Chapter 315 - Need To Get Away

Noah paled when he looked up and met Jess's deadly serious expression.  He knew right there and then that he's screwed. He recalled clearly the lie that he told Jess when she called and he was attacked by overwhelming guilt. 

"Hey, baby," he said with a smile. Praying that Jess won't kill him later. 

"Hey," she said back. Her eyes were still on the girl sitting across Noah on the table. She does not like the glint of the girl's eyes.  They seemed to be taunting her and seeing what was truly in her heart. 

"Stellar, this is my girl, Jessica." Noah reached for Jess's hand and squeezed it. "Jess, this is Stellar, my counselor. 

Jess snapped her head to Noah when she heard the word counselor. Noah told her that he's seeing professional help in the past, but she didn't expect his counselor to be this young and pretty. With the embers of her jealousy still burning in her chest, she turned her head to Luke and smile. "This is my friend, Luke. We are just passing by. We bought some stuff for your daughter." She turned her gaze to Noah when she said the last part of her sentence. 

It may be childish, but she wanted the other girl to know that she has a good relationship with Noah's daughter. She grimaced inwardly at how she was acting. 

"Nice meeting you, Luke and Jessica." 

"Likewise." Luke stepped forward to offer his hand to Stellar, while he pinched the small of Jess's back to remind her that they are in public and she can't show her annoyance to Noah right now. 

"Hmm," Jess mumbled while nodding with a smile to Stellar. "Sorry for disturbing your meal. We'll go now." She hooked her arm to Luke's and stepped backward. "Nice meeting you too, Stellar." 

She didn't wait for Noah to say something, she also pinched Luke and turned around to walk away from Noah and Stellar's table. She felt ashamed that she has to do what she did. She was heaving a deep sigh when a familiar arm snaked around her waist the moment she stepped out of the restaurant's glass door.

"Baby, I'll explain things later." 

"Noah, I'm sure you have an explanation of what you were doing but the truth was…" She exhaled loudly, "I saw you a while back. When I made the call I was standing right there," she pointed near where she parked her car. "and you know what you did." 

Noah's arm around her waist turned into a rock. The heaviness of his arm was as same as the heaviness she was feeling in her heart. 

"I-I…" his gaze darted to Luke who was standing two feet behind them, shuffling his feet in awkwardness. He clearly does not enjoy the fact that he has to bear witness to their argument. "Let me just wrap this up and…shit!" He remembered that he had to return to the office for some investors will be dropping by at around two in the afternoon. "I have to be in the office," he pulled Jess closer to him and kissed the side of her head. "I'll be home as soon as I can. Sorry, baby." 

Jess was staring ahead. She's watching people walking with ease, laughing with joy with the company of others across the street. She wasn't looking at Noah but with how close they were standing, she could feel every small intake of his breath, the sudden change of his body language, and she could hear the change in his tone. She knew Noah was regretting his action but then, the lies were already told. He could say sorry and give her a valid explanation but it can't be taken back. 

She sighed and turned sideways to look at Noah. "I have to be at the lab later, that's why I offered to get the things Lucille needs for Macao now for I'll be busy later." She lied smoothly too. The hurt that was in her heart made the lies out of her mouth rolled clearly. 'If Noah could lie, why can't she.'

She lowered her gaze and removed Noah's arm from her waist. "We gotta go. I don't want to keep you when you're busy." 

"Baby," he called her even though he has nothing to say. He could not deny the lie that he already told, especially when he got caught red-handed. He can't tell her right now that the lie that he said rolled out of his tongue smoothly because he was thinking that it won't hurt her and would be just a nuisance to explain. And now, he hurt Jess—again! He never learned his lesson. Habit was truly scary. 

Jess didn't meet Noah's eyes even when he called her. She's angry and hurt. She can't deal with Noah right now. She needed to keep herself busy and away from him, if possible. 

"Let's go, Luke." She called him without looking. She walked ahead and went straight to her car. She already twisted her car key on the ignition when Luke entered the passenger door and got in the car. 

She was thankful that he didn't ask any question about what had happened. For she does not know how to explain things to Luke, although, she knew he got the grasp of the story. He was with her through it all. 

She's embarrassed that Luke had to see the drama between her and Noah that she didn't say anything the whole drive home. Every time Luke would try to start a conversation, she would shut it down that he sigh exasperated, and turned his attention to his phone instead. 

"You don't have to come home with me, you know…" She stole a glance over her shoulder then returned her eyes on the road. 

"I want to see Lucille's dog." He replied with his eyes glued to the screen of his mobile phone. "And, also because I wanted to take you to the lab. I need you to do something for me." 

She smirked. "Is that the reason why you agreed to meet me today?" 

"No.. I know you needed a reason to get away from Noah."