04 - F*cking arrogant!

I watched all that confusion without knowing what to do. The right thing to do would be to stay quiet and not get involved in any problems, but since it was someone I knew, being the son of my boss, it was as if, for a brief moment, I felt responsible for checking if he was okay or if he needed help.

"Do you know them?" Zoe's question pulled my attention, and I looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"No..." My vision shifted to Joshua making his way to the bar's exit. "I..."

Before I could finish, I stood up from the chair and grabbed my purse, walking towards the exit of the place.

"Hey! Where are you going?" I heard Zoe ask, but I ignored her and continued my steps until I left the bar.

I didn't exactly have an explanation for why I was going after Mr. Scott's son, besides wanting to offer help. And also, I was a little curious. The guy had just arrived in town and was already in trouble.

"Hey!" I said in a slightly loud tone, enough for him to hear me.

Joshua stopped in his tracks. We weren't that far apart, but a car could fit between us. Keeping his back to me, I walked a little closer to him, stopping two and a half steps away from his body.

"Are you... okay?" I asked, careful. "I saw what happened." I looked at the ground while tapping my fingers slowly on my purse.

I heard Joshua let out a sigh.

"Don't worry about it," he said briefly and turned around. "Forget what you saw."

"Impossible..." I slid my gaze from the ground to his face. For the first time, I was truly staring at him. And he was beautiful. Even more beautiful than I could imagine, even in a well-lit environment.

"Then just keep it to yourself. Okay?"

"But... Are you really okay? Who was that guy?"

Joshua took two steps towards me, standing inches away from me. He leaned his head down, because of our vast height difference, and I saw his eyes become chaotic.

"It's not your problem."

My lips parted, showing how frustrated I was.

Sure, I was curious about a situation that had nothing to do with me, but damn, I had come from the heart to ask if he was okay.

"I know. But I was just worried!" I tried to justify.

"And I told you not to worry," he said shortly and bluntly.

As much as he furrowed his brow and looked impatient with me, I returned his gaze indignantly.

"Shouldn't you be grateful that there are people who care about you?"

"Do you really care? Or are you just taking advantage of the situation?"

"What?!" I said incredulously.

"There's nothing in my personal life that you need to know about. You know, there are already enough people interfering in my privacy. I don't need one more."

He said his last words before walking to his car, getting in, and leaving the parking lot.

Great... This is what happens when I try to be kind to someone. Pure ingratitude. It seems that the guy Betty speaks so highly of is a jerk.

I started staring at nothingness while thinking about the quick confusion and Joshua's attitude. Was he rude to me because he really wanted to or was it just a way to protect his privacy? And, on top of that, was that guy irritating him or was it the other way around?

"Argh..." I sighed as those doubtful thoughts swirled in my mind. "Whatever." I crossed my arms, a little annoyed. "Anyway, what do I have to do with it? I don't even know him. He doesn't know me. Whatever."

I argued with myself and went back inside the bar. The situation seemed to have been resolved. Joshua was no longer there, and neither was the other man. I sat back down with the girls, who luckily were still there.

"Where did you go?" Zoe asked as she saw me approaching.

"Huh... I went to talk to a friend." I shrugged. Although he's not even a friend. "Did I miss anything?"

I asked, trying to tune in to the events that might have occurred after my departure.

"Besides the confusion... nothing." A pout formed on her lips as she shook her head. "You know..." she leaned closer to me. "During the confusion... you said 'Mr. Scott's son'." She made quotation marks with her fingers. "Who were you referring to?"

Inevitably, my eyes widened. I hadn't realized that I had spoken in a tone that she could hear.

"Who was it?"

I was a little hesitant about what to say. Joshua had told me to keep it a secret. I don't know if telling the girls would mean anything. But anyway, it was better to stay quiet. At least this time.

"No... I think I said it randomly," I lied and shrugged, pretending I really had no idea. "Huh... Why don't we drink?" I suggested, trying to make Zoe forget about the confusion involving Joshua. "Here!"

I saw a waiter pass by us holding a tray of beer glasses. I grabbed two and handed one to Zoe, keeping the other one.

"I'll pay!" I said quickly, trying to proceed with my strategy.

***

"Mom..." I whined. "I promise I'll never drink again in my life..."

I lamented for every beer glass I had drunk. The world was spinning with every step I took. It was already late, and I was alone on the street. Not to mention the strong pain in my stomach caused by the large amount of alcohol ingested on an empty stomach.

"Mom... If I die before I get home, I want to say..." I leaned my body weight against the wall of some house after feeling my legs almost weaken. "Sorry for being this horrible daughter. I..." I felt like throwing up, but nothing happened. I continued with dragging steps as I slid my body along the walls of each residence.

The more I mentally begged for Mr. Scott's house to be close to me, the further away it seemed to be. I was about to throw myself on the ground and stay there, but I tried to keep fighting.

I can't believe I had to drink so much to make Zoe forget about that confusion. The girl seemed immune to the effects of alcohol. Plus, I did it to protect a guy who was cruelly rude to me.

"This is your fault... Joshua... Scott. Look at the situation you put me in..." I rolled my eyes. "All of this to protect you. I am... dying. The world looks like a Ferris wheel!" I chuckled.

I stopped walking when I saw Mr. Scott's house was next.

"Thank God!"

A meaningless smile appears on my lips. I open the front gate and walk up to the door. I suspected everyone was already asleep. Luckily, I had a spare key. It was difficult to find the keyhole, but after minutes of struggle, I manage to open the door. I entered and locked it again. I was about to head towards the kitchen to go to my room at the back of the house when I heard a voice sound behind me.

"Do you usually come home this late?"

I turned around and saw Joshua. Again. I looked at him a little frightened. The kitchen was dimly lit, only receiving the reflections of the streetlights in the garden.

But I didn't care what Joshua said, because anyway, the next day I wouldn't remember any of his words.

I watch him walk through the kitchen entrance, putting his hands inside his robe. He was coming from the direction of the living room.

"Have you been drinking?" he asks after examining me.

I immediately remember our earlier encounter and how rude he had been.

"So what...? What if I have?"

"Don't you care about your commitments?"

"And do you...? Do you care?"

"You have bad breath."

He said, making me look at him a little indignant, but soon his words became hilarious because of the effect of alcohol.

"Ha... Ha... you say that as if you've never been."

"Alcohol? No."

"Ugh..." I make a face and take steps closer to him. "You're a jerk... Scott. How dare you treat someone rudely when she cares about you?"

"When?"

"You're going to say you don't remember?"

"I don't know."

I saw a pout form on his lips as he shook his head, making me laugh mockingly.

"Come on? Me, drinking and... You, losing your memory?"

"You're really drunk. How many glasses did you have?"

"Some... Nine... Ten... Eight... Maybe... Glasses... Of beer? Ugh... Don't meddle in my life."

"What?"

"That's right! What did you hear?" I get closer, almost letting our bodies touch. I tilt my head up and give him a nasty look. "As you told me, remember? Don't... Meddle... In... My... Life..." I let out a laugh between my lips.

"You'll end up waking everyone up."

"I don't care... Huh..."

I feel a sharp pain in my head.

"Alice?"

I let out a brief laugh at his facial expression. I rolled my eyes, feeling my eyelids getting heavy and everything turning black.