Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 118

Chapter 118: 118-The Friend Who Trusted me

Helanie:

Lucy’s phone beeping was the sign that Gavin had been hitting her up, actually.

He raised his head to acknowledge us, and after giving me a nod, he walked over to us. Lucy acted timid, steadily holding my back and moving closer to me.

“What’s up? You guys headed somewhere?” Gavin asked.

“Yeah, for lunch. Want to join us?” I asked, feeling bad for him catching us like that. We should have asked him to join us.

“I’m not sure if everybody wants me to join them,” Gavin muttered.

“Gavin, please come,” Lucy came from behind me and spoke to him nicely. Gavin smiled at me.

It was after some time that the two were smiling at each other genuinely. I just wish Lucy hadn’t done what she did.

But for now, I really wanted to leave this hostel and go eat something.

Before we could walk out, Jenny came after us. She seemed to want to join us but instead, stood to the side, rubbing her palms together.

“You want to come?” Lamar asked her, making Lucy glare at him.

If she comes with us, things might get a bit awkward, but then I remembered she had skipped lunch too. So, as we all watched her face, she smiled and nodded her head as she accepted the offer.

Now, it was just us walking out of the hostel.

“Why did he invite her?” Lucy whispered in my ear, making me uncomfortable since Jenny was right beside me on my left.

I tried to warn Lucy with a look, silently pleading with her not to say or do anything here, but she ignored me. Instead, she kept making remarks about how shameless Jenny was for tagging along with us.

“Oh, shoot! How are we all going to fit in one car?” Lucy pouted as we reached the vehicle. I knew exactly what she was trying to do.

“No need to worry. I can take all of us to the café,” Penn’s voice interrupted, and suddenly, he arrived in his 7-seater Rolls-Royce SUV, pulling up smoothly right in front of us. He got out, flashing a welcoming smile. Wearing sunglasses and branded clothes, he looked like a rich alpha straight out of a book.

“Wow! Is this your car?” Gavin exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly as he stared at the luxurious vehicle.

“Come on, hop in,” Penn insisted. Without delay, Gavin jumped into the backseat, followed by the rest of us. Penn and Jenny sat in the front, with Penn taking the wheel.

“How are you?” I asked Gavin. He had twisted in his seat to talk to Lucy and me. However, Lucy had nudged me into the middle, likely to avoid any awkward interaction.

“I’m great, especially after feeling that pain,” Gavin said pointedly, his words clearly aimed at Lucy. He added, “Twice.”

I noticed his gaze flick toward Lucy, who had clenched her fists tightly.

“I hope you two resolve this matter soon,” I said softly. I didn’t have much else to add, but guilt weighed on me for not telling Gavin about his mate’s betrayal. It was far too complicated—both of them were my friends.

“And you don’t know anything about what might have happened that night?” Gavin asked me suddenly. The moment those words left his mouth, my throat went dry.

It felt as if he already knew I was aware of the night he was talking about.

“Why are you bothering her, Gavin? How would she know?” Lucy quickly interjected, leaning forward before turning to face him.

“Why do you sound so nervous, as if I caught you in a lie?” Gavin scoffed, his tone sharp and bitter. I had never seen him this angry before.

“Guys, please remember we’re not alone,” I whispered, gently pushing both of them back into their seats.

“I’m telling you, Helanie, if I ever find out that you knew something and didn’t tell me, I’ll be very upset with you,” Gavin stated firmly before sliding away from me and looking out the window. His words made my stomach drop.

Lucy gently held my hand, trying to reassure me that everything was fine. But it wasn’t. Even though I didn’t say it out loud, I was blaming her for Gavin’s comment. Still, I wouldn’t let her do anything out of pressure—it wasn’t her fault entirely.

Soon, we arrived at the café. The moment I saw the place, my heart started pounding like a drum. It was that café—the one owned by Benita.

I had come here once for work, and the judgmental way she had looked at me still haunted me. That single encounter had crushed my confidence so much that I couldn’t muster the courage to apply for another job afterward. Worse, I was terrified that she might recognize me from that desperate night when I had accepted Lamar’s offer to become a hostess just to make ends meet.

We all got out of the car and walked inside, greeted by other servers. My heart thudded painfully in my chest; I silently prayed that Benita wouldn’t come over and say something in front of everyone.

“Lamar—,” I whispered, hoping to discreetly get his attention. Unfortunately, my attempt wasn’t subtle enough; everyone in the group turned to look at me.

“Nothing,” I mumbled quickly, brushing it off. They continued walking toward the last table, leaving me to trail behind.

When we reached the table, I wanted to sit with my back to the main counter to avoid being seen. But that spot was already taken by Gavin, Penn, and Jenny. Lucy and I had no choice but to sit where we were in clear view of the counter.

From our table, I could see Benita working, handing out orders. My heart raced as I hoped she wouldn’t notice me. But then it happened—her eyes landed on me, and she froze for a split second. Her smile faded as recognition lit up her face.

She began walking toward our table, smiling faintly at first, but with every step, the smile started to fade. Her eyes were fixed on me.

“Greetings! What brings the RVS students here?” she said with a forced smile, making it clear she’d noticed the bands on our wrists. It dawned on me just how much respect students from RVS commanded everywhere.

“Food, what else?” Lamar smirked, throwing out a casual comment. She laughed politely, but I noticed her narrowing her eyes at him briefly before turning her gaze back to me.

“I think I know you,” she said with a smirk, making my palms sweat nervously.