Nathalia’s POV
I looked out with a wide smile as I watched the road. I rolled down the window and let the strong wind blow my hair. I caught a glimpse of Cole’s car following us in the side mirror.
“You look so happy,” Stephen remarked to me.
I nodded. “Yes, I am.”
I remained quietly gazing outside until I heard his deep sigh. I turned to him with a puzzled expression.
“Problem?”
He slightly loosened his necktie. “Don’t you really want me to accompany you and Cole inside? It’s better to be safe. What if my enemies already have their agents inside your school? Cole might not be able to protect you immediately if that happens.”
I chuckled at what he said. The summer break is finally over, which means I’m back in student mode today.
Stephen initially didn’t want to let me go to school. He thought it would be safer if I just studied at home. He said he would find a great professor to teach me. But of course, it’s a different feeling when you’re actually at the university.
Luckily, I was able to convince him eventually. However, he insisted that Cole should be with me all the time.
I didn’t mind that. After all, Cole isn’t a stranger to me. But it’s a different story if he’s tailing me even inside the school and in the actual classroom.
What will my classmates and professors think? That I am a VIP?
So I talked to him about that and promised that I wouldn’t run away. I’m only afraid of what he might do to my family. So, in the end, I was able to convince him again.
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. Besides, I have my friends with me all the time, so I won’t be alone,” I assured him.
He sighed. “Fine! But if something happens, call us immediately, okay?”
I saluted him. “Yes, Sir!”
After a while, he stopped the car near the university gate, where I would enter.
I smiled at him. “Thank you. But seriously, you don’t have to do this. I overheard you talking earlier, and you have a meeting this morning.”
He shrugged. “They can start the meeting without me. Besides, I have a contact there who will brief me on their discussions if needed. Right now, my priority is to accompany my wife on her first day of the new school year.”
I pressed my lips tightly together to hide the excitement I was feeling.
“Okay. You take care. Bye!” I waved my hand at him before opening the door.
But before I could fully step out, Stephen quickly pulled me back. I looked at him in surprise. “What?”
“You forgot something.” He gave me a stern look.
I furrowed my brow and hastily opened my bag to check its contents.
“I have everything I need,” I informed him.
Slowly, a wide grin appeared on his lips. “You never learn. From now on, you should learn the proper way to say goodbye whenever you leave.”
Before I could even ask what he meant, I suddenly felt his lips against mine. My eyes widened, and I stared blankly into space.
What the hell? Not only is his car not tinted, but my window is also open!
I felt like I was losing consciousness as his lips started to move. I was about to push him away when someone knocked on the door.
I turned to look, and Mad’s surprised face greeted me. Behind her were three mischievous, grinning faces.
“I’m going in now.” I quickly got out of the car.
“Call me when you get home later,” he reminded me.
I glanced at him with embarrassment and just nodded. The mischievous ones grinned and waved before driving away.
I closed my eyes tightly, feeling embarrassed as I noticed some students looking at me. The security guards seemed to be holding back their laughter.
“You two, seriously. This early in the morning and right in front of the school.”
Mads playfully swatted my arm. I wanted to tease her about seeing her kiss Damon at the charity ball, but I held myself back.
I pouted. This is Stephen’s fault, after all! That guy is incredibly scandalous. He might just be the reason for my reputation to crumble here at school.
“Madame,” Cole, who was trailing behind me, called out. I turned to him.
“What?”
“Your cheeks are flushed,” he teased, giving my friends a reason to laugh at me.
“I don’t know about you! I will ask Stephen to replace you!”
His eyes widened. “I was just teasing Madame.” He even scratched his neck.
I irritably started walking away. But before I could get too far, Cole called me again.
“What is it this time?”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come inside with you?” he asked hesitantly.
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Honestly, I’m getting tired of hearing that question. Don’t worry, okay? If anything bad happens, I’ll make sure to call you and Stephen immediately.”
He nodded.
“If you want, you can go explore for a bit. I’ll let you know when my last class is about to end,” I suggested. He might get bored waiting outside after all.
But I’d prefer that over him constantly tailing me.
He shook his head repeatedly. “No need, Madame. I’m fine here.”
I just nodded at him before saying goodbye. As I started walking with Mads, they began teasing me again.
But despite my lingering embarrassment from earlier, I couldn’t help but smile. I miss these moments with them.
I looked up at the clear sky. As time goes on, things are gradually falling into place. I just hope it continues like this.
***
“Thalia?”
I blinked and looked up from the handouts I was reading as someone tapped me. “What?”
Mads was staring at me in disbelief. “I’ve been calling you for a while. It’s break time already. It’s just the first day, so don’t bury yourself too much in that. We’ll wait for you outside.”
I looked around the room. Almost all our classmates had left.
I let out a deep sigh and tucked my handouts under the desk. I seemed to have spaced out again.
I quietly followed them until we reached the cafeteria. Luckily, it wasn’t too crowded, so we quickly got our food and found a place to sit.
It’s the first day of school, and I should be happy and enjoying it. However, I couldn’t help but think about what happened when I first went to Shantel’s shooting range.
Ever since that day, I’ve been having dreams almost every night about a group of young people, and I’m there too. They often play games. But their favorite is a game of hide-and-seek. And in all those instances, there’s only one kid I usually call.
But even now, their faces remain unclear.
Tep-Tep. Just who the hell is he?
Even Stephen asks me about him frequently. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t remember ever having a childhood playmate named Tep-Tep.
However, I have a strong feeling that he’s part of my forgotten past. And there’s a chance he knows Aries David too.
I need to find him. But how?