Warnings: fwb, college students, non-committal relationship, emotional toxic, mentions of sex, angst

A/N: Welp! Again, I can't help but write and I can't help but be nervous about this at the same time. To all Mother J fans out there, I hope I did these characters justice. (T___T)

Character Pairings: Avi and Isla, How Not To Villain

“No, you and I, this is where we lie. Here, just here. We cannot go further and we cannot go back. And this is where we end.”

Isla froze midway, about to eat a forkful of steak, as he plopped down uninvited on the chair across her. She raised an eyebrow at him as she puts the utensil down on her plate, silently questioning what he was doing. The man didn’t answer her questioning gaze instead he looked at her intently. With their eyes meeting, catching each other in a staring game, trying to measure who’s going to have their resolve crumble first.

Isla blinked first as uneasiness started to get to her. Why does this guy always get the best of her? He gets under her skin—both good and bad ways. An itch she can never soothe no matter how much she scratched.

Isla looked down at her remaining food that has gone cold, gently toying the hardening meat. None of them said a word. On her part, she doesn’t have anything to say. She doesn’t have anything left to say. She decided that words weren’t enough when he went missing-in-action for two weeks. And just heard from her sister that he’s exclusively dating someone named Annie.

She couldn’t forget how her sister looked at her with pity. To which she scoffed, telling Lola to stop with those looks, that she is fine and that he was nobody. Lola knew that her sister was just putting up a façade, feigning nonchalance even though he was the one—the only one who got closer to her sister.

Everybody knew Isla is difficult to approach and is hard to crack. Imagine the people’s surprise when they saw her hanging out with other people, him no less, than she normally hangs out with. People considered them a ‘thing’, so people was even more surprised when the news about Annie and the guy spread like a wildfire and that she was just a ‘friend’.

Friend is too weak of a word to label her. Friends don’t kiss and make out. Friends don’t call you in the middle of the night to hang out. Friends don’t spend the nights together, in between the sheets, skin to skin and bodies connected as one. Friends don’t do that. Isla was never just his friend yet she was neither his lover.

So, what are they? She couldn’t tell.

Isla was brought back to her reverie when she heard a soft clearing of throat, reminding her that she wasn’t alone. Her deadpanned gaze quickly snapped back at the guy in front of her. There was a growing, deafening silence in the air that she could her hear her heart beat as her chest rises and falls. There’s also a gnawing discomfort of the accidental encounter.

“What the hell do you want, Avi?” Isla spoke, breaking the quiet trance between them. Avi swallowed hard, eyes looking unsure and hesitant. He lost all the confident he had when he first got here and that he was unsure himself why he had showed up in front of her. Of all times, why now? Now that she’s doing well by herself. Now that she had picked her self up from the fall. The fall the he caused. Avi blinked. He doesn’t know.

Isla let out a breath before standing up, dragging the chair a bit on the floor catching Avi slightly alarmed and off guard. “Wait,” he said, before grabbing Isla by her wrist whose eyes widened in surprise by his sudden action. “Oh, I’m sorry.” Letting her go. Instinctively, she wrapped a hand on her wrist as if her skin burnt by his touch, breaths heavier than a minute ago.

Isla’s hidden revulsion became obvious. “I’m tired of your games, Avi.” Her voice laced with thick displeasure of his actions since the time he suddenly showed up in front of her today. She saw how Avi tried to opened and closed his mouth—words never seem to escape. Her patience is growing thin. She doesn’t need this. She doesn’t need him.

“I want you back.” Avi blurted out, without thinking. He saw how her face shifted from irritation to confusion to disdain as she registered what she had heard.

Isla sarcastically laughed like she heard the funniest joke ever said and written, earning the stares of the people in the restaurant. She laughed at the absurdity that he wanted her back.

“As what, Avi?” Isla wiped the invisible tears as her fake laughter died down. Avi just could only stare, rendered speechless for the umpteenth time in this conversation. “As your toy, Avi?” Isla continued. Avi felt the weight every time Isla uttered his name. He looked down, starting to feel remorse over what he did.

“I loved you, you know.” she said in a quiet whisper, barely audible yet Avi heard it loud and clear for he already knew.

“I do, too. I love you.” He tried to grab her hand but she whisked it away before he could.

