Chapter 9

Sophia fell the walls of her room closing on her and her breath couldn't help but get caught up in her throat by each knocking sound that her clueless boyfriend added on the door. Her name kept escaping his lips in a worrisome tone and she couldn't help but snap out of it and take two deep inhales before rushing to unlock the door to Shiro.

"Everything okay? Why did you lock the door?" He questioned her as soon as she opened and proceeded to enter further into the room they shared.

"By mistake, habit." Sophia justified herself as simply and normally as she could, in an attempt to sound convincing.

"Silly of you but I am not one to talk. It took me a long time to find the cell phone and do you even know where I found it? Inside the fridge. And I don't even know how it got there. My memory is weakening or something" Shiro laughed at his own words, finding the occurrence as weird as it was stupid then he proceeded to jump on the bed and lay comfortably.

"Aaah!"

"What was that?" Shiro lifted his head immediately after hearing that strange sudden scream that was simultaneous with his fall.

"Eh! Me. I did that .. umm... because I hit my foot earlier at the table... kicked it by mistake and I just moved it abruptly right now and felt a sharp pain." Sophia uttered the first lie her mind could come up with, an awkward smile handing on her lips since it was Jay who groaned like that most likely because of pain. He was hidden under the bed.

"Does it hurt a lot?" Shiro looked worried as he got up and approached Sophia, soon gifting her a hug then taking her by her hand and bringing her to sit at the edge of the bed.

"Let me get you some ice for you since it hurts so much. Which foot did you hit?" He asked her looking at her with concern and care.

Sophia found her heartbeat increasing under his tender gaze out of guilt that was growing inside her as much as her nervousness by each second that ticked away. She was not someone that tends to lie and hide things from people she cared much more does something like this to her boyfriend but for now, she had no choice but to lie to him in order to save the situation.

"If you could bring me some ice I would appreciate it." She smiled at him and he reciprocated, gently caressing her hair before he got up and went out to do just that.

"Damn, did he had to fall on the bed with that much force? That hurt," Jay murmured his complaints as he came out from under the bed where he was hiding and Sophia just rushed to him and grabbed him abruptly.

"Get yourself together! As if he was gonna ask you how to sit in his bed. Get out of here now, otherwise, I won't hesitate to crush you. And Don't ever think of doing such things again, otherwise, I swear nothing can save you." Sophia threatened him as she furiously started pushing him towards the door.

"Ah Sophia wait, I know what I did was careless but we have to talk," Jay tried to persuade her as he made some distance to her force by placing his arms on the door frame to keep the door open for a while longer.

"Go and talk to the one you cheated on me with! I won't call her names but you know!" Sophia retorted with anger in her eyes as only recalling the memory made him want to slap him to oblivion.

"God, why do you have to be so stuck up? How many times do I have to tell you that nothing happened? It was a misunderstanding!"

"Well, you better disappear along with your so-called misunderstanding? Bye!!". Sophia managed to push him one more time then slammed the door on his face, feeling ready to explode from the audacity that boy carries.

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"Am I Interrupting ?" A voice disturbed the moment between Theo and Dimitra and she quickly pulled away from him, placing more distance between them then turned to look at her boyfriend that apparently had returned from his walk quick enough.

"Ah! You-You're back my love." Dimitra found herself stuttering a little out of panic because, despite the fact that nothing was going on between Theo and her, she had totally caught up on the tension he had created between them a moment ago.

"I'm back but it seems to me that I shouldn't have left at all." Joel retorted as he cast a suspicious and unfriendly glance at Theo who simply looked away as naturally as he could before he proceeded to stand up.

"Now that your boyfriend returned, I guess you don't need my company. I will get going. See you around guys" Theo smiled as casually as he could master then took his leave towards the house, leaving the couple glancing at each other for a moment, each with different thoughts in their heads

"Is something going on with that guy?" Joel straight away addressed the situation, not intending to hide his dissatisfaction regarding the close proximity he saw them being at nor the fact that he found the vibe between them suspicious.

"Of course not, as if. Theo likes Lisa, that's exactly what he was telling me just a moment ago." Dimitra felt regret taking over her senses as she spoke those lies since she became aware as she spoke in what trouble she was getting herself with her friend for getting her involved so randomly.

"No way!! He really liked Lisa??! Oh, poor thing, I pity him" Joel commented and couldn't hold back his laughter making Dimitra just follow his laughter while on the inside she just prayed that she could find a way to convince Lisa to actually play along with his lie of hers at least in front of Joel.

"Come on, don't be mean. She is not that bad" Dimitra hit him lightly on the arm as he didn't seem to stop laughing, finding the idea of someone liking Lisa too funny apparently.

"We both know that he had no hopes with that sour girl, but even if he was to succeed on dating her, I would still feel sorry for him since she will make him suffer from her sarcasm and evilness" He reasoned, smiling more just by imagining Lisa in a romantic relationship.

"Woah, what good words you speak of her. You are supposed to be her best friend, I remind you." Dimitra looked at him with a smile on her face as she teased him with her words, imagining how Lisa would react if she was to hear this.

"I am the only one that understands her and bears with her, another one to do that job sounds difficult," Joel replied while he extended his arm and pulled Dimitra in a hug, a soft smile on his lips right before he turned his gaze toward the sea that was laying in front of them.

"If that's so then you date her," Dimitra uttered slightly bitter towards the way he had placed his words as well as puzzled for he sometimes made her doubt their bond despite the fact that she knew that she shouldn't and all those thoughts of hers were just momentary insecurities and jealousy and although she always tried to hide them well, sometimes, they surfaced.

