Chapter 24: Chapter 24

I haven't even had the chance to meet Miss Brenda when Rex continues to drag me out of Gray's house. I don't know why he's so furious, maybe it's just because I hugged a guy, I wonder.

"Rex, you're hurting me," I say, but no matter how many times I repeat that sentence, he seems to be deaf to it. He keeps dragging me until we reach his car parked not far from Gray's house. He forcefully pushes me into the car and slams the door shut, causing me to close my eyes in pain. He doesn't ease up during the drive either; he's focused on the road ahead. No matter how much I try to talk to him and ask for an explanation, Rex is determined not to answer. Finally, we arrive at our house. I see Aunt Anna, busy with some papers in her hands, looking surprised as Rex slams the car door shut.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Aunt Anna asks, looking at Rex's angry expression. He doesn't even answer his own mother's question, just walks up the stairs to the second floor. Aunt Anna then turns her attention towards me.

"What's going on with him?" Aunt Anna asks as I walk closer.

"Did you two have a fight?" Aunt Anna continues, gently patting my arm.

"Yes, it seems he's angry," I reply, because that's exactly what it looks like. He's acting like a sulking child, and for some reason, his behavior is starting to annoy me even more.

"Come on, you're both grown-ups, you shouldn't be fighting like this. What's the matter?" Aunt Anna asks, rubbing my arm gently.

"Well, he's been acting childish, constantly forbidding me from doing anything. Maybe he's just being oversensitive or maybe he's having a fight with his girlfriend," I say, giving a casual response. Aunt Anna looks up towards the second floor for a moment before returning her gaze to me.

"He's fighting with Brenda?" Aunt Anna inquires, causing me to raise an eyebrow. So Aunt Anna knows about their relationship too?

"Yeah, maybe. But Aunt, I'm curious. How long have they been together?" I ask, wanting to know more. Aunt Anna pulls me to sit on the sofa she was just on.

"Maybe since their college days. They've been close for a while, and they've even become closer over time. Aunt doesn't know for sure, as Rex never really talks about it in detail. How many times have I met her, Brenda also often orders pastries from us," Aunt Anna explains, and I nod in understanding.

"Are they still together?" I ask with doubt. I just want to confirm whether Rex was honest with me when he talked about his relationship.

"I don't know. Aunt doesn't know. But it's been a while since Aunt talked to Brenda. Rex also rarely uses the excuse of going to her anymore," Aunt Anna replies, seeming to realize that their relationship might be strained.

"Alright, have you eaten?" Aunt Anna asks, and I nod. Honestly, I'm not hungry. My appetite vanished suddenly. It feels like I've been through so many strange events today, or more accurately, since I moved to this new place. So many things that I never even thought about before.

"Then rest, change your clothes, and make up with Rex. You're not kids anymore, okay?" Aunt Anna's words prompt me to nod once again.

"Alright then, good night, Aunt," I say before heading up the stairs. I stop right in front of Rex's room. I'm not sure what he's thinking, but as Aunt Anna suggested, I should listen to his reasons for being so angry. I reach out and knock on his door. He doesn't answer, so I knock a few more times. He seems to intentionally ignore me.

"If you don't open your door and talk to me, I'll stay out here all night. I don't care if I have to sleep in this hallway," I declare, hoping it will encourage him to open up. The door in front of me finally opens, revealing Rex, who appears to have just finished cleaning up.

"What?" he asks, making me sigh in exasperation.

"Are you sure you're an adult? Why are you acting so childish?" I ask, but Rex continues to ignore me, entering his room. I follow after him. The fresh scent of soap he used fills the room.

"Me? What did I do?" he questions, tossing a towel somewhere without care. Oh, by the way, he's already dressed properly before opening the door, so he's just drying his hair.

"You suddenly dragged me out of Brenda's house without any explanation. Why are you so mad at me?" I ask, finally confronting him. He turns his attention to me, giving me a frustrated look.

"Do I have to give you a reason for why I'm mad at you?" Rex questions, making me nod quickly.

"Of course, how am I supposed to know why you're mad if you don't tell me?" I retort, making Rex rub his face in annoyance.

"Right now, I want to ask you why you were so close to Grey earlier?" he asks, not even answering my question but instead posing another one.

"Do you mean when I hugged him?" I ask, making Rex look at me with a sharp side-eye.

"Why? I don't even know what happened. I just wanted to comfort him. He said he was in pain and the only thing that could calm him down was hugging me," I explain, and Rex's expression shifts slightly.

"And you just went along with it without even asking for a clear explanation. Come on, this isn't the Aurel I know. What's wrong with you?" Rex inquires, and I find myself unable to answer. I don't even understand myself. I was so sure that in the swimming pool, I tried to push him away, but for some reason, I felt that way. I fell asleep in his arms, and I didn't want to let go. When he pulled away, I woke up and felt the pain I was experiencing. It was as if that pain also hit Grey with force. That's why I woke up and realized he wasn't beside me. The only thing on my mind was that he was in his room. I don't know why I suddenly felt so worried about a stranger, someone I didn't even know well. But at this moment, I feel like Grey is not a threat to me. Besides, he promised to keep me safe.

"I just wanted to do it," I respond briefly.

"And that's not an answer. You must know what you need to do," Rex retorts, and I think I'm starting to understand the reason behind his anger.

"Do you like him?" Rex suddenly asks, causing me to fall silent. I hadn't even considered the possibility of liking someone like Gray.

"Why aren't you answering?" Rex questions again.

"Give me some time to answer. You're bombarding me with questions and not giving me a chance to think," I respond, growing frustrated as Rex continues to corner me. Rex then lets out a frustrated sigh.

"Fine, if that's the case, I'm tired of arguing with you. You should rest. I know you're tired," Rex says, attempting to push me away, but I stop in my tracks.

"You still haven't answered my question?" I ask again, making Rex fall silent.

"What else do you want me to say?" Rex retorts.

"Why are you so angry? You didn't even give me a chance to meet Miss Brenda. Could it be because of your strained relationship with her, you also don't like my connection with Grey?" I speculate, trying to make sense of the situation between them.

"And what if I haven't developed any connection with him yet? Don't assume things like that. I don't like you being close to that guy," Rex responds.

"Why, as if you know everything about Gray that I should stay away from him?" I challenge Rex, making him pause.

"Give me a logical reason why I should stay away from him. If you don't, I won't promise to stay away from him. I'll follow my heart, and besides, he promised to keep me safe from danger, whether from outside threats or from himself," I reply at length, inexplicably finding myself defending Grey in front of Rex.

"You don't know anything, Lia. It's not that simple. You haven't seen what Gray is really like. You've only been in this unfamiliar place for a week, and you're already trusting someone else," Rex argues, causing me to step closer to him.

"I'm not necessarily trusting him. I'm just trying to get to know him better. What's wrong with me trying to get closer to someone, including Gray? Right now, I don't feel like he's a threat to me. Even though he's known for causing trouble, he hasn't hurt me so far," I explain, making Rex fall silent once again.

"That's enough, Lia. I don't want to argue anymore about you or Gray. Take this night to think about what you just did. Think carefully, like Aurel usually does. Just because he's been helpful to you a few times doesn't mean he's good," Rex explains, and I'm about to respond to his question when he pushes my small frame away so easily. After that, he slams his bedroom door shut with enough force, leaving me staring at the closed door in disbelief. Rex really kicked me out of his room.