“Not enough to make you commit, though.” She couldn’t help but point out.

“Isla—" she cut him off.

A/N: Omg! I'm really nervous posting this because... these characters came from a great story and author. HUHEHEHEHU. This prompt is not orginally mine. I saw it somewhere here and kinda used it with these characters. Also, if you're interested in regency/historical romance, action, thriller-suspence, drama, comedy... check out J.D. Ruiz's works on Wattpad.

Calan Haverston

- Calan stood in front of his wife, looking back and forth from Cressida to the silver Lexus IS. His face contorted in subtle repugnance as Cressy presented him their ride for the day. He inwardly cursed. He shouldn’t have asked Mac to drop him off to Cressy’s apartment. HE SHOULDN’T HAVE LAZED AROUND TO DRIVE. He should’ve brought his own car.

- Cressy is in her old apartment, renovating. Since they married, her apartment just sat there unoccupied. It would be a waste to just leave it empty. Cressy, wants to make use of it as an Airbnb. It’s near to university and it’s not that far away from the establishments.

- ‘I should’ve known.’, was all he can think of as his lips pursed in grim. Still, shifting his gaze filled with dread and wary from a smiling Cressida to the car.

- When Cressy noticed that Calan has been silent for so long, she snapped her fingers in front of his face, getting his attention. She opened the passenger seat.

- “Here, my dear Lord.”, her arms extending towards the opened car door, inviting the man to get inside.

- Calan’s quiet distaste turned into an obvious horror upon realizing that his wife is going to drive. Being squished in a small car is one thing, Cressy driving is another. He shook his head. This is bad. Like bad, BAD.

- Cressy looked at Calan who was shaking his head.

- “I’m driving, Calan. You’re not going fit in the driver’s seat, just so you know.”

- “And you think in the passenger seat, I will?”Calan remarked at Cressida’s atrociousness.

- Cressy just shrugged. Calan groaned, turning to a tad bit frustrated. “NO, Cressy! I will not fit in the passenger seat.” He exclaimed, voice raising an octave.

- “Backseat then.” Cressida answered him nonchalantly, closing the passenger seat’s door then moving to open the backseat.

- Calan gritted his teeth, exasperated. His wife has these moments and he should’ve been used to it by now. “Cressy, darling, It’s too small.” He retorted, calmly this time.

- “Well, this is MY car.” Cressy crossed her arms as she leaned on the car.

- “Cressy…” he whined.

- “Well, it’s not my fault that you lazed around to drive and just asked Mac to drop you off here. So, No Ride, No Snide, mister.” Cressy quipped while gently patting his shoulder as she goes around the car to the driver’s seat.

Adrien Haverston

- Adrien attended a business meeting on the next district. It was a project the Haverston Corp. had been eyeing out for months. He had sealed the deal, earning the company another client and investors.

- He was on his way back to where he parked his car. He arrived to where he had parked his car and found that one of his car’s wheels got stolen. Stupefied, his eyes scantily searched the whole area. It sure did not look sketchy but here he is. Dumbfounded that his SUV had only three remaining wheels.

- Without hesitation, he called Mary asking her to come pick him up then proceeded to narrate the events. Mary, on the other line, found it hilarious. Adrien rolled his eyes as he listened to Mary’s laugh before answering “Yes” to picking him up.

- “I’ll arrive in five. I’m not too far from the area.” she said on the line. Adrien mumbled ‘thanks’ and ‘I love you’ before ending the call.

- While waiting, he called the car services, asking if they could get his car. He narrated the events to the car service agent before they agreed to pick it up in thirty minutes. He called the car insurance company for the car to be fixed.

- Adrien was still talking to the car insurance agent when his wife arrived. He was leaning on his car’s hood while his back faced Mary.

- Mary tapped his shoulder, kissed his cheek while he is still on the phone. “Yes, please. It’s a public park space… Yes… Near the bridge… Yes… So, can you get it done within 24 hours?... No?... 48 then?... Alright then, I’ll take that… Thanks, bye.”

- “Love…” Adrien cupped her face as he leaned on her forehead. Exhaustion evident on his face.

- Mary caressed his face, “I’m glad you’re safe, you know?” she said gently. She knew how startled he was. This is the first time this happened and anyone would be as stunned as he was and Mary knew that.