"Aho, my baby is jealous. Do not frown on me like that babe. We both know me and Lisa have been friends for years and only that. Nothing will ever change between us. I owe her so much and mostly the fact that she introduced me to the love of my life, that being you. So come back to my arms now before I start tickling you." He squeezed her cheeks cutely as he spoke then proceeded to make his little threat a reality by tickling her sides, making Dimitra burst out laughing as she failed to hold on to her frown for longer.

"Oh by the way~ I bought you something. I saw it as Jamie and I were coming from the shop and I took it" He suddenly recalled and halted his movements, soon standing up and looking at the pocket of his trouser for the item.

He gave her the little box and Dimitra smiled before she reached to take it from his hold and opened it. Her eyes widened as soon as she saw the beautiful bracelet that had an expression written on it that really touched her.

"Wherever you are, I will love you, because I love everything about you and not just what you show me. Forever close to you. -Joel "

"As you can see, I was a little late because I was waiting for them to do the engraving on it" He found himself feeling slightly shy under her shining eyes, his hand travelling at the back of his head and rubbing on it slightly in an awkward manner.

Dimitra got up with enthusiasm and threw herself in his embrace, making Joel hold her tightly in his arms, caressing Dimitra's hair gently and tenderly, right before he left his joyful laughter fill the atmosphere.

"Do not worry, I will not abandon you like your parents. You can always count on me." H whispered by her ear and she hummed positively, feeling truly reassured over his words.

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Lisa closed the door behind her along with her eyes, listening to her heart pounding loudly out of fear and the fact that she had literally run for her life once she had noticed a certain car being parked close to her apartment building.

She was hoping that they would not come after her so soon after what she had escaped from yesterday, yet she also understood that the small scratch on her neck was just an opening message for what was about to follow for a traitor like her.

"Damn, I hope they lost me." Lisa crawled slowly on the floor, trying to regain her breathing and her scattered thoughts that were penetrated by fear. A feeling that increased as soon as she heard the doorbell going off.

She stood up immediately after and took some precaution steps away from the door, holding her breath as if they were to listen and realize she was in there. From all the floors this apartment building had and the apartment doors that existed, how the heck had they managed to find her? She couldn't help but question and then curse at Shiro for she was certain that it was none other that had snitched on her in this way.

The doorbell did not echo again for quite a bit, leaving her almost relieved but another jump scare hit her as a loud knock followed on the door, announcing to her that they had no intentions of leaving. She found herself rushing aimlessly in panic, right before a thought crossed her mind and she proceeded to grab her cell phone to call someone for help however her fingers halted over the device upon realizing that she had no one to call as everyone were on that trip and if she was to call the police she most likely would end up dead.

There were many moments she had regretted her past but surely this one was taking the cake, her younger selves old thoughts of looking upon the idea of being in a gang, as cool and fun, now sounding like the biggest mistake ever.

"Come open the door little Lisa, It's been so long since we last saw each other, did you not miss me?" The voice of the man reached her ears, letting her know who exactly they had sent for her and that piece of information made her feel even weaker, her legs trembling a bit as her thoughts screamed to her to run, despite the fact that she had no way out.

"What do I do now ?! I can't believe Shiro did this to me? That bastard really meant it when he said that he is gonna destroy me. What do I do? What do I do? That bastard!" She spoke to herself while pacing from right to left, her anxiety having proceeded to consume her.

The sound of the knocking subsided while she was on her own words but as she heard the knob being twisted, she threw her gaze towards the door again, witnessing being open soon enough. A bunch of men stood at the other side and a certain man right in the middle of them, dressed in all black as she usually recalled him wearing. She grew motionless as they made their entry inside and the known to her man approached her with a smile on his face.

"I didn't really think that a simple door would hold me for long, right? Because if you did, I would feel offended." Raven uttered -that being his code name which everyone knew him by and she couldn't help but take some steps away from him out of precaution.

"Look, what happened in the past, is left in the past. I have nothing to do with the gang anymore, please just leave" Lisa tried to reason with him, gulping down her fear in order to appear more confident before him.

"My doll, I have been looking for you for years and you ask me to leave empty-handed. Do not be rude." He smirked lightly at her absurd request then abruptly took hold of her throat and pulled her in, making Lisa's breath got cut off sharp and her pretence confidence waver.

"I don't really want to hurt you. We have been comrades once upon a time after all. So don't you think that it's better to tell me where the file is, eh!? So we both can remain in friendly grounds" He tightened the grip around her as he looked her dead in the eyes, meaning his words as well as the lingering threat that they carried for he may want to remain friendly with her but he had arrived there to do his job and if she was not to comply, of course, he would have no other choice but to go against his initial wishes.

"Oh that..Shiro had taken it, I have nothing to do with that," Lisa replied while she brought her hands over his, in an attempt to free his hold because the lack of oxygen had started to affect her head.

"Do not play with me. We both know that you two were close, you definitely know where he is or where he has that file, so do not play with my patience." The man spoke between greeted teeth, showcasing that his nerves were getting the best of him then he pushed her, making her fall on the couch coughing.

"After he betrayed me our relationship got ruined, I telling you, we aren't best friends anymore, we are enemies!" Lisa uttered those words while still trying to calm down and get out of this difficult position.

"Is that so. Then that means that if you knew where to know his whereabouts, you wouldn't hesitate to tell me, correct?"

"With pleasure," Lisa answered directly, leaving no room for suspicions or doubt over her hate towards Shiro.

Raven brought his hand over his jet black hair as he stared at her eyes, the two keeping intense eye contact for a few minutes which made a thing smile appear on his lips again.

"I will give you a chance since I have always had a weakness for you. Bring me that file and I will spare your life this time" He concluded as he walked towards her and took hold of her chin.

"The clock is ticking, doll. You better hurry."

--- To be continued ...