"Hey," Rose said softly, noticing Nancy lost in thought, her expression distant.
Nancy blinked, startled out of her thoughts. "Why are you so tense? Am I wrong for going through your phone? Besides, we both know each other's passwords it's never been a problem."
Rose watched her, sensing there was something she wasn't saying. Nancy hesitated, weighing her words. I can't tell Rose about William… it'll drain her and open a thousand questions she's not ready for. Better to keep things cheerful, keep her happy.
"Are you okay?" Rose asked gently.
"Hmmm… I'm fine. Let's eat we've got a long day ahead," Nancy replied, forcing a smile.
Rose reached across the table, taking her friend's hand in hers.
"Nancy… you can always talk to me if something's bothering you. I'm always here to listen, not judge." She smiled softly, letting her warmth fill the space between them.
Nancy squeezed her hand, guilt flickering in her eyes. "Sure… you're my best friend. I can't keep secrets from you for too long," she admitted.
Later that day, Nancy leaned against Rose's bedframe. "Rose, get up! You've been sleeping all day."
"But it's the weekend… what else do you expect me to do apart from relax?" Rose replied lazily, stretching her arms.
Nancy smiled, shaking her head in disbelief. How could someone so beautiful be single?
"Gabriel called just a moment ago. Guess you haven't apologized to him like you promised."
Rose picked up her phone and saw three missed calls blinking insistently. "He just came back to the country last month, and he's already doing this?" she said, flopping back on the bed in frustration.
"Of course he has to. You're breathtaking. Any man would go crazy seeing you… not to mention those cute gap teeth and dimples," Nancy teased, admiration clear in her voice.
Rose laughed. "You'll never stop flattering me. Don't you realize you're flattering yourself too?"
"But I don't have cute dimples like you or that curvy, sexy shape," Nancy countered. "If I had an older brother, I would've kept you for him."
Rose snorted. "But you don't, hahaha!"
Their laughter echoed through the room until Rose's phone buzzed again.
"Who's calling now?" Nancy asked, noticing Rose frown as she held the phone.
"Ohhh God… it's Gabriel. What does he want now?" Rose muttered, clearly frustrated.
"Just pick up and hear what he has to say. We can laugh about it later," Nancy said, raising her thumb playfully.
Rose sighed and answered. "Hello?"
"Hello… good afternoon," Gabriel replied, his voice warm.
"I'm sorry I missed your calls earlier; my phone was on silent," Rose quickly explained.
"Oh, it's fine. I got back to the country last month and wanted to check on you earlier, but I was busy with work," he said, and both Rose and Nancy exchanged surprised looks. Since when does Gabriel explain himself? Rose wondered.
"No, it's fine. Everyone's busy these days, I understand. Besides, we weren't that close back in school I was just your junior so it's okay," Rose said lightly.
Gabriel's chest tightened at her words, a twinge of hurt there.
"It's fine. But we should forget about school days we're all adults now. Those are just memories," he said, and Rose couldn't help but knock her head lightly, smiling at his formality.
"Put it on speaker," Nancy whispered, taking a small step back. "I want to listen to this conversation, hahaha."
Rose understood immediately, hitting the speaker button. She knew they were about to have some fun gossiping and teasing Gabriel together.
"Anyway," Gabriel said, "where do you work now? I could come pick you and Nancy up for lunch what do you say?"