Wrong Side Of The Bed

19 | the marvelous group date.

JANNAT'S P.O.V

I FELT FABULOUS. The night air was fanning my face as the car rolled down, my hair was parted in the middle and was tied up immaculately in a low bun, I was going to a gorgeous Asian restaurant, and I was about to help rekindle the love between two best friends. I was living my life.

"If you're done looking out of the window and pretending that you're in a music video," Sinclair's annoying voice floated in. "Can you pay some attention to me? Your boyfriend?"

"You're so annoying," I remarked as I turned towards him, lifting a single brow. "What happened? Did you finally realize that no matter how much fiction you read, you won't ever be able to wholly escape this harsh, cruel reality?"

He scrunched up his face. "Wow okay, that was rude," He paused. "And I was asking, can I eat these chocolates? I love chocolates. But these look kinda expensive so I thought I'd ask."

"Don't worry about the price," I said, holding up the box of Richart's chocolates. "But they are really, really tasty. And I also brought them for you, so please feel free to eat them."

His animated face went still for a moment. "You bought them for me?"

"Look, don't make a big deal out of it," I said, sighing. "It's just a box of chocolates."

"I don't know, these look kinda expensive," He said.

I shoved the box of chocolates in his arms, narrowing my eyes on him. "Will you really not eat the chocolates I brought for you — while thinking of you — just because they might be a little expensive?  Would your favorite character do that, Sinclair? Would your favorite character brush aside their frenemy's feelings like this?"

"Percy Jackson certainly won't do that," He said, sucking in a breath. "But, I feel bad taking this. These look imported."

"So if these were found easily in the domestic markets, you would have eaten it?"

"...Yes."

"Why?"

"Because of the sentimental value," He said. "Ah, I see your point."

"Exactly," I nodded. "I am always right. So now eat them without further ado, if you want to. Plus, they're also a compensation for booking reservations for all of us without telling you first — for which I have a perfectly fine reason — because you'd have denied, but I feel obligated nonetheless."

"You're my dream girl," He said after a beat.

"I am everyone's dream girl," I corrected.

"Cocky much?" He inquired before opening the box, and quickly popping in a piece of chocolate in his mouth. "I mean yeah, you're right, but you literally have all the haughtiness of a princess of some distant, rich land."

"I also have their charm as well, so I think it's justified."

"You're feeding me these delectable chocolates knowing that I won't bad-mouth you, huh?" He said, closing his eyes for a moment as he swallowed the chocolate. My eyes traced the shape of his face — lit up against the dark night and the skyscrapers rushing by — for a minute, before I got ahold of myself and looked away. 

He let out a chuff. "God, you're absolutely right, Walter. If you keep feeding me these chocolates, I won't ever be able to bring myself to insult you again. I don't know if I should be pleased or disappointed about that fact."

"You're adorable," I mumbled before I knew what I was saying. His head snapped towards me as soon as the words left me and while quickly coming out with a sharp retort, I choked on my spit. So there I was, sitting in the back of my car, choking and coughing on my spit after calling my fake boyfriend and known arch nemesis adorable. And the shocked look on Sinclair's face had soon morphed into panic as he saw me choking, and he was patting my back with one hand and had the other extended towards me with a bottle in grasp.