New's pov

I came back home around 11pm.Mae and Gift were living with my aunt.My jerk friends didn’t left..not even for one day,as if they were refugees from war-torn countries and they didn’t had any shelter without my house.

I entered the hall area holding the cake box.Arm and Gun were playing video games on monitor.Nam was munching Lays and instructing them how to kill those zombies.Why are they so serious playing this game like they will die for real?! They even didn’t noticed my presence.

I placed the box on centre-table by making some noise.It will now lure them for sure.And as I knew they all looked at the box, then me..

"Ow New brought something for us!Guys gather around!" Nam clapped her hands.

"Coming coming! Just let me kill this one!Arm hurry up,shoot this bastard!" Gun said while moving his joystick from right to left..

"Th..there you goo! Go and die you bloodless skinny ugly monsters!Yahoo!we won!" Arm hi-fived with Gun.

"Congrats!You won the game"

Gun and Arm sat beside me after turning off the game pc.

"I can't believe my eyes! Is that really you? Our close-fisted  New?" Gun pinched me.

"Ouchh! If you don’t wanna eat then give it back!" I tried to snatch the cake box.

"Oi oi! You can't take it back after giving!" Arm protested.

"Ok guys! Zip your blabbermouth.Let's eattt!" Nam grabbed a piece..

"Umm..it's so good.." Gun said while taking another piece cause he already finished first piece in a blink of an eye.I'm slightly amused seeing them enjoying the cake like children.

"Guys? I have something to tell you" I sheepishly said.

They stopped digging into the cake..All their messy mouth full of cream stopped chewing and their sharp eyes got fixed on me, waiting to hear what I'm gonna say.

"See? My doubts came true.He have done something." Gun was convincing Arm and Nam who were narrowing their eyes at me.

"What? It's not that I've done some big crime!"

"We know that but what you have done exactly?" Arm asked with concern.

"I... Um..haha..I agreed to date Neen"

"Oh..Ok.....WHAT?!" They all gaped at me.

"Why are you getting so shocked?"

"Cause from your face it’s crystal clear that you like Tay" Gun leaned back on the sofa.

"New, why are you so persistent not to realise your own damn feelings!" Nam raised her voice at me.

"Don't get hyper! I know what I'm doing"

"You stupid! You really don’t know anything beside work! Do you? Even we can see how you feel for Tay.When he got abducted,you got so worried.You forgot to eat or sleep and only concentrated on saving him at any cost.You raged in fire when you heard bout Joss abducting Tay..Your eyes were like you will kill Joss if he was before you...So tell me..Do you want us to believe that it's just a *friend*thing? even you two didn’t know each other well" Arm calmly said everything..

I didn’t thought bout these things.When Tay got into trouble, I just wanted to save him..A guiltiness worked in me that I couldn’t do anything when some guys harshly took him away from me...I mean it happened before my eyes.After hearing Arm,I..don’t know what to say cause I do feel weird whenever Tay is around me.

"You guys observed me that much?!" I chuckled.

"We didn’t needed to observe..It was obvious" Gun said licking the cream from his fingers.

"Ok ok..guys..Let me speak now.I and Neen won't be dating for real...but we will go on dates"

"You along with your words are confusing" Nam retorted.

"Haha..it means that we will go on experimental dates.We both agreed to give it a try first and if it doesn’t works out, we will stop"

"Stop what?" Arm questioned.

"Da..dating?"

"What if she falls for you for real and you still don’t feel anything for her?" Gun added.

"I...I--"

"What if she wants you back even you don’t love her? Then will you be able to get back together as friends?" Nam added oil in the fire that was already burning down everything.

They are right.I haven’t thought bout this!

"Ufff! Stop it guys! I didn’t thought that far!..Let's see what's gonna happen" I said it to them and went to my room.

"You will regret your decision!! Stupid Newwwww!!!" Nam spoke....too loudly.

3rd person pov

Gun,Nam and Arm looked at each-other.They sighed in disbelief.

"Was our friend always that dumb?" Gun asked.

"This is the height of stupidity! What's wrong with liking Tay?" Arm said.

"Maybe he needs time..He did like someone for the first time in his life and he can't believe himself" Nam told them.

"Wohoho! Are you some love expert?Or are you in love or..your boyfriend left you because of your nagging and savage nature?!"Gun wiggled his eyebrows,giving Nam a teasing smile.

"I'm gonna bang your head on this floor if keep uttering nonsense!"Nam snickered.

