crumbling, perhaps due to the thrill of flirting again, even if it was in the form of rivalry.

   And Babe likely felt the same. The way he smiled and waved at Charlie, though clearly meant to rile him up, suggested something more. As an outsider watching their relationship from a distance, I couldn’t help but think that flowers had begun to bloom again in that barren, forbidden territory—without either of them realizing it.

   I can guarantee it with the slight smirk on Charlie’s lips right now.

   

   BABE:

   The grand opening of Beyond Group’s new mall went smoothly. The scheduled activities are over, and now it’s time for the one-on-one greetings with business partners—handing out flowers and exchanging well-wishes laced with subtle business undertones. I don’t quite get why people in the business world love doing things so covertly, avoiding straight talk. Like, “Let’s grab dinner sometime” means they need a favor, or “No work talk today” means they’ll bring up work briefly. It’s not really my style, but I can stand there and listen. Phii Alan said my job is just to smile and greet, leaving the conversations to him. Which is fine, because if I had to talk, I wouldn’t know what to say. Letting the younger guys like North, Sonic, and Dean chime in with Phii Alan is probably better.

   As for Willy, I didn’t mention him because his dad dragged him off to pay respects to the elders earlier. He looked like he was being led to the slaughter, but I couldn’t help him. I just waved goodbye and gave him a half-hearted, “You’re doomed.”

   Pete still values Team X as always. He came over to chat warmly, and he’s the only one I don’t feel awkward talking to. Maybe because we’re close and have been through a lot together. I think he looks better lately. There’s still a heavy aura around him, but he doesn’t seem as weighed down as I remember. I wonder if something good’s happened. I wanted to tease him about his love life but held back, worried I might accidentally reopen old wounds. So I just said, “You look brighter.” He shrugged and casually replied, “Business is booming.” That’s good enough, I guess.

   Phii Alan stepped away to take another call. I don’t know what’s keeping him so busy today. He’s gone off to talk on the phone three or four times already, looking serious. If it’s not about the garage, it’s probably about Jeff. Come to think of it, I haven’t asked why Jeff isn’t here today. That two-faced guy usually hangs with the Charlie crew, then swings back to our team, always bouncing around like he’s got no roots. Do I get it? Sort of. One side’s his Phii, the other’s his lover. But every time I see his face, I can’t help but feel annoyed.

   Over on Charlie’s side, he seems to be handling business talks smoothly. Chris is doing a lot to drag people over to him. Charlie just stands in the middle of the hall, receiving guests. From here, it looks like everyone who talks to him walks away impressed. Of course—Charlie’s sharp. He’s not a chatterbox, but he knows what to say and what to avoid. His social manners are impeccable, even though he hates socializing. Plus, his looks are captivating, not just romantically but enough to charm anyone he talks to without them realizing it. I’ll admit, seeing this makes me a bit antsy. I should be disrupting his plans to keep things from going so smoothly, but since he played nice in the bathroom earlier, I have no choice but to let him off this time.

   “Babe.”

   I flinched slightly, snapped out of my daze by the call. Turning, I saw Phii Alan, who seemed to have just hung up. But what startled me was his expression—worry clear in his eyes, furrowed brows, and trembling lips. It made my heart sink uncontrollably.

   “What… what’s wrong?” I asked, alarmed.

   “Jeff…”

   That’s all Phii Alan managed to say before his voice choked back into his throat.

   My heart raced, though I didn’t know exactly what was happening. But that look could only mean something bad. Hearing Jeff’s name, my brain instinctively made me turn to Charlie.

   Charlie met my gaze at that exact moment, as if he sensed something was wrong.

   And just a second later, X-Hunter and Charlie bolted out of the hall together, amidst the confusion of the event’s guests.

   

   ALAN:

   I didn’t know what to say. The entire way from the mall to the hospital, I felt deaf to the world. I knew Babe was saying something to me, but I couldn’t grasp a single word. My hands were trembling—no, my whole body was shaking so badly that I couldn’t even do something as instinctive as driving. I had to leave the car at the mall and ride with Babe instead. On the way, I prayed for two things: one, that Jeff would be safe, and two, that Babe would drive fast enough to get me to the hospital as quickly as possible.

   But maybe the second prayer wasn’t all that necessary.

Previous

Next