Chapter 31: Chapter 31

"Well, Nez, I can't accompany you, I guess." Ghea's voice came from the phone line, accompanied by incoherent grumbling.

Inez moved her phone away from her ear, staring at the flat black object for a few seconds, until she finally put her phone back in her ear. She took a deep breath.

"What are you doing, Ghe?" Inez asked.

"I'm being told to clean the house, the maid at my house is back home. I swear it's really annoying today, I'd rather go to school than have a vacation like this. Once again, I'm sorry, Nez."

Inez gave a small sigh, saying, "So you just continue. Do your parents a favor once in a while, don't be a burden." At the end of her sentence, Inez chuckled softly.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Ghea could be heard swearing at her. Inez just shook her head.

"I swear, Nez, you're really annoying. Better help me out here."

"Cheer up then, I'll just go alone. It's actually not cool without you, it's boring because there's no one to talk to."

"I'm sorry, Nez."

"Yeah, it's okay," Inez replied. "I'll turn off the phone, okay? Bye-bye burden on parents!" Inez laughed to herself, she was sure Ghea was swearing at her.

This weekend Inez intended to keep herself busy and pamper her eyes at a mall not too far from her house. Since Ghea was busy, Inez resigned herself to going alone.

Inez came out of the room wearing tight jeans, a plain white short-sleeved T-shirt, and then a jeans jacket. She also brought a sling bag to put her wallet and cell phone in. For footwear, Inez wore white shoes.

With her hair down, Inez descended the stairs. Then she said goodbye to her mother, before finally sliding into the garage to get her car. Although Inez was actually uncomfortable going alone, she would try it this time.

Before shopping for the things she needed and wanted, Inez enjoyed an hour and a half to watch a movie. Right on cue, the movie she had been waiting for finally came out. After leaving the movie theater, Inez wandered around, until finally, at one o'clock in the afternoon, she looked for food because the worms in her stomach were crying out to be filled.

While waiting for the food to arrive, Inez took to her social media accounts to get rid of her nerves. However, accidentally, when she wandered her eyes, she saw Rian sitting at a table not far from her with a middle-aged man who Inez believed was her father.

Surprised, Inez glared. Stricken with panic, Inez covered her face with the menu book on the table.

"Ouch... Didn't Rian see me?" Inez muttered softly. She grimaced while thinking of ways to keep Rian from seeing her. "I already ordered more food."

It could also be that before Inez saw Rian, he saw her first. But since Rian was with a middle-aged man, he didn't approach Inez.

Right now, Inez doesn't want to be bothered by Rian or anyone else. She wanted to calm down without involving her emotions. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Inez tried to steal a glance at Rian. It seemed like the bou didn't see her.

"Here's the food, please enjoy?" A friendly female waitress came to Inez's table while she was placing the food she ordered.

But suddenly, Inez had no appetite for food, not to mention if Rian saw her. Her life would be even worse at this moment.

"I'll just pay now." Inez replied. She put the money on the table, then immediately got up. "You just eat the food. Excuse me, thank you."

Inez hurriedly left the restaurant, but unfortunately, Rian, who initially did not realize her presence, now knew. The boy looked at Inez's hasty departure.

Rian looked at the man in front of him. "Dad, I went to the toilet for a while, yes?"

After getting permission, Rian immediately slid out of the restaurant. He hurried to catch up with Inez. Rian was sure that he was not mistaken, it was Inez. Rian was very sure of that.

The boy circulated his gaze, looking around him. He had to meet Inez, whatever it took. In a flash, Rian saw someone being forcibly pulled toward the toilet.

Misfortune came to Inez instead. Not long after she met Rian, she now had to be confronted by her ex-boyfriend, whom she broke up with during her three-month anniversary.

Inez was really upset. Why did the world feel so small that she had to be reunited with people she didn't want? Inez was fed up with her ex on this one.

Inez dated him just for fun, he wasn't serious. But that boy, who is now her past, doesn't accept it. She didn't want to break up.

"You can't get away from me now, Inez!" Inez's body was pushed quite hard against the toilet wall. Her ex held both of Inez's shoulders firmly.

"Can't you let me go?!" Inez struggled, trying to break free. "I'll scream if you don't let me go too!"

"Dare to mess with me, I'm sure you'll regret it, Inez!" The boy bullied Inez, his eyes glaring fiercely. His jaw looked hardened. And Inez was afraid of that.

"What do you want?"

The guy smiled wryly. "I'm free to touch you for the last time. After this, you are free from me."

"Are you crazy?!" Inez was furious, she dared to look at the pair of sharp eyes in front of her. She could not go anywhere because her body was confined.

"I don't want to be with a pervert like you!" Inez cursed again.

The boy clenched his fists, furious with Inez's words, and not long after, he slapped Inez's cheek so hard.

PLAK!

"You're really crazy!" Inez's ex yelled. "You asshole, you broke up with me for no apparent reason!"

Inez was about to get a second slap when the door opened loudly from outside. Rian had arrived, and his emotions were instantly ignited by the sight of Inez's red cheeks, the corner of her lips also showing fresh blood.

As if a demon had entered his body, Rian immediately lunged at the boy, who had been playing physically with the girl.

Rian hit the boy's stomach brutally, not only that, but the jaw and cheeks of Inez's ex were also targeted by Rian. Rian was completely controlled by anger.

Rian stopped when the boy he had just beaten lay weak on the floor. Rian squatted down while regulating his rapid breathing.

"One more time I see you bothering Inez, I'll make sure you die this very second!"

Rian stood up and walked over to Inez. "You're okay, right?" Rian's face looked tense, and he checked Inez's body. Rian was relieved that there were no other wounds besides Inez's lips.

