I prepared myself with a perfect floral dress, lite make-up, and reached the office.Anna forgot about my birthday, but I am sure Max will not.After all, we are close friends,"Oh la la, someone is looking hot," Max winked,I blushed and walked towards him."Good morning,""Something special today? You looked ripped," he arched his brow and shifted his sight towards my cleavage.Sucker, It's the magic of exercise.I lifted his chin with my index,"What do you mean?""Nothing, you look different today. Make-up, beautiful dress. Is this because of Darius? Or for Darius," he wiggled his brows,Bastard,Tell him the truth. It's for Darius; you wanted his compliments.It's your birthday, and you want his wishes.I shut down my voice for a minute,"Why? Didn't you want this? You worked on me, remember,""Did he give you the supply of vitamins?" He giggled.Oh! I wish."SHUT UP,""Still, something is changing between Darius and...."Before he completed his sentence, I gave him an angry look
As everyone left, I grabbed some cake in a box as Samuel took us to Darius's home on his bike."Um... Samuel, please don't tell this to Anna," I muttered from the helmet,"She doesn't like Darius?""No... no..., It's crazy, but she thinks I love Darius," Samuel laughed,"Don't you?" Maybe yes, maybe not."No, no, we are good friends, and I am bringing this cake for him, and I will ask him, what's more important than me?" I chuckled,"Are you sure?" "Yes, yes,"I slapped his back gently,We came to Darius's building,"Let's go," I said,"Hey, I am not coming up. I am sure you need some alone time with your friend. I will wait here," Samuel winked."Are you sure?"He nodded and settled on the seat.My heart again started to sound like a cannon; I fixed my hair, my dress, everything to look perfect for him.I was ready to blast on him; Am I not important to him?OR should I say, where is my gift?THUD THUD THUDHe opened the door, and there my eyes traveled from bottom to his chiseled c
~DARIUS~The time Anna called me, I was super excited to meet her.I wanted to spend my day with her, to make her feel special.I wanted to feel her near me; her smile, her voice distracts me, like she needed my focus.I was super excited, but something clicked inside me.I was sure she would expect me, but is it even, right?We both know we are getting close day by day, and honestly, even if I wanted her so badly, I never wanted to hurt her.I know we connected to that level where she started depending upon me. I loved it, but how long am I going to be selfish.It's not good for her.She deserves the best, and I am not worth it.All these things lead to a hurtful idea; I decided not to attend the party.I know how stupid I sound, but she must stay away from me.She deserves a man like Landon, not a perv like me.When I called Anna, she was not surprised. I know we talked about it that day when we met at Rubel's house.She told me how fragile Rubel's heart is and how Anna wanted her t
(You hear a boom in the party)(In the party)(In, in, in the party)(You hear a boom in the party)(In the party)(In, in, in the party)Encircling my arms on Landon's neckline, I tried my best to lose myself in booze and music,My sister, Kiara, was busy with her fiancé Emanuel.Not to mention she came to visit me on my birthday; it was more like showing off her boyfriend, her poor sister, and her boring life in Manhattan. But guess what, this time, I outwitted her when I called Landon to give me company in this bar?What more do you want when a handsome man shows up on your call. Even I want to distract myself.As a matter of fact, I wanted to take Samuel, but after Darius's strange behavior, I thought to keep new relationships on hold.After all, it was Landon; I had to focus on him, not on my strange dream world where I was sleeping and satisfied by every man in my dreams, including my doctor.We were dancing on the floor, more like in an intimate way; I could feel his wet kisses
After passing my goodbyes to Kiara and Emanuel, I headed towards the office.While walking, I grabbed my favorite latte from Starbucks.Cold morning with hot coffee and painful memories from yesterday; what more do you need to start your day.That was exactly my life.My eyes landed on a boy who tried to talk to his girl, gave her flowers, and kissed her head.Lucky girl.Everything changed in the last two days; the person who used to show all the emotions in a single day used to make me laugh, the cry was away from me.Is this my mistake? Or...,It's ok to accept if you are in love with him, my voice rustled.I sealed my eyes,No, I am not. We were supposed to be friends. And friends don't fall in love with each other.Who said that?But what if you are not?No, no, it's wrong.What's wrong? Loving him or not accepting the truth."All of this," I settled on a bench, trying to manipulate my thoughts.Isn't it strange when you have to fight against your mind and heart?Tears welled up,
"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU, MAX," I groaned in pain."Few more minutes,"Exhausted, I was not able to lift my feet for another step."I want to die. There is nothing I can do with this life."For the whole trail, I cursed Max,My eyes wandered looking for Darius, who was busy taking care of her doll.Damn, I wish Landon was here.Although I met lots of hot guys from another team,"Ru, we are here."Finally,"Stop cribbing and look at the view."He held my hand and took me near the cliff."Wow,"Everything changed when I saw the view, the clouds holding the lavender-vermillion color, the shades of green, and the sunlight piercing through them."This is...""Beautiful," Max completed."And you were cursing me," he snorted.I rolled my eyes and hugged him.We came to the site where we were supposed to arrange the tents for others.The instructor told us to finish our task as the evening approachesWe finished our task and settled around the bonfire where people were enjoying and dancing.No
