Chapter 1: A KISS that changed everything

“I’m sorry Harley, but a relationship with you won’t work anymore. I am in love with your sister Julie, and I want her in my life. Let’s break up.”

Those had been Matt’s exact words a year ago when Harley had walked in on him having sex with her step sister Julie, few weeks before their wedding.

Harley and Matt had been lovers, more to say college sweethearts and we’re engaged to be married, and that was why no one foresaw to this betrayal from Matt and Julie.

The moment she stepped into the restaurant, and saw the face of Julie Forbes, her step sister, sitting at the table where she was going to, she didn’t need a crystal ball to tell her that this was a setup.

She had not seen Julie or Kate who claimed to be her friend for the past one year since she fled from home after the news of her breakup with Matt spread like wildfire.

That year, she became a ridicule and a topic of discussion among the youngsters of prominent families in LA and also among her classmates. No one saw any good in rejected goods, and so they had blamed her for the breakup, casting the blame of her face, dressing and sometimes they assumed it was her performance in bed that had made her fiancée to leave her for her step sister.

Harley stood frozen in the doorway, her eyes scanning the occupants of that table. Apart from Kate and her back stabbing step sister Julie, the other familiar faces at the table were ones she had no business seeing and was sure they had nothing good to say about her.

For a moment, she considered turning on her heel and walking out, but then she thought, ‘If they had the audacity to call her here, then she would give them exactly what they wanted—a show.’

She was different now, no longer the timid girl who ran when her heart got broken and the rumours started. She was much braver now and have moved on completely. She was ready for anything.

Harley straightened her white blazer, pushed her sleeked-back hair over her shoulder, and strode forward, her heels clicking against the marble floor like gunshots in a silent battlefield.

She had wondered why Kate, her old friend, whom she had grown distant from, would suddenly want to reconnect. They had not become distant because of the size of LA.  How could she have forgotten that she was nothing but a filthy two-faced Saint through and through.

She walked over to their table and raised a brow. She was glad she had dressed up today. She had gone out for a meeting and had dressed well to make a good impression on the producing team.

She had worn a white blazer and sleeked her hair back. She looked ready to throw slaps all around.

Kate spoke first, her fake smile plastering on her face as she got up to hug Harley, “Harley, you are here. Wow, you look good.”

Harley noticed whispering go on among their other classmates also sitting at the table, but none of them tried to talk to her.

“So why did you want to see me Kate?” Harley, asked straight to the point.  Since they dared to do it, why does she have to care about how they feel?

“Harley, you just came, but you are acting as though you are meeting enemies.” Kate said, her expression slightly twisted.

“Are you not enemies? You called me out here saying you want to reconnect. I am already tired from work, but decided, since you are close by, I should stop and say hi. Is this the reconnecting you wanted to do? You invited my step sister who crawled into my ex boyfriend’s bed and her friends who don’t have a good relationship with me. If someone said you were not an enemy, even you would not believe it.” Harley responded, and those on a nearby table heard her sharp words, even though she was not loud.

“Harley, you got the wrong idea, I haven’t seen you in a year, and I wanted to..............” Kate started to say, but Harley cut her short.

“You wanted to. What are you saying? You do not know that Julie slept with my boyfriend? This information about how I had cut ties with her family was all over the university group chat. It was even pinned to the group chat for one week. Kate, you can’t claim you did not know. After all, you have been the admin since our first year of school.” Harley said in rage.

“I just thought, since it has been long.........” Kate turned red at the stares from the next table.

“Ah, so you have not seen me in years, and then you thought to bring my enemies in one room to reconnect. You could not find any of my friends. Or it can’t be that you want to help us reconcile when we have not spoken in months. If so, your soul must be as pure as that black coffee you are drinking.”

“Harley. There is no need to talk to Kate like that. She had good intentions.” Julie said, her extreme idol makeup makes her look more like a geisha doll than a pop star.

“Close your mouth, people are trying to eat here. Files will gather when you talk, so have some decency and don’t destroy someone’s business by talking.” Harley gave her a disgusted look that caused Julie to clench her fists in rage.

Harley continued anyway, “you feel we should reconcile when I have been doing fine, means this pile of rubbish must have said something, right? That means you are her friend, like the rest of them. I don’t know if you are just bold or your brain melted under that sun. You stood outside for four hours to beg your affair partner’s girlfriend to hand over your final project after she caught you with her boyfriend, I can see why you are friends.” Harley said in one breath.

By now, Julie’s attack power had long attracted other tables to watch the show. Even a suited man by the corner preparing to leave the other friends seated seeing this, dared not open their mouths, even though they came to cause trouble. They are not going to stand here and get embarrassed at this high end restaurant.

