Chapter 503

Judy's POV

I watched Gavin's face go pale as he clutched the phone tightly. His eyes met mine, and I could see the turmoil, confusion, and something else lingering in them. My heart squeezed at the sight of him like this.

After a long beat of silence, he finally cleared his throat.

"Can you have Gamma Erik come to the Carter Resort?" He asked into the phone. "I'll be there shortly."

After another stretch of silence, he hung up, his eyes never leaving mine.

"I need to leave," he announced, his tone sounding almost distant now as he scooted his chair away from the table and stood. I watched him, confused. We were in the middle of a date; what did he mean that he had to leave? "Please, enjoy he rest of dinner. Nan will put the bill on my tab. Erik will be here shortly to pick you up and bring you home."

"Is everything okay?" I asked him, but I could barely get the question out before he turned and walked through the restaurant.

I stared at his retreating back until he was completely gone; my mind in a whirlwind of thoughts and my heart pounding unsteadily against my chest.

He just ditched me on our date...

"What happened?" Nan asked, stepping beside me.

"I'm not sure," I said softly, my eyes fixed on the closed door. "He left..."

"What?" She asked, her eyes wide as she stared at his hardly touched food. "Why?"

"He got a phone call and then he just... left," I told her, my voice sounding unfamiliar and hollow as I spoke. I was so unbelievably confused by what just happened. I couldn't believe he just left me like this.

Who was on the other end of the phone? Was it Beta Taylor? Would he tell me what was going on?

"He barely ate," Nan frowned. "Should I box it up?"

I shook my head.

"He never takes leftovers," I whisper, feeling tears prick the corner of my eyes. She shrugged and sat down in his place.

"Guess now is a good time to take my break then," she teased as she started to nibble on his food. "I'm sure it's nothing. Don't worry too much about it, Judy."

"He has never left me like this before," I whisper. "What if it's something important..."

"Then it's his problem and I'm sure he'll explain himself later," she told me, giving me a small smile. "Don't worry too much about it.”

Despite her words, I still worried deeply about it.

As promised, Erik came and picked me up. He brought me back home to my parents' house. My mom hugged me when she saw me, and my

father apologized for his "gged

over the last day or so. We hadn't spoken since I yelled at them and stormed out, but it seemed we all reflected on it and felt equally guilty. I didn't want to remain mad at them, and they didn't want to be those overbearing and controlling parents, especially because I am an adult.

The next several days mixed together in a blur; the weekend came and went, and

I still hadn't heard a word from Gavin. Now it was Monday and Erik came to pick

me up for school, Nan was with him because she spent the night with Cheser at the mansion and hitched a ride.

School was busy with students

cramming for the upcoming exams. Everybody was worried about their final grades; this would make or break my future. We

• premene

for graduation and these final exams determined whether or not we get a degree or not. I was beyond nervous and stressing... I wished I could talk to Gavin, but he hadn't returned any of my texts.

I did try calling him last night after not hearing from him for a couple of days, but his phone appeared to be off, which was strange because he never turned that thing off. His phone was a part of who he was, and when it was off, it meant

something serious was happening.

I sat in the student lounge with a mound of books, trying to cram as much as I could. Nan sat beside me, also cramming for her upcoming exams.

Lukas walks by and when his eyes find mine, he quickly averts his attention and starts towards the exit. I pressed my lips together and stood up, chasing after him.

"Lukas, hold on a second," I said, grabbing his arm to stop him. "Can you at least talk to me?"

"I can't, Judy... I'm sorry," he said, still keeping his eyes averted. "My parents should have sent you the last of the payment already for your services."noveldrama

"It's not about the money<" I said, folding my arms across my chest. "It's about our friendship. I thought we were becoming friends..."

"We were..." he admitted. "Until Gavin Landry got to me. We can't be friends, Judy. I'm sorry, but I have a scholarship to maintain. I still have another year of school before I can officially graduate, and I can't fuck it up now."