Ted's gaze traveled to and fro, in a quick chase of the lady pacing aimlessly across the living room. Her head was boiling at a degree of intensity that made her feel like she was going to burst out into flames any second now, but he didn't dare say anything lest it made things worse.
A slice of pizza found its way to his mouth as he bobbed his head to every rant she spewed forth. She was speaking in another tone and the only reason he understood every word she was saying was because of their long history together.
Who else would understand Maria's angry language apart from her best friend? Who else could listen to her vent for hours and hours?
He knew when not to speak up and this time was no different than before. He ate his pizza, enjoying his dinner while watching the enraged creature pace back and forth.
She crossed to his side, snatched the pizza in his hands, and finished the remnant in one bite. Ted watched her wolf down the last of it with a grimace.
"Can you believe that?!" She fumed and that was the question he had been expecting. It was her usual way of wrapping up her impetuous rants and inhumane screams.
He exhaled silently, glad her explosive period had ended calmly without things being thrown around. It had started twenty minutes ago when he had asked her how her new job was going and she had aggressively told him a whole novel about it. That was followed by an explanation of why she was already tired of the job and how her new patient was a pain in her ass.
"Well," He shrugged as she plopped down next to him. "Now you see why you are getting double paid."
"Damn, I'm not getting paid enough for this shit," she breathed heavily in a way that had her bangs flying in the air.
He laughed at her reaction, understanding her frustration. As much as she loved helping people, she hated working with difficult patients. She was capable of handling anything short of a heartless monster but dealing with the likes of these assholes was just too much for her.
"Not paid enough?" He repeated and she shot him a glare after detecting a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"Yeah, I mean it's not enough for me to handle all this crap." She got straight to the point, not wasting any more words or time.
"Dude, you are getting double paid." Ted reiterated, gesturing at his stomach. "You have no right to complain."
She sighed loudly and dropped her head onto the couch, her body sinking into the cushion. "I guess you're right."
"But why didn't you just tell him a piece of your mind? Why did you have to save it for my poor ears?" He pointed at himself with a raised eyebrow. "Man, it was really hard listening to you rant about him."
Maria groaned, rolling her eyes in the process. "You can't just expect me to yell at patients and tell them how much of an asshole they are."
"Pfft." His lips curled upward as he scoffed. "Of course, you can, Maria, that's your specialty, at least what I have experienced with you." He teased, earning a snort from her.
She lifted her head at the comment; her expression becoming grumpier by the second. She knew the old memory he was referring to when he said that. They had gone to a bar one night and met a guy who was completely rude to them. Maria confronted the man, telling him off in the most vulgar way possible. Ted had never seen her so angry and he couldn't help but laugh at her furious outburst. The guy was shocked to hear such language coming from her mouth and he ran away as soon as she was done yelling at him.
"Yeah, well, that was years ago and you don't expect me to bring that attitude to work." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "That's just not professional."
Ted snorted at her statement. "Professional? You are talking about professionalism? Are you serious?" He quizzed, his voice dripping in sarcastic laughter. "Where was your professionalism that day when you ran into the hospital with a toothbrush stuck in your mouth because you were running late and couldn't afford to brush at home? Let's not forget those many days you went to work with your bathroom slippers?" He continued, laughing openly while she glared at him. "How do you call that professional?"
Her face darkened at the memories he brought up. But he wasn't finished yet.
"Or when you slept through all your alarms because you stayed up all night studying? Yeah, pretty professional." He added, interrupting her heated rebuttal.
"One more word and I am going to strangle you." She growled, hating the fact that he knew her so well and her hands were prepared to pounce.
Ted leaned his face closer, his chin resting on a palm. "Whatcha gonna do about it?" He taunted her playfully, wiggling his eyebrows, causing her to let out a loud groan.
That was the last she was going to have. Her ferocious hands attacked his neck, adding pressure to knock the air out of his lungs. "I will kill you myself." She promised, her nails digging into his skin.
"Only if I don't do the same first." He laughed, moving his head to dodge her blows. He caught her wrists and smirked demonically before pinning her hands behind her back.
She struggled against him but he held her firmly. "Let me go, asshole." She snapped, trying to free herself.
"Asshole? I thought you were being professional." He countered, mocking her as she started to breathe heavily.
She grew impatient with him and tried to use her legs to kick him. Instead, however, she slipped out of his grip and landed on the floor with a loud thud. Ted burst out laughing at her pathetic attempt.
"You are a dumbass." She mumbled angrily and kicked him again, this time aiming for his shin.
