A large group of people escort me downstairs. Because it is absolutely impossible to move in this dress by myself. The delicate lace of my gown sweeps along the polished wooden steps. I must move very slowly and carefully to avoid any mishaps. I grip the banister, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nerves.At the bottom of the staircase, servants hold open the grand double doors leading to the garden.The scent of fresh flowers wafts in, mingling with the warm early summer breeze. I take a deep breath, letting myself savor this magical moment.And there my dad is, tall and dignified, dressed in his sharpest suit, waiting for me just by the doors.“Dad.” I whisper, reaching out to hold his hand.He turns, his eyes softening as they meet mine. “Nat, you look absolutely—”“Stunning.” I smile, “I know. Mom told me the same thing earlier in tears.”Then I am shocked to find that there are tears gleaming in his eyes as well.My dad is never a man of emotions. This is literally th
I am outside my boyfriend’s apartment.I just took a 10-hour flight from East Coat to the West, transferred twice, switched subway, and then bus, just to get here in time to surprise him on his birthday.And here I am.Listening to him fucking another woman inside that door.“Oh yes…oh Zack babe…fuck me! Fuck!”I can clearly hear the bed rattling, sweaty flesh smashing against each other, husky morns of pleasure.I clamp my hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming.All these times he’s been begging me to come and visit, and this is his welcome gift? Cheating on me with another woman?I feel betrayed, furious, and disgusted. Before I know it, I’m banging on his apartment door.“Zack! Open the fucking door! Zack!”The sound suddenly stops. A moment later, the door flies open as Zack appears behind it. His chest is naked, hair all raffled, I can still see all the hickey on his neck.“Nat!” His eyes widen in panic, “What are you doing here?”I can’t stop my voice from trembling. “
I leap at the bed sheet and cover my body with it.The man is apparently shocked as well. His hand still rests on the doorknob, taking in the sight that he’s seeing.“Who the hell are you!” I snap, “Don’t you know how to knock??”The man is tall and shockingly good-looking. His brown hair is in natural curls, which suits his pretty face. His eyes widen with surprise and then gradually squints. His lip suddenly curls into a smile and holds up his arm as he leans against the door.I can’t believe he just stares. How rude!“Can you not look??”The smile on his lip deepens into a sarcastic angel. “Can you get out of my room?”His room?I look at him blankly for two seconds and suddenly take in a sharp inhale.“Oh my god…Eason?”He sure has changed a lot. Taller, prettier, looking more like a man. I even catch a glimpse of a tattoo on the side of his neck.We spent one summer three years ago when my parents got divorced. It was such a great time. I was so sad when I had to leave for Miami
Holy f—I clamp my hands over my mouth to stop the screaming. Gasp and sharp inhales coming from every corner of the restaurant.Zack is beyond shock. He freezes, as water dripping down his hair and forehead. He slowly looks up and seems still can’t believe what has just happened.Eason is probably the only person not freaking out. He calmly places the glass back and smiles at Zack. “It suits you.”“Are you FUCKING insane?” Zack shouts. He points at Eason and then directs at me, “Who the fuck is this guy, Natalia? What’s the matter with—”Eason grips his wrist before he can finish. Eason’s expression darkens, almost scary to look at. Inch by inch, he pushes down Zack’s hand.“Don’t point at her, ever again.” He states, word by word.I’m still in trance. Everything happened too fast. How did Eason know I’m here? And why is he standing up for me? He was such a jerk this morning. What changed?Zack cringes. He’s about the same size as Eason, but apparently he is afraid to fight him.“Wai
I don’t believe this. He didn’t want me to come down to Boston earlier. What happened? What changed?Dad mumbles over the phone, “Of course you are welcome to come back. It’s just—I think you should spend more time with your mom. When was the last time you visit her? Maybe this is a great chance for you to bond.”I don’t buy that. “How long do you want me to stay here?”He falls into silence.My mouth goes dry. And my heart is falling into a bottomless pit. After a long wait, I decide to make this easier for him. “Dad. What is the real reason?”Another painful silence. He finally speaks up.“…Hallie wants to move in with me.” His voice so low. Almost hard to catch up, “I thought it might be awkward if you two are both here at the beginning.”My mind went completely blank.I don’t know what to think, nor what to say. But I guess my reaction doesn’t really matter to these people anyway.“So, this is it?” I grip the phone till my knuckles turn white, “You are kicking me out because you w
It takes me a long time to quiet down. Then it suddenly occurs to me that my eyes are all red and puffed. Feeling embarrassed, I slightly push him away.“Can you not look?” I said in a whisper.“Your eyes are what you are worried about?” Great, the sarcastic version of him is back.I heave a long sign and groan, “Please let me know if you are going to begin the judging. So I can be prepared.”He glares at me. But I’m not afraid. Somehow his angry face makes me want to laugh.“Glad to entertain you.” He taunts.“…Sorry.” I manage to push my lips down, “How did you find me?”He signs. “Your mom called me. I don’t think you would take the taxi. And there’s only one bus stop near the house. So I followed the route, searched every bus stop.”My heart twitches with guilt. What I did was childish. And he’s right, if he didn’t get here in time, something horrible could have happened.“Maybe I should call mom.” I stutter.I know I should call her and put her mind at ease. But my head is still
I slightly open my mouth, but no words come out of it. I completely lost track of what I’m going to say.A moment later, I stutter, “isn’t it obvious? You chase me out of your room. You shout at me at the restaurant. And you—”“And I drove around crazy trying to find you, I fought for you, and I risked getting a ticket just to cheer you up.” He shrugs, “yeah, I must have hated your guts.”I flush. That’s why he confuses me. “Thanks.”He grins, “as long as you feel better.”I truly do. The way I feel around him…it’s so new and exciting and thrill. Being with him is such an adventure that it blows my head off. I know that’s partially because he comes from a different world than I do. But I don’t hate it when he gets his rich on, not the way I hated Zack.And that’s why he’s so different.We talk for a while and finish the beer. And he leads me to the guest room.“Bathroom is inside. You’ll find anything you need…towels included.”I giggle. “Anything in particular that I should keep my h
When I finally clean myself up and step out of the room, the party has already started. Loud music is on, and a couple guys have laid out the bar section with bottles of vodka and beers. They are heavy drinkers given by their age. I’m not against party. Back in Miami, I often have small and intimate gathering with my friends. We would grab couples of cold beers and head to the beach, enjoy the evening sea air. We talk, we drink, and we dance. We always have a blast. I sign at my sudden nostalgic feeling. I miss Miami, and it’s easy and relaxing vibe. Boston is a busy and bustling city. It suits people like Eason, not me. We are indeed from two totally different worlds. I push through the crowd and try to find Eason. I want to talk to him about me staying here, which seems like a terrible idea now. Judging by the speed people pour alcohol down their throats, I better find him soon. I walk pass by two girls smoking joints and try not judge them. Then I finally spot Eason, sitting