Chapter 7

The drive down to the coffee shop wasn't as stressful as I thought it would be and by the time I was arriving in front of the neon light sign that boldly read 'Impresso Espresso'

I arched a brow somewhat at it before grabbing my hoodie and making my way into the shop. It wasn't technically big but it could definitely sweep a person off their feet by it's radiance. The interior had great lighting and structural designs that made me wonder about the mastermind who crafted the building plan.

My eyes bounced around the place for a jiffy before landing on Ivy sitting at some table with some of her other girls that I hadn't met before and engrossed in a little conversation when she saw me, her eyes lit up in happiness.

"Jamie!"

She squeaked as if she didn't just see me early this morning but I was returning her gestures with a wide smile. "Hiii"

I greeted them when I got to her table and the two girls sitting next to her looked equally nice. One was wearing a completely black aesthetic. Black top, a black short skirt, black boots, and had a British accent while the other girl was a regular American girl.

"Hello. I'm jade"

The girl in a black outfit muttered and the other girl was waving on cue. "And I'm Laura"

"Ivy tells us a lot about you"

She added and I slowly turned to glance at Ivy and she was grinning at me. I cleared my throat, wondering what things Ivy could have said and Jade was snickering, catching my expressions.

"Not bad things, of course"

A chuckle left my lips unknowingly. "Oh?"

"I think I feel better now"

They both laughed at my words and soon, I was getting comfortable around them. I came to know that they were a few of Ivy's friends from the cheerleading club. They talked about cheerleading for a while and I simply watched quietly, since I technically knew nothing about it. They seemed more engrossed by the moment and talking about who was going to take some part in the opening start.

I decided to go order something while they were at it. I didn't ask them what they wanted to have since they had all ordered before I arrived. I made my way to the counter and ordered a black coffee. After a while, it was given to me and I made my way back to their table.

This time, they were talking about some upcoming party. Jade suddenly turned to glance at me. "Jamie. Right, you should also come along"

I blinked. "What?"

She chuckled. "There's a huge party next week. Everyone would be there."

She uttered and though I have never liked parties. I could consider crossing that out for an invitation from someone who just wanted to have me around. I looked at Laura and she was nodding too. Ivy knowing my personality wanted to defend me right away and say that I wouldn't be able to make it but I was beating her to it. "Okay"

Ivy's eyes widened and then stammered. "Y...You d..don't have to"

I shrugged. "One night wouldn't kill"

Then the girls were clapping for me for taking the big girls' step and Ivy was giving them the bored-ass look. "Whatever. When the time comes. Make sure you stick close to my side"

She muttered and when the girls didn't say anything. I figured that they already knew that it would be my first time considering going to a party. My eyes bounced around for a while, attempting to empty the liquid in my black coffee down my throat when a familiar somebody walked through the door.

I glanced up and in an instant, our eyes locked. Liam. Like the other day, I felt breathless and my eyes moved from his eyes to his hands tugging to the waist of his new girlfriend. I thought that he was getting really comfortable holding another girl in my absence and then my eyes fell to the girl in question.

I didn't even know her. She was some brunette from school who looked so happy to be with one of the top guys in school and then I wondered for a split second if it was his thing to look for innocent girls, make them fall for him, and then leave them heartbroken in the end.

I drew my eyes away from the sight not wanting to walk my eyes over the other popular guys that surrounded him. Somewhere behind my mind, I wondered why our school students were suddenly filling in on this shop, just as I was thinking, a familiar deep voice was pulling me out of my thoughts. Those same once that I haven't been able to get out of my head since he had left me.

Liam was coming over. "Hey. Ivy"

He greeted, and she turned behind to look at him, not replying to him until she cast a glimpse my way. I nodded and she then spared him a tight grin. "Hey."

"I saw your Insta and thought I should also check the coffee shop out"

He muttered and she hummed. "Jobless are we?"

