"What the hell was that about? Was he the same 'grey haired maniac' you had told me about?" Hayden asked taking the place across from me, curiosity sparkling in the eyes.

"Grey haired not anymore maybe, manic definitely." I murmured sighing after recalling the recent events.

"You absolutely selfish human!" I heard faked annoyance in the voice, eyes crinkling.

"Selfish? Me? Enlighten how?" I asked not really keeping up with the conversation till the mention of my 'selfishness.'

"You forgot the detail where Lorenzo is like a fricking Anime! Why don't I have such people in my college?! Fucking bloody unfair!"

"He's....alright. I guess." I agreed not so much enthusiastically, but couldn't deny as well.

He was princely in looks. Perhaps more than me.

"I'm gonna require his social media handle?"

"Why, you don't even bloody know the guy and him causing the recent folds of events."

"That's exactly why. To stalk him." As the reply came I was devising how not to let Hayden become a full fledged prosecutor.

"Fuck no." I denied with a seriousness planted on face. Stalking Lorenzo won't go down well, especially when the person is your Ex and will soon practice law.

"So are you spilling your escapade or want me to stalk him down?"

I thought for a while, where and how to begin from. Hayden was aware about my parents' squabbles but Lorenzo wasn't a topic to have a two statement ending. It would require thesis from practical observations and then again it's antithesis.

Basically it was a science. And I wasn't a huge fan to decipher him I guess.

"My parents had this row of theirs-"

"Again?!" Hayden gaped at me with a hint of anger in the voice.

"Yeah well, so it was a lot disturbing this time and obviously I could only think of coming over to Mama's."

"Oh shit. Do you wanna talk about it?" I felt Hayden's hand reach for mine, I soon entangled our fingers, assuring that I was better. At least before entering the cafeteria and brawling with Lorenzo for what...?

"No." I replied after a while. I didn't feel like opening in depth about my new found dead sibling.

We sat there in silence for a while, it was a peaceful setting, having your highschool friend at your side and sitting at the very same place where you used to work in the junior year and ended up dating. Hayden and I valued each other a lot more than any friend, but dating isn't exciting having the constant fear of being broken up after a while. But if I think about it now, I hadn't really felt the spark or felt numb with proximity whenever I was with Hayden. It was only one particular person who made me feel that way.

"So what's up with Lorenzo?" Hayden asked in a low voice after what seemed like a few minutes had passed.

"What's up with him?" I was lost in my wandering thoughts but his name guided me back to the present.

"You very well are aware. Let's get a bit explicit here okay?" I realised it was the usual curiosity and the perfect opportunity to put your 'attorney study' into action.

But it was Hayden, I couldn't keep anything away even when I wanted to.

"So something is definitely up between y'all."

"What-no!"

"It wasn't a question for answering mate."

I couldn't keep up where this was going, but Lorenzo and I would be a source of misery for each other instead of romantic solace. Also there wasn't anything romantic on his side, to sum up to Hayden's fantastic theory.

"What are we doing here darling?" I asked the person across from me who was now busy counting the petals of lavenders in the vase.

"Two Ex-lovers who have become great friends discussing potential reasons, other than romantic of course, for Lorenzo to fly down here, to meet my ex lover." Hayden replied keeping a straight face,without much requirement of thinking through. This person couldn't be blabbering at this moment! Me and Lorenzo?

"Did you miss out the part where we dated in highschool?"

"No, why?"

"You don't usually set your Ex up with some other guy."

"Now you're keeping up mate. You and I," the lavender no more the centre of attention, "we have had romantic feelings though it sounds weird now to think about us being together." Hayden said chuckling and I joined in as well. It did sound weird for us being together now.

"Okay, and?" I asked now genuinely wanting to know Hayden's theory here.

"Now since as a third person it wouldn't be so accurate guessing about you guys. But as your Ex I could say..." Hayden trails off as the waiter finally walks in with our lattes.

I murmur a small thankyou and apologise for the earlier encounter, it must have been too low for the boy doesn't acknowledge it.

He retreats quickly as if I would skin him alive if he stayed a second more.

"Okay great theory there, but still why'd you even think so after we almost killed each other in front of you?" I asked immersing what the prosecutor here had said.

"Many reasons, the primary over being the way y'all were colliding, like lovers in distress!"

"What does fighting like a couple even mean?" I said huffing a sigh recalling the little human in the woods. "I don't know why he affects me so much. He makes me loose all my sanity."

"Well you for sure were an ass right now!" Hayden said raising the eyebrows with an expression which probably means 'stating the obvious.'

"What? You are supposed be on my side! You are my best friend, remember, not that loser's?" I gasped, not believing that Lorenzo had managed to grasp Hayden into his knitted mysterious self, just like he had me.

"Don't get me wrong London, I'm just stating facts. You know he's an emotional turmoil, you should have been the adult here. And of course you were the one at fault."

"You are doing a really bad job at the best friend shit you promised me. Aren't you supposed to provide some mental support or something to me right now?" I mumbled quietly gulping the half of the cherry mint latte. He hates lattes. A faint smile played across my lips reminiscing his bewildered reaction over cherry mint.

