Chapter 316 - No Time To Spare

[This chapter is dedicated to keeepupu. Thank you for giving your power stones to our story.] 

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

Jess's eyes turned misty, hearing what Luke said. Her lower lip trembled and her chin shook, trying to keep herself from bawling her eyes out.  When they reached the intersection, she glanced over her shoulder and saw Luke snickering in the passenger seat, trying to contain his laughter. 

"Y-You!!" 

"What? Have you seen Noah's expression instead of just focusing on your green monster?" 

"What do you mean?" She snapped at him, ready to start a fight. She was still pissed off and didn't want to talk about Noah and that girl who was smiling at her like she knew something about Noah that she didn't know. 

"Tiefenbacher looked like he was ready to serve his steel balls on a platter for you." 

"He lied, Luke. He lied to me." 

Luke sighed. "You are old enough to know that the world is never going to be black and white." He gave Jess a small smile when he saw her eyes water. "I know, it hurts. But what I'm trying to say is that listen to Noah first and when I say listen, you listen with an open heart and mind. And don't let your green monster do the talking and thinking for you." 

Jess clenched her teeth and pressed down the accelerator. She's not gonna deny that Luke was right. She was letting her emotion take control of her actions. But who could blame her? Noah lied and being lied right out hurt no matter how she took it. 

She recalled Noah's apologetic face and tried to think of how Noah was ready to serve his steel balls on a silver platter as Luke said and she found the image funny and sad at the same time. She never wanted Noah to act towards her in such a way. All she wanted was honesty. Was it too much to ask? It's not like she lied to him. She didn't tell him about what happened to them in the Midland Hotel because he didn't remember it but that would never be considered as lying on her part. 

"A lie is a lie, no matter how big or small." She sneered, maneuvering her car into her parking spot in her apartment.

"No one is diminishing the lie that Noah said. All I was saying was, hear Noah's explanation." He said as he unclipped his seatbelt. He watched Jess who got behind the driver's seat in a hurry as though she didn't want to listen to whatever he was saying. She went to the back of her car to open the trunk and took out the stuff they bought for Lucille's dog. 

He shook his head and got out of the car slowly. He's unhappy with what Noah did but he can't be a bitchy friend right now. Jess was hurt and if he does not give her a different scenario, she would wallow in the thoughts that were already seeded in her head. 

He helped her carry the shopping bags to her apartment and the entire elevator ride to her apartment, Jess remained quiet and he didn't probe her to talk anymore. She has to decide things on her own. He will and always be on her side—as a friend. 

The ride to her apartment didn't take long and when she opened her apartment, Macao ran in full blast to welcome them. 

"Hey, aren't you such a cutie!" Luke dropped all of the shopping bags he was carrying to meet Macao but the dog didn't give him any attention and went right into the shopping bag with dog treats. "Y-you!" He grabbed the shopping bag with dog treats before Macao could get into it. 

Jess smiled finally. 

"This doggo stays here in your apartment?" 

"Only when Lucille isn't home. He got attached to my house and would cry if left alone in Noah's place." She dropped the shopping bags on top of the console table and wrote a note that she pasted on one of the paper bags. She sent a message to Soraya, telling her to get Macao and everything she bought for she has to be at the lab, and won't be home. 

She grabbed the shopping bags Luke carried and put them too on top of the console table. She then left Luke playing with Macao in the foyer. She went to her room, packed an overnight bag, and took a quick shower. 

She changed into fresh clothes and grabbed everything she would need in the lab. She doesn't have to think of what to get for her body and knows exactly what she needs for it was already second nature to her. 

When she got everything, she stepped out of her room and found Luke, slumping on the floor, still playing with Macao.

"That was fast." He commented without looking up from playing with the dog. 

She checked her phone and didn't reply to Luke's snide comment. "Get up and let's go." 

"Huh?" He looked up from petting Macao, confused. "How about this baby?" 

"Lucille and Soraya knew the passcode of my apartment. They can just get Macao and his things later." 

"We have time to spare, you know." He gently reminded her but Jess's didn't waver. She crocked her eyebrow at Noah on the floor and cocked her head to the side, silently urging him to get his ass off the floor.

He slowly got up, wiped his hands on his jeans and they said goodbye to Macao who was such a good boy. He stood and watched them leave, not making any sounds. 

"Wait for Lucille. She'll be home soon." She said before gently closing the door. 

"You're heartless, Little Miss Jessie. I wanted to see the little miss." He pouted as he followed her to the elevator. 

"You can stay if you want and wait for Lucille until later. The little miss is still at the library studying for an exam." 

"How about Macao?" He whined. "He'll be sad." 

"Soraya will come and pick him up and bring him to school. Jin will babysit him outside the school while they wait for Lucille to finish." She rolled her eyes at Luke for being dramatic. They don't have much time to spare as he was saying.

It was just them working on the team.. There is no way for them to have the leisure to play with a dog nor wait for Noah to explain why he lied to her again.