I jumped into the pit full of mud,My heart drummed fast against my rib cage, fear crippled in the nerves.It was all my fault.Maybe she tried to come out, but the pit was deep.I hugged her, wiped the blood drops from her face."Rubel...""Rubel..."I gently caressed her cheeks,She tried to open her eyes, but her drained body didn't help her."What the heck?" Max was startled."Bring rope, and call others; She is hurt."He nodded and ran towards the camp.Tears filled my eyes; I hugged her once again."Darius..." she whispered against my neck."I am sorry."Max brought ropes and people to help us.I wrapped her body against me with the help of rope.Slowly others pulled us out of the pit,It was a tedious job, as it might hurt her more.The doctor took her to the camp,Max and I ran with them for the whole time; I was praying for her well-being.They cleaned the bruise on her forehead and bandaged it.I was not amazed to see they kept a crepe bandage on her hand.She was lying on t
~RUBEL~Now that I already knew his heart, I needed to fix my mind. Why walk the way when you have to walk alone.There is no way he could accept me more than a friend. No wonder I was expecting too much from my stupid life.Who will choose a girl like me? But why does it feel something different when he looks into my eyes?Is it my foolish heart's desire who wanted to read the emotions I was desperately waiting for,but alas! I was wrong when he clearly declared me as his friend,No way I could allow myself to fall into a place of vulnerability.I will try my best to deny these feelings.But is it even possible? Can I control these feelings?We are friends, and we will be friends. "Are you ready?" Darius questioned.As discussed, he made me think about Marcus's wedding.I nodded,"But...""Say yes,"Suddenly somebody knocked at the door. "AMAZON PACKAGE,"I opened the door, and there, my eyes met with Samuel. "Hey, neighbor.""Hey,"I tried to grab the box, but Samuel took a few step
~DARIUS~Oh my God, all this time she thought wrong about me?"It was a mistake thinking you could love me for a night when you were in love with Aurora from head to toe,"Her words bombarded my head like canon,All the blood rushed to my head, thinking of how she misunderstood me.I never loved Aurora, never.Damn it,My eyes saw them leaving the hospital.I couldn't stop myself from following them,I saw him going into a tall building, which I am sure would be their house.I wanted to clear everything with her, but is it needed?She was married to him, who was cheating on her.I punched the steering wheel with frustration. All this time, it was a fucking confusion that made her stay away from me.I was processing all these things when I saw Samuel coming down and settling in his car.My curiosity ignited when he called someone; I wanted to follow him and, I did,He drove for the next thirty minutes and stopped in front of an old house, Why the heck did he stop here,Before I could
It's been a week; I saw Darius. Watching him with that girl who could be his wife hurts me. Does that mean he left Aurora and came back to his old girlfriend? I was lost in thoughts when my phone buzzed, "Hey babe, how are you?" "I am good, Ann." "Guess what; I am coming to California," "What?" After I left, Samuel and they accepted their love for each other. Samuel came to California to expand his Youtube channel while Anna was not able to decide how to leave Manhattan. "Yeah, my one-month notice period is going to be over soon." "What? Does that mean you are going to shift here?" She nodded with a wink, "That's cool. Does Samuel know about it?" "No, it's a surprise for him." Max joined the conversation, extending my next meal. "How's the little one?" "Don't ask," I rolled my eyes, "So when are you coming here?" Maz chewed the popcorn, "I am coming in two days; we will visit Samuel at this event." She added, "What event?" "I don't know; he told me he will be aw
~Darius~ I never expected to see Rubel in that shop. How could I? After our last night, I couldn't figure out what triggered her anger to the limit that she left immediately, I was tired of everything, even asking so many times that she didn't want to share anything with me. I thought to give her some time, I waited for a week, but she didn't call me. I thought to visit her, but I was scared, so I asked Max, "Max, do you know where is Rubel," "I am sorry, Darius. But even if I know, I would not tell you," At that moment I wanted to punch him, but then I remembered he was trying to be her best friend who wanted to protect her, "Fine," I decided to call my brother Leo, "I am coming back." I was tired of everything; I knew I came to prove myself, but when dad called me last time, he agreed to let me follow my passion in his company. Well, I thought to give it a shot. I called him back and agreed to work in our family business. Everything settled down. Leonardo married K
