After work, Nathan and I came back to the mansion together. As we drove up the lonely one-way road that lead to the mansion's huge gate. I was on my phone, searching Danlie Forbes. I needed some type of reference, an address, anything that would mean seeing him again.
"So today is our last day in the mansion..." Nathan said.
I heard him but I kept quite. I was preoccupied. There was nothing about him on the internet. Just some dude with the same name and surname-a dentist in some small town in Duran. I scrolled past blurred images of his small white building.
"What's Alice's car doing parked there?" Nathan asked.
I looked up, and he was pointing to the windshield. Right in front of us was Alice's car, parked on the side of the road.
"Maybe something is wrong." I said sitting out of my chair. Please stop by her car."
"Like what?" Nathan asked and t
When I heard the intercom in my room beep and Anna’s voice break out saying, “Dinner is served” I realized that I was still sitting against the door, hugging my knees to my chest. How long I’ve been sitting here, I don’t know. I was still trying to understand what I had seen, if what I saw was what it really was. After the intercom went off, everything went quiet again. Nathan had stopped knocking and calling my name. How long did he manage to keep calling and knocking before he decided to finally give up on me?The growling of my stomach sent my hands to my stomach instinctively. I felt so hungry. I got up and went into the bathroom and washed all the make up off my face. As I bent over the sink, I caught a blur of my reflection in the mirror. I slowly looked up into the mirror.Big brown eyes, wet face and pink lips.“You know what you saw.” I reassured myself. “You know
“I don’t know. I guess I just don’t feel ready to make such a big commitment.” I shrugged.“But why?” Mom asked me. She looked innocently concerned.They continued watching me, like they couldn’t understand what ‘I’m not ready’ means.I continued eating.“What, don’t you love Nathan anymore?” Dad asked me.Great. I sighed and didn’t say anything.“Of cause she loves him!” Karla said. “They are the city’s couple goals.”Yeah right. The couple that are hopelessly in love with each other in pictures and interviews.“Gen.” I looked up at mom. “What do you mean you’re not ready? You two have been together for like 6 years now.”I looked at each one of them, no
I would have stood there, listening to that comforting tune but then it stopped suddenly. I came to Alice's door and knocked. The big 'DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT' sign on her door stared back at me."What?" She responded on the other side, her voice sharp. How rude. What if it had been dad or mom standing here at the door and not me?I opened the door and walked in slowly. The strong smell of weed rushing into my nose. She was sitting on her bed, legs crossed, the flute in one hand and the other hand holding a blunt. I did not know that Alice smokes. She's always been quarreling with Nathan and Francis about her not being on anything. But here she was.She was still in her navy skinny jeans, black cropped top, jean jacket with rips and still in her boots."What?" She asked staring at me blankly, like I wasn't welcome in her room."What are you doing?" I looked at the blunt in her hand.&
“You do know that we have to talk about what happened today, right?”I nodded slowly. Wishing that we wouldn’t.“Don’t you feel like there’s something you should say about today’s incident.”I shook my head, like a child being reprimanded by a loving father.“Okay, I can actually understand why you went on like that.” Nathan said as he sat up straighter on the bed. His back was against the wall, prompted up by one of the pillows. “Maybe your brain wanted it to be him and that’s why it made it look like it was him. It’s okay though. I don’t blame you for that.”I continued listening. Where is he going with this? I felt like just throwing myself back and falling asleep just like that.“But… I have to admit that I feel bad too. Obviously. I mean, my fianc&eacut
Alice’s car began slowing down.“Woaw, woaw go slower. She might recognize us.” I said. “Keep a distance.”The driver slowed the car down. I began seeing ‘Civic center’ signs pointing the direction we were going. Alice’s car pulled up in a tight space between two cars. The big white building in the front read ‘Civic center’. We parked a few cars away and waited for her to get out of her car. She hopped out and threw her bag over one shoulder, running up the stairs and disappearing behind a glass door. I didn’t know what to do now. If Yoké was in there, how would I see him sitting here? Then again, what if I go in there and bump into Alice? Then everything would explode. And what if someone recognizes me in there? Now I see why some celebrities choose to keep their family a secret, not showing their faces on TV.I want sure what to do now. My phone began ringing.
I don’t know why but instead of going back to my apartment I decided to go back to the mansion. I spent the rest of the day with my earphones, snuggling up on our fluffy couch in the first-floor lounge. I was obviously still mad at myself. Mad at myself for getting my hopes up again. Yoké left, he was upset. What makes me think that he’d be in Alice’s car or in her music class? For the whole day, I didn’t pick up any calls from dad or Nathan.A sudden touch on my shoulder sent shivers down my spine. I nearly jumped out of my seat. I turned to see mom standing there with surprise on her face.“Geez, mom…” I said removing my earphones.“Sorry.” She said coming to kiss my forehead. “I could you like thrice but you weren’t hearing me.”“I had earphones on.” I showed her my phone and earphones.“Yeah,
“It doesn’t matter what I would’ve done that day.” I told him, placing a possibly cold palm on his cheek. “Today I decided that I’m done hurting the both of us. You especially. I mean I know how you feel about me. And every time I talk about Yoké I realize that you’re getting hurt. And I’m done doing that to you. So, if he does happen to magically show up in Duran one day, I won’t be going anywhere. I want to be with you. I’m done hurting you.”Those words made Nathan smile. His smile made the corners of his lips curl upwards, beautifully.“Promise?”I smiled back. “I promise.”He nodded slowly, and then he couldn’t take it anymore and gave me a big hug. He placed his arms around my neck and kept me plastered against him. I hugged him back of cause. I felt happy. Happy for making someo
Francis looked at me. “Don’t tell me you believe everything that girl said?”“Well, you didn’t tell me why I shouldn’t believe her.” I told him.“Because she’s some poor girl from a poor city looking for a rich opportunity to change her life.” Francis said. “It seems I fell into that trap because of a one-time moment of weakness.”“One time, so you did actually do it.”He looked away, like he felt disappointed in himself. “Yes. But only once.” “Francis, are you lying to me?” I asked staring him directly in the eye. He held his gaze until he shook his head. “No I’m not lying.” “And how long ago was it?” “I don’t even remember.” He said running his hands through his hair. “But it was a long time ago. Like beginning of this year maybe.” “That is a long time ago.” I said, nodding. “I remember that night. You all were here, I don’t remember what we were celebrating. You were still behaving like a total stranger. I hate to remind you of this but it was right before you wanted to… You k