Six

KEENAN chose a restaurant with less crowd so he could have some food with no one sneaking up on him and taking pictures of him.

One curse of being a Hilton was the fact that he couldn’t have a normal social life without being tailed and followed by cameras and though he’s less wild now compared to when he was a teenager, he still does not appreciate the unnecessary attention he gets sometimes.

If there was a way, he could change and live a normal life, he’ll gladly do it so that he could have a bit of privacy. But he will not be a hypocrite because being born as a Hilton has given him many privileges and the ability to change and help many people who needed it, but there are things many people don’t know though.

One of them is the fact that money doesn’t bring peace it brings chaos because everyone thinks you’re supposed to be okay. After all, you’re rich, and it brings uncertainty because you don’t know who is around you only because of what you have.

That’s why growing up he kept around a small group of friends and when he met Rory, they clicked because they were alike and though he doesn’t know what has happened to their friendship because of what’s going on with Taylor; he knew he could once count on him and now he does not know what he knows anymore.

He needs his friend though; he missed him, he’s glad that he’s got Vary still around at least that one honest person in his corner and he thinks that’s enough.

If there was anything Vary hated most in her life, it was being around people who weren’t her class because she always felt out of place with them and as they walk into the restaurant; she feels the same way.

She isn’t one to get intimidated, but that’s she feels, standing beside Keenan, who is not only much taller but way better in every way. They seemed like two unique pair not only are they different, but their differences are incomparable.

He is the open display of glamour and she is just Vary, another ordinary girl, even Taylor is a better match. No, Taylor is a perfect match compared to her. She’s his league, class, of his status. Vary is black, Keenan is Italian, she’s struggling to get everything she had, and he probably got everything handed to him since he was a baby.

That is why she and Levi are perfect for each other because, while they are different, Levi always does his best to fill that gap up and make her feel equal to him with the little things he does.

When they finally get in, the waiter takes their orders and after a while, their meal is brought and they quietly eat.

Keenan picked the napkin and wipes his mouth before speaking, “So how’s our love life going four years ago you were dating Drew? How are things now? Will you be getting wedding bells soon?” he speaks as he finishes his food.

How did he know about Drew? She can’t remember telling him that four years ago, or maybe she did and just can’t remember?

She laughs hard and picks a clean white napkin from the tabletop and wipes her mouth as well.

From the look that just appeared on her face, he can see that her personal life is one she’d like to keep personal, but before he can say anything, she does. “Drew, and I broke up two years ago, he cheated on me.”

Keenan’s mouth slowly forms a surprised ‘o’ “I’m sorry. I thought he was the one you were referring to when you said you had a boyfriend.”

Her eyes move around in thought as she tries to recall when she said that as well and when she does, a wide grin spreads across her face and Keenan wonder why she is grinning “I was referring to Levi, he and I are dating now.”

Keenan takes the glass of wine on the table and nods it towards her for a toast before bringing it to his lips. “See you grinning because of him.”

She looks down in embarrassment as her cheeks heat and she nods. Thinking about him always makes her feel so much better.

His eyes dim as a bright smile arrests his broad face. “He’s a lucky man. Hope one day a girl can feel this happy when she thinks about me.”

“I’m sure that day will come, soon.” She smiles and picks up her glass of wine. “Cheers. To finding true love.”

***

A few days later,

The last few days Keenan has spent away from Taylor made him realise he couldn’t live without her and so he met her and ask her to marry. He knew it was a huge speech, a bold step and it is probably the best he’s ever taken in his life. But if Taylor loved him and was ready to move on, as she claimed, then it wouldn’t be such a hard decision. So he took her out to lunch in a quiet restaurant where they could eat and talk.

After they had eaten a little Keenan’s hand on the table goes over to hers on her side of the table where she’d just returned it to and slowly and intimately caress it and she locks her gaze in his, silently question the reason for this intimate gesture.

His eyes are adoring and so are his words, “I love you Taylor, and to tell you the truth, there’s nothing I want more than to be with you.”

“Keenan–” she wants to say, a part of her already knowing where this is heading to, but he shakes my head.

“No listen, love, I realised in the day I spent away from you I cannot live or survive without you.” he takes her left hand up and leans forward to place a soft kiss on it and she stares at him silently. He pulls out a paper from the inside pocket of his suit and set it on the table before her.

“What is this, Keenan?” Taylor asks in a whisper, as she glances at the contract before her and from the reddening of her cheek in embarrassment, he knows she knows what he’s talking about, but he plays along. “Something I’ve always wanted to do. Taylor Snowfall, that before you is a marriage contract and if you sign your name, you will automatically become my wife,” he pulls out a black box in his pocket and flipping it open to display the diamond ring on it, he moves it to the side of the table where the contract is and she watches him. “So my question is, will you marry me?”

She stares at him like he’s crazy. Maybe he was crazy, but he was crazy for her. “Keenan, you’re not serious, are you?”

“I’ve never been more serious in my life,” he replies, not understanding why she’d think he would joke about this.

“Keenan, I love you,” she says, and he seems to know her answer won’t be the one he’s dreading. “I’m not really what you want as a life partner.” Her hand goes to the box in his hand and closes it. “I’m sorry Keenan, I can’t marry you, I can’t sign this.”

His heart clenches tightly in his chest and his heartbeat zeroes down slowly and painfully in his chest at her answer. Everything that happens the next few moments, he sees them in slow motion and the rest words Taylor utters; I do not hear.

“Keenan says something.”

