17 What Relationship?

Hazel walk inside the cafe and the girl greet her with a smile.

"Welcome!" she look at the elegant woman in front of her.

'Wow. She's beautiful!' Violet said inside her heart.

Smiling, Hazel walk to the counter and order a cup of espresso. After she receive her order, she walk casually to Chase.

"Hey dear! What are you doing here?" her voice was quite loud. She take the book from Chase's hand.

Violet at the counter divert her eyes to the voice. She then avert his eyes to the person in front of her again.

'Don't bother Vi!' she calm herself.

Upon seeing Hazel in front of him, he frowned.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I asked you first, so you answer me first." Hazel smile and take a sit beside him.

He look at her and not reply to her question. After a few minutes pass by, he getting the cue that she will never answer him either, he decide to answer her first.

"Drinking, obviously." he lift up his eyebrow and narrow his eyes at the cup on the table.

"Uh-huh? It's so not like you to drink alone at the cafe. You used to shell up in our house." she said nonchalantly. She use her hand to support her head and look at his face with 'I'm not buying it' expression.

Unfortunately, Violet was near them picking up the trash on the table and heard their conversation.

'So they live together?'

"What? I can't have my own time?"

"Hm.. the Chase that I know is very very unsocial person. The one and only who could break the wall inside your heart is me.. or…"

Violet take the tray and went back to the kitchen. She didn't want to listen anymore. Somehow, her heart feel hurt. The feeling is like when you know your crush was dating with someone who is more beautiful than you and your crush didn't even know your existence.

"..or…maybe a girl at the counter earlier?"

"Ha Ha. Funny Hazel." he fake a laugh.

Chuckles, she smile too.

"Yeah..i'm your ex when we were in high school, for how long? Two years?"

"I don't remember. We were teenagers back then. After all, there is no 'love' at all."

"Even so, I want you to experience the real love, Chase. Be more open okay? I know you like certain someone here. Otherwise you will not spend your whole day here drinking coffee right?" she patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't mind me. Mind your own problem." he state and cover his face with his book.

"Oh..you're adorable. How I wish I could love you back then." she poked him on his chest.

When Violet was back at the counter, she saw the intimate action between them.

'Ouch, it's hurt.'

"Shoo Hazel, shoo..don't bother me." Chase said without looking at her face.

"Hmm…okay okay..bye sweetheart." she tease him and wave her hand before she leave the cafe.

…

"Done?" Alan asked her when she walk back to the table.

"Hm? Yeah." she smiling making Alan stare at her face.

It's rare for him to watch her in a happy mood. He saw her talking with Chase inside the cafe across the street. Umm..it's not look like they talk, but it's look like they were flirting.

Somehow, it felt uneasy inside his heart. But he ignored it. Not long after, Aslan rub her eyes with his small hand.

"Ermm…"

"Hey buddy, hungry?" Alan peek at him.

Aslan nod his head and turn his head to look at Alan's face. He then hug his neck again.

"Am I heavy?" he ask with a cute voice.

"Huh? No." Alan replied.

"Sorry, I'll made uncle to fall sick again." he lowered his head.

"Uncle is very healthy now, I can even carry your mom too." he said nonchalantly. Aslan laugh but not Hazel.

She almost choke on her drink when she heard him.

Put down Aslan on the next seat to him, he help him to eat his lunch.

"Does it taste good?" he asked.

Aslan nod his head.

Hazel look at the both of them

'Why do I feel like he care so much about Aslan? And why Aslan looks so attached to him?' she thought, but soon after, she ignore the question inside her mind and wait for Aslan to finish his meal.

….

Like always, Chase will wait until Violet shift ended and walk her home from afar.

Since he already know where she lives, he parked his another car at around the neighborhood and take a bus to the cafe every day. So when he walk her home, he could drive back to Sun House without asking Nigel to pick him up.

After Violet lock the door, she went to the subway station and wait for the train. She noticed that Chase was behind her and following her. But she ignore him like any other days.

When they arrived at her neighborhood, she turned her body around and walk closer to him.

Surprised by the sudden action from her, he stop his pace.

"Can we talk?" she asked him with a determined face.

Chase look around them and nod in a yes.

"Follow me." she said and walk to the nearby playground across the street.

Sitting on the bench she look at him who is standing still in front of her.

"Look, I know you followed me every day." she search his eyes, as he still silent.

"But, this is not good. You have a girlfriend and what if she know what were you doing? It will create a problem for me." she said again after knowing that he will not replied her.

"I don't have a girlfriend." Chase reply after he silent for a long time.

"Don't lie. I saw her this afternoon." she said.

"She's my friend."

"Ah- living together is a friend?" she started to feel annoyed after hearing his denial.

She saw with her own eyes and heard her word. Why would he lied to her?

"It's.."

"Not like that?" she cut his word and pinch the space between her eyebrows.

"Listen, I will file a report if you follow me again. I don't know what your intention is nor why you always show up at the cafe. I hope you can stop this action and please..leave me alone." she stand up and walk away.

Chase was dumbfounded with her word.

'Ah damn Chase! Great! Just great!' he bottles up his anger and went to his car.

…..

He slumped at the couch in the living hall when he see Hazel was sitting at the couch watching 'Moana' with Aslan and Alan.

"How was it?" she asked.

Glaring at her with a furious look he said.

"Thanks to you, now she hates me." he said.

Hazel eyes turns wider and Alan also divert his eyes to Chase.

"What? What happen?" she ask worriedly.

"She thought that we two are dating."

Hazel cover her mouths with her bare hand.

"Wait, did she heard about our relationship?"

Alan frowned and asked them.

"What relationship?"