Chapter 146: Thea’s Silence
Charlotte’s teasing voice whispered in her mind, "Did you think of the book as Mr Thompson?"
A soft smile spread across Thea’s face as she considered the question. "Did I?" she murmured to herself, her thoughts drifting back to the previous night. Had she, in her sleepy haze, imagined Ryder’s presence in the book she held so close? Thea’s cheeks flushed slightly as she pondered the possibility, a soft laugh escaping her lips.
She lay still for a moment, before sitting up and stretching.Thea picked up her phone and checked the time. The screen read 6:00 AM.
She made her way downstairs. As she entered the kitchen, she was greeted by the warm aroma of cooking breakfast and the sight of her grandma, Grandma Grace, busily preparing their morning meal. Thea’s face lit up with a smile as she approached her grandma from behind, wrapping her arms around her in a gentle hug.
"Grandma, good morning.." Thea whispered, her voice filled with affection.
Grandma Grace turned her head, a warm smile spreading across her face. "Good morning, sweetie.." she replied, her eyes twinkling with love.
Thea held her grandma for a moment longer before releasing her. As she stepped back, a hint of sadness crept into her voice."Grandma, yesterday Charlotte said that we’ll be staying in Canada for four days... I’ll miss you so much."
Grandma Grace’s expression softened, her eyes filled with understanding. "I’ll miss you too, dear." she said, her voice gentle. "After all, I haven’t been apart from you for even a week. It’s going to feel strange not having you around."
"Yesterday, your Aunt Evelyn called me in the evening." Grandma Grace said, her voice accompanied by the sizzle of scrambled eggs as she stirred them in a bowl. As she worked, Grandma Grace’s eyes remained focused on Thea, a warm smile on her face as she shared the news about Aunt Evelyn’s call.
After enjoying a delightful breakfast together, Thea lent a helping hand to her grandma, assisting her with washing the plates and cleaning up the kitchen.Once the dishes were cleaned and the kitchen was tidy, Thea headed back upstairs to her room to get ready for another busy day at the university.
As Thea walked towards the bus station, she was greeted by a familiar face - Nia Marte, her grandma’s close friend. "Thea?"
Thea returned the smile, "Good morning, Grandma Nia! How are you?" She asked, using the affectionate term she had grown accustomed to.
"I’m doing well, dear. Are you off to university today?" She inquired, noticing Thea’s bag.
Thea nodded, "Yes, I am. And are you visiting your friend today?" She asked, eyeing Grandma Nia’s purse and keys.
Grandma Nia replied, "That’s right. I’m meeting your grandma for lunch. By the way, I noticed you and your grandma didn’t go for your usual morning walk today."
Thea shook her head, "No, Grandma didn’t feel like going out today."
Nia Marte nodded understandingly, "Okay, Thea. Well, I won’t keep you. You don’t want to be late for your bus." She smiled and patted Thea’s arm.
Thea smiled back, "Have a nice day, Grandma Nia. I’ll see you around." With a wave goodbye, Thea continued on her way to the bus station.
Thea strolled through the campus of Lumina University, noticing Charlotte waiting for her, leaning against a pillar with a playful mischievous smile on her face. "Miss Thea, you’re late by 10 minutes today." Charlotte said, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you weren’t going to show up at all. After all, you did receive a gift from your crush.By the way are late for this reason?" Charlotte asked,as she leg-pooled Thea, trying to get a rise out of her.
Thea’s cheeks flushed slightly as she approached Charlotte. "I’m sorry I’m late." she said, trying to brush off Charlotte’s teasing. "And, uh, yeah... I did get a gift from him. But that’s not why I’m late, I swear!" Thea protested, laughing as Charlotte continued to tease her.
Charlotte chuckled, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, really? Then what’s the reason for your tardiness, Miss Thea?"
"I missed the bus that I usually take." Thea said, trying to come up with a plausible explanation for her tardiness.
Charlotte’s eyes narrowed slightly as she whispered, "Because of Mr. Thompson?" She clicked her tongue, hinting that Thea’s crush might have been the reason for her late arrival.
Thea shook her head, a smile spreading across her face. "No," she said, trying to brush off the suggestion.
But Charlotte’s next words caught her off guard. "I imagined that yesterday at night,that you were busy with your gift... maybe even clutching it to your chest." she said, her voice low and teasing.
Thea’s eyes widened in surprise, and she felt her face grow warm. She was taken aback by how accurate Charlotte’s guess was. After waking up from her sleep, she had indeed clutched the book to her chest.
Thea’s silence was all the confirmation Charlotte needed. "Why are you silent?" Charlotte asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Wait... what I’ve guessed is correct, right?" she pressed, her voice full of excitement and curiosity, as she waited for Thea to confess the truth.
Thea replied, "Who said you’re right? I’m just thinking why you like to imagine wild things." Charlotte’s response was laced with humor and a hint of teasing.
"Wild things?" Charlotte repeated, chuckling. "I didn’t imagine you two having exotic sex... How can this be called a wild imagination?" Charlotte’s tone was playful, but Thea’s face still flushed with embarrassment.
Thea shook her head, laughing. "You’re ridiculous, Charlotte. You always think the worst... or the most interesting, depending on how you look at it."
"Okay, let’s drop this," Thea said, changing the subject. "What’s the gift?" They had already reached their classroom, and Thea took her seat, followed by Charlotte.
"Hmm, don’t want to share it with me?" Charlotte teased, raising an eyebrow.
Thea shook her head. "No, it’s not like that. He gifted me the whole series of ’Whispering Winds of Winter’."
Charlotte’s eyes widened. "The new book also?"
Thea nodded, a smile spreading across her face. "Hmm, the new one also."
Charlotte’s face lit up. "Wow, then I can read it from you. I’ll cancel my order now." She took out her phone, ready to make the call.
Thea’s eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Charlotte. "Wait, you ordered the new collection?"
Charlotte mumbled, "H... Ha, that’s... that’s..."
Thea pressed her, "That’s what? Say it. You ordered it, didn’t you?"
Charlotte looked at Thea sadly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I placed the order three days ago."
The professor walked into the classroom, and the lesson began. Thea turned her attention to the lecture, focusing on the professor’s words. Charlotte, however, couldn’t help but glance in Thea’s direction from time to time.
As the class progressed, Charlotte leaned over and whispered, "Thea, I want a pen." Thea didn’t respond, her eyes fixed on the professor. Charlotte tried again, "Thea, I want a pen." This time, she nudged Thea softly, trying to get her attention.
Thea still didn’t say a word, but she slowly reached into her bag and pulled out a pen. She placed it on the desk in front of Charlotte, her expression neutral. Charlotte’s eyes dropped, and she looked sad, knowing she had done something wrong.
It wasn’t just the fact that Thea was ignoring her that bothered Charlotte, but also the memory of their previous conversation. Thea had mentioned how much she wanted to get the new book in the "Whispering Winds of Winter" series, but it was too limited, and she couldn’t find a copy. Charlotte had gone ahead and ordered the book without telling Thea, and now she felt guilty for not considering her friend’s feelings. Thea’s silence was a clear indication that she was hurt, and Charlotte didn’t know how to make things right.
After the class ended,Charlotte turned to Thea and asked, "Thea, are you going to the library?" But Thea didn’t respond. Instead, she stood up from her seat and began to walk away, her eyes fixed on some point ahead.
Charlotte felt a surge of concern and quickly followed behind Thea, trying to keep up with her rapid pace. But Thea didn’t acknowledge her presence, ignoring her completely. Charlotte knew that this was a bad sign - Thea rarely got angry, but when she did, it was a formidable force to be reckoned with.
