ASHER."Don't you think today will be so fun!?" Mercury chimed as I drove, trying to keep my focus on the road. She'd been really distracting, and I tried my best to get my head in the game. Aren't couples supposed to do things like this only after the proposal has happened? I'd barely said a word to her about getting married, so her audacity and high hopes were surprising, really."Yeah…" my voice trailed as I clutched the steering wheel tighter and bustled through the busy streets, dreading what was about to happen. "It's going to be fun."I could feel the intensity of her stare burn into my skin from the corner of my eyes, and I tried to even my emotions— because somehow, I still felt that I shouldn't hurt her feelings, but these days, it kept feeling like it was what I was going to end up doing. "Do you not want to do this right now, Asher?" She asked again in a low tone. "The shop would always be there. We don't have to do any of this if you don't want to, right now. I'm sorry I
AXEL. I watched her storm out of the restaurant without knowing what I did wrong. The last look on her face was one that was going to haunt me for a while— one hour, two hours max. I settled back into the chair, frustrated that someone could be that dismissive of me. Evangeline was far too stubborn for a lady. Settling back into the seat, I exchanged one last eye contact with the lady from earlier. Of course, she was beautiful, probably more beautiful than Evangeline, but the spark was not there. That shiver that ran down my spine whenever I talked to Evangeline wasn't there, and it was addictive. I felt like I needed to hold her again and feel her body submit to my touch to feel whole again. How did I let an ordinary one-night stand get so bad? It wasn't very clear; I needed to have her. Why was she so adamant, though? I didn't quite understand it. I was perfect— as a person. I went out of my way to get her a fucking necklace and flowers, but she discarded them like it was nothing.
ASHER. Mercury pulled me again, towards the direction where a few of the attendants were. There were so many dresses on display that the atmosphere had begun to choke me. Every single one we slipped by brought thoughts to my head. Mercury and I— linked arm in arm, just like this one, and walking down the aisle. I could picture the wide grin on her face, and the scowl on mine. My chest tightened as it began to get clear to me that I couldn't pull this off. Axel was right, after all, rather than be a fucking puppet. I could have easily told my father I didn't want to. Up until a few days back, when the clarity hit, I'd been okay with that idea. I sighed, looking around the softly lit boutique, and it kept hitting me that I didn't want to be there. "Hi!" Someone chimed. I looked up. It was a store attendant, a gay man— obviously, from his makeup and the deadly heels he had on, I was beginning to wonder how he even walked on them. He curled his fingers, gesturing so much as he talked. "
EVANGELINE.D-Day. I'd gotten off work a bit earlier, thanks to Dave and his perfect cover-up excuses— although I now owe him a favor, and that was quite a scary position to be in. Now, you already could picture the image. I was standing before my wardrobe, and my stylist, Harper, had her fingers aggressively tapping her chin as she bored her eyes into every corner of the wardrobe. I feared for that wardrobe; if it were a person, then it would have shrunk under the burning intensity of her gaze.There were countless clothes on the bed, all paired to make out the best outfit, and I agreed with it because, for some reason, I did want to impress Asher. He was willing to help my brother out of the blue, and because of what my brain had been structured like since the past, a part of my pride was still bruised.Even my father, after his very apt display of bullshit, I hadn't allowed him to help me. Hell, I didn't even let him know where Marcus schooled. I wanted him to have a better life t
EVANGELINE.I stared down at my dress and the red color that spread all over it, slowly becoming the map of someplace I had no idea about. The waiter stood to her feet, obviously worried she'd ruined a million-dollar dress. I wasn't mad at her in the slightest, mistakes like that do happen, and there isn't anything to be done about it or anyone to be blamed."I'm so sorry!" She shrieked, and her voice trembled as she moved closer to me, examining the dress with horrified eyes. "I'd pay for dry cleaning and every other thing you want! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" I'm so sorry. The waiter chanted it for so long I was beginning to think it was new slang. I did understand her plight. She'd probably lose her job if someone like Asher filed a complaint."Are you injured?" I asked the first question that popped into my mind as I examined the parts of her body I could see. My eyes landed on a cut on her hand, most likely caused by the shards of glass. It bled. "Oh, my! I think I h
