Chapter 149: You're Hallucinating

"It's an instrument that has been around for hundreds of years," Mila stated, describing the kalimba to Ambryan. "People call it the 'Thumb Piano' because it has the concept but with the use of thumbs, of course. Have you ever tried it? I have one in the school."

Ambryan deepened his scowl. It seemed that Ms. Clark was the same as she was on screen. His nerves had the instinct to flee. This conversation emitted a different vibe compared to Eve and her companions. 

He fixed his tie, suppressing the urge to swallow.

"Ms. Clark, your passion for music is admirable," he started to say. He half-lifted himself up the chair. "Please excuse me. I haven't heard from Evangeline these last few hours. I'd like to call her. I do apologize for the interruption."

Eve hitched her breath, her heart elating from his words. The worries she had vanished in a second. They all became irrelevant. If he was willing to talk to her, they could clear whatever misunderstanding they had. 

"Can't you be more obvious?" Andie muttered near her ear. "Why not just tell h—"

"Ow!" She hissed. Somehow, Eve hit the same spot from earlier. She reached under the table to touch it. Dull ache spread around the spot. "That is so gonna bruise…"

"Right now…?" Mila breathed out, blinking. She had to give it to him. He knew how to reject someone. The compliment hid his disinterest on the topic. If one wasn't perceptive, they might not catch on it.

But, she did.

And it squeezed her chest.

Ambryan rose to his feet and gave her an apologetic smile. "I don't think it can wait."

She also stood up. A sigh flowed out of her lips. She hoped Amy heard that. The only reason Mila tried was because of her. There was nothing else—not even false hope. She only played along for Amy to finally drop her ideas.

It was clear that what Ambryan felt for Evangeline was real.

"Then, I—" 

"Ms. Mila, Ms. Mila!"

At the sound of her name, Mila paused from talking. Eri ran through the center. Another person with the same height as her stayed close behind. The two caused heads to turn in their direction.

Eri jumped when she was a few feet away. Her feet landed right in front of her instructor. A toothy grin spread across her face. "Ms. Mila, you look lovely today."

Shuffling her feet to stop her momentum, Ede panted beside her twin. "Are there available classes on weekends when school starts?"

"We'd like to learn more duet pieces of the piano and the violin."

"I'll ask the school if I can have The Magical Symphony as my club activity."

Ambryan felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. The unpleasant look on his face became completely sour. Despite this, he answered the call, saying, "Hello? Madison? Yes? Hold on."

He left the scene before Mila could say anything else. Eri seized the moment to grab her right hand. She tugged it, sticking out her bottom lip. "I want to learn more complex pieces."

"Can we come whenever we're free?" Ede asked. She took Mila's free hand and pulled.

"Don't get me wrong!" Eri defended at once. Her voice rose in volume. "I liked our piece for the performance but I think we can do better. What about 'Swan Lake'?"

"If that's not possible, maybe we can have your number?"

"Wo-woah! Slow down, girls!" Mila finally cut in. Her jade green eyes fluttered, trying to get her bearings steady. She laughed breathily and crouched down. "I appreciate the enthusiasm but if you keep talking on top of one another, I don't think I can answer any of them."

"They are quite energetic, right?" Avery mused, making her approach. She positioned herself behind the twins and reached for a hug.

"Avery!" Mila exclaimed. The girls still held her hands and so the hug became one-sided.

"Good to see you, Mila," Avery greeted her. She looped their arms together, forcing Ede to let go. They moved away from the table and over to the VIP area. "I'm so glad your school is doing incredibly well. If you don't mind, I'd like to talk about scholarships. Say let me sponsor some?"

"Really?!"

Back at the table, Andie cupped her cheek and twisted her neck towards her left. Jarrett followed her lead. Both of them stared at Eve—who still wore a dazed look on her face.

Andie cleared her throat. "Ehem."

Eve snapped her head in her best friend's direction. "What?"

