332 Hide My Embarrassmen (2/2)

Nora's frown got deeper. ”You? You couldn't sleep? Am I dreaming? Which parallel world is this? Or perhaps, you're possessed by a ghost!” Nora looked at her with a horrorstruck look. ”You, whoever you are, leave my best friend's body!”

Xiu turned to look at Nora as she voiced out, ”It's not even funny, Nora.” At least not for her who was actually possessing her best friend's body. Shit! Nora reminded her of the reality that even she was forgetting now.

As the lights turned green, Nora stepped on the accelerator again but she looked in deep thought. It wasn't hard to see that Xiu was distracted. Something was bothering her but she wasn't voicing it out.

”If that's not the possibility than why didn't you sleep? You love your sleep the most. Or did you miss your boyfriend to the point of having insomnia now?”

”Maybe, I did miss him that much,” retorted Xiu in a flat tone.

”Did you now?” challenged Nora.

”Why? Does it not sound right?”

”Please, dear friend, I'm willing to believe that unicorns are real than believe that missing your boyfriend was too much for you and that's why you had sleepless nights. I know the real reason is something else, you're just not telling me.” Xiu's silence really worried Nora now. ”Xiu'er, is everything really okay with you?”

Xiu took a deep calming breath, she didn't want to worry Nora because of her own issues. Changing from a blank face to a smiling beauty again, she replied, ”I just made a fool out of myself before my mother-in-law. Do you really think everything is okay?”

”Mother-in-law?”

”Well, when I entered Regan's office, I didn't know that his mother was there as well. And one thing led to another and...”

”Hahaha...” Nora burst out laughing. She didn't even need to hear the whole story to know what must have happened. She was familiar with her best friend.

”Stop laughing. It's really not funny. She thinks I'm a little girl. You know what that implies? It means that I came off as an irresponsible, clingy, demanding, and worst kind of a life partner for her son. I really embarrassed myself.”

”Aiyo! That's what's been bothering you and I got worried for no reason. Xiu, it's really not a big deal. Not every person you meet can instantly come to know of your charms and qualities. Give it some time.” Nora was shaking her head at Xiu.

”But that's the worst kind of first impression,” whined Xiu as she crossed her arms before her chest and grumbled incoherently to herself.

”Take it easy, there...” Nora parked her car and alighted while Xiu followed suit. Nora was surprised to see how Xiu held her arm as they walked inside the hotel lobby. Xiu was never the kind of person who would stick this close to her.

”Let's get drunk tonight,” suggested Xiu out of nowhere making Nora halt in her steps to look at her weirdly.

”Again? How many more times? Nothing ever good comes out of this!” said Nora trying to hold her ground.

Xiu wounded her arms around Nora's shoulder as she said, ”I know you crave that drink just as much as I do right now. Don't resist the temptations. If you think I don't know how disturbed you have been in the past days, then you're really wrong. Just because I don't want to force you, doesn't mean I don't know what's going on in your life. So, tonight let's get drunk.”

”...You drink to hide your sorrows. I'll drink to hide my embarrassment.”

Nora wasn't surprised to hear Xiu talk about her own problems. She could tell that someone from home must have informed Xiu and she was using her own excuse to get her to drink just so she could hear something from her. But even if Nora knew that Xiu was using this drinking escapade as an excuse to hear her worries, Nora still complied.

”Let's do it,” she said in agreement. There was no point in hiding it anymore. She was indeed craving something to numb her pain that had gotten worse than before now.