Chapter 46: XLV

THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE TWO ended when the two saw an incoming empty cab.

The asshat quickly raised his hand to stop the cab.

Laia expected the asshat to just enter the cab without saying another word (much like his girlfriend) but to her surprise, the asshat kept his eyes on her as the cab stopped in front of her house's gate.

"Thanks for taking care of me," The asshat even had the audacity to wink at her. "You'll make a good nurse."

And yet he didn't wait for Laia to respond and immediately stepped inside the cab.

Laia rolled her eyes as she watched the cab soon disappear from her view.

"I thought your late night conversation would never end," Niel says from behind Laia, making the girl realize that her friend was inside her home the whole time.

"Why didn't you just come out?"

"And interrupt your endless conversation? I'd rather not be a third wheel, thank you very much,"

"You could've just called me over," Laia deadpans.

"And risk your asshat getting angry at me for disturbing your moment together?"

The short-haired girl elbows her friend sharply, making him yelp in pain. "Is this how you would thank me for not ruining your moment with your asshat?!"

"He has a girlfriend,"

"His girlfriend has a fiancee," Niel raises an eyebrow. "Do you really think she'd mind if her boyfriend gets a little bit close with another girl at this point?"

Laia thinks back to how Amethyst's mood soured after the asshat revealed that he had already been to Laia's house before.

She would absolutely mind, no doubt.

However, she doesn't think it's something she should be telling Niel who honestly might jump to conclusions again and had a huge possibility of saying those things to other people.

Laia decides to change the topic. "Should I get you a cab?"

"It's not like I can walk all the way to my house," Niel even shrugs making Laia elbow him again. "I'm just saying!"

"Okay, wait,"

"Can't we just wait for a cab to pass by like earlier?"

"We could," The girl shrugs. "But I can't say for sure that there will be another cab passing by especially during this hour,"

Niel pouts. "How can your asshat be that lucky?"

Laia rolls her eyes and proceeds to pull her phone out of her pocket to dial a nearby taxi hotspot. Fortunately, somebody was quick to answer her call and told her that a taxi is already on its way.

"A cab is on its way,"

Niel sighs in relief. "That's the only good news I've heard all day,"

"How about meeting your idol in real life?"

"Idol?"

Laia snorts. "Amethyst, who else? Remember screaming her name earlier like you just saw a global superstar?"

The boy rolls his eyes. "It was just because I don't live under a rock like you so I was a bit surprised to see a popular influencer,"

"If she's so popular then why didn't I know her?"

"As I said, you live under a rock," Niel evades a hit that was supposed to hit his shoulder. "You didn't even know who Sawyer was!"

Laia looks away. "I don't watch dramas,"

Niel pats her on the shoulder making Laia narrow her eyes at him. "This is why you should watch dramas rather than face your laptop the whole day and study all those lessons,"

"I will hit you."

The boy responds by moving away from Laia and even placing his hands on his face, afraid of Laia going for his so-called asset.

"Laia, why are you outside?!"

The girl turned towards the furious voice and saw her mother who was holding a bag of groceries on both hands.

"I said why are you-- Oh, who is this?"

Just like how her mother would often have a mischievous glint on her eye and a teasing smile to boot whenever she sees her daughter with a person of the opposite sex, the older woman had the same expression on her face at the moment.

Niel walks towards the older woman and reaches out for the bag of groceries on her right hand. "Let me, auntie,"

"Oh, he's a nice boy as well!" The older woman smiles as she hands the bag to the boy. "Are you my daughter's boyfriend?"

Laia grimaces as Niel's face scrunched in displeasure when the two met eyes.

"Gross," Laia mouths as she stuck her tongue out.

Niel rolls his eyes and mouths back. "Back at you,"

Laia's mother ignores their banter. "Aren't you two sweet? How about we have dinner?"

"We already had dinner mom," Laia says as she takes the other bag of groceries. "I saved some leftovers for you,"

The older woman smiles at her daughter. "Thanks, honey," She turns to Niel who placed the bag of groceries he was holding on one of the kitchen counters. "Did you eat as well?"

Niel nods. "Yes, we ate together,"

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The older woman smiles again in a mischievous manner and completely missed how the two exchanged wary glances.

"Hmm, was the food good?" 

"We ordered it from a nearby fast-food chain," Niel says, awkwardly shuffling his feet whenever he felt the gaze of her friend's mother. "I think it's good enough for its price, don't you think so Laia?"

"I guess?" Laia was torn between being honest about her thoughts regarding the spicy chicken or not mentioning it. "I didn't like the spicy chicken though,"

"Oh dear," The older woman shakes her head and smiles at Niel. "My daughter here would absolutely not enjoy a date to a restaurant that specializes in Asian cuisine,"

"Especially if they serve meals that are spicy," She continues after placing her plate in front of her. She then beckons the two to take a seat. "Don't just stand there, take a seat!"

