Chapter 5

Justin's heart skipped a beat.

Even if he might resent Yvie now, he couldn't help worrying after hearing that she was in trouble.

Just as he was about to ask how she was, he decided against it. Was it not proof enough that she was fine, since she was right here in one piece?

Forcing himself to not go mushy on her, he said coolly, "That's too much of a detour."

However, Yvie didn't seem to hear. She reached through the window to unlock the door.

"Hey!" Justin snapped in annoyance, but she once again ignored his glare as she got in.

Bang!

Even as Justin felt like she disturbed his inner peace by shutting the door so loudly, she complained, "Oh, I'm so tired…"

Slouching in her seat, she closed her eyes. "Take me home. I need my beauty sleep."

She was just asking seconds earlier, and was now giving orders?

Justin frowned. Whether it was the stress of the past few days or her showing up out of nowhere, he could hear how bitter he sounded.

"Why are you asking me? Go get your boy toy if you're in trouble."

He regretted those words right after he said them.

Almost unsurprisingly, Yvie giggled. Heaven knew if she was amused by 'boy toy' or his funny reaction.

"His college is very far from here, so I won't," she eventually said.

Justin could have slapped himself right then. "Well, don't you have anyone else?"

Yvie opened her eyes. "You're here, aren't you?"

Since she had him, she didn't need to ask anyone else.

Justin felt hurt. If she knew she had him, why would she find someone else? And a brat at that?

"Alright, just get me home," Yvie said, closing her eyes again as if nothing happened. "Drag this out any longer and I'm sleeping in your car."

In the end, she still never explained why she showed up at his parents' place.

Justin kept his eyes fixed dead ahead. "Don't ever show up around my parents. I'd rather they didn't misunderstand."

His father's words about not mentioning things uncertain in the house or people he wasn't sure of, for that matter, rang in his mind.

It was customary for his family that, after he brought his girlfriend home, they would all travel together to his father's hometown to visit his uncles and aunts.

That was also why Justin said he couldn't bring her along.

It also occurred to him that it was really over for him and Yvie now. He would look bad if he argued further, so he simply started the car and drove.

"Your place," she said offhandedly.

"You said you're heading home."

"What's the difference?"

The pain could rip Justin in two. He had always said that home was wherever she was. Now that they had broken up, was she saying it just to tease him?

He refused to play along, and turned the car around. "I'm afraid that's too inconvenient."

"If you say so."

Yvie stayed silent, while Justin's gaze turned gloomy as he drove. Just minutes later, they ended up in traffic and were barely inching forward.

Justin was just looking outside the window when he paused, his eyes widening.

It was Yvie's car, with the front end in tatters. The other vehicle was a black car, and it looked just as bad.

While traffic officers directed the other cars, a man was complaining loudly and furiously, "That woman! She thinks she can do anything just because she's rich!"

One of the officers was scowling at him right then. "She offered to compensate you in full. Or maybe you'd rather she didn't?"

The man snorted coldly but didn't say another word.

As for Justin, he only realized his hands were trembling after leaving the scene. He couldn't help glancing sideways at Yvie.

She wasn't lying, but as he studied her seriously while waiting for the light, she kept her face turned away as if deliberately hiding something.

Justin needed the dim streetlights just to notice the swelling on her temple.

He wanted to reach out and brush her hair behind her ear to get a better look, but decided against it when he remembered their current relationship status.

His brow was creasing and easing repeatedly as he struggled inwardly.

One voice in his heart was telling him that he didn't have to worry about Yvie anymore, that anything happening to her was none of his business.

The other voice was dissing him. Why was he pretending when he still loved her?

Honk!

Hearing the car horn behind him, Justin jerked to his senses and promptly floored the pedal.

He heard Yvie say, "Can't you focus on your driving?"

"Your head. You're hurt," he rasped.

"I'll live, don't worry," Yvie replied, frowning slightly. She then paused as it occurred to her. "Actually, I think my head hurts a little. Would you kindly take me to the hospital?"

Feeling exposed, Justin scowled in silence.

As always, any attempt he made to hide things from Yvie was laughable.

"Your phone's ringing," she suddenly told him. "Someone's calling."

Justin came to his senses right then, and saw that the dashboard panel was indeed showing the caller ID: Lisa.

He was going to hang up, but remembered that he still had to go home eventually and deal with the botched arranged date.

To avoid his parents throwing a fit, he eventually answered.

"Where are you, Justin?" Lisa asked at once.

"You didn't have to call me, Ms. Singer. I'll talk to my parents tomorrow."

He would've said that even if Yvie wasn't there.

Lisa, however, completely ignored him.

"I'm actually outside," she said, her tone utterly wounded. "I'd like to see you and apologize face-to-face. I didn't know Ms. Rosberg was your friend. All that earlier wouldn't have happened if you had told me everything before."

The car was very silent. Yvie could very clearly hear every word, and her eyebrow arched up as if pondering on the word 'friend.'

Still, Justin was feeling a little annoyed. "That can wait until I get home."

"Can you come pick me up?" Lisa asked pleadingly. "I came out in a rush without an umbrella, and my phone will be out of battery soon. The thunder is a little scary out here, too…"

She trailed off for a moment, quickly adding, "I know it's sudden, but I told your father that I'd definitely bring you back home."

Justin could tell right away that she would be a handful when she mentioned his father.

Lightning flashed, and thunder cracked in the distance

"Just stay out of the rain and wait for me," he said. He still had to take Yvie to the hospital.

"Alright, I'll be waiting. As long as it takes."

Justin's mood was somber as he hung up.

Yvie unfastened her seatbelt and said, "Stop the car."

Justin was confused, but had no choice. "What?"

Yvie simply got off, her face cold but her lips curling up ever so slightly.

Before she shut the door, she arched her back to look in the car. Raindrops fell, and one landed at the corner of her eye.

The mere sight of it tore Justin on the inside.

"You know me, Justin. I never liked being a bother," Yvie said, smiling as she shut the door.

The moment it closed, Justin heard her finish, "And I'm not afraid of thunder."