Separated In Love

Classes can be so boring even if you love the course you are doing. I think it depends on one's mood. You can be happy and excited but once the lecturer steps into the class, you're just done.

"Mae, are you even listening?" I faintly hear my best friend, Ava. I ignore her because I'm too bored for any conversation.

"Mae!" she whisper-shouted shaking me. I look up and glare at her and saw her smiling. Ava is beautiful, her smile can brighten up any room. We are about the same height, we are both lean, we have been going to the same school since we were born and are now in the same department. We have the same hobbies, find the same things funny and enjoy the same things, we are so alike.

"What do you want, Ava?" I said still glaring.

"I was asking what you want to do after class?" she asked.

"I don't know yet, probably go home and be sad as always" I said with a yawn.

"Not that again, I'm so tired of seeing you so sad. It's not healthy and you know it" Ava said.

"Ava.. " I trailed.

"No, we are going out and that's final", she said and faced the lecturer. Ignoring you is Ava's way of saying final and it is pretty effective. Finally, the boring class is over and we made our way to a coffee place on campus, Bridge Café

"So, where are we going?" I asked Ava when we sat down, we chose a table by window.

"Really?!" she asked, her face lit up in excitement. I nodded smiling.

"There's this new laser tag that just got opened, Childhood"

I nodded excitingly, "I love laser tag"

"I know, well the crowd there during the day is a lot so we are going to go at night. They are open twenty-four seven" she said smiling.

"OK, I'm in" I said.

"I would come over to your place and pick you up" Ava said. We drank our coffee and talked about our next classes. After coffee, we walked through the field to the parking lot. I stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Ava asks. I stand there frozen, staring ahead. Ava follows my line of sight.

She sees Ryan.

"Oh no", she says and tries to guide me away.

You might be wondering, who is Ryan? Well, Ryan is a tall guy, about 6"5 which is a lot compared to my 5"9. He has a chiseled jaw which gives him a serious look. He has dark brown hair, its curly, I love the little stubble on his face. I miss being held by him. He was on the field playing catch with Lucas, his bestfriend. I could spend all day drooling at the way his muscle moved in the t-shirt he wore every time he catches the ball and throws it.

No No No! I can't start thinking about that now.

Like he felt my stare, Ryan turned back and met my eyes. I gulped.

"Meet you at your place?" Ava asked pulling me out of my trance.

"Thanks", I say smiling.

"Sure"

We link arms and walk to our cars. I ride a Maserati Levante 2020 I just got it and I am loving it. The wine interior was a beautiful contrast to the black exterior. I dropped my bag on the passenger seat, connected my phone to my car Bluetooth, selected my song, honked at Ava and peeled out of the lot driving towards home. I cannot call it home anymore because it's not really felt like home for some months now. I used the remote to open the gates and drove through the long driveway to the front of the house, I love the trees that line the driveway.

I parked at the driveway and stare at the place I call home. Gosh, I love this house, I love living here. I have wonderful memories of this place but now it's just a shadow of itself. It's a massive house, a mansion even. It's a three floor building with thirty bedrooms, thirty baths, five powder room, a fitness center, infinity pool, indoor pool, a theater room, two offices, elevators, a library, a ballroom, a dining room, a basement game room, shooting range, wine cellar, garage and some other rooms. I got down from the car and walked to the front door, inserting my key, I entered. The grand foyer is homey, there's a big chandelier in the middle and two stairways, cream marble on the floor and off white paint on the walls. Beautiful artworks lined the walls of the foyer.

"Welcome, Mae. How were your classes?" my house manager, Suzie greets with a hug. Suzie would be about 50years old. She is more like a mother to me than a house keeper, she took care of Ava, Ryan, Lucas and I ever since we were born and asked my mum to please let her move in with me when I relocated here 2 years ago.

"Classes were OK, boring though" I answered after pecking her on the cheeks.

"Everything is always boring to you this days" she said smiling sadly at me.

"Not now, Suzie" I said and she nodded understandably.

"Let me check if the cook is done with your food" she said as I was going upstairs. I turned back to tell her something.

"I know, the maid would bring it upstairs", she interrupted knowing what I was going to say. I smiled and thanked her before running up the stairs heading to my room.

My room is way too large but I love it because I love space. I mean, who doesn't, right? There are two glass walls in the room and two regular walls. One of them, which is an accent wall is where my king size bed is, the other wall is where the doors are; the one to my bedroom, walk-in closet and bathroom. There is a chaise by one of the glass walls and a mini sitting area.