Noticing that Julie seemed to be crying more than usual, not crying, better described as wailing without tears. Harley could guess someone else was coming.

“Your group of brain dead peacocks is not complete until.........”

Someone appears and says, “no matter what you do, it is Julie I love, you need to move on.”

Harley’s words had not even landed when someone approached them fiercely. Those walking steps that looked like a vulture after a full meal could only belong to one person, Matt Flynn, her ex boyfriend.

“Harley stop, you need to move on. I am marrying Julie.” He declared, confidently, and the surrounding tables broke into laughter.

Matt was so confused at the stares he was getting at this moment, especially when everyone was chuckling at seemingly his expense.

“Look the cast is complete,” Harley said. And a few giggles and chuckles escaped the tables around again,

“Harley, Kate only thought she would act as the middle man and mend the misunderstanding between us. I am getting married soon, and it would be good if you were there. No matter what, we are still family.” Julie explained.

“I am not family with you guys. Anyone who listens would think I broke off relations with your family because you slept with this piece of garbage. Who cares what both of you do?” She scoffed.

“If you have let go, then why have you distanced yourself from your family? Is that what a daughter should do?” Matt asked.

Harley sneered “Before you start talking about morality, please look in the mirror so that you do not come out in disgust of the world.” She said to Matt.

The look on her face made him freeze slightly. It was as though she was looking at something dirty, and this bothered him greatly. The Harley he knew always looked at him full of smiles.

“Sure your family supported your act of indecency. They even said, I just could not keep a man, so I should get out of the way. But that is just their dirty character. Don’t you know what happened when my mother and I broke off relations with your family?” Harley asked Julie, and she started getting uncomfortable.

“Harley, no matter what, you should not air family laundry in public.” Julie said through her teeth, her delicate look was gone, replaced with a fierce glare.

“Who is family with you? Better keep check of your expression. You look like you are about to join the dogs outside to bark. Your mother sneaked into my dad’s bed while my mother was sick, turned my dad’s heart away from his own wife and took ever everything. To the extent that my own father left me alone to hustle to pay my mom’s hospital bills. Why am I surprised, you are your mom’s daughter, of course you will have her characteristics, slut.” Harley said, and Julie suddenly felt people staring at her nose.

Julie flared up in rage, “Who do you call a slut..... I” But someone tugged at her dress, reminding her to remain calm.

Harley in her rage continued, “If you think this family, laundry is not enough, come near me again. I tell stories to keep this city entertained for a full year.” Harley said, and made to leave, but Matt grabbed her.

“I did not know your mother was sick.” he said, as though full of regret.

“Take your hands off me before I tear it apart for you. Have some decency, your fiancée will think you are flirting with me.” she said. But he was insistent.

“Harley......” he started to say, when she tore her hand from his grip

“Don’t dirty my clothes. I still need to meet my boyfriend tonight.” She said.

“You are dating.” He frowned.

“If even flies can find shit in the city, are you thinking I will not find a man.” She snorted and walked away.

Only she knew that she was not okay. She was shaking inside. She was not sure if she would trip on her heels. She could still tell, even when she stepped out into the cold night air, that their group had followed her out.

She was too anxious to leave. She did not want to talk to them any longer. She spotted a man whose car just arrived, and walked around his car to where he stood.

“Handsome, please lend me your lips for a moment.” She said, and hooked her arm around his neck and covered his lips with hers.

Aiden Patrick  had only been distracted for a moment by the commotion on the other side of the restaurant. Even though he was seated quite far away, he could still hear everything this girl called Harley was saying her heart rate, though, did not seem to match her confidence.

It seems this was a little scared girl acting brave when she had been called over to be embarrassed. Listening to her words, he had to admit that she was doing well for a scared little rabbit. Her tongue was sharp though he could hear her.

Her straight back was facing him so he could not see her face. He wondered though, what kind of face she was making at this moment.

It was only a slight distraction, and his tea had gone cold. He decided to not wait. He had been out today to meet a business partner and old friend in this hotel, but got a message from his father to pick up his mother here, even though he had gone up to convince her she was adamant that his father must come himself to pick her up, or else she was not leaving.

He sighed and rubbed the space between his brows. They are the ones who quarrelled. So why is he being dragged into this?

He decided to leave. He walked out of the restaurant, which was on the first floor of a massive high rise, and waited for his driver to drive over.

He only turned around the car to send his father a text. His hands already opening the back seat door when he heard a voice as soft a cotton sound by his ears,

“Handsome, lend me your lips for a bit” he heard and the small arm hooked his neck and brought his face to another, nothing short of beautiful and warm lips covered his.

He felt as though his head had exploded as a sudden need to respond filled him. But before he could react, she had pulled away and entered his car, dragging him in.