"Look London, there is something definitely going on..." Hayden trails off in a low tone realising that I was occupied with my own thoughts.

"Hey? You there?"

"He hates lattes- what?"

"So as I was saying, you two...you and Lorenzo, you definitely have something going on."

I hadn't told Hayden about our little moment in the forest, I was glad I hadn't. So I just stared at my best friend counselling a life lesson in the process.

"London, you should know this, no one absolutely no one takes a fucking flight to meet a person one thousand miles away just over a single text."

That made me gasp, I had almost spilled out my latte in the process. It was true, wasn't it? He, of all the people, had come here just because I asked him to. That too just over a single text.

"And what did your stupid ass do? When you should have been regretful and apologizing, you threw it in his face instead. You asked him to fuck off, when he came all the way here, just for you." The stress on the last word made the world stop around me, realisation hit me, how fucking dense I had been.

I stood up from my seat, the coffee oozed out as my grip on the cup unconsciously tightened, making wonders on the table as well as on my hand, after I had gripped it in realisation. "Oh shit!"

"Yeah, you just wasted a cherry mint latte."

"No! I mean shit I was so stupid! He must have been so hurt, oh god!"

"You know the drill darling..." Hayden winked at me hinting out.

"What?" I asked confused, until realisation settled in, "No! Absolutely not."

But Hayden just continued to stare me down, and I didn't look up into the those hazel green eyes, cause I knew I would end up agreeing if I did. So instead I scrambled up some tissue wiping off the sweet drink off my hands.

"I'm going!"

"Yes baby, go get your man!"

"I like your out-of-the-box thinking but let's just stick with my idea?" I just stood there stunned for a while gazing at nothing in particular. I couldn't have been this dense, he actually did something not-so-subtle for once and the best I could come up with was bombarding him for being nice to me. I felt worse thinking about how he must be feeling. Why am I such a fuck up?

"London go for your man darling!"

"No I meant I'm leaving. I'm not going to chase him to the airport, just for you to complete some of your epic fantasy. This isn't some typical Hollywood movie Hayden. I don't know what I'm gonna do though, but I'm not going to chase his flight or something."

I could but I don't even know if he'll be there anymore. Best not to be amazingly reckless like earlier.

"Ring him up, Graham didn't invent phones for nothing." Hayden advised after making the payment of our orders.

I just stood their contemplating my decision.

"You know London this is your life, you make the decisions. I can help you only till here, it's you who's gotta choose." Hayden said, getting up from the seat, "I'm leaving now. I have a class. Call me if you are going to stay longer, we can meet." The hazel eyes shone with compassion, Hayden planted a soft kiss on my cheek before departing. And just like that the ball of sunshine left waving through the glass, leaving me alone in my dazed state.

~¤~

"Is it okay if I sit here for a while longer? I did order something a couple of hours back." I requested the same waiter who had about ten times asked me to place my order.

"Just a little while. At least order some latte again or else you'll go against our policy and will have to leave."

I just nodded a little in response and he took off again for the tenth time. I needed constructive words if I was going to ring up Enzo. I couldn't come up with any decent reason for shoving him away, let alone realise his, for coming all the way here for me.

I couldn't tell him exactly about my disability for running away everytime my parents had their fits even though he did walk in on one of their squabbles once. Would he understand if I tell him my reasons for being mad at any possible being at that moment of distress? Even when it was only Lorenzo whom I bombarded at.

Fuck it!

So I did the only thing my conscience asked me to. I dug into my phone, going to the root of the whole misunderstanding, the message I sent, and called up that number.

The line rang and rang, and just when I was about to the end the call, it was answered.

"Enzo..." I slipped.

There was no reply from the other side.

"Enzo I know I fucked up, I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that shit-" I was suddenly cut off from the harsh thundering from the other side.

"Yes you are right, you fucked up, and you said shit! Because that's what you are! A piece of shit, ruining my life. Messing up with my head. You are just so full of yourself, not everything revolves around you, I didn't come here for you anyway, I had buisness of my own to deal with. So fuck off, don't give me that I'm sorry shit, I'm not up for your pity, or whatever shit that comes out from your pretty little mouth. And you know what, you deserve every fucking nightmare that you have, you fucking deserve it." His voice cracked, "Tu me fais mal." And the line was cut off, making me hate myself even more.

I tried ringing him up again. And then again. I must've done calling him up sitting in that cafeteria for about a million times. But everytime after one ring the call went into voice mail.

He had blocked my number.

I deserved this, those were the only words revolving around me.

I deserve this.

~¤~

(A/N: Hi y'all!!!

So, I don't know but the cafeterias in this story unfold a lot of it's own stories...I want friends which knock sense into me like London's and not the other way round (who's pretty lucky in case of social circle here...hhhehh can't relate)

Okay, so we're in the new year, hoping for a new beginning... I didn't mind binge watching series and YouTube during online lectures tbh.

Anywayyyy, HAPPY 2021 Y'ALL...let's hope for something super awesome and sick and definitely let's not get sick;))

Love,Maads<3)