I dropped my bag on the bed and went to shower first. You would love bathing if you have a very nice bathroom and a cool water pressure shower heads. My bathroom is my favorite place to hide and if I go there with my phone, that's the end, you're not gonna see me for a while. I also go to my bathroom to cry when necessary and that's been a lot recently. My bathroom wall was white marble, my tub rested in front of a glass wall, the shower beside it, don't worry, there is a blind that comes down when I use the remote. Opposite the tub and shower is a floating double sink with a beautiful mirror with lights around it, love the mirror. The toilet and a shelf for bathrobes, towels and toiletries is opposite the door. Walking into the bathroom, I saw my tub was filled with water, a short and oversize t-shirt hung on the shelf, I love Suzie, it's as if she always know what I need. I went to the tub and dipped, instantly feeling all my tiredness melt away in the warm water. I stayed in the tub a long while before drying my self up and dressing up.

Ava and I do not have to go to the laser tag place yet until eleven and it's just past 8 so I used the opportunity to work on my school projects. I sat on my bed, brought out my laptop from my bag and went to work. I hadn't worked for long before I stood up to go to my computer room to get a hard drive. My computer room is full of computers obviously. I am studying computer science so I have a lot of computers. The room is a small place, something like a panic room except its all computers. It's safe to say I'm a computer geek and I love being a geek. It's cool to be smart. I went back to my bed and continued with my work.

"Mae!" I heard Ava shout my name for the second time today. It wasn't until I opened my eyes that I realized I had fallen asleep.

"Wake up Mae!" Ava shouted again. I stirred and sat on the bed yawning.

"I'm awake, Ava!" I snapped. I hate being woken up.

"Why aren't you ready?" she asked joining me on the bed.

"Weren't you the one who just woke me up. It's obvious I slept" I said rudely. I'm tend to be rude when woken up. "Besides, late for what?" I asked.

"Laser tag" she said standing up.

"I don't think I am going" I told her. She came to where I was sitting at dragged me to the floor.

"You are going" she said after I fell on the floor with a thud.

"Get ready" she said switching on the TV which came down from the roof and jumping on my bed. I groaned and went to the closet. After a not so careful consideration, I chose a black high waisted short, a white t-shirt and white sneakers. I used moisturizer on my face, brushed my eyebrows and lashes and used lip gloss. I walked to a mirror and approved of my look.

"So.." I asked when I came out.

"Not your best look but you kept effort" she said smiling.

"Let's go before I change my mind".

"You go" she said watching the TV.

"What?!" I shouted.

"I'm too engrossed in this movie. It took you so long to change" she answered not looking away from the TV. I simply walk up to her and drag her.

"Why?!" she asked glaring at me, "I was watching that".

"I know" I said grabbing my bag from this morning and leaving the room.

"You look really good" she said when she caught up with me.

"Thank you love, so do you" I said winking at her. She is wearing a baby blue top, because it's big, one arm is off her shoulder. The top is tucked into a short black leather skirt.

"Wow, looking good the two of you" Suzie said when we got downstairs.

"Thank you" Ava and I said simultaneously.

"Come back safe and don't do anything I wouldn't do" Suzie said. We both pecked her cheeks together and left the house.

We walked up to Ava's car, it's a Maserati like mine but a white. I got it for her birthday. I chose the music, Wonder by Shawn Mendes, to get us in the mood. We both started dancing and singing along before we realized it. Ava parked two blocks away from Childhood, we decided to walk the rest of the way to keep our blood pumping.

"Marcello!" Ava calls the security outside.

"Ava and... Mae?" Marcello says obviously surprised to see me before hugging us tightly. Marcello is a big guy, huge and tall. Being a security guard really fits him. We always met him at different places for some unknown reason, as a security guard, that we had to ask one day if he was stalking us and that is how we became friends. We first met at school, then at three different banks and multiple stores, it's suspicious but apparently, the company he works for rotate their security staff so they don't get to experience other things.

"Ava forced me out" I said after getting released from his death grip.

"It is necessary" he says smiling.

"Not on my side, huh?" I smile. Marcel laughed. We talked for a while catching up.

"How are you?" he asks suddenly. I shrug.

"I'm happy you are out and about again" Marcello said as we were entering. I smiled at him and pecked him.

"Thanks"

We walk to the table in front and not long after we were led to our side of the place, the guns already filled with paint and clothes to change into were waiting. Ava and I quickly changed. I made my way to the mini bar there and picked a Pepsi can waiting for the other team to join us, we picked the two teams, four players plan. I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise, I turn around and see Ryan, looking sexy as ever. I look away.

"Tell me you didn't invite him" I turn to Ava.

"I didn't but..."

"Ava?"

"Well, Lucas was with me when we discovered this place but I didn't know they would here today" she said taking a big gulp of Fanta.

"And did you happen to say it would be a good idea to come at night too?" I ask. She nodded.

"Don't let it spoil your mood, though" she said and I nodded. We sat down by the couch waiting for the game to begin Ryan and Lucas walked up to us.

"What are you doing here?" Ryan snapped.

