Nine

"Are you serious?" I shout in disbelief.

"I am serious, and I really need your help, Cairen. Just this time," he sighs, "And I promised Carter that I had a surprise for him.”

I don't know what to say to him. Iffin! How can I hide the fact that Zach was expecting me to sing on his friend's birthday? Just because Cairen knows how to sing, not just know, she had been joining a singing contest before. But Cairen never told me.

My hands got cold and I lost my ability to speak. I sit on the soft couch and grab the lemon juice made by her cousin who left with her manager. I didn't hear what the manager and Zach conversed about. They were in the library earlier.

While I was looking around the apartment, Samantha was being nice to me showing me the place. She then realize after telling her my name that I was the granddaughter of Elise Verdan, the one going to marry his cousin. Zach's family and relatives have known about it.

Samantha is just like Mikaella's version, except for Sam's passion for drawing, and our topic is about arts, and I knew nothing but instead listen to her grasping information about something that disinterest me.

"When did you decide about this without asking me firsthand?” 

"Yesterday, and you know Carter, he is your biggest fan. You had the greatest opportunity, and there were talent managers who offered you before but you decline it," he says. “But you refuse them, excusing yourself of your social anxiety.”

I hide my own gasp and bit the bottom of my cheek and tasted the iron of the blood.

How can I get through this? My chest pound and I glance at the closed door. Zach is standing at the side of the coffee table.

"Come on, Cairen, only a few will attend and Carter would be happy knowing you are there. Please?” His puppy eyes blink at me as if they could help me change my mind. He looks like a child asking for a piece of cake that is forbidden to him.

I swallow my tremor and look around me. Iffin! I had no idea how I would get myself out of this.

Then I cough and clear my throat. "I am not feeling well, and I think,"—I act coughing as though I am losing my breath—"I had the flu coming."

But instead of him believing me, he simply gives me a grim look. Iffin! He didn't really believe it. He folds his arms. "You are not good at lying, Cairen, and why would you not?"

Because I don't know how to sing and I had a terrible voice! I suppress myself from saying it. I stop coughing and straighten my back then look into his eyes.

"I lost the means to sing, and I lost my voice," my excuse with my grave tone."This means that I lost my passion before, and singing to anyone will break me mentally because it is hard for me." I look down at my feet as Cairen always did when she is upset.

"Sorry to hear that," Zach express as though he understood me. Did his mind change? "If you lose your passion, then we find it. It's just there and you have to find yourself before you can find something you've been looking for a long time."

I grit my teeth, and he really has no plans to stop me from doing that no talent of mine why can't he suggest I make Carter a fine jacket? That makes sense. I didn't look at him until the annoyance disappeared from my visage. "Thank you, Zach, but I had no passion for it. Maybe someday at the right time, my passion will come back. Forcing anything won't do me good. Have you realized it?”

Zach squarely stared at me, and I stare back for longer. I am good at being stubborn, he did not know me that well. Then raises his hands. "You are right, Cairen, and I won't insist on you."

I sigh with relief and observe him seat across me taking his phone. Probably texting his friend Carter. It would be the best chance to ask him about Grace. "Ahh, anyway, what university is Grace enlisted?" I inquire.

"In the finest university, at Natel," he replies without even darting at me. "Why?"

"We are best friends, I will say hello to her," I suppose, and incline my back on the seat. "It's been a long time since we last met. And she is upset with me.”

"Undoubtedly, when I'm in her position. My friend left without saying goodbye unexpectedly. What do you think I will be feeling? Happy? Nah, Cairen, it will be resentment.” He glances up at me with a touch of aggravation in his voice.

If only I could tell Grace the truth, but I can't for many people be hurt. It is better that anyone believes that Cairen is alive if it means losing who I am.

“I am not unsympathetic, Zach, anyway, if that's all we're going to gab about. I have to go home now." He is about to utter but I continue. "I don't need you to take me home. What's the use of my independence if I let you take it from me," I quip.