Ted dodged her blow and grabbed her ankle, pulling her towards him. "That's two." He teased, smiling smugly at her face.
She bit her lip at the sight of his smirk and took a deep breath to calm down. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her mad. "I hate you." She said quietly, glaring at him.
"Goodness, when will you two stop acting like teenagers?" An elderly voice exclaimed, making both their heads snap in the direction of the person who spoke.
It was Grandma standing in the middle of the room, her hands folded together and her back straight. Her glasses were perched atop her nose and she wore an amused smile. She was an elegant woman, with short white hair and pale blue eyes. She had always looked young for her age.
"Nana, tell this jerk to leave me alone!" Maria screeched from where she was pinned to the ground.
"No, no, darling. Don't bring me into the middle of your fights. It's a waste of my time." The older woman shook her head and moved away to pick up her parrot from its cage. She sat across away from the quarreling friends and chuckled at the show.
Maria decided to ignore her grandmother and focus on getting her revenge on Ted. She rolled over and got on her knees, preparing to attack again. "Don't think you can get away with that." She warned him, her lips curled into a wicked grin.
Ted's eyes twinkled mischievously at her. "Oh, I'm not trying to escape."
He mocked her, rolling his shoulders and flexing his arms. His muscles bulged beneath his white shirt and he walked around behind her. He pulled her backward by her ponytail softly and threw her shoulder against his chest. He caught her easily and pinioned her arms.
"That's three." He announced triumphantly. "What do you say about taking a few karate lessons from me?"
"Ugh!" She groaned, annoyed at how easy he had won her fight. It made her consider giving up and saving the rest of her energy for the one-of-a-kind patient she would meet unfailingly the next day. "Fine, you win. Let me go already." She grumbled, wishing things wouldn't turn out that way.
"I always do." He replied, smirking into her ear before pushing her off his chest gently.
She rolled away from him and stood up slowly, rubbing her sore arm. "I don't even know what you are still doing here. It's nine already." She muttered, her eyes flicking to the wall clock.
"Why? This is my house as much as yours." He replied, looking up at the ceiling as he stretched his arms above his head.
"I hope you are not planning to stay over. I can't stand a whole night with your annoying little shit." She huffed, brushing some loose hairs away from her face, and turned towards the elderly woman who had been sitting patiently all along, waiting for the pair to finish their spat.
"That hurts." Ted feigned from behind as Maria headed over to Grandma's side. "But guess who is going to have a good long sleep tonight?" He taunted, following her. "I bet Toby doesn't mind either." He added, referring to the red parrot on Grandma's shoulder.
Grandma ignored them both, her hand holding tightly onto the bird's perch as it bobbed up and down in her palm, singing a happy tune.
Ted smiled slyly, enjoying the way Maria glared at him through narrowed eyes. He was used to her childish tantrums and he loved teasing her just enough to make her lose her cool.
He sauntered closer to her, his hands shoved into his pockets and waited for her response. "So... will you see me off now?" He asked with a smirk, raising an eyebrow expectantly.
She raised her chin in surprise, "What? Change your mind about sleeping over?" She questioned with wide-eyed wonder. "Don't want me ruining your precious dreams anymore?" She finished sarcastically.
"Nope." He responded simply. "You are too noisy and too restless to keep me company tonight."
" Look who's talking, heavy snorer." Maria snapped back with venomous intent, her brow furrowed. Her voice was so quiet that only he could hear it, however. "You sound like an elephant stuck under my bed."
" Haha, very funny." He replied dryly, laughing lightly. "Enough games for tonight. Follow me to the doorstep." He added, reaching for her shoulders.
Maria sighed exasperatedly, throwing her hands up in surrender. "Alright alright. Whatever." She relented, rolling her eyes and following him outside without another word.
She pulled open the door for him without hesitation. "Now scurry out of here." She said, waving her finger mockingly at him and shifting aside to grant him wide access to the exit.
He ignored her remark and made use of a moment to wave at the old woman sitting in the living room. "Nana, I'm leaving. Goodnight."
"Goodnight sweetheart. My regards to everyone at home." Grandma replied warmly, smiling brightly. The parrot on her shoulder bobbed its head in agreement, mimicking the smile.
Ted blew the old lady a kiss and walked out of the front door. He shut the wooden door behind him with an audible thud and took his eyes to Maria who was already waiting outside. She was leaning against the porch railing and staring blankly into space and tapping her fingers against the railing rhythmically.
He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the brick wall beside the driveway, facing the girl who seemed oblivious to his presence. "Goodnight?"
