Chapter 9 (FINAL)

Three months passed and a new teacher has joined the school. Tyler and his classmates have gone back to their class and things are back to normal, as usual. Throughout the months, my relationship with Tyler has improved. I realised that I was starting to like him, maybe a little more than I thought I would. We talked in school, but so far, no one had found out about us living together. However, there was Ruby, who knew where Tyler lived. I wondered how she knew.

"What are you doing?" Tyler asked me, before sitting down next to me on the couch.

"Watching Friends," I answered, laughing along with the audience in the sitcom.

I turned my head towards him and smiled for a few seconds because I've realised how much nicer Tyler has gotten since a few months ago. I decided to ask him, without thinking. "Have you ever liked anyone before, Tyler?"

To my surprise, he responded to me. "Yes."

I looked at him, wide-eyed. "You did? Huh. Who is it? Is she someone in our school?"

"Remember when I said you shouldn't butt into my business?" he asked, looking at me.

I nodded, while pouting. I turned my attention back to the television.

"No, she was from another school."

I looked at him. "Oh." I didn't know he would answer me after saying that.

The doorbell suddenly rang and I went to the door to get it. Looking through the peep-hole, I saw a gorgeous girl standing outside the door. I asked Tyler, "There's a girl outside our door. Do you know her?"

He got up from the couch and walked towards me. "What did you do?"

"Nothing. I'm a careful girl.." I said, defending myself.

He looked through the peep-hole and I saw his face turned stoic.

"What's wrong?" I questioned him. "Do you know her?"

"Stay quiet. I'm going out for a minute." Tyler went to the kitchen counter to get his car key and wallet, before opening the door and walking out.

I couldn't say anything. It happened all too fast. I looked through the peep-hole again and I saw him talking to her for a minute before, they got into the elevator. I wondered who she was.

***

I sat at the couch. Friends still playing on the television, but I wasn't paying it any attention. That girl was beautiful. It seemed like Tyler knew her quite well. I heard the sound of the passcode at the door being entered and the door opened. Tyler walked in.

"What happened?" I asked him.

"Nothing, just an old friend," he muttered.

An old friend? "Why didn't you invite her in?"

Tyler didn't answer me. He went back to the couch and sat next to me again. "Like I said before, don't ask so much."

***

After a few days, I was at home, talking to Dianna on the phone when the bell rang. I went to the door to check who it was and I noticed that she's the girl that Tyler mentioned was his old friend. Tyler wasn't home that day so I didn't know what to do. The door bell rang again and I decided to open the door.

The girl smiled at me. "Hello, you must be Claire."

"Oh, hi. Nice to meet you." I reached out my hand to her. She reached out hers and we shook hands.

"My name is Gillian. Can I come in?"

"Oh, yes. Sure," I answered, and ushered her in.

I brought her to the couch, and went to the kitchen to pour her a glass of water.

I passed the glass of water to her. "Tyler's not home at the moment."

"That's alright," she responded. "I just wanted to speak to you."

"Oh, how do you know I'm Claire, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Ethan told me about you, Claire. That's why I came here to see you and Ty."

Ty? It seemed like they're very close to each other. "You must be close to Tyler, Gillian."

"I'm his ex-girlfriend."

My heart dropped. "Ex-girlfriend?"

"Yes."

I didn't know that he had an ex-girlfriend. I didn't know what to think.

"I know about the agreement you and Ty have, and I want to talk about it."

Agreement? Does she mean the arranged marriage? Oh, I didn't know what to say so I remained silent.

"I still love Ty."

"I — I didn't know Tyler has an ex-girlfriend. I'm sorry."

It was then that I heard the door open and Tyler came in. I saw him looked at Gillian and then he spoke in a stern voice. "What are you doing here, Gillian? I told you not to come here anymore."

"You used to call me Gi, Ty. I just wanted to talk to Claire."

"Don't call me Ty anymore," he said, scowling at her. He turned to me after. "Why did you let her in?"

"You said she's an old friend of yours.." I replied, staring at him.

"Ty, I just wanted her to know that you still have feelings for me. That's why I wanted her to leave this apartment."

"What do you mean, I still have feelings for you? I don't anymore," Tyler retorted. "She's not leaving this apartment anytime soon."

I didn't know what to say. "Tyler, do you still have feelings for her?"

He scowled at me. "I said, no."

"If you still do, I'll go. I don't want to be involved in all this."

"Are you serious? Are you not listening?" Tyler asked.

"Ty, please. I don't like her staying with you alone in an apartment like this," Gillian said, looking at me and then at Tyler.

"Don't listen to her, Claire. You only leave when I tell you to."

"No, she's right. If you still have feelings for her, we shouldn't stay here together anymore."

I didn't like getting involved like this. I didn't think about this before. It was true. What if Tyler had a girlfriend when he agreed to this in the beginning?

"I like you, Claire." I heard Tyler declare.

I scowled at him, bewildered. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't have feelings for her anymore."

"Are you saying you're going to marry her just like this?" Gillian asked. I saw tears welling up in her eyes.

"Yes."

I stared at him.

"Do you like me?" he asked.

I didn't know how to respond. I just nodded.

"Good. I'll tell my mother to prepare the wedding."

Gillian pleaded. "Ty, please. You only know her for a few months. You've known me for years."

"Don't you dare say that. You left me just like that."

"You knew I had no choice. I — "

"Get out of here now," he demanded.

"Ty —"

Tyler yelled, "Get out!"

"Okay, okay." She wiped her tears and walked out of the apartment.

There was silence for a few minutes.

"I'll talk to you later," Tyler said, walking into his room.

***

I still didn't know what to think. I turned on the television to drown out the silence an hour ago. If I heard correctly, Tyler said that he's going to prepare the wedding soon. I didn't even know that he liked me..

I didn't notice that he got out of his room and sat next to me.

"I just called my mother."

"Tyler, don't you think that this is a little too fast."

"I have something to tell you, Claire," he said, his voice gentle. "I was just mad at her, but everything I said was true."

***

In six months, we had our wedding and our family and friends were there. The whole school knew about us then and it was a little shocking that none of his admirers hated me. They were happy for him. Ruby also told me that she knew that Tyler was living with me in the apartment because she had overheard it in the washroom a few months ago. And I thought, "So that was Ruby."

Tyler will be the heir of his father's new business in a few years after we go to university together. He had mentioned that he wanted me to be a housewife, but I told him that before having children, I wanted to work first. He agreed, fortunately. Dianna was now with Ethan, one of the nicest guys in Cateral High and did I mention that he was a playboy? He told her that he loved all girls, but he loved Dianna the most, nonetheless.

I didn't know what my future would be like with Tyler, but our feelings for each other are always increasing as the day went by.