Niel was about to comply when honking was heard outside. 

Probably the cab.

"Is that Brie?" 

"It's the taxi I called for Niel," Laia answers her mother who nods her head in understanding after checking her watch. "I'll see him off, mom,"

"Sure dear, just don't do something I wouldn't in front of all our nosy neighbors!"

Laia cringes but says nothing else and instead pushes a standing Niel towards the front door and outside the gate. 

"What's with the pushing?" Niel fixes his shirt.

"Do you seriously want my mother to furthermore imply that we're about to do something inappropriate out here?"

The thought of being insinuated that they are together made Laia grimace and she seemed to share the same thoughts with Niel who looked torn between laughing and grimacing as well.

"I better go now before your mother makes me propose," Niel opens the door to the backseat. "See you next week!"

"Bye," Laia waves goodbye.

As if the cab was impersonating Laia running away from her issues and problems, it drove off like the speed of light, leaving a bunch of dust in its wake.

The short-haired girl breathes deeply and prepared herself for whatever nonsense her mother was about to say the moment she enters their front door.

And she was right about the nonsense.

"Is he your boyfriend?!" The older woman had her hands on her daughter's shoulders and was pushing her daughter back and forth. "Please tell me you've finally outgrown your phase of studying all day and all week and never being interested in the opposite sex,"

Laia gave her mother a deadpanned stare as she lowered the older woman's hands. "Unfortunately, he's just a friend--"

"A friend has the potential to be your lover, dear," Layla hums to herself as she pats her daughter on the cheek. "He's not your usual type, though. Have you finally realized that brunettes are superior to blondes?"

"Blondes are still superior to brunettes," Laia pulls away from her mother who continues humming. "And we're honestly not dating, mom,"

Her mother turns to her with a look that Laia knew so well. "Are you dating Samuel, then? He's a good boy too, very respectful and we can't forget how he's really handsome and tall--"

Laia almost chokes on the water she was drinking.

Her? Dating the asshat?!

Gross.

"Still a no," The girl decided to pour the remaining water on the cactus that was on one of the cabinets. Laia had no idea why her mother would put a cactus there until now. "By the way, did you work overtime again?"

"Yes," The older woman sits down on the couch and turns the television on. She places her feet on the coffee table and sighs. "A few of my coworkers turned their resignation earlier,"

Laia sits down opposite her mother. "Why?"

Her mother sighs. "Low wages," She dismisses the topic with a wave of her hand, the topic obviously souring her mood. "Don't think too much about it, I'll take care of it,"

The short-haired girl's lips formed a thin line, fighting herself from saying whatever she wanted. However, she couldn't stop herself in the end as the feelings she had bottled inside her just.. came out.

"Mom, I'm already seventeen, why won't you let me help you?" Laia reaches out for her mother's hands which were rough and dry from all the work she's been doing. "I can help you--"

The older woman pulls her hands away from her daughter and stands up. "We already talked about this before, Laia! Why won't you try to understand me? I don't want to burden you with a responsibility that's not supposed to be yours to bear--"

"But you're killing yourself, mom!" Laia exclaims. "You're overworking yourself, you're crying by yourself at night when you think I'm not listening and I know that you're doing everything you can but it's not enough mom!"

Her words seemed to have struck a nerve as her mother took a hasty step back, turning her back to her daughter.

"You know I'm right, mom," Laia continues. "You know that I can already help you, so why won't you--"

"You are my only daughter!" Layla turns to her daughter with an agonized expression on her face. "You're supposed to just go to school every day and hang out with your friends as I take care of you when you go home,"

She wipes a tear that fell from her left eye. "You're not even supposed to think about these problems, you're supposed to stay blind to these--"

"But I can't mom--"

"You should!" The older woman cupped her daughter's cheeks as she wiped the tears that continuously fell on her daughter's shirt. "Let me handle everything, okay? I am your mother after all,"

"But--"

"No buts, dear," Layla sighs and gently fixes her daughter's messy hair. "Go to sleep now, okay? I'll just wash the dishes and I'll rest for today as well,"

"Mom--"

"Laia," Her mother's tone was enough to serve as a warning for Laia to not continue despite her wanting to. "Just go to sleep, okay? Let's not fight anymore,"

I don't want to fight mom, Laia wanted to say as she watched her mother turn her back towards her again and make her way to the kitchen. 

I just want you to understand that I just want to be there for you like you have always been for me.

Laia doesn't sleep that night.

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