Seven months later "The baby is healthy," the doctor smiled while she gave me another pair of my sonography pictures. "I am sorry, doctor, I used to ask for these pictures every time," She smiled, keeping the cold gel on my belly, "I understand, Rubel, it's a beautiful journey, and I know how you are going to put it in an album," I looked at Liam and Max; they were there on my every visit. Liam shifted his law firm to California just because I wanted to stay here, Max quit his job to take care of me. They pecked a kiss on my head, "Thank you for doing this for us." It's like I heard billion times how thankful they were to me for accepting being their surrogate, "You have to be careful, Rubel. No stress, stay positive, listen to the good things," The same old things my doctor used to tell me, I nodded and saw Liam taking notes to instruct Max. Max wiped my belly and helped me to stand up. "Woah..." I felt a kick, "What? Are you alright?" Liam asked, "Yes, Liam, I am f
As Samuel, Anna, and Max waited outside, Liam settled in front of me. "What happened, Liam?" I asked softly. He pressed his lips together as something was resisting inside him. "I want you to be our surrogate mother." What? I furrowed my brows, trying to figure out more about it. Did I hear it right, a surrogate mother? "Ru... I know I am asking a big thing from you, but..." He held my hand, "Max and I want to become parents, and we were looking for a mother. You know how people judge and it's hard..." I listened to him, still processing the information in my mind. "But.." "I heard your answer when you talked to Max, and honestly, it touched me when you expressed your feeling of becoming a mother. The way you said, it's a blessing, and the woman who would help us would be a blessed one. I want you, I want you to carry our child," Tears filled in his eyes. "Liam, Yes, it's a blessing to become a mother and develop a life inside you, but I don't think I am ready for this." I
~RUBEL~ There was something different, different from my usual mornings. What should I say; I felt complete. When I opened my eyes, I was not in my place but a familiar one. The hair on the back of my neck stood up when a cold blow touched it, a hand wrapping my waist pulling me close. Darius. "Did I?" I looked at my body which was not covered with my clothes. Did we have sex? Like actual sex? Did I confess something? I lifted his hand gently, turned towards him. My lipstick on his cheeks and bite marks on his shoulder, I cupped my mouth immediately, Shit. But whatever it was, it worked as a healing moment on my aching soul. For the last few days, I wanted to meet him, and now he is in my arms, and sure we did something because I am feeling something down there. Slowly I got up and saw bloodstains. Nervous? Yes, I am not a virgin anymore. Happy tears came to me, I wanted to kiss him with excitement, but I controlled myself. I had sex with the man I love, not with any ra
I thought we would stay in a lodge, but Darius being Darius, booked a well-reputed hotel on the way. We went to our room, and there he settled our stuff and made me sit on the couch. My dress was ripped and my thighs were covered in mud and scratches. I wanted to scream, wanted to cry my lungs out, and excused myself. "I will..." he nodded with a thin smile, As I entered the bathroom, I looked at myself in the mirror. My perfect liner smudged all over my eyes; my trembled lips were swollen; Lifted my hand gently to caress my skin, and a lone tear fell on my hand. It was not the pain; it was Landon's betrayal. I couldn't believe I trusted a monster. My thighs were hurting as his bite marks made me limp a bit, I grabbed a tissue to fix my makeup and my lipstick. How could I fix myself? The moment was miserable; the pain was unbearable. I grabbed another tissue to wipe the smudged kohl, but it didn't help either. Toiletries fell from the rack, I was drunk, and everything was
Safe Arms I came back as Samantha's next plan was to see a movie. Although I was tired, I stayed because Landon wanted to see it. As the movie finished, all entered their room, except me. "Are you coming?" "Yes, in some time. You go ahead," I smiled, Landon left me there, I walked to grab some sips, but my eyes landed on a figure standing near the lamp post; it was none other than Aoife. "What is she doing here? It's late," I muttered, I thought to ask her, but there, Xander came and rested his jacket on her, "Wow," They talked about something, but it was clearly visible how much they were in love with each other. She tried to get away, but he stopped her. Girl, you are in love with him, Looking at them my eyes filled with happy tears, "Aoife, you got true love," I whispered, He loves her, maybe scared to tell her. I felt somebody was standing next to me, Landon. I rested my head on his shoulder, "They are in love." "He loves her; look at that, Landon." "Why is lo
The bus ride made me nauseated; I felt I was stuck in a closed room with no supply of oxygen, "How long?" "Why, what happened? Are you not feeling good?" Landon grabbed my hand, "No, I am feeling..." how to tell him, "Nothing, I want to sleep." I closed my eyes, but the noise coming from the side was enough to disturb me; Samantha was laughing at Darius's jokes. Angrily, I stood. "Where are you going?" "Nothing, I need quiet." I stared at Darius. "But..." Without further notice, I went to the back seat and slept. After some time, I blinked my eyes and snuggled on my cozy pillow. Wait, I was not in the bedroom; I was on the bus the last time I closed my eyes. But why does it feel so cozy? The same cologne, who always made me happy. I flutter my eyes as my eyes landed, on the front seats, Landon laughed with Samantha, then who was sitting next to me? No, no, I took a deep breath, thinking my thoughts could be wrong. I looked up, where that perfect jawline caught my att