Chapter 34


    Chapter 34: Crazy Game


    Eason’s POV


    I know it’s stupid for me to get angry over those trifles. But I just can’t stand Alex, with him pestering Nat


    like a fucking annoying fly. I stare at them gloomily across the court before the game. Natalia is talking to


    him and then they both burst intoughter together. Her smile is so beaming and bright that I know she


    must have a special feeling for him as well. If I hadn’t made the move first, she would have been with him


    already.


    I can’t let that happen. The game began and I’m all in for it. James told me that fucking Alex is pretty


    good at sports too but I’m losing this one to him.


    At first, it was still a casual game yed in a rxing and friendly atmosphere. But my intention to win


    was probably too obvious that Alex sensed it quickly. He got serious immediately. And it soon turned into


    a brutal one-on-one contest between me and him.


    Fifteen minutester, after I managed to score another point, Katherine tosses the ball aside and


    copsed to the ground. Hot sweat is streaming down her face.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    “No-I’m done. I wanted to burn some calories, not to have myself worked up to death. I need to lie down,”


    she protests. “You can just watch if you want to,” I tell her. I don’t need her to win the game. “Can I go as


    well?” James groans, both hands on his knees and panting heavily. “You probably forgot. But sports


    aren’t really my forte.” “Hey,” Eddie shouts from the other side. “Can we take a halftime break? I think I’m


    dehydrating!”


    I look over to them and find Nat sitting on the ground, rubbing her feet. Did she twist her ankle?


    A surge of worry passes through my heart as I take an automatic step forward wanting toe over. But


    the next second, Alex appears besides her and hands her a bottle of water. She takes the water and


    smiles at him, letting him pick her up from the ground.


    …Fuck.


    I turn around stiffly and head towards the deck chairs, with James shouting behind me, “..so halftime?”


    “Why not!” I snap. I grab a bottle of iced water from the bucket and poured it down my head. The image


    of them looking and smile at each other makes my eyes burn. I’ve never felt this out of control in a long


    time.


    “Hey man,” James walks up to me from behind and asks. “What the fuck was that?”


    “What?” I ask absentmindedly, still thinking about Alex and Nat. “The game! You! We yed for fun. It’s


    not like we were trying to win the fucking Olympics.” “It didn’t seem like you tried,” I said sarcastically.


    “OK, is it because of Alex and Natalia?” James frowns. “Are you jealous of Alex? Tell me it isn’t because


    if it is…then you are just crazy.” I squeeze the bottle in my hand and stay silent. My gut reaction was to


    say no. But after a long pause, I sign and rake my fingers through my hairs, “yeah…probably a little.”


    “What?” James cries out and quickly lowers his voice under my deathly re. “Are you fucking out of


    your mind? This was supposed to be a game! You were supposed to dump her in front of everyone’s


    eyes in less than two months! Remember? Don’t tell me you are actually in love with her.”


    “Stop talking shit,” I roll my eyes. “I know what I’m supposed to do. And I’m not jealous of Alex. I just


    need him to stay away from Nat. Like you said, there’s still two months. A lot of things can happen in two


    months. I can’t have Nat change her mind during this period of time.”


    “I thought you nailed her,” James shrugs. “And no normal girl would choose him over you.” “Yeah


    bullshit,” I remind him. “He is her type, remember? Don’t forget about her ex boyfriend.”


    If Natalia is one of those girls who have a bad-boyplex and fall easily for luxury gifts and frequent


    visits to fancy restaurants, then my n would go much smoother.


    But no. Her type is President of the student union and Mr. Goodie.


    Suddenly, something urs to me, and I snap my head around to stare at James, “you didn’t tell Alex


    about our n, did you?” “What?! No!” James jumps up. “But—”


    “But what?” I snap. “But like you said, he’s a smart dude. I can’t promise he won’t figure it out himself.” I


    grit my teeth as anxiety starts to build up in my heart. Now that I think of it, when everyone else around


    us only think of me as Natalia’s brother, only Alex doesn’t. He’s been holding a weird hostility towards me


    as if he knows what I’m up to. “Fuck,” I curse. “Why did you bring him to that damn party in the first


    ce!” “Hey you can’t me me for it. That was your damn party,” James spreads his hands. “And if you


    are worried about him that much, there’s something else you should know…I heard that he’s setting up


    an interview for Natalia in the uing week.”


    I almost throw my bottle of water onto the ground. I raise my eyes trying to find Natalia but only then do I


    realize that both of them are gone.


    ***


    Natalia’s POV


    “Thank you,” I take the ice bag he handed me and ce it on my ankle. I hiss at the pain. It really hurts.


    “You alright?” Alex sits beside me on the sofa, lowering his head to look at my ankle. “It’s a bit swollen.”


    “I’ll be fine,” I smile. “Probably just need a break from the crazy contest.” He signs and says


    apologetically, “sorry… I don’t know what got into me earlier.” “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault I twisted


    my ankle,” I shrug. “If anyone was crazy earlier, it should be Eason not you.” To be honest, I am a bit


    pissed at Eason. He was so caught up in the game that he didn’t even notice that I was hurt. It was Alex


    who escorted me back to the house and found some icebags for me.


    “Hey Nat?” Alex suddenly moves closer to me and asks.


    “Yeah?”


    I look up and find his face all serious and solemn. He frowns and takes in a deep breath before saying, “I


    need to talk to you about something. About Eason.”