Sophia froze as if struck by lightning. Her body went limp, and she nearly collapsed to the side, barely managing to stay upright by gripping the back of the couch.
Vanessa, on the other hand, had no intention of sticking around. She glanced around the room, her eyes briefly landing on Lila. She gave her a small nod but didnât say anything. She just didnât have the energy to deal with Lil Bunny right now.
Without another word, she grabbed Ethanâs wrist and started pulling him toward the door.
Sophia, panicking, called out, âWait, Vanessa! Whatâs going on between you two?â
Vanessa stopped in her tracks, her expression icy as she turned to face Sophia. âIâve already told you, this has nothing to do with you. Even if we were dating, it still wouldnât be any of your business.â
With that, she turned and left without looking back.
The room was left in stunned silence, the five people remaining each with different expressions.
Elise had wanted to say something when Vanessa passed by, but Vanessa barely glanced at her before moving on, leaving Elise feeling a bit shut out.
Zara, meanwhile, was muttering under her breath, gritting her teeth. âShe just ignored Eliseâ¦â
Lila, caught up in the tension of the moment, looked completely shaken, her face full of anxiety.
Julia, who had been watching the whole thing unfold, was just confused. What the hell had just happened? She didnât feel like sticking around either, so she turned to Elise and said, âLetâs talk about that thing tomorrow, okay?â
With that, Julia made her exit, not forgetting to grab Lila on her way out, pulling her away from the heavy atmosphere.
Once everyone else had left, Sophia seemed to return to her usual calm, composed self.
She turned to Elise and said, âDonât worry, Elise. No matter what happens, Iâll make sure to bring Vanessa back.â
With that, Sophia left the room, her expression serene. As for Zara? Sophia knew that as long as she kept Elise close, Zara wouldnât be going anywhere. So, Zaraâs opinion didnât really matter.
After leaving The Pulse, Vanessa kept a firm grip on Ethanâs wrist, not letting go until they were far from the building. Only then did she finally release him.
She turned to him and apologized. âIâm sorry. You helped me out, but because of me, you got dragged into Sophiaâs mess. Thatâs on me.â
Ethan shrugged, giving her a sideways glance. âI donât really mind, honestly.â
âBut, Nessa,â he continued, âwhy didnât you just explain things to her?â
âHuh?â Vanessa blinked, caught off guard.
Ethan sighed and spread his hands. âYou just walked out like that. Now Sophiaâs going to misunderstand even more. Running away like this isnât exactly the smartest move.â
He had a point. Ethan thought Vanessaâs attitude was a big part of the problem.
The whole mess had started because she didnât communicate properly. That much was clear. Her refusal to talk things through had led to a lot of misunderstandings, and it wasnât just Sophia who was affected. Plenty of people in the VIBRAMYST band had been hurt because of her. That was just the truth.
Even though Ethan was her friend, he couldnât deny that Vanessa was partly to blame.
If she had just explained things, Ethan was sure that even Sophia wouldâve understood. Sure, Sophia might still have pursued her, but it wouldnât have been with such a terrifying obsession.
ââ¦â
Vanessa didnât know how to respond to that. She stood there, her face hardening.
Finally, she said, âThis is my problem. Itâs got nothing to do with you.ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Ethan looked at her seriously. âHow can it have nothing to do with me? Weâre friends, arenât we? If a friendâs making a bad decision, isnât it my job to point it out?â
He continued, âI know you hate being pitied, Nessa, but thatâs not a reason to shut people out. Communication is important. If people donât understand each other, it can lead to all kinds of disastersâeven the end of the world.â
ââ¦â
Vanessa had long since killed off the weaker version of herself, but that didnât mean the new her was always decisive. Ethanâs words hit a nerve, and she found herself feeling a little less composed.
âI donât want to talk about this right now. Iâve got work to do. Iâm leaving.â
With that, Vanessa turned and walked away without looking back.
But her retreating figure had a certain air of defeat to it.
It seems Vanessa has mastered the art of avoidanceâshameful, maybe, but undeniably effective.
Ethan could only shake his head and sigh as he watched her walk away. He actually had a soft spot for the old days with VibraMyst. If the band could get back together, it wouldnât be such a bad thing. After all, wasnât Vanessa happy back then? Those were good times, the kind that stick with you because they were so special.
And since he had the ability to help her, he felt like he had to step up. Thatâs what friends do, right?
With that thought in mind, Ethan pulled out his phone and sent a message to a few contacts, asking some professionals to look into something for him. Once he figured out the root of the problem, heâd think about how to help Vanessa.
He briefly considered offering her a job, but the only thing he could think of right now was a live-in maid position, and he was pretty sure Vanessa would never go for that. So, he dropped the idea.
Later, Ethan met up with Lila.
Their meeting wasnât just about Ethan needing something from herâLila had her own request too. Apparently, while chatting with Avery and Luna earlier, sheâd heard they were forming a band and needed a guitarist. And, in a surprising move, sheâd actually volunteered herself.
Ethan didnât know what had gone through Lil Bunnyâs mind to make her do that, but it was clearly a step forward for her. So, he was more than happy to help out a little and take her to meet up with the others at STARRY.
But, true to form, Lil Bunny started getting cold feet as soon as they reached the entrance. She was already thinking about backing out when Ethan grabbed her wrist and practically dragged her inside.
âWhatâs there to be scared of? Theyâre your friends, arenât they?â Ethan reassured her as they walked into STARRY.
Right as they entered, they ran into the store manager, Vivian SinclairâAvery Sinclairâs older sister. She had that unmistakable rockstar vibe about her.
âWelcome,â Vivian greeted them. Her tone was friendly enough, but it still managed to intimidate Lila, who clung to Ethanâs arm like her life depended on it.
âOh, Ethan! Youâre here!â
From across the room, Avery spotted them. Her ahoge seemed to perk up as if sensing his arrival, and she came running over.
Ethan, without missing a beat, pushed Lila toward her. Avery fumbled a bit as she caught Lila, but her eyes lit up as she realized what was happening. âEthan, is thisâ¦?â
âYep,â Ethan nodded with a grin. âThis is the wild guitarist I caught for you!â