Chapter 16: 16. A Growl of War Maria and James were still deep in conversation, their voices low and filled with warmth, when Laura walked over to where they sat.
After greeting James politely, she sat down at a nearby table without saying much. Sensing her presence, James gave Maria a parting smile and stood up.
"I’ll see you around," he said gently, then turned and walked away.
Maria watched him leave with a smile plastered across her face, her eyes lingering on him longer than she realized.
Lost in the moment, she didn’t notice Laura watching her closely until Laura gave her a light tap on the shoulder.
"You really like James, Maria. And it’s very obvious!" Laura teased, grinning.
Maria blinked in surprise and turned to her with her mouth slightly open, caught off guard.
"What? I don’t like him more than just as a friend! And besides, you guys were the ones who told me to apologize to him. Now you’re turning around and saying I like him?"
She quickly looked away, clearly trying to dodge the topic.
"Come on, stop playing mind games with yourself," Laura said, her tone turning more serious. "You need to be honest. Liking James isn’t wrong. But you know as well as I do, you need your freedom first. Nothing else should come before that."
Maria lowered her head, placing both hands on her forehead. Her thoughts tangled up with emotions, but she knew Laura was right.
There was no use denying it.
"I know you’re right... I won’t lie about that. But I can’t let anyone especially not James, know about how I feel. Not until I fix what’s in front of me," Maria admitted, her voice quieter now.
Laura gave a small, understanding nod.
"Don’t stress too much. Just take everything one step at a time. Oh, and maybe try not to get lost in your dreamy thoughts with that big smile on your face when he’s around," she added with a playful smirk.
They both laughed softly at that. Maria shook her head at the joke, and for a moment, things felt light again.
After a while, Maria checked the time on her wristwatch. Her brows furrowed slightly. "Have you seen Cassandra today?"
"No, I haven’t." Laura shook her head. "Actually, I came looking for you two earlier, but I didn’t find either of you—until now."
Maria’s face showed a flicker of concern. She had no way to contact Cassandra since her phone had been damaged in the accident.
She hadn’t gotten around to replacing it yet.
Laura, sensing her worry, pulled out her phone and quickly dialed Cassandra’s number. To their relief, Cassandra picked up right away.
"Hello, Cassandra! Are you okay? Why didn’t you come to college today?" Laura asked without hesitation.
"I’m fine, Laura. Sorry for not informing you guys earlier," Cassandra’s voice came through the speaker. "My mom needed me to attend a seminar with her. I won’t be back until the weekend."
"Alright, that makes sense. Maria’s here with me, by the way, we were both worried," Laura explained, and the three of them exchanged pleasantries before ending the call.