|| Collab SS: Begrudgingly Loved || #3 updated - Page 8

Khushi was tired. It was hard pretending to be unaffected when his scent lingered around her every day. She heaved a sigh walking in her room and threw herself back, falling into a massive pile of dirty laundry settled on her bed.

"Oh lord." she mumbled.

Seconds later the door to her room flung open to her room and stood her best friend with two dresses in her hands. "This one or this one?" she asked

"That one", Khushi replied pointing at the pale sparkly pink tube dress before falling back.

Jessica turned around to leave but stopped in between and faced her friend again. "Khushi."

"hmm?"

"Why don't you come with me? You seem like you need a drink."

Khushi opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a while before heaving a sigh and sitting back up. Jessica smiled seeing the reaction, "We are going to break some hearts together!"

"There's a pretty nice club down the fifth avenue. Why don't we meet up there?" Arnav spoke into the phone exiting his office building. He disconnected the call and smiled to himself. He needed a break.

He sighed walking into the bar to be greeted by a crushing hug by his old friend.

"Dude!!"

"Hey! It's been long!"

"I know! But look at you hotshot!

"You sound like a girl!" Arnav uttered exasperated.

"Well, sorry for not being sorry." Shin replied smugly as they walked over towards the bar. The men seated themselves before ordering plain beers while scanning the crowd for perhaps a wishful distraction.

"So.." Shin started off taking a sip of his drink, "..what were you going to tell me that couldn't wait?"

"Yeah, Khushi. You remember Khush from Syracuse?"

"Arnav, you dated her bro."

"Well, she's working at the same place that I am working. And to top it off, we both a partners on the same corporate profile."

"Oh.."

"Oh? What do you mean by Oh'? Do you how confusing she's gotten? She practically loathes me and I don't even know the reason!" he scoffed irritatedly turning around with the glass in his hand only to spot her standing opposite him with her eyes trained upon him.

She was dressed in a plain black tube top looking gorgeous as ever with her hair tied in a loose bun. She didn't budge as his eyes met hers but only turned around and walked away into the crowd.

"Are you kidding me? You are saying you don't know why Khushi Gupta hates your pathetic ass?" Shin groaned as he signaled the bartender to fill him up again.

"No, I honestly don't."

"Well, you being son of a holy cow that you obviously are, cheated on her at the graduation party."

"I don't remember." Arnav blurted.

"Well your mate, Sheetal Kapoor probably does. She spiked your drink and got you drunk enough that you threw up while having sex. It was disturbing."

"How do I know you're not putting up with a lame joke?"

"Go ask Khushi if she's mad at you because of what happened at the graduation party."

Arnav sighed, feeling dejected. Why didn't she come to him afterwards? Why didn't she confront him for what she had seen? What was the need to shut him out like that. His brows scrunched as the questions swirled inside his mind.

Khushi meanwhile stood afar watching him. He was sitting with his best pal, Shin. The night passed four years ago flashed in her mind erasing every memory that she had shared with him. She turned around and ordered herself martini shots as Arnav exited from the club.

She felt the hot tears bubbling inside her trace themselves along the profile of her face. It was getting harder each and everyday to pretend as if nothing had happened when she had loved him once and was perhaps...

"You are falling for him." A quiet voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked behind her to see Jessica standing with disheveled hair and her heels in her hands.

"Jess?" she muttered.

"How many of those have you had so far?" Jessica asked pointing at the five empty cups of martini shots.

"What are you talking about Jess?" she replied shakily with a grin pretending to be perfectly fine.

"We are going home." Jessica uttered pulling her behind her, walking out and getting them a cab as the night died out behind them.

Khushi woke up slumped on the couch out in the living room with her head hurting like hell.

"Jess?" she muttered.

"Khushi, I am already late to work. Its seven thirty. Get your lazy ass up!" the voice came from the bathroom from where Jessica stepped out wearing a inside-out jumpsuit.