Chapter 14%
Gabriella’s POV
My phone buzzed with a message from Zander.
~I’m going to the gym. I need to maintain my gorgeous body. Are you coming?~
I snorted in amusement as I typed my reply. ~Hell no. Go have fun.~
A few minutes later, his reply came.
~Alright then, don’t come. Keep your fat ass at home.~
I chuckled softly, shaking my head in exasperation. In times like this, it was easy for me to remember that he was the Zander that I knew, no matter how he looked now.
A soft knock on my bedroom door pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up as the door opened slightly.
Elise stood on the other side of the door with her usual kind smile.
“There’s someone here to see you,” she said softly, before she stepped aside.
I frowned in confusion. “Who?”
Before she could answer, someone stepped into the room.”
I smiled as I instantly recognized the person.
“Ginny?”
Ginny Wallace was an old childhood friend. Her hair was shorter than I remembered, but her bright, playful eyes from before were now sharp and dark.
A smile spread across her face, but it didn’t really reach her eyes. “Hey, Ella. Long time no see.“}
I stood up from the bed with a warm smile, to hug her. “It’s been forever. I—“}
Ginny cut me off coldly. “I need you to stay away from Zander.“@
Her words hit me like a slap, and I gaped in surprise.
“What?”
Her smile dropped, and she gave me a cold look. “You heard me.” She crossed her arms, “You can’t just waltz back into town and take him from me.“}
I blinked, completely off balance by her words. “Ginny, I-”
“I’ve been here,” she cut me off sharply. “I’ve been with him. I love him. So whatever history you two had? It doesn’t matter. He’s mine now.“} My confusion faded, replaced by annoyance. “I’m here for an arranged marriage, Ginny. Zander and I are just good friends. That’s all.“}
She scoffed, shaking her head. “Yeah, right. You think I don’t see the way he looks at you? The way he talks about you?“>
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose in exasperation. “This isn’t a problem, Ginny. I’m not interested in Zander that way, neither is he.“}
Her eyes darkened. “Stay away from him, Gabriella. Or I’ll make sure you regret it.”
I lifted an eyebrow at her, “Are you threatening me?”
She smirked coldly. “Take it however you want, but you’ve been warned“}
Then she turned and walked out.
I sighed slowly, shaking my head. That was a very weird experience.}
I sighed, and picked up my phone to check the time. It had been an hour since Zander had texted me. He was probably done at the gym by now.
I decided to go over to his house and tell him what had just happened with Ginny.
Zander’s house was a couple of blocks away from mine. So I decided to take the car.
As I got to his house, I got down from the car, but the sound of footsteps caught my attention.”
Zander was just getting back.
I watched as he approached with a towel around his neck and his black gym shorts hanging low on his hips. His white tank top was soaked with sweat.
I paused for a moment, watching as he ran a hand through his damp hair.
“You’re staring,” he teased, smirking as he wiped his face with the towel.
I rolled my eyes. “You’re dripping sweat everywhere. It’s disgusting.”}
He grinned, stepping closer, his dark blue eyes glinting with mischief. “Do you want a hug?“}
I took a step back immediately. “Absolutely not.”
He laughed, hanging the towel over his shoulders. “Missed your chance. Women would kill for this, you know.”
I scoffed, shaking my head, but before I could respond
“Gabriella?”
The deep, familiar voice sent a chill down my spine.
(turned, my breath caught in my throat. It was Thomas.
He stood a few feet away, with his eyes on me. He looked shocked and relieved to see me.
For a moment, none of us spoke.
I wasn’t prepared for this moment. I hadn’t expected him to find me so quickly or even find me at all. So as I stood here, facing him, I felt like all the air had been sucked from my lungs.M
11:17 AM
