(Dmitri’s Thoughts)My head is still pounding when I receive a call early in the morning. And since it is from someone close to me, I answer it while my eyes are still closed. “Dee, Dee, Dee,” a high-pitchy, little feminine voice is excited when it calls my name. I groan when it feels like somebody’s screwing my temple, and impatiently answer the one on the phone, “Better be important, you already ruined my sleep now.” “I think I just found the perfect apartment in Seattle, you do know that I’ll be settling in Seattle soon, right?” the voice even mocks my intelligence. “Of course, you mention it countless times. So, do you want me to yell and scream out of happiness?” I sarcastically give off a remark. I hear the voice scoffs, “Tsk, don’t you dare use your sarcasm at me, dear. Remember, you owe me big time! And how long are you going to fool around in Germany anyway? Come back to me!” the voice demandingly utters. “Why do you care? And who says I am fooling around? She’s here an
“Avery, what are we really doing here?” Jeff asks irritably after we finally get out of the crowded airport.The States is very different from France, and I must say, I prefer living in France, although, I’ve missed being home. I am finally home. I look at his frowning face and act cute on him, “Babe, please, stop asking questions, I have a surprise for you, okay? Trust me on this!” I try to convince him while clinging my arms at him.However, he still hasn’t gotten over the fact that I lied to him about my encounter with Dmitri so he distances himself to me and untangles my arms. But I am too stubborn and didn’t let him do so. “Come on, please, you’ll soon forgive me,” I even press my body at him and I can sense the effect on him. But he still chooses not to even look at me. From the moment I’d arrived home, up to now, we haven’t had a single decent conversation. It is more on him scowling, or me, avoiding his questions. But I keep on irritating him, hoping that he would forgive
Seid enters the passcode without even pressing the doorbell so I ask him, “Hey, what if she’s not here, or both of them are having their moments. Is this even legal?”Seid pats me on my shoulder, “Relax, Ava. Have you forgotten, we always do this to one another, Kendra is not another person, you know.”I sigh, still feeling nervous about how Kendra will react once she sees me. Seid finally opens the door, and Nikolai’s face is the first to show up. He is flustered seeing us standing behind the door. Then I hear K’s voice, “Love, who is it? Is that the food we ordered?”Nik couldn’t answer right away, his voice is still as husky and deep as ever, “Uh, well, not really.”“Then who is it? Are they soliciting, again? Would you mind giving them some penny, I am a bit busy here,” K’s voice sounds like music to my ears, loud and vibrant. Nik keeps on staring at me and holds his stare to Jeff who’s just beside me. Then he mouths to Seid, “What the heck? You didn’t even bother telling me? S
(Jeff’s Thoughts)I woke up in the middle of the night and looked at Avery who was deeply sleeping next to me. Seid got this hotel room for us. To be honest, I don’t like Seid lurking around her, but I, I have to respect Avery’s opinion, and besides it’s not him I am mostly worried about. I trace her face and kiss her on her forehead, “Sleeptight, baby.”Avery was so wasted yesterday, and she kept on crying complaining as to why Kendra still hasn’t forgiven her. Even after staying here for a week and putting on a lot of effort each day, Kendra didn’t waver. After all, two years of pain and abandonment wouldn’t be easy to erase from her. I go to the mini-fridge this hotel has, I get some beer, lie on this chair facing the balcony glass door, and drink. I finally got to meet people from her old life. As far as I know, she no longer has parents. Yet, I know little about her. This thought suddenly come to my mind.“I want to know her more,” I told myself.With amazing people surroundi
(Jeff’s Thoughts)Walking back to the hotel, all the conversations Kendra and I had kept on running inside my mind. There are many things I didn’t know about her, things that I should know about her. I am her fiance after all. “But why do I feel so left out? Why hasn’t she even shared this important information about her life? Am I not worth it?” So instead of going straight to the hotel room, I drop by the hotel bar and sit at the counter, and order some drinks. “Evening, man. What can I get you?” a bartender with a happy mood comes in. I lift my head and nod at him, “Yeah, can I get some scotch?”“Clean or on the rocks?” he asks while preparing the glass. “On the rocks, bro, and make it two,” I order. “Oh, somebody’s starting really strong, tonight, any problems, man?” the bartender keeps on asking questions. “nothing, just wedding blues,” this is the excuse that I give. “Ohh,” he seems happy about it, “Congratulations, man! And good luck!” then he laughs out loud. “Huh! A
(Dmitri’s Thoughts) “You will meet them today? I see. Just go with our plan, okay? Remember, never say a word until I say so. I’ll be going back soon, try to stall the agreement, bring the best lawyers, negotiate or whatsoever, until they agree to have another meeting, this will be your last meeting as the owner,” I instruct the person I am talking on the phone with.“Understood, sir,” he says. And I hang up. I then, rest my back at the backrest of my office chair. He’s one of my employees and I promise him a promotion if he will take care of everything. “I am sorry, Avery. I will take you by force, you are mine and mine alone!” I clench my fist as I remember how Avery left me in Germany a month ago.Now that she’s back in the States, I won’t let her out of my sight ever again.“I hate to be like this, but I can’t let you go, I can’t live without you. Wait for me, I will be coming home soon. I am the one you love, not him,” I told myself. I close my eyes, but seconds after, someon
(Avery’s Thoughts)I am still in bed when I am awakened by Jeff’s voice who seemed to be having an argument with someone over the phone. I turn around and he notices me. He puts the phone down and sits beside me in bed. He embraces me and kissed me on the lips. I see his brows furrowed so I know something’s wrong. I get up and scratch my eyes and then inquires about the phone call, “Babe? Is everything okay? I woke up from your voice,” I utter. “I’m sorry I woke you up, you should go back to sleep,” he says while smiling and still, worry is all I see in his eyes. “Is everything okay? You look worried. Tell me,” I convince him.He sighs and hesitantly says, “Babe, I have to fly back to France, I am afraid I can’t join you for the signing session,” he sadly announces.“What happened?” I stand up and go to the bathroom. I wash my face and go back to where he is. I sit on his lap and he embraces me even more. He looks me in the eyes. “It’s Uncle–”The moment I hear it, my heart rac
(Dmitri’s Thoughts) “I am dreaming again, I know I am,” I say as I watch myself from this very incident I wish to forget, “This is my worst nightmare.” Almost a decade ago, one particular incident changed not only my life but the life of a young woman who untimely lost her parents because of my recklessness. I clearly remembered what happened that night. The scene in my dream changes and it brought me back to the night of the accident. I was out hanging with my friends, drinking, partying, clubbing, doing things that I thought would make me happy. Not until I received a call that night. I went out of the bar only to hear my sister’s sobbing voice, “Dee, she’s gone! Mom’s really gone for good!” “Hello, Heathe, what the hell are you talking about?” I scold her with my drunken voice. “Unsere eigene Mutter hat uns verlassen,” after repeating what she said for the third time, I finally understood. “Maybe she went out for a while. Or probably with her friends, or just on a vacat