Chapter 4
It was obvious she'd put in extra effort today.
Her makeup was barely there, with no blush on her cheeks, and she looked so pale that it tugged at my heart.
She was wearing a white coat, the same style as the black one Ryan always wore.
It made them look like a couple in matching outfits.
Ryan didn't take the gift box from Ava. Instead, he slowly looked up at her, his expression unreadable.
Ryan asked, "How did you get in here?"
This place was a private, members-only club. There was no way Ava could've gotten in by herself.
Ava forced a smile, meeting Ryan's eyes. "I swiped Lucas's membership card."
She added softly, "I wanted to wish you a happy birthday face-to-face."
The private room went dead silent. No one knew what to do or say.
Ava stood there, her face full of sadness and loneliness.
Anyone would have felt sorry for her.
Especially Lucas.
Emily sat beside him, but from the moment Ava walked in, Lucas couldn't take his eyes off her.
Lucas said, "Ryan, I let her in.
"She's been really sincere about this from the beginning. Since it's your birthday, let her join us for the celebration."
I glanced at Emily. She was biting her lip, staring at Lucas, looking dazed.
For some reason, I couldn't shake off this uneasy feeling.
Bits and pieces from my dream started flashing through my mind again.
In my dream, Ava showed up at Ryan's birthday party, too.
He had already rejected her advances, but when he saw her, he didn't seem bothered by her presence.
He told her she could sit wherever she liked, his expression hard to read.
But now, things were different.
Ryan looked at Ava with obvious disgust.
Ryan said, "I don't need your wishes or your gift."
He pulled me close, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
Ryan added, "I love my girlfriend, and she's the only one for me.
"So I hope you'll stop bothering me and stop embarrassing yourself."
Ava's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
The chandelier above made the tears in her eyes sparkle.
She wiped at the corner of her eye, her voice trembling as she turned to Ryan.
"Can't we even be friends?" Ava asked.
"Sorry," Ryan said, his tone colder than ice. "I don't need a friend like you."
Ava couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She covered her mouth and ran out of the room, crying uncontrollably.
"Ava," Lucas shouted, jumping up and rushing to go after her.
But Ryan grabbed his arm, holding him back.
"Lucas, mind your own business," Ryan said.
Lucas jerked his arm away, glaring at Ryan in frustration.
"I can't believe how heartless you are." He said.
"I just don't get it. She's a good girl, hasn't done anything out of line, but you've had it out for her since day one." He added.
Lucas was getting more worked up.
"Humiliating her in front of everyone, does that stroke your ego, Ryan?" Lucas demanded.
Ryan's eyes darkened with anger.
But Ryan kept his cool.
Ryan's voice was steady but firm. "Lucas,
"I'm telling you as a friend. Don't let yourself get carried away.
"She's not as innocent as she looks."
Ryan pointed at Emily. "Besides, your girlfriend's right here. Are you really going to hurt her for a girl who's not even connected to you?"
Lucas finally glanced at Emily, noticing her red-rimmed eyes. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
Lucas said, "Em, don't overthink it. I can't stand Ryan picking on a girl like that."
He shot a worried glance at the door, clearly itching to rush over to Ava.
Lucas said, "Wait here, I'll go check on her and be right back."
Saying that, he hurried out of the room.
Emily watched him leave in such a rush, tears streaming down her face.
For some reason, my heart ached for her, too.
Maybe it was because we were both girls.
Or maybe it was because, in my dream, I'd once watched Ryan walk away from me, too.
I reached out and took Emily's hand, hoping to comfort her a little.
Just then, we heard a commotion and panicked shouts from the hallway.
"Someone's about to jump! Hurry! Hurry!" someone yelled.
Everyone in the room was startled and rushed out to see what was happening.
A wave of unease hit me.
Could it be Ava?
Emily looked stunned and a little panicked. She grabbed my hand.
"Come on, let's go see what's going on," she said.