Free His Punishment by Pia Marie Page B

silently to the
swimming pool area at the back of the house while Lyn’s arms are at Tara’s
shoulders.
    “Come on, what’s wrong hon?” Lyn
asked when they sat on the chairs that they use for sunbathing.
    “Nothing really. I’m just tired and
I haven’t slept much because of my project.” She shrugged again.
    Tara did not tell Lyn about her
paired assignment with James. Her best friend is a worrier and she doesn’t want
to worry her. Much more than that, she didn’t know about her trip to Samal last
Friday. Now, she doesn’t know how to start telling her about what happened this
afternoon.
    “Would you like some strawberry ice
cream?” she asked her best friend who’s still looking as gloomy as dark clouds
in a storm.
    “I’d love that!” Tara said smiling.
Whatever mood they are having, strawberry ice cream had always been perfect.
    Lyn hurriedly stood up and went to
the kitchen leaving Tara lying down in the pool bench, her eyes closed.
    “Hi,” she heard a guy’s voice
that’s a bit familiar.
    She stood up and turned around and
was so surprised to see Christian standing there.
    “H-Hi,” she stammered as she looked
through him checking if James was with him. What is he doing here? Did James
send him to apologize?
    “I’m looking for Lyn,” he said as if
answering her soundless questions.
    “Lyn?” Tara asked.
    “You’re already here!” Tara heard
Lyn say as she walks back to her with two ice cream cones in her hands.
    “Hey!” Christian called out to Lyn
and moved to kiss her cheek.
    “Wha….?” Tara’s voice trailed and
she swallowed the remaining words in her throat. She didn’t know what to say. Are
they? When did? How did?
    Christian and Lyn had been seeing
each other secretly. Lyn purposely did not tell Tara about it. She might get
her hopes up again with James once she finds out that her best friend is dating
James’ best friend.
    Lyn doesn’t want to hurt Tara with
her little secret, but she doesn’t want her best friend to get hurt a bit more
if she will continue hoping that she and James can be together through Christian.
Plus of course, they are just starting this dating relationship, she still
doesn’t know how it will turn out.
    “I know you got a lot of questions
hon.” Lyn said sitting down at the bench where she was a while ago. Her hand is
guiding Christian’s hand to follow her to the bench.
    He sits beside her and their hands
have not parted since. Tara was in awe.
    “Tara, this is Christian. Christian
this is Tara.”
    “I know Lyn. You know what I want
to know.” Tara pointed out and now impatient.
    “Okay, here goes . . . the day you
left for Samal . . .”
    “You know?” Tara cut Lyn off.
    “Yes. That day I went to your
classroom to look for you. I saw Christian and I asked him where you are.” Lyn
continued.
    “So, all the while I was so guilty
for not telling you about the assignment and you knew all along?” Tara asked.
    “Sorry but yes. I was waiting for
you to tell me what happened in Samal. You were just there for the night so I
figured it was bad.” Lyn presumed.
    “Actually no, James and I patched
things up there.” Tara said.
    “Really? Then why is he mad at you
when he got back? He said it was your fault that he broke up with Rhea.”
Christian butted in.
    “That’s what I don’t get too. I
mean, we did the assignment, we agreed to be friends and then I left early the
next day.”
    “He said he caught Rhea.” Christian
said.
    “Yeah, he told me this morning at
the veranda. Something like Rhea had sex with a stranger the night we were
doing the assignment,” Tara said touching her temples. She’s having a headache
from all this. Now, she has more headache seeing Christian and Lyn together.
    “What? That bitch!” Lyn gasped as
she heard her story.
    “Well, he said if you never came
for the project and if you never took his time, then Rhea wouldn’t have gotten
angry at him and fucked someone else,” Christian explained