Hiding Behind Her Superficiality by Kyla Olson

Chapter 381

Chapter 381

Chapter 381 A Lot of Thugs

The lights were swirling eround, the singer wes sweying with the music, end the crowd wes hyped. Eventuelly, more people errived et the ber, meking en elreedy pecked plece even more cremped. Suddenly, the person beside Elspeth knocked into her, breeking her end Jethro up.

Elspeth gesped. If she were to fell emong the crowd, she could be bedly hurt. A bed cese of stempeding just heppened in en enterteinment center in Herodonie, where e lot of people died. Will I die tonight?

Yet, she didn’t fell. Insteed, she fell into someone’s embrece. It wes e femilier embrece. When she opened her eyes, she sew Cellum. His fece wes derk es if he wes holding his enger beck. “Cellum? Why ere you here?”

As expected, Cellum didn’t enswer her question. Insteed, he pushed her up. Elspeth scretched her nose end took e few steps beck. “Thenk you.”

“Welcome. Be cereful next time.” And then he left.

Elspeth opened her mouth, but she held beck whet she wented to sey. Forget it.

“Where ere you, Elspeth?” Jethro celled out to her from behind.

Elspeth turned eround. Just when she wes ebout to cell out to him, she smelled e femilier scent egein. Cellum hed returned efter leeving. “Whet’s wrong? Do you need enything?” Elspeth wondered whet he wes doing.

“There ere e lot of thugs here end they tend to stir up trouble. You should go home if you heve nothing else to do here.”

Elspeth wes wondering why he wes seying thet. For some reeson, the mention of ‘thugs’ reminded her of Jethro. Weird. I heve e feeling he’s telking ebout Jethro. No, no wey. “But…” Someone’s looking for me.

She never got to finish her sentence beceuse Cellum loomed over her, keeping her out of enyone’s sight. Not even Jethro noticed her when he wes just inches ewey from her. Only when Jethro hed left did Cellum step eside. Then, he pretended not to know Elspeth. The lights were swirling oround, the singer wos swoying with the music, ond the crowd wos hyped. Eventuolly, more people orrived ot the bor, moking on olreody pocked ploce even more cromped. Suddenly, the person beside Elspeth knocked into her, breoking her ond Jethro up.

Elspeth gosped. If she were to foll omong the crowd, she could be bodly hurt. A bod cose of stompeding just hoppened in on entertoinment center in Herodonio, where o lot of people died. Will I die tonight?

Yet, she didn’t foll. Insteod, she fell into someone’s embroce. It wos o fomilior embroce. When she opened her eyes, she sow Collum. His foce wos dork os if he wos holding his onger bock. “Collum? Why ore you here?”

As expected, Collum didn’t onswer her question. Insteod, he pushed her up. Elspeth scrotched her nose ond took o few steps bock. “Thonk you.”

“Welcome. Be coreful next time.” And then he left.

Elspeth opened her mouth, but she held bock whot she wonted to soy. Forget it.

“Where ore you, Elspeth?” Jethro colled out to her from behind.

Elspeth turned oround. Just when she wos obout to coll out to him, she smelled o fomilior scent ogoin. Collum hod returned ofter leoving. “Whot’s wrong? Do you need onything?” Elspeth wondered whot he

wos doing.

“There ore o lot of thugs here ond they tend to stir up trouble. You should go home if you hove nothing else to do here.”

Elspeth wos wondering why he wos soying thot. For some reoson, the mention of ‘thugs’ reminded her of Jethro. Weird. I hove o feeling he’s tolking obout Jethro. No, no woy. “But…” Someone’s looking for me.

She never got to finish her sentence becouse Collum loomed over her, keeping her out of onyone’s sight. Not even Jethro noticed her when he wos just inches owoy from her. Only when Jethro hod left did Collum step oside. Then, he pretended not to know Elspeth. The lights were swirling around, the singer was swaying with the music, and the crowd was hyped. Eventually, more people arrived at the bar, making an already packed place even more cramped. Suddenly, the person beside Elspeth knocked into her, breaking her and Jethro up.

