Chapter 37: She's Mine

The guys burst into laughter at something Jason said, the sound of their joy filling the room. Max, Jason, Jace, and Ronald were gathered at Dorah's house. 'What are you guys even doing here?" Dorah asked amidst her giggles. She had been home for a few days, ordered to rest by the doctor after her discharge, and her mother had insisted she stay home and recover. "We're having our practice here today," Max answered, grinning. 'Well, to me, it doesn't look like you're rehearsing," Dorah said, folding her arms. "It seems like you're just here to have fun." "Having fun is part of the rehearsal too," Jason replied casually. "Besides, you're part of the band, but since your mom won't let you leave, here we are. It's already unfair you're not going to the show with us," he whined. "Awwn, but what about Mr. Alfred? Hope you guys won't get into trouble for coming here?" Dorah asked, her expression shifting to one of concern. "I've got that covered. You shouldn't forget I'm here," Roland said, pointing a finger at himself, a proud smile on his face. "Wo.....ow," they all echoed in unison, then burst into laughter. "That's my boy," Jace teased. "You guys should get to practice and stop joking around. Playtime's over," Dorah said, trying to sound serious, but a smile tugged at her lips. "As your lordship pleases," Jason said in an exaggerated tone. "Anything her royal highness says," Roland added with a mock bow. "Okay, how about we go outside? It's really spacious out there," Max suggested, and everyone agreed. Roland grabbed a portable mini Bluetooth speaker as they headed outdoors. Dorah sat on the stairs, ready to judge. 'I'll be your judge for today," Dorah said with a mischievous glint in her eye. Ronald connected his phone to the speaker and handed it to her. 'Are you guys ready?" she asked, eager to play the beat. "Yeah!" they all shouted in unison. They started dancing and singing along to the instrumental track. But as the beat ended, Dorah frowned. "Jace, why do you keep making mistakes? Jason, your stamina is off. Roland, stay focused. Max, you're good," she said, giving Max an approving thumbs-up. 'What? How come I'm not focused?" Ronald asked, frowning. "You know it, and I know it," Dorah replied. 'Get your act together, guys. The competition is in two days. Start over." "Okay, okay, boss," they all responded with mock salutes before starting over. Later, after the rehearsal had finished, Ronald excused himself to take a phone call. "I'm busy today. We have a competition in two days, so we're rehearsing," he said into the phone. Dorah, who had been watching a movie with the others in the living room, noticed that Ronald had been gone for a while. Curious, she went outside and found him on the balcony, talking on the phone. "You don't have to come to my house. You'll just be distracting Mom from her siesta. Check the time, it's already her siesta, and she won't want to leave you alone. I don't know what you did to her to make her so attached to you," he said with a smile. "Yeah, whatever. Your thoughts are different from mine," Ronald responded after a pause. 'Let's talk later," he said, noticing Dorah approaching. He quickly slid his phone into his pocket. "Hey," he greeted, a playful smile on his face as Dorah walked up to him, her hands stuffed in her sweater pockets. "Hey," Dorah replied, keeping her gaze down. "What are you doing out here?" Ronald asked, his eyes scanning her. She had changed into a new outfit. "You've been out here too long," Dorah said. "I came to check on you. And who were you talking to? You were smiling too much." 'Well, I was talking to... wait, are you jealous?" Ronald teased, turning to face her. "Me? Jealous? Why would I be jealous?" Dorah rolled her eyes, trying to hide the emotions stirring inside her. "I thought I heard a hint of jealousy in your voice. Guess I was wrong," he said, his tone teasing as he rested his hands on the balcony railing. "So, who were you talking to? Your girlfriend?" she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm. "No, you know I don't have a girlfriend," Ronald replied, chuckling. "Actually, I was talking to Madison." 'Oh, your fiancée," Dorah said, her voice laced with something she couldn't quite place. "Okay, let's go. The others might start looking for us." She turned to leave, but Ronald grabbed her hand, gently turning her back toward him. "You good?" he asked, noticing the way she looked down. "Yeah, I'm good," she replied, but her voice was quieter than usual. "She's just a friend. Believe me," Ronald said softly, his thumb caressing her hand. 'Since when did you two become friends?" Dorah asked, her voice tinged with bitterness. 'Since the day she helped Jace and me get out of school to come check on you. I went to pick her up from her job after I left the hospital. That's when she agreed to be friends, as long as we never talk about the whole betrothed thing. And she agreed," Ronald said with a smile, watching her closely. "I never asked for your explanation," Dorah said quickly, looking him in the eyes. "Your relationship with her is for you to handle." Ronald chuckled, knowing she was still processing things. "What?" he asked, teasing her. 'Nothing. You're just so cute," he said, grinning. "Stop smiling," Dorah muttered, raising her hand as if to hit him. "Dorah," he called, catching her hand before she could smack him. She stared into his eyes, losing herself in the depths of them. "You shouldn't worry about anything. She's just a friend," he said softly as he pulled her into a gentle hug. Dorah, feeling an overwhelming sense of safety, nodded against his chest. Before they could say anything else, they heard Jace's voice. "What are you guys doing?" he called out. Dorah and Ronald quickly pulled away, startled, and turned to see Jace standing there with a frown on his face. Ronald shrugged, while Dorah looked down, fiddling with her fingers. "Let's go in," Ronald said to Dorah, his voice casual. As they walked past Jace, Ronald reached over and playfully hit his head. "What are you doing with my girl?" Jace asked, a playful but serious edge to his voice. "You won't want to know," Ronald replied with a grin, then turned to leave. He stopped and looked back. 'And I would've hit you in the face, but I don't want to spoil your handsome face," he teased before walking off. Jace gave Dorah an incredulous look as she approached. 'What are you guys doing here alone?" "Nothing. Just talking. It's not important," Dorah replied, holding his hand. "Are you sure?" Jace asked, giving her a skeptical look. Dorah chuckled at his expression and nodded. "Then why were you guys hugging?" Jace asked, his frown deepening. "It was just a friendly hug. You should chill," she said, laughing at his reaction. "Don't... no, no, no. Don't ask me any more questions," she said, raising a finger to silence him. "Okay, fine. Whatever. It's Ronald. I shouldn't have expected you to tell me anything," Jace said, his expression softening. "I just don't want you to break down again. You remember what happened the last time," he added, his voice laced with concern, before turning and walking away. Dorah stood there, her thoughts swirling as she looked after him.