ASHER.I'd begun to feel vibrations run down my spine at an insane speed when she turned to me and asked for help, although I knew it was the last thing she probably wanted to do. That didn't matter. What matters is— it was happening anyways. I was engulfed in the strong smell of vanilla when I walked to her, and I felt my blood start to rise in a way that it should not.The room grew hotter with every passing second. I breathed harshly, slowly lifting my hand and getting a hold of her zip while staring at her neckline. I wasn't able to get away even as I violently struggled to. I tried not to touch her in any appropriate way. Why was I having those thoughts anyways? Tonight was supposed to be a business night— we were supposed to talk about Marcus and how I wanted to help, but we've swerved from our original plans.It took longer than it should have, but I was done. I unzipped it just a little, enough for her to be able to fight off the rest by herself. My breathing grew more raged a
AXEL.How far can one go without a response from a random lady that just managed to slip into one's mind space? Well, two days, maybe, seeing as I picked up my phone to dial Mercury's number again. The room was hot. It would be, especially when I had a girl fisting my dick as I tried to call."Do you want me to use my mouth?" She asked, giving me the cute stare that I found rather disgusting because her eyes looked like they stopped loading at forty percent. They were way too small. And was she supposed to ask this?"Do what you like, Birdy," I said, breathing harshly without looking away from my phone. "As long as you make me cum." I glanced at her this time, trying to see the size of her mouth and how wide enough it'd be for my load. She was a new girl, so I didn't know the extent of her expertise. "Don't use your teeth," I finally said."Uh-huh, yes, Daddy," She moaned. The bitch was probably faking it. Birdy tucked her hair behind her ears before kneeling before me, and I spread
EVANGELINE."Don't bother, don't even ask how my day went because I swear to God, I don't even want to talk about it! How can everything be so shitty at the same time!?" I yelled as I walked into the house and flung my bag to the chair.After yesterday when I realized Asher was Axel's brother and he dropped me off at home, my life has been a combination of one shitty event to the other for no reason I understood! Today, I had to face Mercury regarding the disruption that a "handsome stranger" caused— Axel— during work hours. Does she not know him? I'd seen her with Asher, so it was only right she knew him, too. Everything Mercury told me today had embedded fear deep inside my chest. It was possible to get suspended for such disruption, and I CANNOT get suspended, not when I had no backup plan. I didn't understand how inconsiderate people could get at times.Axel willingly walked into AULA. What does that have to do with me? I didn't realize I'd been fighting with my shoe while in my r
AXEL. (Final)Asher would get married tomorrow, although it doesn't seem like he's planning on it. He'd vanished into the thin air, and our parents had been worried for a few days.It wasn't like they hadn't realized he really didn't want to do it. He'd told them several times. Now, I was charged with the responsibility of finding him, but to no avail. I barely even knew where he used to be, not to talk of successfully guessing his hideout.I had one last place in mind, and I'd made it my last because a part of me never wanted to believe that it was possible. He couldn't be with Evangeline, right? She'd specifically told us not to contact her anymore.I still did, as frequently as I could, to make sure she knew I was still waiting. I didn't know what to do, and I very much wanted to respect her decision, too. It would be so wrong of me to intrude. Still, I thought about her every day.Every minute, she was on my mind, and I kept wondering how she was doing. If she was fine, if she ate
ASHER.It's been a few days. The doctors only told me that Marcus had been discharged although when I reached out to his teachers, they confirmed that he hadn't resumed school yet, which meant he was with Evangeline here.I wouldn't blame her if she didn't want me close to him, but I did want to know how Marcus was doing. We had left the hospital in a hurry on Evangeline's request, so I didn't have the chance to be there for him the way I wanted to, and that hurt so much. I dropped my suitcase on the chair and fell onto the couch. It was a long day at work today and it was even worse because I couldn't concentrate on the things I had to do. It was almost as though I had detached from the world around me. It terrified me so much.It hadn't been up to a minute since I walked in when the door opened again. The low creaking sound forced me to open my eyes, and I saw Mercury and my mother walk in. I sighed tiredly, already frustrated by the discussion that hadn't even begun yet.I didn't
EVANGELINEMarcus was now conscious. I was the first person he saw and recognized after he opened his eyes yesterday. There was no greater joy. The moment I realized that he was fine, half the stress I had been feeling melted into nothing.Now, he was asleep, and I was back to the unfortunate hospital chair, swallowed by my thoughts again. It wasn't a bad thing sometimes. I couldn't help but imagine what I'd have been like if Marcus hadn't opened his eyes.I was dotting my 'Is' and crossing my 'Ts,' doing everything that needed to be done before I began a new chapter. Closure might seem far, but it was worth the try.I informed Harper about the accident last night but told her not to bother coming since Marcus was getting better. I could handle that much by myself now. I already sent the brothers off yesterday, seeing as their presence did my heart more harm than good.Asher was more reluctant to go, judging from the kind of relationship he had with Marcus, and I couldn't blame him.
