46

The rain continued unleashing its rage against the town, hence my friends' promise of giving me treats was pushed.

I could not blame them. As a matter of fact, Lynn had been incessantly yawning and rubbing her eye-sleep was a priority. Seb just got a call that he had to return to his duties to settle some issues. Well, as for the rest of us, we retreated to the safety and comfort of our homes.

That did not mean my time with Edward was cut short.

Sprawled out in my bed, I held my phone close to my ear, his words emerging from the other side warming my insides up and making me over the moon.

"You're planning to give Lynn some clothes?"

I hummed. "I saw some crop tops and graphic T-shirts of cute animals last week, they're gonna look so cute on her." I tapped my fingers on my phone. "Maybe a tote bag too? I remember she loved collecting them."

Edward's sigh filled in the speaker. "She'll appreciate that... but not only does she have a shit ton hanging out in her closet, but she uses only two or three of them," he snorted. "Maybe we shouldn't give her more."

"Seriously?" I said between my laughter as I rolled on my stomach-and the best part was I did not have to restrain it down anymore. I was actually bursting out chuckling without sounding like I choked on something. "I didn't know it was that bad."

I didn't know why but I imagined a ghost of a smile flashing through his features as I listened to how his voice softened and was not as monotonous as it typically sounded. "Seb has been making so much wuss on it. It's taking up so much space that she doesn't have much clothes for herself, but she doesn't even care."

"Of course he's gonna complain," I commented, shaking my head, already imagining all kinds of protests Seb was throwing in Lynn's way. I cleared my throat as I tried my best to lower my voice a notch. "'God, diversify your closet!' is something he'll come up with."

"Yeah, that's him, alright?" He scoffed, and I could imagine him rolling his eye. "Exactly what he said about mine. Keep saying I have too many hoodies and wanting me to try something new, when they're very comfortable for me."

My eyes instinctively gravitated towards his own hoodie, which I had neatly folded and placed on the chair, and I pressed my lips. Before we dispersed, I tried returning the hoodie to him and said my thanks, but instead, he insisted on me having it due to the cold, and consequently, I ended up snuggling it for my entire trip home.

I hoped he also got the warmth he needed, because I was sure as hell he was shivering like crazy in this kind of weather.

"Rena?" he called out, noticing my lack of speech.

"Oh um, about your hoodie... I'll return it tomorrow," I murmured, my fingers tingling as they began twirling my hair strands. Heat snuck into my cheeks, especially at the thought of how hours ago... we were in that shelter where he held me close, embraced me, warmed me, comforted me. "Thank you, really. Not just for the hoodie, but... f-for being there and listening in."

The comfort I didn't know I needed.

"Don't worry about it," was his immediate response before he took a sharp breath. "You're feeling better now, right?"

I blinked and tilted my head. "I'm fine-"

"You were crying."

My fingers immediately stopped fiddling and my guts straight up plummeted down. I found myself flipping back to face the ceiling, ogling at it as though it was going to collapse anytime soon. He found out so easily, huh?

And I was trying to be so inconspicuous, getting rid of my tears before they could escape, but it seemed like he caught them before I realized. I forced myself to chuckle, but my pause after his proclamation meant lying would not get me anywhere. I shouldn't have sniffed so loudly that time.

Even with all of my forced laughter, the tension straining my chest was not getting any better. "As much as it's painful, it didn't matter anymore," I whispered and stretched my lips. "At the very least, you and Aly were there for me and I have many good memories."

Edward said nothing, leaving us in a thick silence. Waiting for some kind of response had me swallowing my saliva. What was he thinking right now? Was it something bad, something good? Was it cringey? Was it-

"Rena."

"Y-Yes?" I jolted, my thoughts fortunately cut off before they piled up.

"Can I... come to your house tomorrow?" Edward asked, his tone rather hesitant but he managed to voice himself out. "I hope you don't mind. Let's go to the mall together."

And just like that, a seemingly simple request sent my chest to palpitate erratically to which I did not bother calming it down. I was so ready to nod furiously and exclaim 'yes!' on top of my lungs with giddiness. It had been years since he stepped foot in my home, and was finally, at last, the time where we both could slowly revive the past... and rekindle the friendships he had lost.

"Sure you can! But it's not only you who's gonna be here," I revealed.

***

Sunday.

