RED NOTES AND KISSES-Chapter 80: FRIDA -

Frida couldn’t concentrate. She’d been staring at the same pages for hours, her brain utterly fried.

"Fuck!" she hissed, slamming the book shut. The bloody exam was tomorrow, and she only had eighteen hours left to study.

What the hell could she do?

With a sigh, she flipped on the TV, the screen lighting up to the sports channel.

Funny. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d turned it on.

The sound of roaring engines filled the room. Laziel’s car was cutting through the circuit like a hot knife through butter. He weaved past another driver with flawless precision.

It was hot.

Really hot.

Laz was a bloody genius.

Bro would study, ace exams, and still dominate the Formula 1 circuit without breaking a sweat.

She could definitely use tips from him.

The camera followed his car as he made a sharp move, overtaking a rival vehicle. She clapped instinctively, even though she couldn’t see his face behind the helmet. She knew he was smirking.

He crossed the finish line in first place. The crowd roared, and Frida couldn’t help but smile. He really was amazing.

A reporter rushed over as Laz removed his helmet. She asked him a series of questions in Japanese, and Frida squinted at the subtitles.

"Oh wow, Laziel! How do you feel about today’s race?"

"It was alright. I had fun, mostly because I beat Asher’s ass." Laz grinned, throwing a mocking glance at the other racer, who had recently badmouthed him on a podcast.

The reporter chuckled before shifting gears. "So, the ladies are really curious, are you single?"

Laz arched a brow, looking directly into the camera. "Yeah."

Frida frowned, her cheeks warming uncomfortably. She scoffed, trying to brush off the strange flutter in her chest. "Why am I even bothered? I have no right."

But then he added, "...But there is someone I like."

The reporter’s eyes lit up. "Oh? So there’s someone?"

Laz smirked. "Yeah. I’m waiting for her to say yes."

And just like that, he casually pulled out his phone and flashed a name briefly on the screen.

Frida froze, her jaw dropping as her name appeared in bold letters.

The internet went wild.

"There’s a woman keeping a whole Laziel waiting?"

"Who’s Frida?"

"Is she an actress?"

"A musician?"

"Is Frida a model?"

Thousands of tweets poured in within seconds.

Her phone rang, and she answered, practically yelling, "Laziel, I will freaking kill you!"

"What did I do?" he teased.

"You just flashed my name in front of the whole world!"

"And?"

"And?! Oh my God, are you crazy?" She tried to sound angry, but a grin was already tugging at her lips.

"Yes," he replied without hesitation. "I’m absolutely crazy about you."

Frida blushed furiously, speechless.

"So," he said, his tone softening, "how’s studying going? Exams are tomorrow, right?"

"Horrible," she admitted, running a hand through her hair and lowering the TV volume. "I can’t concentrate. I’m so nervous, I feel like I’m gonna puke. I’m scared I’ll fail."

"Calm down," he soothed. "What would you like to do right now?"

She sighed, leaning back against her chair. "Honestly? I’d love to be on an island somewhere. Green grass, a lake, sunny skies... Just lying on a blanket and studying in peace, away from everything."

"Alright. I’m on my way."

"What? Laziel, wait—" The line went dead.

Her heart raced. He couldn’t possibly be serious. He was in Japan.

With a sigh, she returned to her books. Talking to him had helped calm her nerves, at least.

Feeling a bit worried, Frida thought of dialing Reg and Lexi to see how they were doing.

She could just check up on them for a few minutes, she reasoned.

She dialed Reg’s number. It rang several times before someone picked up.

But there was no greeting, just the odd rustling of clothes. For a moment, Frida panicked.

"Hello?" she whispered cautiously.

A soft moan touched her ear.

Fear first chilled her spine, but the words that followed made her freeze.

"Your phone’s ringing," Lexi’s voice moaned, breathless.

"Not now, Lexi," Reg replied just as breathlessly.

"We’re in the hospital, Reg...uh," Lexi protested weakly, her voice interrupted by the unmistakable sound of ruffling clothes and smacking lips.

"It’s a private room," Reg said hoarsely before kissing her again.

Lexi gasped, and a strangled whimper left her throat, shocking Frida.

"Oh my God, Reg, take it easy! You don’t want the whole hospital to hear me."

A zipper came undone, loud and clear in Frida’s ear.

"Fuck the whole hospital," Reg growled. "I’ve waited too long."

The phone clattered to the ground, and Frida hung up immediately, her eyes wide and her cheeks blazing red.

Flustered, she grabbed her juice box and took a long sip, trying to steady herself.

Forcing herself back to her books, she tried—really tried—to pretend she hadn’t heard a single thing.

Hours later, she woke up at the sound of her front door closing.

"Hello?" she called out, rubbing her eyes. "Who’s there?"

No answer.

Her stomach tightened as she approached the table. Tucked between the pages of her book was a red note.

She picked it up, her fingers trembling. Along with the note was a picture—grainy but unmistakable. A dark figure in a varsity jacket stood over the lifeless body of a bird.

Her breath hitched. That jacket... It looked exactly like Laziel’s.

The note read simply: 2010.

Frida’s mind reeled. 2010?

The year his mother disappeared. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

A knock at the door made her jump, the note slipping from her fingers.

She grabbed a knife from the kitchen, her heart pounding.

It was midnight. Vanessa wouldn’t be back until tomorrow, Reg was at the hospital with Lexi, Leah was with Tyler, and Laziel was in Japan.

So who the hell was at her door?

Yanking it open, she held the knife defensively.

A hand shot out, grabbing her wrist and pinning her to the door.

"What’s up, Frida?"

Her eyes widened as she stared into a familiar face.

"Laziel?"

"In the flesh," he said with a dark chuckle.