'She really had it bad. Her rational thinking had flown out of the window.' Andie sighed at her thoughts. Then, said, "I hate to break it to you but I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Okay…?" Eve uttered, her eyebrows knitting together. She glanced at the table and thought, 'Well, that was cryptic.'

Another sigh flowed out of Andie's lips. There was no other way to say it so she chose the direct approach. "You do know Ambryan only said that as an excuse?"

"Huh?"

Jarrett placed his chin on his girlfriend's shoulder. He returned Eve's confused look with a pointed one. "He only said it to get away from Mila."

"And you both know this because?"

"It's a move," Jarrett explained. "Come up with something you need to do urgently in order to get away from a conversation. His use of Evangeline was to shut down any hidden intentions Mila had."

"You heard her, right?" Andie asked, recalling Mila's first words to Ambryan.

Eve knew what she meant immediately. "You mean how she's one of the girls from the site?"

"Yes."

That had been part of the reason why they became silent. There had been five girls on that dating site. Who knew they'd run into another candidate? The possibility sounded blatantly obvious but it somehow slipped their minds.

"I did. It really surprised me," Eve admitted. Her phone shook in her hand. She took one look at the screen and showed it to her companions. "Speaking of the devil, see who's calling now?"

The phone icon along with the DTC app showed up at her notification bar. Eve stood up, taking one step towards the nearest exit. "Be right back."

Andie grabbed her wrist. Alarm streaked across her face. "You're not answering it, are you?"

"Why not?"

"Because it's not safe!" She hissed, yanking Eve back. Oh, how unreasonable her best friend became! Love really did make people into fools. It delighted and frustrated her at the same time.

Eve bit her bottom lip. Her grip on the phone tightened. "Well, if what you said was true, I don't want to waste this chance. We haven't had a proper talk in a week. If you're worried, you can cover for me."

Andie and her had a stared down. The former saw intense determination in the latter's eyes. She had seen that gaze before. Nothing will change Eve's mind at this point. She had been waiting for this opportunity long enough.

"Ugh, fine." Andie grumbled, rising to her feet. She grabbed her purse on the chair and told Jarrett, "And she says she doesn't feel anything."

"Enjoy." He smiled.

She groaned a second time and followed Eve to a secluded area.

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Andie watched over the entrance of the hallway. It was the same one they entered in when searching for the restroom. It seemed to be the best place to avoid people. Luckily, Ambryan wasn't anywhere near it either.

Eve cleansed her throat before picking up the call. "Hello?"

"Evangeline," Ambryan said, his voice as cold as ever. 

The sound of it put a wide smile on her face. "Mr. Hathaway."

"I'd like to start this conversation by apologizing for any misunderstanding I may have caused."

"You mean how you decided not to talk to me without telling me first?" Eve snorted. She tapped her chin and gazed at the ceiling. "If you apologize now, I might consider forgiving you. Any later and I might not."

"What if I make it up to you with a date?"

"Hate to break it to you but dates are part of our deal. It's not really worthwhile."

"Even if you get to choose?" Ambryan teased. He leaned against the side of his car. The valet watched him from a distance, confused by his actions. If he had wanted it back, he would have called for them. "I could almost make anything happen."

Eve narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Two could play at this game. She hummed for a while and pretended to consider it. "Sounds like bribery if you ask me."

"Maybe." He shrugged. This time, a genuine smile curled the corners of his lips. "But I still hope you say yes."

"And why is that?"

"Do I need another reason besides missing you?"

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Eve choked on her own spit. Blood rushed into her cheeks, into her ears, all the way up to her forehead and all the way down to her neck. Air completely left her lungs. She didn't know how her body still functioned—how her heart could still beat at a fast rate.

"In case you're wondering if you're hallucinating," Ambryan said, breaking through her thoughts. He stared at the sky and looked back at his cowardice. "Yes, I did say it. So please say yes. Give me the chance to do something for you after what you went through with the scandal."