Both of Edward's lips and eye twitched visibly as he stared down at my best friend. With her hands on her hips and her shoulders squared up, she confidently reciprocated his intense gaze with narrowed eyes, her smirk contrasted his usual scowl. And well... I was kind of standing in the middle of them.

"What? Didn't expect to see me here?" Aly drawled, batting one of her brows.

"I did. Rena told me." Edward sighed sharply, breaking their staring-more like glaring-contest as he slipped inside, bobbing at me firsthand before pulling his black hood out of his head. "You still haven't figured out the way to the mall? I guess you preferred touring the entire town."

Aly snorted loudly, but her smirk remained. "Wow, the usually silent Edward is talkative enough to mock me. What's with that sudden confidence?"

Not that she was wrong. I was also taken aback; normally, he would keep most of his thoughts to himself. Was he finally getting comfortable with the others, especially with someone he knew for more than a decade?

And I thought he was still upset with her...

"We now have maps in our phone... they are created for a reason," he pointed out, ignoring Aly's previous remarks. "Doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

"Okay Jesus, I know you wanna be with Rena so badly." My heart jumped and my body tightened at her statement, so I ended up staring at my feet and clenching on my pants. "Trust me man, I tried using the navigation, but that's what led me to the mountains in the first place."

Edward's long, narrowed gaze zoomed in upon her, his frown deepening.

"You're looking at me like I'm a walking disgrace," Aly grunted.

He shook his head. "You're directionally challenged to the core. So hopeless."

"Wow thanks, genius. Glad you noticed that."

Despite all of the insults, her eyes went small as she burst out chuckling-not the sarcastic type, but a genuine one, as though she laughed with all of her heart. Observing them more... they were bickering exactly like what they did in the past, and I never knew that this would make me grin wider.

Mom conveniently appeared from the kitchen, having packed all of her pastries. While both of my friends bobbed with smiles, her attention quickly gravitated towards him. "Goodness me, Edward, look at how much you've grown! You were such a small boy back then... so good to see you again."

"Yes, it's been a while, Mrs. Wilton," he responded.

"Just Marina is fine!" She nodded and clapped her hands. "I hope you're doing better nowadays. Take care of yourself and don't make your mom worried, okay?"

Edward pressed his mouth in a straight line before he firmly nodded.

"Well, I better get going... have to deliver these pastries before Blake chews me out," Mom said, trying to balance all of the boxes with only her two arms as she headed for her car, so I quickly helped her out. "Come visit anytime, you two! We'll give tons of food..." She glanced at Edward. "And bread!"

I inwardly sighed while my friends showed their gratitude-and needless to say, Edward slightly bowed. Even Mom and Dad know his obsession. You're as hopeless too, Ed.

Mom then waved in such an exaggerated manner, literally shouting out her goodbyes and making me feel like I should be anywhere but here, before her car sped off into the distance.

"So, shall we get going?" Aly asked and we silently agreed. She then had the need to pass me her wiggling brows when Edward had his back on us, but I paid no heed. Well, whatever Aly likes...

I looked at my buzzing phone as we were sauntering to the bus stop, where it conveniently showed up in front of us.

Seb: I'm already at the mall :] waiting in the lobby for you guys

Wow, that was fast. I thought he said he still had some designs to finish.

Maybe he sped through all of it?

***

Unlike what I expected, the journey to the mall was short of silence. Aly was determined in getting Lynn a giant cat plush, which I laughed-she said it would make Lynn appreciate cats more-and Edward merely snorted, denying her comment. Well, at the very best, she was all animated and perked up as she conversed, and he was at ease... slowly opening himself up instead of being on guard all the time.

I leaned back to my seat, never growing tired of grinning like a dolt. It's gonna be fun today. Genuinely fun.

Once we arrived, we didn't have to put much effort on finding Seb; his idiosyncratic, silver hair did pretty much a good job pinpointing his location. With one leg propping himself against the wall, he had his hands in the pockets of his pants, but his blank gaze was affixed to the floor, his forehead creased, as though he was lost in his own mind.

However, all of that vanished into thin air when he noticed our looming presence.

"What's up, bitch." When we were close enough, Aly greeted Seb with nothing but pure mockery, because of course she did. "Having a bad mood today?"

"Damn bitch, why are you worried about me all of the sudden?" He simpered, straightening himself up. "It's still too early to get high and drunk, no?"

"Blabbering nonsense, must be you who's all wasted," she scoffed, puffing her chest. "Aren't you grateful that I bothered batting an eye on you?"