He smiles, and I deter my eyes on other things ignoring the fact that his smile makes him even more snazzy. I instantly get on my feet and I leave the apartment without saying goodbye to him. I was passing the elevator when the woman in the lobby skim at me in the way that she uncovered my lie. I trek quickly until I finally get out of the building and hail a taxi.

I sleep the whole travel, and when I rouse we are in town. The cab stops in front of my parents' house. And the one who welcomes me is Mikaella, wearing a sexy top and short shorts. She is so iffin sexy in what she wears, and the driver raves his eyes on my cousin through the front window.

I shut the door hard and step closer to her. She gives me her close-knit embrace. "Where have you been?" Mikaella asks after breaking our brief embrace and the taxi depart.

"In the city, I visited someone," giving her the answer, and her slim arms wrapped around my arm. "Is Mama at home?"

"Aunt Rira left for town to deliver your dad's lunch earlier," replied Mikaella. Mika calls Mama Aunt Rira which is far from her name Aurora. Oh, maybe that's really what Mama is called, Rira, and it's a cute nickname. I will see them thereafter in town.

"Look, I have something to welcome you, Kay-kay," Mika declares excitedly and pulls me into the house, almost tripping me.

I know her, another set of dresses either she finds online or in the mall. "You will surely love it. It's your favorite color," she sound happy and giggled. And here I am considering that almost all the dresses she gave me are in shades of yellow.

In the living room, there are paper bags lying around and it looks like there are more than ten. I don't know if I will be happy or in bother, that she spent a lot as though she was the daughter of a millionaire, however, her family is wealthy and her father was the CEO of grandma's company, no wonder.

When her father finds out, Uncle Tyrone surely freezes the cards and bank account of her only daughter.

"Sure, it's my favorite," I chime without revealing the bitterness in me.

"I'm really happy, Kay-kay, to vacation here for a while, it's been a long time since I was here, you are twelve then I am eleven. It's just that I'm only here for a week after a misunderstanding between my dad and you," Mika tells and hands me a paper bag.

I look at its contents and see an ochre dress with a cream-swirling faint design. Taking it from the paper bag, and holding it in its straps. It's an empire dress, and the cleavage was showing a lot of my front if I put it on me.

"It's pretty," I lied and grin trying so hard that Mika wouldn't realize it wasn't true.

"I know you will like it. Look at this.” Mika seize from a paper bag an olive color slip dress it was two, and made of silky fabrics. "I bought mine so we can be alike. Gio's birthday is coming up, and he is probably excited to meet you after five years."

Gio?

“Who's Gio?” My brows furrow and appreciate a good look at the clothes. The bust is too thin, and it's like a dress I often see in the club, it's so daring.

Mika's eyes widen and squint. Her reaction was like I had four eyes. "Are you serious? You don't know Gio? It's Zach's brother. Weren't you and Zach's brother close before? I found out earlier that Zach is Gio's brother. We've been friends for three years, and it's so funny. I know nothing more about Gio than his father.”

I tighten my grip on the dress and turn my regard at Mika. Then my mind goes to a memory of a picture of a man beside Cairen, the one she was mad at me for taking it away from her small box. And a written name at the back of the picture, Giovanni Del Fiore.

Is it's Zach brother? Perhaps the oldest. 

"He never tells about his family?" I ask.

Mika shakes her head. "Gio is the CEO of the Del Fiore consolidation owned by his father. His life is so private though he is smart and earnest. No wonder Papa likes him being the bachelor youngest man to have a billion assets own.”

"How come you two become friends?" I fold the dress and place it on top of the coffee table. How many things did Cairen keep to me? I don't know if I can keep up feigning to be Cairen when I know nothing much about my twin. It's frustrating.

"Oh, through my father, he is Gio's lawyer. And Gio is nice and friendly so we became friends. I like him," Mika giggles with her woolgathering eyes staring into a spell.

"But won't you tell me about the two of you back then?"

I wink my eyes trying to comprehend what Mikaella points out in her words.

"I heard Papa say to Uncle Eric that you and Gio would be the ones marrying each other, you are compatible and like each other. Have they not told you, Kay-kay, you are marrying one of the Del Fiore, and it would be Gio?”