Hook: The Novel (English)

Chapter 14: Busy

Ford's P.O.V.

"What's with you?" Dean's voice jolted me back to reality, pulling my attention away from the distant thoughts that had consumed me. I turned to face him, confusion evident in my expression.

"Huh?" I responded, trying to shake off the fog that seemed to envelop my mind.

We were seated inside Dean's car, the quiet hum of the engine providing a backdrop to our conversation. He was giving me a ride home, our schedules aligning fortuitously, though exhaustion weighed heavily on my shoulders after a long and taxing day.

"You've been zoning out since earlier, you have dark circles under your eyes, keep yawning, did you sleep?" Dean's concern was evident in his tone as he observed my tired appearance.

"Just did my plates..." I answered weakly, attempting to brush off his question with a feeble excuse.

But the truth lingered just beneath the surface.The real reason for my sleep deprivation was not the mundane task I claimed to have been occupied with.. No, it was something far more unexpected and consuming. The truth was, I had been deprived of sleep because I had spent the entire night engaged in conversation with Gadiel.

It might seem incredulous, even to myself, but he had reached out to me out of the blue, asking me to talk with him. How could I refuse such an invitation? And so, against all logic and reason, we had found ourselves engrossed in conversation for seven uninterrupted hours, delving into topics both trivial and profound, losing track of time in the process.

I was suddenly startled when Dean opened the stereo of his car, and to my surprise, the song that began to play was "Falling In Love Alone" by Stacey Ryan. Instantly, memories of my time in the province with Gadiel flooded my mind, accompanied by a rush of emotions.

My heart began to pound, and I felt my cheeks flush with warmth.

"Ford...Ford..FORD!" Dean's urgent voice snapped me out of my reverie.

"Y-yes!" I stammered, shaken from my thoughts.

"I've been calling your name a hundred times, but you keep zoning out," Dean exclaimed with a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Sorry, just feeling a bit sleepy," I mumbled, trying to brush off my distraction with a simple excuse.

Dean sighed, his concern evident in his tone. "We're already home. You should get some rest; you seem really out of it."

I glanced outside the window and realized that indeed, we had arrived at my house.

"Thanks, Dean. Take care on your way home," I said gratefully as I stepped out of the car. After he drove off, I waved him goodbye and made my way inside the house, heading straight to my room. Collapsing onto the bed, I allowed the exhaustion to wash over me, finally succumbing to the need for rest.

However, just as I began to drift into the embrace of sleep, my phone suddenly began to beep incessantly. Startled, I fumbled for my phone and hastily unlocked it to check the source of the disturbance. A notification from our group chat flashed on the screen, piquing my curiosity.

Feeling a sense of intrigue, I opened the chat to see what everyone was discussing.

Pips here are tired in life!

Prince
Is anyone free?

Eyyow, why? Are you planning to ask us out?

Dean
Hey! Aren't you tired?

Sho
What's up?

Dean
I picked him up from their class to have lunch together but he kept yawning and staring blankly.