Chapter 8: Chapter 8

"How was your first day of school?" Rex asks while occasionally glancing at me before returning his attention to the road ahead.

"Not too bad," I reply, still in my comfortable position, leaning back in the car seat with my head against the headrest.

"Did something bad happen?" Rex questions. Ah, he's my best cousin, always able to tell when my mood is either good or bad.

"If I said yes, could you take care of transferring me to another school?" I ask hopefully, even though I know Rex's answer will likely be no.

"Is something bothering you?" he asks again, this time with a serious expression. Yeah, something is bothering me, and unfortunately, I've felt his gaze on me, especially in the school parking lot earlier. He looked at me like a piece of meat ready to be devoured at any moment.

"No, it's just that the school is too big. Even on my first day, I got lost three times," I respond nonchalantly, making Rex chuckle before ruffling my hair.

"If something's bothering you, just say it."

"Yeah, of course," I answer. Then, I remember something about his promise this morning. I suddenly feel excited, sit up straight, and turn to face Rex.

"Seems like someone promised me something," I say, wiggling my eyebrows playfully at Rex.

"Hmph, you remembered," Rex responds, looking slightly annoyed.

"Of course! So, are you going to tell me here in the car on our way home, or are we going to stop by the ice cream shop? Oh, and you haven't taken me around the area since I arrived, so..." I pause, observing Rex's expression, which looks rather reluctant.

"Fine, there's a good ice cream shop nearby. You'll like it," Rex answers, and I cheer with excitement. I adjust my sitting position again and gaze at the road ahead.

It doesn't take long before Rex parks the car right in front of an ice cream shop, and I quickly hop out.

Looking around, I see several stores—a bakery, a clothing store, and a few accessory shops. Ah, after this, I'll definitely try to convince Rex to accompany me to check out the accessories there.

"Let's go in," Rex prompts, bringing me back to reality, and I follow him into the shop.

The place is pretty cozy and quite busy, with a few tables occupied by New York teenagers. I can tell that some of them are probably NYHS students.

We find an empty table and order our favorite ice cream flavors.

"It's not easy to find an empty seat here on the weekend," Rex comments, which doesn't surprise me. This ice cream shop is very comfortable and perfect for New York teenagers to hang out with their friends.

"Yeah, I could guess that," I reply, then give Rex a knowing look. I'm curious about why he broke up with Miss Brenda. I know every couple goes through problems, but it's obvious that Rex is avoiding her. Or maybe, just maybe, he has a crush on someone else. Yeah, that's a possibility too.

"What's up?" he asks, noticing that I've been staring at him.

"Waiting for you," I reply shortly, making him raise an eyebrow.

"When are you going to spill the beans? I've been all ears since earlier," I continue, realizing his lack of awareness. Is the sensitivity level of all men in the world just 0.01%? It's baffling.

"Do I have to spill it?" he responds, leaving me torn. Of course, he should spill it! Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep soundly tonight. If the sensitivity level of men is only at 0.01%, then women's curiosity level must be at 99.99%, and letting that linger would be disastrous.

"Of course! You promised, remember?"

"Where do I start, then? You'll have to guide me through it," he responds, now with my chin cupped in my hands and a serious gaze directed at Rex.

"We started dating a year ago," he explains, pausing as if imagining the moment when he and Miss Brenda began dating.

"She's a good woman, smart, and hardworking. She has everything a woman could want. Before we started dating, we were friends since college. After a long friendship, we felt compatible and decided to start dating. But after a few months of trying, we realized we weren't a good match and chose to break up. That's the story. Is that what you wanted to hear?" he explains, leaving me slightly flabbergasted. Come on, that's not the story I wanted. It only covers about 40% of my expectations, and he just ended it like that—how disappointing.

I'm ready to open my mouth, but a waiter arrives with a tray of ice cream, setting down our orders.

"Thanks," Rex says, taking his ice cream. I'm still silent, looking at him as he begins to enjoy his treat.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"Why did you two break up?" I ask, not wanting to drag it out or protest too much.

"Because we weren't compatible," he replies nonchalantly. Is it really that simple to end a relationship? I turn my gaze to Rex, investigating, and he notices.

"What else?" he asks.

"Did you cheat on her?" I accuse bluntly, causing him to choke and look at me.

"Seriously, Lia? Come on, I'm the faithful type. Once I love a woman, it's hard for me to forget her," Rex defends himself, and I believe him. I know Rex's character well. He's not a bad boy type like in romance novels, but a committed man who values what he considers important. Cheating is highly unlikely, especially with Miss Brenda, who seems perfect.

Yes, I agree with Rex's point earlier. I decide to start eating my ice cream before it melts completely, choosing to close our conversation.

We fall into a comfortable silence, each enjoying our ice cream. But the laughter of a group of girls diverts my attention.

I turn around to face the entrance and see a bunch of girls laughing. I squint my eyes and focus on one of the girls in the group—her face seems familiar.

Wait, wait, I've seen her before. A few seconds of mental gymnastics, and it clicks. Yes, she's the werewolf girl, or should I say, Gray's girlfriend. I remember her face clearly now.

They walk over and sit right behind us.

"Are you going to the party with Gray?" I clearly hear one of them asking.

"No, he won't be coming this time. I'll be going with Ramon," she responds.

"Seriously?"

"Of course."

"Gray won't accept any excuses if he finds out you're going with Ramon."

"Hey, don't worry. Gray already knows that I have connections with a lot of guys."

"Megan, this is Ramon. They're enemies."

"He won't know. So, let's end this conversation and order whatever you want."

That's the conversation I caught, and I'm truly astonished. So, she's dating multiple guys? Just imagining it sends shivers down my spine. Their social circle is far from normal.

I choose to concentrate on devouring my ice cream, trying to drown out their conversation since it's becoming disgustingly explicit.

Quickly, I scoop spoonfuls of my ice cream, hoping it will soon be finished and I can leave. If only they weren't here, I'd probably enjoy each melting spoonful more. But hearing their talk about kissing and more makes the ice cream taste sour and nauseating.

"I heard Gray is fooling around with a junior in the music class."

Something strange happens to my ears. Whenever they mention that wolf's name, my ears perk up involuntarily, as if they're tuned into his wavelength.

"Yes, I know. But it won't last long. Gray will only play around with her for a week or a month at most, and then he'll always come back to me."

"Yes, Megan, you're right. You'll be his last resort. What's your secret?"

"Of course, it's our bedroom play. I can satisfy him better than any other girl. You know, a wild wolf needs a worthy opponent," she answers, and they all laugh, filling the cafe and ignoring the uncomfortable glances from some other customers, including me.

"Rex, I'm done. Can we leave now?" I ask, unable to bear listening to their conversation any longer.

"Sure, do you want to take anything to go?" he asks.

"No, maybe next time," I reply, then grab my backpack and put it on. Rex places a few dollars on the table and then we leave the cafe.

"Disgusting," I mutter, feeling frustrated.

"Is something bothering you?" Rex asks, noticing my irritated expression.

"Didn't you hear their conversation?"

"I did, so what?" Rex questions, making me roll my eyes. I guess their talk is normal here, but definitely not for me.

"Never mind," I snap, then open the car door and get in, leaving Rex looking perplexed.