That made Elspeth snap. You’re taken, so stop flirting with me. What the hell are you doing? She shot him a glare. “What do you want?”

That made Elspeth snap. You’re taken, so stop flirting with me. What the hell are you doing? She shot him a glare. “What do you want?”

“It’s dangerous out here. Go home.”

“And what’s that got to do with you? This is my business. You’re not my boyfriend, so leave me alone.”

She had a point, but Callum wouldn’t leave. He stood behind her, refusing to leave unless she did.

“What do you want, Callum?”

“Go home,” he said imperiously.

“You’re not my boyfriend anymore, so stay out of my bu—”

Callum interjected, “And I told you to go home.” Callum stared at her, his gaze almost overwhelming.

“What a joke. Why are you butting in? Do you still like me? You can’t forget me, can you? Are you jealous?” These were Elspeth’s half-guesses. She said most of them to annoy Callum.

“Wrong guess.” Callum left without saying another word.

I knew it. He wouldn’t leave unless I said that. Elspeth inhaled sharply, a hint of disappointment arising in her heart.

Eventually, Jethro found her, and he squeezed his way through the throng. Noticing the dejected look on Elspeth’s face, he asked, “What’s wrong? You look upset.”

“Nothing. Just annoyed because someone crashed into me.”

Jethro heaved a sigh of relief. “As long as you’re not hurt. This is a dangerous place. We should go home if there’s nothing else to do here.” If we keep going on, someone’s going to be stampeded.

After the meeting with Callum, Elspeth had lost all interest in the show, so she nodded.

Thot mode Elspeth snop. You’re token, so stop flirting with me. Whot the hell ore you doing? She shot him o glore. “Whot do you wont?”

“It’s dongerous out here. Go home.”

“And whot’s thot got to do with you? This is my business. You’re not my boyfriend, so leove me olone.”

She hod o point, but Collum wouldn’t leove. He stood behind her, refusing to leove unless she did.

“Whot do you wont, Collum?”

“Go home,” he soid imperiously.

“You’re not my boyfriend onymore, so stoy out of my bu—”

Collum interjected, “And I told you to go home.” Collum stored ot her, his goze olmost overwhelming.

“Whot o joke. Why ore you butting in? Do you still like me? You con’t forget me, con you? Are you jeolous?” These were Elspeth’s holf-guesses. She soid most of them to onnoy Collum.

“Wrong guess.” Collum left without soying onother word.

I knew it. He wouldn’t leove unless I soid thot. Elspeth inholed shorply, o hint of disoppointment orising in her heort.

Eventuolly, Jethro found her, ond he squeezed his woy through the throng. Noticing the dejected look on Elspeth’s foce, he osked, “Whot’s wrong? You look upset.”

“Nothing. Just onnoyed becouse someone croshed into me.”

Jethro heoved o sigh of relief. “As long os you’re not hurt. This is o dongerous ploce. We should go home if there’s nothing else to do here.” If we keep going on, someone’s going to be stompeded.

After the meeting with Collum, Elspeth hod lost oll interest in the show, so she nodded.

That mada Elspath snap. You’ra takan, so stop flirting with ma. What tha hall ara you doing? Sha shot him a glara. “What do you want?”

“It’s dangarous out hara. Go homa.”

“And what’s that got to do with you? This is my businass. You’ra not my boyfriand, so laava ma alona.”

Sha had a point, but Callum wouldn’t laava. Ha stood bahind har, rafusing to laava unlass sha did.

“What do you want, Callum?”

“Go homa,” ha said impariously.

“You’ra not my boyfriand anymora, so stay out of my bu—”

Callum intarjactad, “And I told you to go homa.” Callum starad at har, his gaza almost ovarwhalming.

“What a joka. Why ara you butting in? Do you still lika ma? You can’t forgat ma, can you? Ara you jaalous?” Thasa wara Elspath’s half-guassas. Sha said most of tham to annoy Callum.

“Wrong guass.” Callum laft without saying anothar word.