She glanced up briefly at him before turning her attention back toward the sky. "Are you going or not?" She demanded in a tone that indicated she was done with him already.
Ted smirked. "Well... you said no sleeping over, right?"
"Whatever." She shrugged nonchalantly, shifting herself further away from him, resting her back against the railings.
"Just take it easy at work tomorrow, okay?" He offered kindly, wanting to lighten the mood a bit. "Don't push yourself too much." He added, pushing his back off the wall. " I'll be leaving now." He told her, stepping past her and heading towards his car parked in front of the house.
Maria watched him unlock his car with a remote keyless entry system. He raised his head to meet her eyes and slowly grinned. That was her weakness, his charming smile was all it took to put her at ease and calm her down when they argued. He was a calming influence on her otherwise complicated life and it was hard to get rid of someone like that.
Maria wiggled her fingers at him, reciprocating his smile. "Goodnight punk. Get home safe."
"Yeah, goodnight. Go inside, it's cold outside." He responded, opening the driver-side door of his car and climbing inside.
She caught his lips curled upwards in amusement through the windshield and responded with a soft chuckle. The engine roared to life and the vehicle peeled forward out of the small compound. Maria remained standing there watching until the car had rounded the corner onto the street, disappearing beyond the bend.
She closed her eyes for a second and shook her head, sighing loudly as if trying to dispel some invisible thought from her mind. After a few seconds, she turned around to enter the apartment once again.
***
"Ashley?" He questioned, brows slightly knitted together with confusion as he stared down at his mother seated on a chaise lounge. "Why would she launch her business in New York when she doesn't live here?""What do you think?" Delia returned, glancing back at Jayden who adamantly refused to sit. "Don't you think it's a good opportunity for you two to meet again and keep in touch?" She continued without waiting for him to answer, knowing he wouldn't care to give an opinion. "And then maybe you two can discuss getting married--""I will decide when and whom to marry." He cut her off with the sharpest tone he could muster while still keeping any anger from his voice. It had been a long time since he'd heard that phrase used against him because of the coma. Now that he was finally getting himself back, he couldn't believe his mother wouldn't hesitate to throw out all those same old arguments."You..." Delia's voice went silent and didn't respond right away, staring into space a
Maria exhaled heavily and ran a hand across her head with drained spirits. She was tired and fed up with dealing with someone who simply had no interest in his treatment whatsoever, and she did not doubt that he would continue to deny her treatments, even though she was only doing her job and nothing else."What was that all about?" She muttered to herself, rubbing her temples to relieve the headache she had developed since the moment Jayden had mentioned some nonsense about repentance of sins.Her eyes wandered around the large space, unsure of what to do next. She felt exhausted and was considering taking the day off. Yet, she couldn't afford to miss any appointments because of his arrogance. Regarding her equal passion when it came to her work, she decided to go ahead and treat him anyway, regardless of his attitude or lack of cooperation.Maria stepped forward, giving a shot at finding her way inside a house that looked like it was built for giants. She passed through t
The smile she shared with the old storekeeper was still on her face as she strolled back home. The sun had set long ago, leaving a soft glow in the air, turning everything into a warm amber hue that seemed so welcoming compared to the dark of night. It was a welcome change after the sunny afternoon.Her steps were slow and deliberate, enjoying this rare moment of solitude, as she headed down one of her favorite streets where she would normally have no chance to stop for more than a few minutes. She knew everyone who lived here; she could walk through the entire block without having to pass anyone else.Earlier in the morning, she had woken up to a message from the Stanleys asking her to take the day off. Her suspicion had risen concerning Jayden's weird task conversation from a few days ago but her mind had been at ease when there were no words or any form of disturbances from him.It was a rare free time for her and so she had seized up the opportunity to shop for groceries
It seemed to be too much for Maria to handle. Her jaw hung open and her brows lowered. Her lips parted to speak and she looked around as if searching for an exit out of this mess."Open the car this instant!" She ordered anyone who would listen, her loud voice attracting the attention of the other two men in the car. Her voice cracked as her face turned beet red and her fists clenched tightly knuckles whitening. She wanted nothing more than to run away from this man right now. "Don't." Jayden's tone was flat as cardboard, not bothering to compete with her round one, knowing whose command his assistant would follow, loud or not. He remained motionless while Maria's tirade continued."This is kidnapping." She gritted, rolling her face back to Jayden since his subordinates completely ignored her. "You are the one committing a crime here. This is purely modernized kidnapping." She continued her argument without taking notice of the zero effect her statements were having on her