- “Should we wait here?” she asked, after a moment of silence. Adrien shook his head. “Come, let’s go now.” Holding his hand, she pulled him gently as they walk then anchored her arm around his.

- “Mary, what car did you—” Adrien’s question died down from his mouth when he saw the familiar black Ford Focus ST. It was the car he gave to Mary on their first wedding anniversary.

- Adrien blinked. He seriously won’t fit in there. He bought it so Mary can have mobility when he isn’t around. When they go out, they always use his SUV and he always drive.

- Adrien opened and then shut his mouth, unsure of what to say… or if he still has anything to say with all that happened.

- “Love, you know that I’m a tall man, right?” is what all he could muster, trying to revalidate that Mary knows his height, or size or the space he’s about to accumulate for that matter.

- “I know.” She answered.

- “So why this car?” he inquired further, trying to make sense Mary’s choice of car.

- “Well, I was already inside this car, on my way to where Cressy and Belinda are. I don’t want to go back to the house to change cars. I know that you won’t fit in the passenger’s seat, so you can sit in the backseat.” his wife reasoned out. Adrien pinched the bridge of his nose. She knows but she just doesn’t want to change cars.

- Adrien let out an exasperated sigh. “Backseat?! Mary, Love! What did I ever do to you to be treated like this?”

- Mary chuckled at his exasperated sight. Honestly, Adrien’s so done for today, his wife is not even helping at all—laughing at his expense.

- Mary tapped his nose, “Quit the dramatics, dear husband. Take the backseat or I’ll just tie you on the roof of my car. I think the ropes Cressy gave me is here somewhere.”

- Adrien resigned and just half-heartedly went inside the backseat and scowled at Mary the whole ride back home.

Mckenzie Haverston

- Mac groaned as he felt the effects of the booze from last night’s event. He and his brothers got together for a boy’s night out. His head is pounding. Half awake, he scanned the living room of Calan’s bachelor pad. He saw his two brothers passed out on the floor.

- He inhaled sharply as he felt a pang on his head, scrambling to the kitchen to drink water.

- “Hello, Mac?” Belinda sleepily answered on the other line. “Sweetheart, can you please come and pick me up in Calan’s bachelor pad?” Mckenzie’s voice is hoarse from sleep and from being drunk.

- “Mac, it’s too early…” Belinda complained, stifling a yawn but failed to do so. Mac groaned again as another headache kicks in. “Please… I want to sleep beside you now.”He pleaded.

- Yawning, Belinda agreed. “Just let me get ready. I’ll be there in 45.”

- Mac sat on the dining table, slumped, resting his head on his arms on the table. He stood up minutes later, going over the counter for some coffee.

- After a couple of sips of coffee, Mac felt slightly better. However, he still needs to shower and rest at home. With Belinda. Speaking of, Mac looked at his wrist watch, it’s been past 30 minutes since the phone call ended. Bel didn’t give a heads up where she is.

- Maybe Belinda took her time bathing. He inwardly whined. Or maybe she’s having a hard time choosing her OOTD. Mac blew an air on his forehead, silently wishing that she’s not being meticulous with her outfits today. She was just going to pick him up.

- Coincidentally, his phone chimed. ‘On my way. See you on 5.’ Belinda texted him. A wave of relief coursed through Mckenzie. He thanked the heavens for the miracle. Mac sat on the dining table, drinking another cup of coffee when the doorbell rang.

- “Finally.” He muttered as he walked to open the door.

- “Hi, Sweetheart. Good morning.” He greeted as he pecked her cheek.

- “Eww, Mac, you stink.” Belinda teased, as she held her hand up to her nose which made Mac frown. “Well, are you ready to go?” she continued. Mac nod.

- With their hands held, they walked to the elevator, going down the basement where she parked.

- Belinda stopped walking, there he saw the white Ford Fiesta ST.

- He eyed Belinda. “Sweetheart, I can’t fit inside your car.” He told her. There’s not much headroom for someone like him. She knows that.

- “Here.” Belinda opened the backseat door.

- Mckenzie looked at his wife incredulously. “Won’t.”he opposed.

1. Modern! Haverston Men in a Small Car