Chapter 34: Not Your Fault

"Haaaaa," Dorah groaned, collapsing on the grassy court, her chest rising and falling with every breath. Beads of sweat formed along her forehead, her ponytail slightly undone from all the movement. Jace smirked, dribbling the basketball with ease as he strolled over. The sun cast a soft glow on his face, giving him a playful yet smug expression. "You're so weak. You're no match for me," he teased, his voice light but amused. He plopped down beside her with the ball still in his hands. Dorah shot him a look, half playful, half tired. "You don't know how to go easy on girls, do you?" she asked, catching her breath. "But seriously, how come you're this good and not on the basketball team?" Jace shrugged, spinning the ball on his finger for a second before letting it drop beside him. "I don't want to brag, but I'm good at basketball, football, tennis... basically, anything involving a ball," he said with a grin. "I just don't want to be tied to anything. I love being like this free, unnoticed, uninvolved." "Wow. I expect nothing less from you," Dorah replied, nudging his shoulder lightly. "You're practically good at everything. It's annoying." She stood up, stretched her arms, and walked over to where her bag sat under a tree. After digging around a bit, she pulled out her water bottle and gulped down half of it, the cold liquid refreshing her dry throat. "Okay, so..." she began as she walked back toward him, "about the three wishes?" Jace leaned back, bracing himself with both hands. "I think I'll keep them for future use," he said with a nonchalant shrug. They both fell into a comfortable silence. The breeze rustled the trees above them, carrying with it the distant sounds of other students still hanging around campus. Dorah slowly lowered herself beside him again, resting her head on his shoulder. "You know..." she paused, her voice dropping to a softer tone, "I've done so many things in my life that I somehow regret. Even now." Jace turned to look at her, sensing a shift in her energy. "You good?" he asked gently, concern creeping into his voice. "I don't know," she admitted with a sigh, eyes closed. "I just don't feel right. Like something inside me is heavy." "You shouldn't keep it inside. Just let it out," he encouraged her, though part of him was still wrestling with his own mixed feelings..... feelings of frustration, confusion, and disappointment. "Why did you do it?" he asked after a brief silence, his voice lower, almost a whisper. "Do what?" Dorah asked, shifting slightly, adjusting her head on his shoulder to look at him. "Helena and I," Jace said, not needing to explain more. Dorah sat up, startled by the sudden change in tone. The air between them thickened. "What do you......" she started, but he interrupted. "Why did you do it, Dorah? You know how much I wanted to ignore that girl. You know I didn't want anything to do with her. But still... you made me do it. Knowing how much I cared for you, how much I cherished our friendship. Why did you do that?" His voice cracked slightly as his frown deepened, exposing his hurt. Dorah looked down, her voice almost a whisper. "I caused your breakup in the first place..." "Is that what she made you think?" he asked, his voice sharper now. She didn't answer. "You shouldn't blame yourself. I shattered that relationship myself. It had nothing to do with you," he said, his voice softening again. "But you knew how I felt, and still..." Later that day... Jace and Miranda walked side by side toward the school gate, their conversation light and full of laughter. The golden hour cast a warm hue over the school grounds, making the moment feel oddly peaceful. Students passed by, casting sideways glances. Girls, especially, gave Miranda long, envious stares, jealous, curious, wishing they could trade places with her. "Are you not waiting for Dorah?" Miranda asked, checking the time on her wristwatch. "Hmm... We decided to go separately today," Jace replied, staring at the ground. "You know, to sort out our feelings or whatever." As they reached the school gate, their respective drivers stood waiting, doors open. "I guess this is it," Miranda said with a small sigh. "I'm going back to my lonely lifestyle." Jace chuckled. "How about coming over to my place? That'll ease your boredom a bit." Miranda blinked, surprised. "Really?" "Yeah. You could meet my grandma too," he added, smiling softly. "Oh," she mouthed, a little stunned. "That's if you don't mind, of course," Jace added quickly, suddenly unsure. He wasn't used to feeling nervous, but something about this invitation felt different, important. Miranda tilted her head, reading him. Then she smiled. "Give me a minute," she said, walking to her driver. She spoke briefly with him, then watched as the car pulled away. "Let's go," she said, returning to Jace's side. "Okay," he said, reaching out his hand. She smiled and slid her hand into his. The car pulled into Jace's compound and parked in the garage. The house stood quiet and elegant, surrounded by a well-kept garden. "Wow," Miranda breathed as they stepped out. "Wait till you see the inside," Jace said, winking at her. She laughed softly, following him as they entered. "Welcome to my abode," Jace said dramatically, swinging open the door with flair. "Wow. I love it," she said, admiring the interior, its clean design, cozy furniture, and warm lighting. "What would you like to have?" he asked, watching her explore with curious eyes. "Orange juice is fine," she replied. "Alright. Make yourself comfortable. I'll be back in a minute," he said, heading to the kitchen. Miranda wandered toward a framed portrait hanging on the wall. It showed a younger version of Jace, smiling brightly between two adults, his parents, she guessed. "That's Jace when he was young... and those are his parents," a voice said gently from behind her. Startled, Miranda turned around quickly. "Oh! I didn't hear you come in," she said, flustered. "Did I startle you? Oh, my bad. I'm sorry," the elderly woman chuckled, stepping closer. "It's fine, ma. Good evening, ma'am," Miranda greeted respectfully. "Evening, dear. How are you?" "I'm fine, ma," Miranda replied with a polite smile. "That's good. And you are......?" "I'm Miranda. A friend of Jace." "Babe!" Jace called as he returned from the kitchen with a glass of orange juice, completely unaware of his grandmother's presence. "Jeez! How did you get here?" he exclaimed when he finally noticed her sitting there with arms folded. "This is my house," Grandma replied dryly. "I know, I know," he laughed nervously. "I guess you've already met Miranda?" "Yes and she's a friend," Grandma said with pointed emphasis. "No, Granny. It's not what you think," Jace said, walking toward her sheepishly. "Okay, I get it," she replied, waving him off and grabbing the TV remote. She switched to her favorite channel and made herself comfortable. "I'm going to change quickly. Be right back," Jace said to Miranda. "Okay. Be quick," she replied, accepting the juice he handed her. "You can sit and wait for him," Grandma said warmly, patting the space beside her. "Thank you, ma," Miranda said, walking over and sitting down. Within minutes, the two were chatting like old friends, laughing and bonding over the TV show and small talk.