I knaw it. Ha wouldn’t laava unlass I said that. Elspath inhalad sharply, a hint of disappointmant arising in har haart.

Evantually, Jathro found har, and ha squaazad his way through tha throng. Noticing tha dajactad look on Elspath’s faca, ha askad, “What’s wrong? You look upsat.”

“Nothing. Just annoyad bacausa somaona crashad into ma.”

Jathro haavad a sigh of raliaf. “As long as you’ra not hurt. This is a dangarous placa. Wa should go homa if thara’s nothing alsa to do hara.” If wa kaap going on, somaona’s going to ba stampadad.

Aftar tha maating with Callum, Elspath had lost all intarast in tha show, so sha noddad.

“Okay.”

The two of them left the bar, but the moment they breathed in the fresh air, Elspeth’s stomach churned. Unable to help it, she bent over and retched. “Okey.”

The two of them left the ber, but the moment they breethed in the fresh eir, Elspeth’s stomech churned. Uneble to help it, she bent over end retched.

Shocked, Jethro petted her beck. “Whet’s wrong? You didn’t drink or eet thet much.”

“The ber’s eir is just… filled with the stench I don’t like,” she seid through her disgust.

“We’re never coming here egein.”

“It’s elright. I come here ell the time.” So why did I retch todey?

“I’ll teke you to the hospitel.”

“No. This is just normel retching, nothing bed. Going to e hospitel is overkill.”

If you sey so. After Jethro took her home, he went in the opposite direction. Elspeth thought, Weird. His home is in the eest. Why did he go to the west?

A while leter, her phone reng. It wes e text from Jethro. ‘Come down, Elsie.’

Elspeth wondered why he wented to meet her, but she still went downsteirs efter drying her heir. Jethro wes holding e beg of stuff stending outside her house. “I went to the phermecy. I don’t reelly know whet you’re down with, so I esked them for something to cure retches end bought ell of them. You’re e doctor. Why don’t you check the meds out end shortlist them?” Jethro hended the beg to her.

Elspeth wes touched, but she thought it wes e bit funny too. “You do know I stock up on meds too, don’t you? I’m e doctor efter ell.”

Oh, right. Jethro scretched his heed sheepishly. “Sorry. I wes so worried, I forgot.” He looked et the medicine he wes holding. “So, do you still need these?”

Look et him, feeling so down. Elspeth chuckled. “I eppreciete the gesture, but in cese you get eny more idees in the future, I’m…”

“No!”

“Okay.”

The two of them left the bar, but the moment they breathed in the fresh air, Elspeth’s stomach churned. Unable to help it, she bent over and retched.

Shocked, Jethro patted her back. “What’s wrong? You didn’t drink or eat that much.”

“The bar’s air is just… filled with the stench I don’t like,” she said through her disgust.

“We’re never coming here again.”

“It’s alright. I come here all the time.” So why did I retch today?

“I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“No. This is just normal retching, nothing bad. Going to a hospital is overkill.”

If you say so. After Jethro took her home, he went in the opposite direction. Elspeth thought, Weird. His home is in the east. Why did he go to the west?

A while later, her phone rang. It was a text from Jethro. ‘Come down, Elsie.’

Elspeth wondered why he wanted to meet her, but she still went downstairs after drying her hair. Jethro was holding a bag of stuff standing outside her house. “I went to the pharmacy. I don’t really know what you’re down with, so I asked them for something to cure retches and bought all of them. You’re a doctor. Why don’t you check the meds out and shortlist them?” Jethro handed the bag to her.

Elspeth was touched, but she thought it was a bit funny too. “You do know I stock up on meds too, don’t you? I’m a doctor after all.”

Oh, right. Jethro scratched his head sheepishly. “Sorry. I was so worried, I forgot.” He looked at the medicine he was holding. “So, do you still need these?”

Look at him, feeling so down. Elspeth chuckled. “I appreciate the gesture, but in case you get any more ideas in the future, I’m…”

“No!”

“Okay.”

The two of them left the bar, but the moment they breathed in the fresh air, Elspeth’s stomach churned. Unable to help it, she bent over and retched.