Chapter 27 - Happening Again

Vera's POV

"Peter?"

The name slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

For a second, I just stared at him, trying to match his familiar smile with the little boy I used to know.

His lips slowly stretched into a wide grin. "You remember me."

"Of course I do." A small laugh escaped my lips. "It's been a really long time."

"It really has." His eyes stayed on me for another second before he leaned his arm against the driver's door, his smile still easy and warm. "So... where are you headed, looking this pretty?"

"Umm... just a party a few buildings away."

His smile widened. "You mean the one at the Gilberts' mansion?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"That's exactly where I'm going." He tapped on the steering wheel as his eyes stayed on me. "Hop in."

I hesitated, my fingers tightening around the strap of my purse. "I don't want to impose."

"You're not imposing." He chuckled softly. "I offered."

A smile slowly grew on my face. "Well... since you asked."

I walked around the car and opened the passenger door. The moment I sat down, I couldn't stop myself from looking around. The inside looked expensive. Everything was neat, and the leather seats felt smooth under my hands. Even the dashboard looked like something from those luxury cars I usually saw online. I didn't know much about cars, but I could tell this one wasn't cheap.

I reached for the seatbelt without even thinking about it. It clicked softly into place, and a small smile crossed my face.

Going to school with Liam had taught me one thing, always wear your seatbelt. You never knew when he would suddenly hit the brakes.

Peter glanced at me before starting the engine. "So... which school do you attend now?"

"Hayworth Academy."

His brows lifted in surprise. "Seriously?"

I nodded.

"I haven't seen you before."

My head turned toward him quickly. "You attend Hayworth Academy too?"

"I sure do." His eyes left the road for a brief second to look at me before turning back to the front.

"Wow… I only started attending this week though."

"Oh." He nodded like something suddenly made sense. "That explains it."

I looked at him, curious. "Explains what?"

"Why I haven't seen you around."

Before I could say anything, the car began to slow down. A few seconds later, it came to a stop, and Peter turned off the engine.

I looked through the windshield. A mansion stood bright and glowing ahead of us. It was quiet like as if nothing was going on apart from the noise of the people outside.

The front yard was already crowded with people. Groups of boys and girls laughed loudly, some holding bottle. A few couples stood pressed so close together they barely noticed anyone walking past. Some were kissing openly, not caring who saw them.

A party without music?

I quietly looked away and turned back to Peter, expecting him to open his door. Instead, he was still staring at me.

I blinked. "What?"

He didn't answer right away. "You look different."

I frowned. "Different how?"

He smiled. "More beautiful… and taller."

A laugh escaped my lips with my brows raised like as if he said the darnest thing, obviously trying to pull his legs. "Taller?"

"Well yeah, that's obvious." He said in a serious tone.

"Of course it's obvious." I shook my head, trying hard not to smile too much, but failing anyway. For a moment, laughing together like this, it felt like no years had passed between us at all, like we were still those two kids, me chasing after him in school for my own fun.

Then Peter cleared his throat. "We're here."

"Oh." I reached for the door handle.

"Wait." Before I could ask why, he had already stepped out of the car. I watched through the window as he walked around to my side, and my eyebrows slowly lifted when he opened my door for me.

"Your ride has officially ended, miss."

I laughed, stepping one foot onto the ground before standing beside him. The night breeze brushed gently against my skin, cool and soft.

Standing this close to him, I noticed something I hadn't before. Peter had always been taller than me, but now he completely towered over me.

He suddenly stretched out his hand, bending forward slightly like he was greeting a queen. "Can this gentleman have the honor of holding your hand?"

I burst into laughter. "You're ridiculous."

"I've been told." He grinned, waiting with his hand still out.

With a wide smile on my face, I placed my hand in his. His fingers closed gently around mine. Then he straightened up and shut the passenger door behind us. "Shall we?"

"We shall."

We faced the mansion and started walking towards the entrance but then barely a few steps in… I noticed eyes were on us, people were staring.

Seriously?

First it happened when Liam drove me to school. Now it was happening again, just because I had arrived with Peter.

I looked down at myself, wondering if something was wrong with my dress. Or maybe it wasn't me at all. Maybe it was him.

The loud conversations around us slowly faded into silence. Couples pulled apart from each other. Groups of friends stopped mid-sentence. Even the ones that had there tongues deep in each other's throats had separated, now looking at us.

And whispers started, but this time around the words weren't loud enough for my ears to pick. Like they didn't want to offend a certain someoneby saying the wrong thing out loud.

I frowned slightly. What was going on?

I held my purse closer to me. Whatever that was happening didn't affect me, it had happened before. I guess I am getting used to being looked at and getting talked about.

I kept walking ahead without minding anyone's eyes when I saw him.

Liam.

He stood near the side of the mansion, a little away from the crowd. One hand rested inside his pocket while the other held a glass loosely.

His eyes were fixed on me, not just on me, but on every single step I took. On Peter's hand wrapped around mine.

His face stayed hard and his eyes looked at me cold… but underneath all of that, there was something else, something I couldn't place a name on, and it made my chest tighten just looking at him.

Why was he looking at me like that?

‘You were the one who left me on the road, jerk.’

I swallowed hard. Just as I was about to look away, someone suddenly wrapped both arms around him from behind. The girl rested her chin against his shoulder like she belonged there, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I didn't even need to see her face to know who it was.

Who else could it be? If not Sarah.