He stares at her, not knowing what he’s supposed to say anymore. “There’s nothing to say, Taylor.”

“Keenan doesn’t do that, we both know that what I’m saying is true.” Even though they both know it’s the truth, hearing it from her felt like she’s piercing a bullet into his already wounded heart even when she does not intend them to hurt so much.

His control is about to get loose the control he’s had on his emotions for so long and he holds them back along with his tears and he does this with the whole of his might.

He closes his eyes, hoping that he will wake up from this terrible nightmare, but when he opens them again, he realises its reality. “We could work–”

“No, I’m not that wicked to put you through another year of pain or work Keenan, you deserve better than that.”

“You don’t have a clue what it is I deserve,” he says through gritted teeth, my hand balling into a tight fist

“Well, I know what I don’t deserve and that’s you,” she says and a tear finally rolled down her face.

The date was the opposite of what he planned for and they say expect good from every decision but prepare for the worse and that was his downfall because he didn’t prepare for this and so didn’t know how to continue from here.

They said the more you loved the more you get hurt, well they were fucking right because Taylor's words felt like death and the very destruction of his soul and he isn’t sure he is going to be that vulnerable to anyone ever again.

****

The last thing Keenan expects after the horrible day, he is having is the news of Taylor rejecting his marriage proposal being plastered on the news, but when he reaches his office, he saw few workers gossip and although he knows they have to be talking about him; he didn’t know what it was about, but he knows someone who might.

Keenan glances up from the document he’s working on as he hears the crack of the door. “May I come in, Sir?” Varisha asks, already poking–pushing her head–body through the door.

You can, although you’re already in from. Keenan almost answers back, but “Yes you can,” he says calmly.

She closes the door and walks towards the seat with her eyes looking everywhere but at him. “You called for me.”

He drops the pen and folds his hands. “I saw some staff talking about me when I was coming in and yes I know employees should talk about their boss, but I can’t help to wonder what it is about, and before you say ‘there’s no way they could have been talking about me,’ I know because I heard Taylor’s name while they were talking.”

“I do not know about what going on sir,” she replies, shaking her head so furiously Keenan realises she knows something.

“Spill Vary, we both know how this is gonna end if you’re just going to lie.” he reminds her, pressing his lips together in a thin line.

With that, Vary realises there’s no escaping this and her palms grow sweaty. She doesn’t want to get into trouble, neither does she want to get anyone into trouble just because they merely gossiped about o him.

“You were all over the news about an hour ago, Sir, I think you still are.”

He groans, “I have done nothing crazy like usual. Why would I be there?”

“It’s about your proposal to Ms Snowfall,” she says so quietly that Keenan barely hears her.

He does though and he cannot believe someone had recorded them, but then he isn’t surprised, seeing as many paparazzi live on the news they take about him every day, but it still sucks. Not only is he brokenhearted now, the entire world knows about it too.

“Are you okay, Sir?” Vary asks in concern as she sees sorrow and grief wash over him.

He nods, although she can see the exact opposite of fine. “I’ll be fine Vary, just go back to your work.”

She nods, wanting him to have his privacy, not wanting to argue with him and walks out and when she closes his door; he turns on the TV in his office and tuning to E!, the still breaking news that interrupts the show.

And her headlines read: Proposal Goes Wrong.

The newscaster named Abby Greg the story “After four years of leaving the country, Keenan returns a few days ago with Taylor Snowfall, shocking many people. According to our sources, Keenan Hilton, however, proposed to Taylor, but most shockingly Taylor, his on and off girlfriend turned down his proposal.” the video clips of Taylor, shaking her head and slamming the ring box in his hand close is put on the big screen. “the reason behind her actions is yet to be revealed. Could it be something Keenan had done in the past? Or maybe karma is finally getting to the player for all the hearts he’s broken?”

“Go fuck yourself, Abby,” Keenan yells and turns off the TV.

After using an extra two hours to work, she closes her eyes, as they are becoming a little strained from staring at the computer screen for too long. Tomorrow she hopes to present her new managing strategy for the new hotel which should be set in Jamaica.

Over the past years, under the supervision of Bethany Hilton, she felt impressed with Varisha's work. She had always put her first in every new project on strategy for new hotels being set up in different countries over the world. And like Varisha promised four years ago, she’s always going to give it her best.

She picks up her bag and walks out of her office and brings her phone out of her bag to see if there are any messages or miss calls on it and she puts it back into my bag when she sees there’s none.

Everyone on the top floor had already gone home, and the hallway was awfully quiet as she walks through it. She walks to the elevator and almost presses the button when she hears loud noises coming out from the door with the CEO tag on it and she knows that it’s Keenan’s office.

Why will he still be around? And why are there loud noises coming from his office? She wonders.

She tries to convince herself to walk away and go home because Keenan is old enough to handle himself, but she knows from earlier that he is also heartbroken and might wallow in grief and unimaginable pain.

Slowly she makes her way over to his door and the noise grows louder and when she gets to the door, it’s open. She pokes her head in and she does not see any sign of Keenan in the room, but now she hears his voice. With careful steps, she further herself into his office and even though all other senses warn her to flee; she ignores them and makes her way to where the noise is coming from, walking past the bookshelf at her right where another door is open.

“Do nothing good, tell me what you can do?” he shouts in annoyance and she hears a smashing noise the next moment.

She jumps and stumbles backwards and pushes the mug on the bookshelf, and it falls and breaks into pieces.

The room goes quiet, and she walks back towards the door when she sees Keenan walk out of the opened door.