Chapter 95: Chapter 95
Amara smiled as they stepped out of the building. Her pace was unhurried, and her arm brushed lightly against Celeste’s as if the world was exactly as it should be.
Her whole nerves and body felt a thousand times better. She would thank Dominic in person whenever she sees him but that doesn’t mean they’re on 100% good terms.
The night air carried a faint chill. It was cool enough to raise goosebumps along a bare skin, but Amara’s energy was warm, and almost buoyant.
Rodger was already waiting by the time they were done. The black sedan was parked neatly by the curb.
Celeste slowed her steps. Her eyes had been locked on the bright glow of her phone screen for about an hour now. Expectations filled her gaze.
Dominic still hadn’t responded.
It’s already been an hour since she sent him the pictures. This was so unlike him. Dominic always replied immediately.
It was long enough for the weight of silence to turn into something heavier. This no longer felt like absence, but avoidance.
She scrolled back through her sent snaps. Each one was beginning to look too much to be sent to him. She knew she was sexy enough to be admired by him but this would make him look jobless if he replied to them.
What had possessed her to send them? She could almost hear her own voice mocking herself for expecting him to reply immediately. It wasn’t as if Dominic lived with his phone glued to his hand. But still.... Dominic would respond. He responds to anything she sends, even if it’s a single emoji.
Well, she probably shouldn’t have sent those.
The thought had replayed in her mind enough times that it was starting to feel like a confession.
Amara glanced sideways at her, but didn’t say anything. Celeste could feel the question forming in her friend’s head. She sighed lightly, but wanted to answer it. Not yet.
They were three steps from the car when a voice broke the silent calm night.
"Amara," The voice was warm, familiar, and wrong all at once.
Their heads turned automatically, and Celeste blinked. She turned to Amara, recognising Elias.
He didn’t belong in this street. He walked toward them with an ease that made Celeste’s stomach tightened. His hands were in the pockets of his tailored coat, the corners of his mouth tipped in that mild, and he wore a pleasant smile.
Celeste blinked. She knew she asked Amara not to run from him but why was she getting some weird aura from him?
For one whole minute, Celeste didn’t move. Her gaze stayed fixed on him, her phone was still in her hand, but it was forgotten.
Amara broke the pause. Her voice was soft but edged. "How did you know where I was?" she eyed him. She was a bit suspicious, but less guarded.
Elias’s smile didn’t waver. His eyes flicked briefly to Celeste before returning to Amara. "I had some business nearby. Thought I’d say hello."
His excuse offered no real answer.
"Business," Amara repeated, her tone neutral.
Elias gave a small shrug, as though that was all there was to say. "It’s been a while." His voice was casual, but there was a sliver of something under it.
"We spoke this morning," Amara pointed out, as she shrugged her shoulders.
Elias’s smile deepened. To Celeste, the smile was sort of practiced with ease, and that made it hard for her to read him. "Right," he said, a soft chuckle under his breath.
Amara’s shoulders loosened. Her expression shifted into something more casual. "Well... what kind of business?" she asked. Her voice was lighter now, and the suspicion in her eyes was tempered by polite curiosity.
"Just meetings," Elias replied smoothly. "You know how it is — running into people you weren’t expecting to see."
Amara gave a small laugh. "I suppose so."
Celeste stayed silent, her gaze moving between them. She didn’t know this man, but there was something in the way he looked at Amara. His stare was too direct, too deliberate, and too suspicious, that it pressed against her instincts.
Her friend looked happy. Very happy speaking to him even if she would never accept her own emotions. Perhaps, she was just paranoid.
"Well, I won’t keep you," Elias said after a moment. He glanced toward the waiting car. "It’s good to see you looking well."
"You too," Amara replied. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, and stared at him. One could tell her whole guard was slowly coming down.
They exchanged a brief smile before Elias took a small step back. His eyes briefly brushed over Celeste with a glance so fleeting she might have imagined it. Then he turned, and disappeared into the flow of pedestrians with that same unhurried stride.
Celeste watched him until he was gone. A faint crease rose between her brows and she couldn’t quite explain why.
She slid into the back seat beside Amara, Rodger closing the door after she stepped in, and pulled away from the curb.
She watched Amara smile when her phone screen lit up. She saw Elias’ name on the notification. The text was from him.
Amara picked up her phone, and replied immediately. Another text came in again, and she replied.
She exchanged a couple more texts with Elias, while Celeste had her whole attention on the street, wondering why she felt so uneasy. First with Dominic, now with Elias.
She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, and played with her fingers nervously.
"Dominic isn’t responding to me," Celeste murmured at last, her voice quieter than before.
Amara looked over, her expression calm. "It’s nothing," she said. "He’s probably busy."
Celeste shook her head, and turned to her friend. "Dominic responds to my text even in the middle of a business meeting, or a conference call,"
Amara set her phone aside, and parted her arms. "Come here."
Celeste moved closer, and melted into her best friend’s arms. Amara kissed the side of her head, and murmured. "Everything is perfectly fine. Don’t think about it."