"Oi! Don't do this to our cute and lovely friend!" Arm laughed.

"I'm not cute! I'm handsome" Gun huffed.

They kept teasing each-other and the long night passed by.

New'pov

Neen will be shifting here tommorow as her weekdays gonna start soon.I asked her if she needed any help but she refused saying she didn’t brought much things with her.She rented a condo near her work place..

I was going to sleep when a notification popped on my phone...

Neeno🐥:Remember our experimental date?

Me🐱:Yup

Neeno🐥:I'm free this friday..Wanna go?

Me🐱:The day after tomorrow?

Neeno🐥:Hm..If you are not busy.

Heck! I'm always busy...

Me🐱:Nah! I'm free..Let me know when you will go

Neeno🐥:Wow! Really?! I'm getting excited!

Why I'm not finding it exciting??

Me🐱:Yeah me too..then goodnight?

Neeno🐥:Oh ok..goodnight..

I turned off my phone and tried sleeping.Hundred of thoughts roaming in my head...Finally I got tired thinking bout these stupid emotions and dozed off.

*****************

During past one month,I accompanied Neen..on dates.We went to watch movies.Romantic ones,which I'll never watch...We roamed around amusement park,She forcefully took me to enjoy those horrible rides..actually I was afraid.Haha.We did shopping.Well she did the shopping and I carried the bags..We trolled in the park..and so on...I was a little bit annoyed but seeing my best friend so happy after all those miseries she faced,I couldn’t deny..

Her eyes glittered whenever she did those things..Sometimes when we interlocked our hands,I thought I'll get electric shock like when Tay touched me..but nothing happened..I didn’t felt butterflies in my stomach..You know what? I was even going to kiss her strawberry glossed lips but when we were only a inch apart, that bastard Tay's face popped before my eyes.I started recalling how sensually we kissed each-other.Shia!!

I distanced myself from her and she was dumbfounded.I apologised for that.Regaining her composure,she said it was ok.She told me to take it easy.After all relationship doesn’t grow in a blink of an eye.It needs time,care and nourishment.

Today after dropping Neeno at her condo,I went to my aunt's house.I decided to bring back mae and Gift home.Police and crime units are searching for Joss.Though nowadays relying on police is same as leaving the lock open of a jewellery showroom but I don’t think Joss gonna dare to hurt my family.But by any tiny chance he tries to hurt my family or friends I'll choke him to death!..for sure!!

After spending sometime with aunt,mae packed her and Gift's belongings.Aunty requested us to stay for some more time..She loved my mae,her younger sister very much..She lives alone as her daughter is studying abroad.So she adores me and Gift way too much.We also love her..She packed handmade walnut cookies and sponge cake for us..We bid goodbye and headed for home...

Mae had questions in her mind but seeing my tired face,she didn’t asked anything.When we arrived it was past 10pm.We were welcomed with Nam hugging mae and Gift like she saw them after a century.Behind her Arm and Gun were standing with blank faces..

"Why this long faces?" I asked.

"Someone is waiting for you inside" Gun gestured me to enter the room.

"Who?"

"You'll find out..just go in..and let me carry those bags..aunty.You must be tired" Nam took the luggage from mae..

"No dear,I'm fine..Did you guys had dinner? Let me coo-" Mae stopped walking as she saw a familiar figure sitting on our sofa..

"P'Drake! What are you doing here?!" Gift shockley asked.

"Where are your manners Gift?" Mae gave her a light slap.

"Ouch mae why are you hitting me for! He is not someone for showing manners!"saying this Gift took her bag and stomped out for her room furiously.

"Dear don’t mind her" mae went near Drake.

"No aunty..her anger is justified.I'm sorry..." Drake hung his head low.

"You don’t need to be sorry! It's none of your fault" mae patted his head.

"Thank you aunty. I actually had something to discuss with p'New" Drake said looking at my direction.

"Ok then I'll excuse you guys.I'll make your favourite dish..so have dinner before leaving" Mae said.

"I'll love to!" Drake told mae excitedly.

Mae smiled and went to kitchen for preparing dinner.

I sat beside him,staring at nothing particularly..Honestly I'm not in the mood talking to someone.Nam,Gun and Arm sat on the other couch.

"Can't we talk in private?" Drake hesitantly questioned.

"Nope.You have to talk to me in front of them.Cause they know anything and everything about me and your father" I tried to smile a bit but failed.Recalling his father's betrayal makes my blood boil..I know Drake didn’t do anything but he became the object to vent out my anger and hatred.

