Chapter 32: Feeling The Guilt

With time, Jace and Helena gradually grew close. At first, it was awkward for Jace, he didn't know how to respond to her presence or sudden attention. But as the days went by, he began to loosen up around her. The walls he had built slowly started to crumble, and before anyone knew it, they were talking, laughing, and even walking together across the school compound like old friends. Their sudden closeness didn't go unnoticed. Everyone around them was surprised, if not shocked by the miraculous change in their relationship. "How come Jace and Helena became close? Isn't that suspicious?" Miranda asked, narrowing her eyes as she leaned across the cafeteria table toward Dorah. Dorah didn't look up. She continued eating her food calmly, clearly unfazed. "No, it's not suspicious. Moreover, it's not like they're just meeting for the first time," she replied, her voice flat. "Wait! You mean they've known each other for ages?" Emma asked, clearly intrigued. "Yes," Dorah said, setting her spoon down for a moment. "Remember the guy Helena was fighting me over the other time?" "Yes, I remember what she did to you then. That incident made me dislike her," Prudence said, rolling her eyeballs with a scoff. "The guy from back then was Jace," Dorah revealed, picking up her spoon again and continuing to eat, as though she hadn't just dropped a bomb. The girls around her went silent for a moment, the truth slowly sinking in. "You're kidding, right?" Miranda asked, her eyes wide with disbelief. Dorah shrugged casually. "She's really lovable if you get to know her." "You don't even act like you care about what's happening," Emma said, narrowing her eyes at Dorah, clearly suspicious. "Is it something I should care about?" Dorah asked, her voice laced with frustration. "They were once lovers. So why should I care about what happens between them?" Her tone was sharper now, enough to signal that she was getting irritated by their curiosity. "Something isn't right," Emma muttered, squinting her eyes as if trying to read between the lines. "I think I'll take my leave now," Dorah said, standing up abruptly. She picked up her tray and walked away without glancing back. Her friends watched her leave in silence. "Is she fine?" Prudence asked, her brows furrowed as she followed Dorah with her eyes until she dropped her tray at the return bar. "I don't think so. Don't you think we should follow her or something?" Emma asked, pointing toward the cafeteria entrance. "Miranda, you good?" Prudence asked, noticing the sudden change in Miranda's expression. She tapped her gently on the arm. "Huh… yeah, I'm good," Miranda answered quickly, trying to hide her face and mask her emotions. "Dorah is acting strange. Now you too. Seriously, guys?" Emma said, frowning in frustration. "You guys should act mature. Dealing with two moody girls will be frustrating." "Let's go and check on her. We shouldn't leave her like that," Miranda said, standing up abruptly. Meanwhile, Dorah walked slowly through the hallway, lost in her own thoughts. Her mind was crowded with feelings she couldn't name. She didn't know where she was going, she was just moving, letting her legs take her anywhere. Suddenly, someone grabbed her hand firmly and pulled her out of her thoughts. "Wh.... oh... Ronald! What are you do....." "Shhhh. Just follow me," Ronald interrupted, pressing a finger to her lips. Without waiting for a reply, he dragged her along. They walked in silence, past the familiar routes, until they reached the garden. The soft breeze, the rustling of the trees, and the gentle lapping of water from the lake nearby created a quiet, safe space. Dorah looked around. It had been a long time since she'd visited the lake. "What are we doing here?" she asked, her voice low. Ronald didn't answer right away. Instead, he stared at her for a moment. "You good?" he finally asked, his gaze full of concern. "What? Why asking?" she replied quickly, walking toward a rock and sitting down on it. "I was calling you earlier, but it seemed like you weren't listening. You looked so lost. I haven't seen you like that before," he said, taking a few steps closer and standing in front of her. "I'm good. Nothing is wrong," she said, avoiding eye contact. "You're avoiding my eyes, which means you're lying," he said gently. "You know you can tell me anything." "I need to leave before your fiancée catches us together," she said suddenly, trying to get up. Ronald held her hand, stopping her. "Can you just forget about Madison for a few minutes? Just tell me what's going on with you. You don't seem like your real self." Dorah's composure cracked. She turned her face away and spoke in a soft, broken voice. "I don't know what's wrong. I just don't feel right about this. Like, I matched them up, brought them back together. Shouldn't I be happy? But I'm not. I feel like what I did was wrong. I'm sad… I'm hurting and I don't know why. I'm feeling like I shouldn't have done that. I'm feeling like I..." "Shhhh," Ronald interrupted gently, pulling her into a hug. She stiffened at first, but then relaxed into his arms. "It's fine. Everything will be fine," he whispered, caressing her hair. She sighed deeply, her heart feeling heavy as she hugged him back. "If you're not good with it, you shouldn't have done it," he said softly. "I felt guilty," she replied, pulling back slightly from the hug and sitting down again. "About what?" he asked, sitting beside her. "I was the reason they broke up in the first place. You remember a long time ago when I was humiliated in front of the school?" "Yes, by Helena, right?" "Yes. She later broke up with her boyfriend after that. So now, she came to me and asked me to match her up with Jace again. She said I was the cause of their breakup, so as a way to apologize, I should fix it." Ronald stared at her, clearly surprised. "You mean Jace was the guy Helena fought you over?" "Yes," Dorah said, nodding slowly. "Geez! Have you told Jace? I mean, about her coming to you with that request?" "No. I can't tell him. He won't handle it well," she replied. "But you should tell him. At least he'll know the truth and figure something out." "No." "Then I'll tell him." "No, don't. Just let him be. Jace has a temper. I don't want to get on his bad side," Dorah said, fiddling with her fingers. "Uhh… it's okay," Ronald said, pulling her into a side hug. "Everything will be fine." "I hope so too," she whispered. He patted her back gently, letting the silence stretch as they both stared at the still lake.