Carla rushed towards Nick and hugged him tightly, with the latter looking at Teo and his eyes begging for help. She hadn't seen her favorite neighbor for quite some time - maybe since the day she packed up and left, which gave birth to a brand new question; where was she staying? Was her new lover, her new roommate as well? Were they sharing the same roof despite having known each other only a couple of months? Then again, it was Carla, the same careless girl who, instead of talking with her husband about the issues in their marriage, downloaded a dating app, and she managed to crumble down so many years of happily living together. So no, it'd be no surprise if the answer to his question was yes, they were living together, in the same apartment.

           Teo just shook his head with a frown and took a seat across James, who had a rather smug grin. His blazing gaze had pierced Theodore's green orbs that had turned dark with fury. While Nick and Carla were talking about this and that, while they were giggling and catching up with each other like two school kids, who hadn’t seen each other since summer, the two men competed in a silent game for dominance.

            "Carla had mentioned a 'Jonas' if I am not mistaken. Ain’t that right?" he looked at her, expecting an immediate answer.

           Nick noticing the thick tension, moved away from Carla and sat down, rubbing his wet hair to shake off the excess water.

           "James Jonas Vanduh is my full name, actually. I let her know of that detail during our first meeting. I don't want to keep secrets from the one I love." he answered within a breath. Teo scoffed, almost laughing mockingly.

           "Love? A little early for that kind of statement, isn't it? I mean, you two, are dating for how long? Two months?"

           “A year, if you count the days of endless chatting.”

           “A year?!” Teo questioned with a raised eyebrow. He turned to Carla “That’s not possible. We talked about divorce four months ago, and you brought me the papers about one month ago. How can that be? He is bullshitting me, that's what he does. ” he was in disbelief.

           “Our wedding was doomed long before that,” she continued “It was only a matter of time.”

           “And instead of talking to me, you decided it was wise to cheat?!”

           While the argument was still going on, Nick had already given his order to the waitress. Carla stopped with a sigh and a look on her face that screamed ‘enough‘. She grabbed the menu and observed the choices indecisively, with her final order being some sort of a salad with mango and chicken tenders.

           "Love doesn't care about time. Love doesn’t stop in front of fragile obstacles like failed relationships. Love focuses on the connection between two souls, the bond they share." James finally spoke, thanking with a nod the waitress for her patience.

           "I never thought of you being the emotional one, James. You surprise me." Teo leaned back against the chair and let out a heavy sigh.

           "Love may not give a single damn about time, but it certainly is blind." The comment brought all the attention to Nick. "What?” he rolled his eyes and shook his hands in an apologetic motion with a light chuckle “Don't get me wrong. I mean nothing about you and Carla. I just met you, mate. I can't possibly trash-talk so soon. I am only talking about him" he pointed at Teo, "and Carla."

           James’ laugh was loud, and he was content with this triumph, glad that this kid, whom he had never met before in his life, was siding with him.

           "See, dear Teo? Even the kid here says you are not what Carla needs."

           "Aye, because it's obvious he's a much better match for his new girlfriend." Nick shot back with a grin, leaning over the table.

           "What?" Carla, James, and Teo exclaimed in perfect unison, timing, and utter wonder.

            "So you have met someone! Well, why didn't you tell me earlier?" Carla teased him with a smile. Suddenly, the vibes around them changed dramatically, thanks to a soaking wet Nick, who was still struggling to dry his white shirt. Yet, Teo didn't know what to answer to this. His gaze fell on Nick, who gave him a subtle wink before turning his attention to a much more silent James. If the boy was alright with continuing this play, then he'd do his part.

           "Well, I didn't know if-"

           "Teo thinks of me as an overprotective older brother. Which is true but," he literally threw himself on Theodore, grabbing his upper arms and rubbing them gently, "I trust this lad to make my sister happy."

           "Your sister? Wow! How did you two meet? Did Nick set you up with a date? Or he had no idea?"

  Carla had a thousand and one questions in her head, and it was only normal, as she was the one to know Nick better. In addition, Nick never talked about his family or anything concerning them. So, she was totally oblivious to any family members. Teo on the other hand never bothered getting to know their neighbor, yet he was now dating Nick's mysterious sister.

          "We met by chance." Teo began his second biggest lie, and until their order came, he put his imagination into working. Up until now, it only helped him with his job, coming up with insane stories for potential games. Now, he had to do the same, and if he was lucky it would benefit not only his job but his personal life.