"Same reason you're here, to have fun" I snapped back.

"I'm happy to see you. You look hot" Lucas said pecking my cheeks. Ryan elbowed him. Lucas is handsome but not compared to Ryan but then again 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. Lucas has brown hair that looks golden in certain lights. He is tall as well but a few inches shorter than Ryan. Lucas is always laughing, he as a cool sense of humor, he likes finding the good in every situation which is pretty cool. He plays football too.

"Me too" I say smiling.

"Doesn't seem like you are having fun though, just sitting here" Ryan said smirking.

"We are waiting for the game to start" I rolled my eyes ignoring him until the light turned dark and the game began. My sole mission was to bring Ryan down and I did, I shot him in the head. Ava and I won the game

"That was awesome" Lucas says. Ava and I nodded.

"Where are you guys headed" Ava asks. Lucas walks away avoiding the question.

"Lucas" I called

"Ryan as a date". I felt my heart stop.

"What?" Ava shouts. "Is that true?" Ava ask facing Ryan. He nods. I felt the color drain from my face. Ava turned to look at me, "Mae as a date too"

"Huh?" I coughed

"She does?" Ryan asks with a smirk.

"Yes, its a guy from school. Paul"

"Paul, huh" he says still smirking. "When does Paul get here?"

"He is meeting us at a restaurant not far from here, 'The Empty'"

"Okay then, why don't we go on a triple date?" Lucas suggests. I glare at him.

"Great idea" Ava agrees and that's how we make our way to 'The Empty', weird name for a restaurant if you ask me.

"Are you okay with this date" Ryan whispered as we walked to the car. I shivered under his breath touching my neck. He smirked at my reaction. I nodded not trusting my mouth to not put me to shame.

"When was the last time you were on a date" he smiles showing off his beautiful dimple.

I stop, turn around to face him, my breath caught in my throat at been this close to him, I tiptoe and blow slightly in his ears, I am satisfied to see I still have an effect on him, "Can you handle seeing me dating, Ry" I whisper.

He nodded after trying to compose himself. I raise an eyebrow, We'll see.

We got seated pretty quickly at the restaurant, we sat in a huge booth. From left to right; Ava, Lucas, Beth, Ryan's date, Ryan and myself. Paul hadn't arrived yet. A waiter made his way towards us to take our order. The waiter kept staring at me, he was writing Lucas' order but his eyes were on me. Ryan eyes followed the waiters line of sight, his faced changed when he realized the waiter was looking at me. He was angry. Time to dial it up.

"Hi" I say in a small voice smiling to the waiter.

"H...Hi" he stammers

"I don't bite" I say. "In public" and winked at him. He coughed. I passed the cup of water on the table to him. He took a big gulp and walked away looking back ever so often. I laughed.

"My best friend is back!" Ava shouted. I smiled. Ryan took a big gulp of water he was all but smoking out out of his ears.

A guy walked up to the table, I'm guessing its Paul. He is a good looking man, he's wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans with deep navy blue boots on.

"Hi" he greeted looking at me and smiling.

"Hi"

He sat down beside me blushing. I find it cute. The waiter came back with another cup of water for me and you could see the disappointment on his face when he sees Paul. I thank him for the water and wink at him as he left. Paul and I hit it off but it was obvious we would only remain friends which is cool, I wasn't ready for any relationship now.

We sat there all night, Paul made me laugh so hard which in turn made Ryan angry which made me happy. I don't think Ryan gave any attention to his date at all cause I felt his eyes on me throughout. After desert, we piled outside.

"Let's go" Ryan said holding my arm.

"Where is your date" I ask

"She left"

"Let's go" he repeats

"My date didn't leave, want to say goodnight", I release myself from his grip and walk to Paul. I say good bye to Paul with a peck on the cheek making a lunch date for next week.

I hear Ryan growl beside me. Okay. He's pissed.

"I said let's go" Ryan said again in a very low tone that scares me every time.

"But we are talking" Paul says. Ryan saw red. Oh-Oh

Ryan grabs my arm and pulls me, I jerked back cause Paul held onto my other arm.

"Let go" Ryan growls.

"Why?" Paul asks

"Because she's my wife" Ryan shouts. Paul lets go of my arm dumbfounded.

Ryan pulls me away and walks to his car. I didn't have the strength to argue, he hasn't called me his wife in so long. Ava and Lucas and follow us to the lot, they were quiet cause they knew not to mess with Ryan when he is like this. The ride was so depressingly quiet. The house was quiet when we got home, it was past three in the morning so that is expected.

"Mae" Ryan calls when we got home. I ignore him and walk up the stairs. I tripped on a step, he catches me before I fall. I walk out of his grip after I find my balance.

"Mae" he calls again but I don't answer.

"Goodnight Mae" I hear him whisper.

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