EVANGELINE.Asher and I were on the same hospital chair, waiting for the results from the blood transfusion. Axel was still in, and waiting for him was the most tortuous thing I'd ever had to deal with.We sat in silence. I was so overwhelmed with sadness, and it gnawed at my chest. Asher, being a person who always read the room, stuck with the silence. My legs wouldn't stop shaking, and I couldn't seem to stop shedding tears either.My palms were pressed together in a prayer. I broke the silence by speaking first. "They said…it was on the football field…""Hm-hm," Asher nodded, his gaze was fixed in the empty space."He—" I took a pause to catch my breath. "He slipped and fell and—" hit his head. I was supposed to add that, but my mouth wouldn't make the words. I couldn't seem to believe that it was Marcus and he'd ever go through something this terrible."I…called him the night before," Asher said, "And…we had this…chess tournament after which he told me…"Do you think I should try
EVANGELINE"Where is he!?" I shouted again, and Asher was looking just as perplexed as I was. I turned to him. "Haven't you seen him since you got here?""I haven't, Evangeline," He responded tersely. "They didn't let me.""What do you mean they didn't let you?" Axel intercepted. "You haven't seen him, then why are you even here? What did the doctor say?"Asher huffed, "Well, I guess I should have barged into the fucking room then! They didn't let me see him! It had barely been fifteen minutes since I got here. All I know is the ward he is!""Can you two shut up and just show me the ward?!" I shouted as I walked down the hallway at an increased pace and they followed me. This was the worst time for them to be arguing. Asher overtook and led the way, then pointed to a ward as he continued down the hall. "This one."Oh god! Oh god! I was panicking, and my entire body shook on its own. What did the poor child do to deserve something like this happening to him? What exactly happened? Ho
EVANGELINE.We were meeting at a restaurant not very far from my apartment. I texted to meet up and scheduled it for today. Sitting in the restaurant had been a chore of its own. I seem to be the center of attention for no reason at all.Then I remembered that there was an art ik about me flying around. One that somehow hadn't seen the light. I wondered if Asher bothered to deny the rumors or if he just left them to linger and cause more hurt.It was weird how I had earlier thought something could work out between all three of us. I'd been hesitant to let go of my relationship with them, but I have decided what I thought was best for us. There wasn't a way I could be with Axel if Asher still harbored those feelings. His drunken call last night terrified me.I hadn't taken him to be the kind who drank. I figured I should draw a line and fast, no matter how much it killed me.Aside that, I'd been hurt way too much by Axel that I couldn't see past it. People didn't just spring up with a
ASHERAfter hearing of the impromptu meeting Axel had set up with the shareholders, I couldn't hold back the anger I felt for him. As the acting head of the organization, I had the right to be aware of any meeting to take place.It was as though he'd gone behind my back to do it on purpose, and somehow, Axel had also managed to incite pity in their minds. Rumors about him spread like wildfire in the office. A lot of people were on his side, and they felt sorry for him since he'd been in the shadows for so long.Do they even know what he'd been doing in the shadows or how much I'd cleaned up after him? I doubt he mentioned any of that. I doubt he mentioned how he got wasted, got into trouble, and had fights that landed him in police custody on late nights. He must have forgotten to tell them that.He must have left out the part where I wasn't given the chance to be a child all so I could fill in for his inefficiency. How I was made to grow up earlier than I should, so I could jump into
AXELThe sun had just begun its ascent into the morning sky as I strode into the headquarters of the company. I'd spent the whole of last week getting settled in last week. It was finally time to do something differently, to set the path I wanted.I've had this thought, but it got worse since the article about Evangeline and Asher hit the net. The amount of affluence he had that made people so interested in his business— I wanted to have it, too. A part of me believed it was possible with the right amount of work.I just hoped Evangeline took me back when she noticed my effort. She hadn't been responding to my texts, nor had she returned any of my calls. It took all my willpower not to camp outside her apartment like I always had since she'd already warned me against it. I missed her so much. It felt like there was a hole in my chest.Each step I took echoed through the polished marble floors of the grand lobby, a stark contrast to the weight that pressed down on my shoulders. Today m
EVANGELINEMy patience wore thin as Axel's mother continued to push me to accept her offer and disappear from her sons' lives. The condescension in her tone and the dismissive way she spoke of my feelings for Axel grated on my nerves.Unable to contain my frustration any longer, I leaned forward and said through gritted teeth, "Can I let you in on a little secret, Mrs. White?""Oh, please!" She rubbed her forehead, frustrated. "There's more to this!? The whole thing makes me so uncomfortable already!" "Hm," I nodded reluctantly, ready to burn everything to the ground with a smile planted on my face. "I'm pregnant, and it's for Axel." It didn't take me too much to spill the words since I was already tired of her insensitivity. "Before you say the next thing on your mind, I think it's imperative for you to know that I did try to get rid of the child…my child for your son's happiness, but…that didn't work out for me, just like everything else!"Her reaction was instantaneous, her eyes w