Babel Novel
CHAPTER 15
Sneaky moves.
(ARIELLE’S POV)
I knew what I was about to do was wrong, as it went against my principles, but I couldn’t help myself. My hands moved involuntarily as I typed in a password. Jared had mentioned in the car that his password was my name, right? Well, it was time to find out.
I typed my name, and to my amazement, the phone unlocked. I clicked on the message box, and on Sofia’s messages.
“Hey, are you done bathing?”
“Will you come keep me company after you’re done?”
“Why aren’t you responding? Is Arielle awake?”
“Are you ignoring me?”
“Jared!!!!”
“I can’t sleep. Come down, and let’s go outside and look at the stars, just like we did when we were teenagers.”
“You promised me at the hospital’s garden that we would stargaze, remember?”
Angrily, I muted the phone and dropped it back on the couch. How shameless can Sofia be? She should be asleep, and not texting a married man to go out at night to stargaze with her.
I returned to the bed, disturbed. Sleep had fled my eyes at this point, and all I craved was to march to Sofia’s room and warn her to know her boundaries. But I thought against it, trying to gain control over my anger.
Jared returned to the room a few minutes later, and I quickly pretended to be asleep. I watched him beneath my lashes, as he walked over to his phone and picked it up. He tapped on it, and glanced at the screen for a moment. Swiftly, he turned to face me, but I still lay in pretence of being asleep.
He dropped the phone and walked to the closet. He hurriedly got dressed in his pajamas and returned to the couch to pick up his phone. He glanced at it, and back at me. And then he called my name softly. “Arielle?”
‘I didn’t respond..
Sneaky moves.
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He called again, but this time louder than before, but I didn’t stir.
Then he turned and tiptoed to the door. I watched him pause to glance at me, and after confirming I was indeed asleep, he opened the door, and slipped out, gently closing the door behind him.
My eyes snapped open, the moment Jared left. I threw off the covers, and got off the bed. I felt tricked and angry. How could Jared? Sneaking out at night to be with Sofia, his supposed “best friend.” Now, I was convinced that their friendship was anything but platonic. They might not necessarily be having an affair, but there was nothing Platonic about their closeness, either.
If that wasn’t the case, Jared wouldn’t be okay with sneaking out at night to be with another woman. Or better yet still, he should have informed him if nothing was wrong with that.
I was seething with rage, and wanted to confront them. To seek answers because I was tired of being played and looking like a fool. But then, I couldn’t. Not yet. I needed to calm down, to think things through.
Still, the temptation to hurry out, and spy on them was strong. I shook my head, I won’t stoop to such a level. And then, an idea struck me–the balcony. I could see anything from there. If Jared and Sofia were truly headed outside to stargaze, then I should be able to see them from there.
Hurriedly, I opened the door that led to the front balcony, stepping out into the cool night view. The beautiful sight of the neighborhood at night took my breath away, but I reminded myself that I was not there to admire the scenery.
I scanned the grounds, and just then, Sofia and Jared walked out. Sofia looked beautiful in her short white nightgown, her baby bumps prominent.
I felt a jolt of jealousy at the sight. That should be me and Jared, and not the other way around.
As they walked, I watched in horror as Sofia slipped her hand into Jared’s. He didn’t pull away. Instead, he looked at her with a tenderness that made my heart shatter. They were supposed to be friends, right? So what was that look in his eyes?
They soon stopped at the flower lawn, and I could barely make out their figures in the dim light. But I saw them sit on the trimmed grasses, and Sofia pointed to the sky, while Jared nodded.
A few minutes later, Sofia rested her head on Jared’s shoulder, and yet again, he
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Sneaky moves.
didn’t refute the gesture. I felt like I’d been stabbed in the chest, looking at them so attached and fond of each other.
That was enough for me, I decided. I backed away from the balcony, my mind fogged. with images of Jared and Sofia stargazing like lovers. I returned to the room, feeling. bitter and alone, the images refusing to leave my head.
I sat on the bed, trying to process what I’d just seen, but my mind was a mess of emotions. Anger, hurt, confusion–they all mixed, making it difficult to think straight.
Going back to sleep in that state seemed impossible, so I just sat on the bed, staring into space. I didn’t know how long I was in that position, but I was that way, when the door creaked open, and Jared came into view.
Jared’s eyes widened in surprise, as he saw me seated on the bed, eyes pinned on him. The expression quickly left his face, and he flashed me a charming smile.
“Hey, you’re awake.”
I nodded. “Yes, I woke up craving your warmth, but you weren’t in bed. So, Where did you go?”
“I thought I heard a noise downstairs and went down to check.”
I raised a brow. “Is that so? And did you see what made the noise?”
Jared shrugged. “Unfortunately, No. Maybe I just assumed I heard something. But it was good I checked, just in case.”
I nodded again, sickened by how easily he lied to me. “That’s right.”
Jared approached me, a mischievous glint now in his eyes eyes. “Did you say you were missing my warmth, Mrs. Smith?”
I forced a smile. “Yes, I did.”
“Well, I’m here now, and it’s all yours.” He held out his arms, inviting me to snuggle
back into bed.
I didn’t make a move, and he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. “Come on, let’s go back to bed.”
He gently pulled me into bed, and got in beside me. He drew me closer to himself, and threw his arm around me, but they didn’t feel like the arms of the man I had known and loved for three years.
Sneaky moven
As we laid quietly, I couldn’t stop myself, I blurted out, “You smell of female shampoo