Inez looked at Rian with tears in her eyes. She was scared. "He wants to wreck—"

"Let's not continue," Rian cut in. He touched Inez's lips with his forefinger. "You're safe with me now, Nez."

***

"Slow down!" Inez grumbled in annoyance while gently hitting Rian's arm, who was trying to treat the wound on her lip.

Rian chuckled softly. "You stay still, Nez, don't move so I can finish quickly," said Rian. He was about to return to treat Inez's wound, but she had avoided him. Inez shifted her seat.

"I'm lazy," said Inez while looking at Rian. "Just this wound will heal soon."

"You'll get an infection."

Inez sneered, and she gave Rian an unfriendly glare. "You're overreacting."

"I don't like seeing you sick, Nez, let alone being bullied like earlier. Until I see someone bothering you again, I'll make sure that person is looking for my death." Rian said it seriously while clenching his fists.

Inez looked at Rian's face for a long time. For some reason, her heart was already racing. Of course, Inez was touched by Rian's treatment in the toilet earlier. That boy had also saved her life—more precisely, her virginity.

Inez let out a long sigh, she didn't like feeling guilty like this toward someone. If Rian continued to behave like this, Inez would be confused. She would feel like the worst person in the world.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

Rian's voice suddenly broke the silence and Inez's wild thoughts. She blinked her eyes and immediately looked away. She felt her cheeks heat up again. She had been caught looking at Rian so deeply.

Inez cleared her throat. "Can't you just stay out of my problems?" Inez sighed. "I don't want to owe you a favor, Yan, I don't want to feel guilty about you. How long are you going to keep doing this, huh? Make me uncomfortable and keep helping me when I have problems? I don't want to be bound by anything with you, Yan. I don't want to."

"You're my priority, Nez," Rian continued. "I'm doing this because I love and care about you. And I can't just watch when you're in trouble like that."

"But I don't need your help, Yan. I don't want to confuse my own feelings. I don't like you, can you not interfere with my problems from now on?"

Rian exhaled harshly. "What's so hard about giving me a chance, Nez? I'm serious about you. Just do it first, if you're not comfortable, you can let me go. Why is it so hard, Nez?"

Inez looked away as she adjusted her breathing. "If you continue like this, I feel guilty for you, you know?" She said it firmly, without looking at Rian.

"You don't have to feel that way about me," said Rian. "I'm willing to help you, Nez, I don't need retaliation from you. But please... Open your heart a little. Let me come in and stay there for a while. If you're not comfortable, I'll get out of there."

Inez didn't care what Rian said. She took her purse from inside the sling bag and took out some red money from inside.

"For you, as a token of your help earlier." Inez said as she placed the money in Rian's palm.

"I don't want it, Nez," Rian refused. "I have money, I'm not asking for your money. You don't have to pay me."

Rian put Inez's money back in her hand. "Listen to me, Nez," he said then. But Inez did not return Rian's words and gaze. Rian tried again, he would not give up. "Look into my eyes, Nez, I want to talk to you seriously."

Half forced, Inez obeyed Rian's words. Inez gave a small sigh. Without saying anything, she returned Rian's gaze.

"Nez, be honest with me now." Rian muttered. "What makes you dislike me? Okay, I often ask questions like this. But your answers always don't satisfy me, Nez. I need another answer from your lips. I totally understand that feelings can't be forced. But..." Rian took a pause, filling his lungs with air again. "But, Nez, feelings can change over time. Everything can be tried, Nez, just take it slow."

Inez shook her head. "Plis Yan, don't wait for me." You can find someone else, someone better than me. "There are many Yan, you can't be stuck with me."

Rian laughed blandly. "What do you have, Nez, that you like about him? What am I lacking? I'm sure I'm better than him."

"How human of you." Inez smiled wryly. "Feeling better, stronger, and more everything than other people."

"Nez..." Rian chuckled softly. He shook his head in disbelief. "You don't know who Cakra is, Nez. You don't know what he's like inside."

"So what? You know more than me?" Inez suddenly became angry. She looked at Rian in annoyance. Actually, Inez couldn't stop thinking and felt confused herself.

What kind of problem were Rian and Cakra having? Why are each of them always cynical towards each other? Inez was confused, something was being hidden from them. Yes, that must be the problem. There is a problem that they are covering up.

And Inez didn't know which side to take. Rian or Cakra. Cakra once told her to be careful and not get too close to Rian. And now Rian was saying the same thing.

Inez had a headache.

"What's wrong with you two? You've fought not once, you've even been in counseling. What are you hiding from me?"

"You don't need to know Nez," said Rian. "You just need to trust me."

"How can I trust you if Cakra is saying the same thing. I don't know what's wrong between you two, that you hate each other like this. I don't know which one to defend."

"You'll regret it if you fall into Cakra's trap." Rian said. "Listen carefully to what I say this time."

It's not in Inez's name to immediately believe what other people say. "What evidence do you have to say that, Yan? He's not as bad as you think."

"That's in front of you, he's good only in front of you. Understand?"

Inez was silent for a long time.

"Her mom is a cheap whore, Nez. She seduced my father, and my father ended up cheating on her. Even though my mom was dying at the time, Nez, my mom was still alive. She was in the hospital. And my father loved his new family more than his own son."

Rian's breathing quickened, his chest rising and falling. Then he rose to his feet, and stomped away from Inez with a million confused feelings.

Inez stared at Rian's departure. She was surprised, but Inez also did not believe it 100 percent if she had not proven it herself.

Who should Inez trust?

Cakra or Rian?