CH 5: Miss You Like Crazy

Lizzy Ford’s POV

“Lizzy?” the mysterious man asked.

“Oh, I remember now. You’re Miss Lizzy, Debbie’s assistant. Sorry, I didn’t recognize you earlier,” Leo said. There was a hint of regret in his tone of voice.

“J-Jason,” I said, looking at him as if I couldn’t believe the sight before me.

God, please. Why did I have to meet him in this hotel?

Suddenly, Jason grabbed my hand and pulled my body closer to him. “Leo, take care of that man and tell the Everbury police to investigate this.”

“Ok, sir,” Leo replied.

“What room is he in, Miss?” Leo asked me.

“308,” I replied quietly. I hoped Aaron was still there. But I was sure he must still be there because the way to the lobby must pass through the place where I met Jason. Then, Leo rushed a few men with him to room 308.

“Come with me now. I have something to talk to you about,” Jason said to me. I nodded, still trying to digest everything that had happened that night. Everything happened so fast, like a movie role that was being rewound at a certain speed.

But was I dreaming? What was he doing in Everbury? It was all an astonishing coincidence. However, at least I could escape from Aaron’s clutches. To be honest, I still felt a little scared. I still remember the look on Aaron’s face, the look in his eyes and voice that night vividly.

Jason took me to the parking lot and asked me to get into his car. We sat in the back passenger seat and were silent. I looked down at my sweat-soaked fingers. My breathing was still labored from the night’s events.

Deep down inside, I felt happy to see him because I missed him so much. I wish he knew that for the past six years, I could never forget him. Even the fragrance of his perfume is still vividly remembered. The look in his eyes, the lines on his face, his red lips, and his minty breath are still remembered very well.

I heard Jason exhale a few times before finally making a sound. “So, is this what you do in Everbury for money? Don’t you have anything to explain after six years of disappearing without saying goodbye to me?”

I turned to him with a confused gaze. “What do you mean?”

“Was my question not clear enough? Did you make money by dating some men? Why did you just leave six years ago?” he asked. Curiosity was clear on his face.

Our eyes met, but his questions hurt my feelings. Everything he thought about me was wrong. Had these six years changed him?

“So, is that what you think of me? How wicked! You don’t know me very well.” Clear liquid poured out of my eyes. My chest felt tight.

“Then what were you doing with that man in this hotel? There’s no way a man would book a hotel room for no apparent reason. He just wanted to have sex with you. That’s all he had in mind. Don’t you know that? Explain everything to me tonight,” he pleaded. Then, he took out his cell phone from inside his shirt pocket and called someone.

After a few minutes, someone answered the incoming call. “Leo, tell Everbury police, I want to see him tonight.” After that, he hung up and put his cell phone back into his shirt pocket.

“Explain now, Lizzy. I want to hear everything in full,” he said in a lofty tone of voice.

“I just got into a relationship with him a month ago. We indeed had a plan to go out tonight, but I didn’t know if he planned to take me to the beach and book a hotel room. I tried to talk to him nicely, but he insisted on touching me, so I ran away from him and met Leo. As for six years ago, I’m sure your mom can explain it to you. One thing’s for sure, I did nothing wrong and didn’t sell myself to strange men. I’m leaving now and thank you,” I replied as I got out of his car while holding back tears.

When I closed the car door, he was silent and didn’t stop me from leaving. Maybe I should start learning to move on and not hold feelings of love for him in my heart anymore. It’s time to forget the past, even though it’s difficult. I have imprisoned the image of him for so long in the depths of my heart because he was the first man in my life.

I hurried down the hill to reach the bus stop. I was sure I saw a bus stop near the beach. The night air was getting colder, and it was already eleven o’clock at night. Debbie and Anya must be worried.

I stuffed my hands into my jacket pockets and pressed the sides of the jacket together to keep myself warm. But things weren’t as easy as I thought. The path down the hill was steep enough that I had to take off my high heels or I’d end up at the bottom of the hill badly injured from rolling over.

As I was taking off my right high heel, a car’s headlights dazzled my eyes, and it stopped right in front of me. Instantly, the rear passenger car door opened and, for the second time, I saw Jason in front of my eyes.

“Get in. I’ll take you home,” he said. I still remember his distinctive voice clearly and I miss it so much.

Still, in a state of half disbelief, I stood there for a few minutes and I was roused from my reverie by the honking of several cars just then Jason pulled my hand get into his car so that I ended up face down on his lap and he quickly closed the car door. It all happened so fast.

“Leo, let’s go,” he ordered.

After coming back to my senses, I immediately got up, moved away from him, and sat up in the correct position. I ventured to steal a glance at him, and he had an annoyed look on his face.

“You almost made a mess. Didn’t you see the queue of cars at the back? Where’s your home address?” he asked me. I felt bad, so I just looked down at the floor of the car.

“Sorry. My apartment is on Victoria Road four, the second building,” I replied as I put my high heels back on.

Throughout the trip, we were silent and just stared at the road and the cars passing by. We were like two strangers who had just met. Why should we meet again if, in reality, we couldn’t be together? He and I are on different levels, the levels determined by his family. Besides, I was afraid of something bad happening to Anya if he and his family knew about her. Maybe it was better for me to keep quiet and not tell him about Anya. After all, we had become two different strangers.

Moments later, we arrived in front of my apartment building. I got out and prepared to close the car door.

“Thank you for tonight. It was nice meeting you.”

“OK, take care. I’m going to the police station now,” he replied.

“Ok. Bye.”

However, the thing I wanted to hide revealed itself. Suddenly, I heard Anya screaming from the lobby. Could it be that fate didn’t allow me to hide Anya’s whereabouts from Jason?

“Mommy.”

I turned around and saw my little angel running toward me. I saw Mia walking behind Anya. Why are they still awake? Maybe they were waiting for me to come home.

Anya came over and hugged me. I carried her in my arms. Both her tiny hands touch my face. “Mom, why did you come home so late? I couldn’t sleep waiting for you.”

“Sorry. Then let’s go inside and sleep. I’m sleepy as well,” I replied as I kissed her right cheek.

As expected, Jason got out of the car and walked towards the two of us. Mia, who was only a few steps away from me, looked at Jason and me and the two of them and Anya, started showering me with questions.

“Lizzy, why are you coming home this late at night? Where’s Aaron? Why aren’t you with him? Who is this guy?” Mia asked curiously.

“Is she your daughter? How old is she?” Jason asked as he looked at Anya intently.

“Mommy, who is that uncle?” Anya asked.