"I don't need the likes of you to be grateful. I always am," he countered, cackling while she glowered and gripped her jaw, her expression grimacing. Without further remarks, he maintained his calm smile as he raised his hand at both of us. "Yo."

I immediately reciprocated while Edward simply nodded but said nothing else. That was when Seb's softening eyes locked with him, and for what unusually seemed to be minutes, they steadied their gazes at each other like some sort of nonverbal communication—Seb's sparked with mischief, while Edward squinted his eye, his brow furrowed.

And for some reason, there was... some kind of tension floating in the air.

Are they good?

Shockingly, Edward was the one who opened his mouth first and commenced the conversation, "I'm gonna buy the hoodie and you're not gonna stop me."

I nearly lost my momentum at such a proclamation while Aly tilted her head.

He's still going on about that?!

Seb blinked repeatedly, before loud bursts of guffaws suddenly emanated from him, which had Aly glaring at him and had nearby witnesses turning their heads.

"Jesus, my guy, the way you said it with a straight face... pure comedy!!" he said between his spilling laughter and clenching on his stomach, lifting his other hand. "I never even said anything!!"

Meanwhile Edward shot him with all sorts of daggers and doing whatever it took to stop his friend's outburst. Honestly though... I seriously could not blame Seb's response-the timing was indeed... comical, and hence I bit my own lips to prevent my own laughter from spilling out too. Well, that still did not help me escape from Edward's fleeting glance, to which he immediately turned away and scratched his head.

"Man, just buy whatever you like, as long as you think Lynn likes it!" Seb said as he wiped a creeping tear out of his eye. "I won't interfere, really!"

Edward hummed in acknowledgement, before he took long strides towards him, mumbling, "That's right. You better not."

Seb squirmed, especially at their proximity, but seconds later, he shrugged it off, adding nothing to the matter but strained chuckles. Meanwhile, a very confused Aly wrinkled her expression, peering at both of them as though she was trying to get some clarification, much to no avail.

I sighed inwardly. Lesson learned.

***

Our hunt for Lynn's presents started with Aly having secured hers. Surely she was not joking around when she said she would buy the large-eyed cat plush that would absolutely sway Lynn-she did without second guessing, and even skipped with glee at her purchase. So happy for her.

Next was our turn to travel to the large clothing shops where I had seen those cute graphic shirts. The moment we entered, Seb's fashion instinct directed him to some dresses displayed on the front, while Aly ran off to check out some winter jackets.

And instead of wandering into his hoodie section, Edward chose to accompany me while I began my search.

"Rena?"

"Yeah?" I was focused diving through some flounce tops, so I didn't face him.

"You listened to Coldplay, right?"

"I did, yes!" I pulled out a pink crop top with a cute cartoon dinosaur.

He perked up, his eye glittering. "What are your favorite songs?"

"L-Let's see..." I contemplated, while holding the shirt. "I really like Clocks and The Scientist. And Viva la Vida, their biggest hit!"

He nodded furiously. "It's what made them win the Grammys back in 2008 and what got me interested in them. I checked out their songs and they have me invested."

2008.

Out of all the memories, the accident did not hesitate to occupy my entire mind.

It was like yesterday... Aly's cries, the way Seb delivered the news, the way I collapsed into Lynn's grip. Heck, I still remembered how Edward's dramatic change as he scowled at us, fought with Aly, broke off our friendships. It took one curveball to capsize all of our lives in the blink of an eye. If I can recall this so clearly, imagine what Ed went through.

I found myself turning towards Edward, who slightly cocked his head.

Okay, that's none of your business, Rena. Don't ask him those questions. I reminded myself, shoving the idea to the back of my mind and focusing on choosing the best graphic shirts. Curiosity was sometimes best left unanswered rather than satisfying it, causing a catastrophe.

"How about you, what's yours?" I asked.

"All of them... I can't choose. I've no favorite... they're all masterpieces. All of their lyrics are relatable and bring me the comfort I need." Edward gushed on. "Do you know they're releasing a new album soon? It's gonna be in a few weeks, and I can't wait. I've been saving my money and looking forward to them. If only I could attend their concert someday, then I would have bought all of their merch."

Gosh... he's so cute. I couldn't help but to grin, my heart fluttering.

"Oh sorry... I got carried away," he murmured. "It's just I don't have anyone who's into Coldplay like you do."

"It's okay," I said between my giggles. "Reminds me of you fanboyed so much on Star Wars."

