AVA

I left the mansion not long after Robert, he told the driver to drop me off at home. I stopped at the nearest bus station to my house. If I come home in that kind of expensive car, I won’t ever get to live it down for months. Pete has never cared about where I lived, talk less of dropping me off. I have classes today and Rowena has been buzzing my phone for a reply. Ignoring her messages, I freshen up and change my outfit. Thankfully my mum isn’t at home. I am not ready for her brand of education today. Her biggest regret is how timid I am, despite my circumstances. She keeps telling me how God wasted such a beautiful body on someone like me that doesn’t know how to use it. I was overweight as a child and had late speech development and when I did start to talk, I stuttered which is not a sin except when you grow up in the suburbs in city of Manhattan like I did. Once you do not have the ideal figure, you were treated as an outcast. I was teased and taunted at both home and school, and it made me withdraw into my own world. I shied away from everyone and keep my thoughts to myself. Thankfully, I was an academic scholar and that lead me to getting a full-blown scholarship into an Ivy League school like Colombia university to study business management. The only good thing in my life, with my graduation in a few months I can’t wait to be free, my mum still uses me as an emotional punching bag whenever she feels like it. She believes I am the reason she quite her big plans to become a big shot actress. Now she just lives her life as a kept woman. Always out with her latest conquest or at a different beauty treatment or another neglecting me. My cousins always bully me because I am half Mexican unlike them, thanks to my father I never met. Since, I could remember till I was old enough to get a real job, I worked odd jobs to make ends meet because I was a disappointment to my mum, she only provided the necessities. She is never home either, it’s from one trip to another.

The only God thing this place has given name is my best friend, Rowena. An orphan that stays with her grandmother.

My phone buzzes and I look down to see it’s a call from her.

“Yes, I remember but I didn’t get to ask him yesterday.”

“Ro, I am trying, promise!!”

But she hangs up.

I told Rowena I will try to get her an interview at Pete’s fathers’ company but with all that has happened, how do I explain to her that my relationship with Pete might be over. Highlighting from the bus, I stroll onto campus for my classes.

It’s afternoon already and Pete keeps blowing up my phone. Ignoring it once more, I head to the cafeteria, but get intercepted by Pete.

“What do you want, Pete.”

“Babe, I just want to apologize for yesterday, I am deeply sorry for what I did” he tells me while trying to hold my hand.

Pushing his hand away I look up into his gaze.

Pete looks nothing like his dad, he is average height, skinny and has average looks, the only outstanding thing about him is his eyes. Emerald with greenish specks like his mother. When he first asked me out, I was elated because until that point, people generally ignored me. The scholarship kid in baggy old clothes in a school full of rich kids with enough money to do as they pleased. Pete took his time to become my friend and win me over. I might not love him, but I am grateful he noticed me. So, I just play along with anything he wants, even when my mind screams no.

“Pete, what you did hurt me, and you then abandoned me with your father” I say looking into his gaze.

“Baby, I knew my dad will take care of you, you are one of the few people he likes”

“I am sorry babe “

“See babe to make up for yesterday, I have a Surprise, I know you have had no luck with your summer internship application. From next week, we will both resume at my dad’s company.” ” Am I not awesome?”

He says with a pleased look on his face.

My face heats up recollecting the events of yesterday, my body is still tingling from the orgasm.

I have applied to so many companies and got rejected from all of them. There is no time to apply for more, I have no choice but to accept his peace offering.

“Thank you, Pete, that is very nice of you” I tell him while squeezing his hand tenderly.

He looks pleased with himself and pulls me in for a kiss. I tense up but still give in

“Will send you the details over the phone, see ya later “

He struts off and I sigh.

I didn’t keep my promise to Robert and now I must work closely with both him and Pete. What else could go wrong.