Chapter Twenty-One

                                    

                                          

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
                          
Monday was filled with assignments and spending most of it in the library. Whenever I needed a break, I watched a couple of videos of Seth's basketball games. Mona joined me once she was done with her classes. She would give her input on what strategies to use on Seth.

                          
The more I watched him play, the more I wondered why the three men felt threatened by him. There had to be more than what Jaylen told me because it didn't make sense to me. If he was keeping something from me, especially after I had asked him straight-up about it, made me mad.
                          
I decided to confront him about it after the game tomorrow night. Which, by the way, got me nervous as hell. I wasn't even playing the game but I was filled with uneasiness from the anticipation of the event tomorrow.

                          
Jaylen and I had been texting. He was busy with school and basketball so he wasn't able to see me on Monday, which I completely understood. I had plenty of assignments that I wanted to get ahead of as well. Our one-day break from one another was productive and needed. 
                          
We kept our conversations through text were very vague. I didn't want to ask him a personal question without seeing his facial expressions. Texting took that aspect away from communication and it was an important aspect too. 
                          
Our texts never told our tone of voice and our motives. We tend to read it from our assumptions and intuitions. What I found out was we tend to hurt ourselves more when we overthink. So, it was better off to talk about sensitive and heavier topics in person. 
                          
It was Tuesday night, Mona and I were in the library, reviewing the videos one more time. I couldn't help but notice her expressions whenever Seth was on the screen. If this woman actually ends up being with him, I wouldn't know what to do. 
                          
"I hope you're not giving him heart-eyes," I told her, eyeing her reaction. We were in the secret spot I found and there weren't any students around. 
                          
"I don't think he's that bad," Mona said, defending him. After the amount of research she had done on him, she had the right to say that about him. There wasn't one bad thing about him. His social media was clean and anything about him on the school's website as well. 
                          
Jaylen and his two best friends made him look like he wasn't a good guy. And since I knew who the three were, I couldn't help but believe them. Maybe I was being unfair towards him. 
                          
"He's a troubled kid who likes to play basketball and he's good at it too," I opened my mouth to reply but my phone vibrated against the desk, catching my attention. I went and looked at the screen and saw a message from Jaylen. 
                          
Jaylen 
                          
practice finished early. where r u? 
                          
Lilliana 
                          
in the library. come to the 3rd floor and i'll meet u by the staircase. 
                          
Jaylen 
                          
aight. kai and zane r coming with