He chuckled at her statement, totally ignoring me but then all the guys alongside him did too, and just trying to engage with Ivy as if the rest of us were invisible.

I figured now why they seemed to appear out the thin air. Ivy had posted a picture on Instagram of this place. I was still thick in my thoughts when Liam said all of a sudden. "Oh..? Jamie. You're here"

I looked up slowly, locking eyes with him and trying to hide the surprise that he was speaking to me. I felt pained but mostly angry. Who did he think he was, to show up in my life and leave me whenever he wanted? He seriously had the guts to speak to me?

I didn't know where the confidence came but I shrugged, pinning a glare his way. "You should open your eyes wider next time. I've always been sitting here"

I uttered and for the first time in my life, I saw a spark that I hadn't seen in his eyes before. Instantly, I interpreted it to be complete shock. All the time that I dated him. I was always scared to go against him or do things he didn't like so he wouldn't leave me because I loved him too much but now that he already did. I had nothing to lose, right?

He was still staring but the spark was slowly wavering into something else. I thought it was anger because all his friends were either jaw-dropped or chuckling at my reply. He seemed to assemble his fluttered self after a while and was muttering back. "Whatever. I wouldn't take lectures from someone who is wearing glasses"

Crap.

I resisted the urge to bite against my underlip when he said that. I've always used glasses since I was younger and I even now I was wearing one. The crowd went 'wooo' after that and his friends for once, looked genuinely interested in the show that was going on. I thought it was funny because all the time we were dating they didn't even associate with me and now, look, a good amount of them were chuckling and looking at me.

I felt my blood boil from the satisfactory glint resting within Liam's eyes and one thing for sure, I wasn't going to let him win this one. "Uhmn. At least, I use glasses. Last I remember, you were using your friend's shoulder because..."

I brought my two fists closer to my face for a better crying effect. "Weee.. Weee... Someone couldn't make it to the finals"

I finished bitterly, hoping to hit exactly where his ego would hurt. It wasn't news he was removed from the basketball finals last year. His friends were laughing severely and his best friend, Cole was tapping above the shoulders and muttering something I couldn't hear and from beside me. I could hear snickers from Ivy and her friends, but I didn't have time to assess that as I was too busy dissing who should have been the love of my life.

To my dismay, he smiling instead and looking genuinely amused by my words. It almost gave me deja vu of the smiles he had given me back then when we first met but I didn't care...because I was smart enough to know that he couldn't be trusted with anything and definitely not with my heart.

"That was only because I was injured"

He explained a bit distracted by something his other friend, Jason was saying. He soon glanced back at me and I nodded, detaching my gaze away from his painfully attractive frame. "First, I don't exactly care, and second, keep telling yourself that"

I caught a glimpse at Ivy, and she was giving me a skeptical look, as though trying to figure out something. I sighed internally, knowing that I would have to address the hell out of what just happened sooner or later but for now. I didn't think I could stay in a room any longer if it had Liam in it.

"I'm going out for fresh air"

I muttered to her. She nodded, and when I glanced at her friends they both seemed busy doing something else on their phones. I decided not to bother them with a hand wave. I stood up, grabbed my black coffee, and made it towards the glass door entrance. All through the while, I could feel a particular pair of eyes boring into my back and before I made my way outside, my eyes tilted a bit and I could spot his new girlfriend glaring at me angrily.

I sighed inwardly for the third time already and walked out the door. I needed fresh air and outside was a good way to get that. It was moving closer to the deeper evening which meant that I would soon be heading back home, but for now, I just wanted to enjoy the peace and quietness.

I was closing my eyes and leaning against the railings outside, lost, in the wind when the coffee case accidentally slipped out of my grip and fell downwards. My eyes instantly fluttered open and I tilted myself to rest more on the railing so I could see the under more vividly and soon, my eyes were doubling when the coffee wasn't hitting the rock bottom ground, instead, the substance was pouring all over a guy I have seen before.

I frowned. Adrian?