"Ok then p'..if it’s that what you want" Drake took a deep breath.He took out a file from his bag pack and handed it to me.

"What is it?" I was confused.

"Don’t tell me you took possession of this house too" Nam sarcastically said.

Drake glared at her but didn’t spoke.I opened the file and started reading the papers..I can't believe this!

"What happened?Why are you looking at the papers like this?Give it to me. Lemme see" Nam snatched the file from me..

She also got shocked..

"Nam it looks like your eyes will pop up from the sockets! Will you guys tell us what the hell is written on the paper?!" Arm got desperate.

"White Diamond!"Nam said in disbelief.

"What?!!" Gun and Arm asked in unison.

"It’s written on this paper that Max willingly handed over the White Diamond to its original owner,without any conditions" Nam explained.

"Wowwww! That's a great news!!"Gun hi-fived with Arm.

"But why? Why are you handing me the diamond..when you can claim it as your own property?" I questioned Drake, leaning back on the sofa.

"It was never my property. I..I'm always living in guiltiness that most of the luxurious things I enjoyed till now belonged to yours.My dad maybe just wanted to secure my future but the way he adapted is very wrong.I know that.That’s why I'm trying to return your things that my dad snatched from you because I know the difference between right or wrong.."

I'm amused hearing him.

"Did uncle Max willingly signed these papers?"

"Half yes,half no" Drake laughed.

"Why so?"

"Though he is a witty person, but he understood his mistakes a lil bit while living behind the bars.I warned him if he didn’t signed this agreement,I won't come to bail him out"

"You got some nerves boy!" Gun shook his hand with Drake..

"Yeah! You blackmailed your father for your cousin..that's just overwhelming" Arm smiled.

"What so good about returning the things to its actual owner!" Nam rolled her eyes.

"I just needed to prove myself that I'm not greedy for money..I just wanna have a simple and happy life.So p'New tell me am I welcomed to your family?" Drake's innocent eyes were pleading..

"Don’t give that solitary look"

"Then won't you accept me?"

"Of course I will! We will..welcome to our family" I extended my hand but Drake hugged me tightly saying thank you.My friends hugged me afterwards. They were as happy as I was.

After few moments we smelt the aroma of delicious food and all of our stomach started growling.Our laughter echoed in the hall.

I went to bring my angry cutie sister to have dinner.I told her to behave nicely with Drake..She was still sulking but didn’t said anything. We all seated together.And the dinner time passed with full of laughter, chit-chatting and delish foods.

*****************

I and my friends decided not to sleep tonight.So all the four of us gathered in my room.

"New..Don’t take it otherwise but I think you should hear it out" Arm said lying beside me.

"Hm..listening.."

"Remember you made a deal with Tay..I mean Mr.Tawan that you both will join hands to get back the diamond?"

"Uhm I remember.."

"Then?"

"Then what?"

"Then call him and say that you got the diamond back stupid!" Nam hit on my back..

"Yeah you should call him. His gang is also been looking for the diamond.. " Gun added.

"How bout we do a group meeting and sort everything between us?" Arm suggested.

"Sounds great..what say?" They were looking at me.

"As you guys wish" I can't say no just because I'm trying to get over from Tay.Its business after all.

"Then call him and fix a date for meeting" Nam handed me the phone.

"Why me?!" I pouted.

"Because you are the leader of Black Jewel.Now stop whining and call him"

I accepted my defeat from them and dialled Tay's number. Though its quite late but I know he is awake.After 2nd attempt he picked up my call,

"He..hello Tay! It’s me New" I hesitantly said.

"I know. Why did you called me at this late hour?"

Why is he sounding unbothered and annoyed while my heart is racing like sports car hearing his voice...

"Actually I and my friends have something to discuss with you and other ones"

"So?"

"So can we meet? I mean let's have a team meeting "

"Ok"

Can't he speak more than one word?Pfft!

"Ok then when will you guys be free? "

"This sunday"

"Ok I'll text you the location.By--"

"-------"

What the heck?! He cut the call?Am I getting angry because he ignored me and cut the call?

You are making me crazy Tay Tawan!!

********************

(AN: Hellllo! It's me with new chapter. How was it??

I didn’t imagined this story will cross 10k view😅..Thank you all who read and voted my story despite of poor english..

From now on I'm gonna tell you about my fav TayNew stories I read on wattpad after every chapter.. You can try reading them..

1) Irreplaceable💙

2) Try me💙

Happy reading guys!!)