Chapter 8 not counted as my best friend

“Miss Worth! Don’t forget you have your worth. Don’t let that downgrade,” a voice echoed in my ear and I got a clear vision of a young smiling face with green eyes. Tears filled my eyes, making my vision blurry.

"Is that really you, Noah?" finally managing to speak out I stammered in a quivering voice.

Nonchalantly, I saw him getting on his feet and marching towards me. When he approached me, he extended his hands in the air and spun around saying, "yes, all of it. I am Noah from your past if you remember your best friend."

He then embraced my small body encasing me in his huge warm arms which felt like paradise. Closing my eyes I tried to enclose those Eden feelings inside my heart and save them for eternity.

Swiftly, I was pulled back to the past. I found myself looking for him everywhere, trying to call him but I was not able to find him anywhere. Anger simmered inside me as I thought about him leaving without any notice. Binding my one leg around his calf, I pressed my palm against his chest and using my mighty force shoved him. He fell hard on his back with a sore face.

Then crouching in front of him, I said, "Don't call yourself my Best Friend. Best Friends never leave but you did. So you are no longer counted as my Best friend."

Getting up, he leaned on his hand before snickering, “Ptf! Still, you haven’t changed. How come I forget these moves of yours from the past? See I fell for it and you are successful in knocking me down.”

Grabbing his collar, I rumbled, "Stop talking nonsense and tell me why did you leave? Do you have any idea what I went through after you left? Now when you have thought of suddenly appearing I hope you have prepared a satisfying explanation."

Running his fingers between his black hair, he mumbled, “can we not dwell on the past, Quynh? Come on, we met again after so long. It’s time for celebration not mourning about the past."

"No, we will not focus on the present unless the question of the past is answered,” I asserted.

“Fine, if you are that eager to know then let me tell you. I left because…”

“Because?” Raising my eyebrows I got attentive to his words.

"Because I thought you would be fine with your crush and no longer need me by your side.”

I gazed deep into his eyes for a while and inhaled deeply, letting go of his collar.

"Quynh, you were not this violent in the past. You have changed so much,” he quipped, giving me a witty smile.

Getting on my feet, I replied, "Not just me, Noah everything has changed.”

“Okay...” He got up asking, “so, are you still with your childhood crush, or did you break up long ago?”

Thinking about the past, I could do nothing rather than inhale deeply.

"Seeing your long face, I know what your answer is. You don't have to feel bad, Quynh. I already knew you two would never work out. Still, you did a great job."

Without even hearing what my past was, he was trying to comfort me. “Stop it, Noah. We never got together.”

“What?" His eyes widened and I sensed the surprise in his tone. "You were supposed to have a date with him that evening.”

“He didn’t show up and neither were you there to comfort me. I lost two people in one day. Like you, I never got to see him again. Can you imagine what I might have gone through?"

“What? Did he really not show up?”

I shook my head right to left.

Suddenly a laugh escaped his mouth and hastily he covered his mouth as if he didn’t want it to come out. As I gazed at him with my doubtful eyes, he looked away.

“Wait a second, something seems fishy, Noah.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” he mumbled, still not meeting my eyes.

“NOAH!” I mumbled stressing my tone. “I know you are hiding something from me. Say it.”

Suddenly wrapping his hand around my shoulder, he said, “let’s close this chapter now. Let the bygones be gone. We should focus on the present.”

Even after seeing me glaring at him, he kept on diverting the topic. “So you are going to be my P.A. How are...”

I cut him in mid-sentence, “Noah, you better not divert the topic.” Then peeling his hand off my shoulder I continued, “say it or I will use my method to make you speak out." I jerked my legs giving him a warning that it might land in his butt any second.

With his eyes fixed on my feet, he mumbled, "Quynh, don’t make a fuss of it. It was just a small prank. I didn't think Christopher would take it seriously."

“What pranked you pulled on him?” I questioned, raising my brows.

He bit his tongue showing hesitation to tell me the truth.