Dare Trilogy | Book 3 Editing | ✓

1.22.5 | Perfect Illusion + Old Friends

Edited on May 21st, 2018.

| . . . C H A P T E R . . . 1. 2 2 . 5 (1) : P E R F E C T - I L L U S I O N . . . |

I entered the apartment where Lavanya and Aarav stayed. Since I've moved them here, I've been coming at night here than the dorm apartment I shared with my college mates. I didn't hear any voices - no screaming of Lavanya running after Aarav. I checked their room and saw her on the bed half asleep while half sitting and patting Aarav's chest putting him to sleep.

The poor girl must be so exhausted.

I quietly walked in and pulled a blanket over both of them. She stirred awake and tried to sit up but I blinked a no to her and mouthed, "Sleep." Even if it was just 8 in the evening, she looked like she needed it. I knew very well how Aarav kept her on her toes from the second he was awake till he would go to sleep at night.

She slid down on bed to properly lay down and I walked out, turning off the lights on my way out.

I went to the kitchen to check for left overs. They were always there. Filling a plate, I take it to the dining table along with my laptop so I could do some online assignments while having dinner.

Just as I was finished, I heard the rattling of the keys on the front door before Kripa walked in. I dried my hands after having washed the plate and greeted her, "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Homework. Need help." She answered dropping her bag on the couch.

I raised my brows at her for she never took me up on the offer whenever she would struggle with it. She was here for something else. Homework was an excuse. Returning to the dining table where my laptop was, I asked again. "Real reason, Kripa."

She walked over and pulled out a chair as well. "Something weird happened today."

"Okay," I answered waiting for her to elaborate while I typed.

Her eyes were on me as she spoke as if wanting to assess my reaction, "See, I was folding Khushi's laundry for her."

"Hmm." I had no idea why we were talking about laundry.

"And I'd swear, one of the shirts she had was yours."

I chuckled at the impossibility of it, not stopping my typing while I said, "Did you mix your laundry with hers?"

"That's the thing. I didn't."

I glanced up at that with creased brows, "I don't see how that's possible then."

"Are you sure?"

I pulled away from the laptop and crossed my arm over my chest, "What are you asking me, Kripa?"

She didn't faze away from her line of questioning, "You know what."

I don't know why I felt some anger thinking she would even think this. "Kripa, no. I've never looked at her that way."

She argued, "But you do look at her some way."

I might have never seen Khushi as one of the girls I slept with but I couldn't counter that. So, I argued something else. "Are you even sure it was my shirt? You know she wears loose clothes. It could have been her brothers."

She shook her head in certainty, "No, it was yours. Had our logo on it. And, I am more confused because I'm pretty sure it was a shirt di made for you before you two started the fashion house. From when she was still dabbling whether to start her own line instead of working for someone else."