Edward scratched his head, before he cleared his throat. "So... you're deciding on which of those?"

"Oh these...?" I realized I was holding two tops, a dark blue T-shirt with a detailed graphic of a white leaf and the crop top. "Hmm... t-the pink one looks cute on her, but not sure if she's a fan."

"She doesn't like pink and this is too short," he commented. "She loves oversized ones, so pick one size larger."

"Oh gotcha."

Returning both of the clothes back to the shelves, I scavenged for more graphic tees and Edward decided to assist as well. I found a dark large one adorned with three large stars, while he held two similar ones but instead, they had sun and moon respectively. Maybe I should get three of them?

Before we could say anything, my phone vibrated in my bag; it wasn't some sort of notification, the prolonged buzzes indicated someone must have been calling in. Opening it, Lynn's name was the first thing popping up on my screen.

Yikes, speak of the devil. I looked at Edward, showing him who and he nodded.

"Um, hello?" I answered.

"Rena!" Her voice cracked on the other side of the line. "What are you doing today?"

"Uh, I-I'm running some errands for my dad's restaurant, w-what's up?" Even though I was quick to come up with some believable scenario, of course, my stuttering ruined how natural my response was.

"I was thinking if we should all go hang out again. We still owe you treats!" She suggested. "I'm gonna text the boys and see whether they can make it. You should text Aly as well!"

Well... they're literally here with me.

"Y-Yeah sure! But maybe I'll be done in an hour or two?" I sheepishly laughed, while Edward nodded, perhaps approving my actions. "Still have some stuff to do!"

"Yes yes, no rush! I'm just gonna-"

Both him and I jumped when a loud clang abruptly through my phone's speakers, cutting off Lynn, and making me yank it from my ears and nearly fling it to the floor below.

"Shit sorry, that scared me too!" Lynn raised her voice, trying to overpower the deafening background noises of the running machines. Meanwhile Edward neared me, placing his ear near my phone as I held it back. "I'm walking... like near a construction site right now! They're building some sort of a hotel?"

Edward abruptly tensed up, his fists tightening and his jaw clenched shut. And before I could question him, epiphany struck like a lightning; this was where the machine his workplace had developed was used... but his darkening expression was literally making my skin crawl.

"Nah, don't worry about it," Lynn dismissed. "So where do you wanna go-"

And again, our hearts leaped out of our chests as the loud bang shrieked on the other side of the line. My spine was literally cringing as chills stabbed through me, and it did not help that Edward's face was a complete white sheet of paper, his lips trembling as though wanting to say something.

"Holy shit, what the hell is wrong with-"

When another loud clang sounded out and interrupted all Lynn's comments, that was when Edward lost against the impulse to snatch my phone out of my grip.

"Lynn, it's Ed. Listen to me, get the fuck out of there, now." he murmured gravely, his placid tone from previously had evaporated. "It's not safe anymore."

Not safe.

Sure, Edward might blow out our cover, but that was no significant matter compared to this... ominous situation. I could barely breathe properly, holding the air I was supposed to exhale while I desperately tried to swallow the lump in my throat that just couldn't disappear. Nothing but giant red flags were flashing in my mind right now; something was definitely going on and it was way too far from good.

My blood went cold and my nerves tingled when no acknowledgement was produced. Instead, the next thing we both heard was her gasping-a gasp that was filled with nothing but... sheer terror.

"ADELYNN!!! GET OUT OF THERE NOW!!!"

His screams instantly turned the heads of nearby shoppers but only a millisecond later, our eardrums were ripped apart by thundering clamors of clashing objects and subsequently shattering apart. I swear, our eyes nearly popped out of our sockets as we were forced to hear thudding, static noises blasting out, before suddenly...

Dead calm.

It was as if all of those never happened.

"ADELYNN, CAN YOU HEAR ME?! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!" Edward shouted as his voice cracked apart, the glaring bystanders no longer an issue. "ADELYNN, ANSWER ME!!! ARE YOU THERE?!"

It was no use. The moment he shakingly glanced over the screen, he was merely greeted by the home page filled with my applications.

The line was dead.

The horror etched on Edward's face instantly drained all of his colors as his trembling eye drifted towards me. My freezing hands covered my gaping mouth as I stumbled against the wall, consequently dropping all of our hand-picked T-shirts, those meant for Lynn. Within just a second, I lost sensation with all of my muscles, my heart, my brain, everything.

None of us bothered to react. Only staring was our answer.