"This doesn't look like a clinic," was her first utterance as Maria stepped out of the vehicle, her eyes scanning a building that looked too sophisticated for a health center. It was a huge structure, made of marble and glass, with a large frontage and a grand staircase leading up to the main entrance. There was a large glittering sign hanging above the large doors that read 'Glamorous You'. From where she came from, health centers shouldn't look that fancy."It isn't." Jayden clarified before she even got to ask and came down from the car as well. "This is a beauty and fashion house, the best in town." He added with pride, holding his arm wide to encompass all the opulent buildings behind him.Maria already figured it out judging by the look of it but still couldn't help but get stunned by his nonchalant revelation. She couldn't believe he was unsympathetic about playing her for a fool twice. She turned to face him instantly, her blue hues blinking in annoyance. "Why would w
It was a whole new world. The night was full of posh people and glamorous places. Everything was grand and opulent and Maria felt herself become overwhelmed by the lavish decorations. The only factor that concealed the fundamental fact that she did not belong in this new extraordinary world was her changed appearance influenced by another rich ass. He had splashed upon her a sum of money her salary for the next couple of years would never suffice. And now, she was dressed in the most expensive dress that would ever be in her closet. She could feel the green dress hugging her frame, the soft feel of the silk fabric, the breeze of the night brushing through her exposed skin from the plunging back design of the gown, and how longer her legs looked with the slit at the front and the gorgeous heels making her seem taller than usual. Her fingers caressed gently over the smooth texture of the silky material as they moved further across the place. The moonlight shone through the
Maria took a sip of her glass, observing the atmosphere around her. She could see several couples slow dancing on the dance floor, while others were mingling and conversing with each other. Some people sat at tables, indulging themselves in drinks and food. There were also some families having a good time together, laughing and having fun. She couldn't deny the attention their table received. They all seemed to whisper one or two things after stealing glances in their direction. Most of the time, they stared at her with perplexed and curious expressions. Judging by their body language, she knew they were all wondering who she was since they couldn't easily search her on the internet to get the needed information and also had no guts to question Jayden himself about the woman he had brought to the event. "Are you hungry? Do you crave anything? Or perhaps you want to try another drink?" Jayden's voice drew her attention away from the party's venue and back to their table whe
The sigh escaping from her lips floated through the air and disappeared into the pool of red wine. She held her glass by the stem, shaking the contents with a little vigor and watching the liquid swirl around. The bartender who offered her the drink must have done so out of pity from seeing a lone-looking lady, sitting alone at the corner of the garden, wishing she could be anywhere else than here.Her eyes wandered across the crowd of people dancing and mingling, laughing and talking. They all looked happy and cheerful, enjoying their time together while she sat in the corner, drinking herself to oblivion.Maria sighed countless times and settled her gaze on the ground, where she could see her reflection on the dark surface of the pool of wine."Wow. I think I just found the prettiest flower in the garden." A voice soared above her head, sounding masculine with an attractive edge.It jerked her back to reality, finding the voice unfamiliar. Her eyes slowly moved, noticing t
Maria slowly travelled her eyes upwards so as to meet with the said prick whose face held little touches of mischief around the corner of his eyes and then drove it towards her small hand tightly held captive in his bigger ones. "Mr Sta-Stanley, I am afraid you are overstepping your boundaries." Damn, where was her breath when she needed it? As expected, that frail admonition of hers wasn't enough to keep him away and it seemed it had the opposite effect when he began the wall-lean moment by completely blocking any form of escape with his taller figure, his other free hand resting against the wall, right beside her exasperated head. "Mr Stanley," her voice this time around sounded a bit on the intimidating side, determined to make him know that she wasn't willing to play such flirtatious games with him or whatever he was at. "What's the problem?" A shocked gasp escaped from her lips when he began to adjust the golden strands across her left cheek and was more bowled over with his re
"Mr. Stanley," she called for his attention again, the forth time and got predictably ignored. So much for being the kind persistent doctor. "Proud-ass." The amount of frustration pushing her buttons forced the wrong words right out of her mouth. It came out more like a murmur and she didn't expect it to get his hard-earned attention. He peeled his eyes from the laptop seated on his laps and directed his straight into hers. That moment, if there were actually more tectile senses connected with the way looks work, she probably would have been rushed to a hospital by now, diagnosed with chronic injuries from dagger eyes. Or the heartless man before her would have just let her die without bothering the emergency agency. "Wh-What?" She questioned the look on his face when she could no longer handle the tensity. "What did you just call me?""So, you were hearing me, just being your normal self a jer..." She almost called him names again and immediately cautioned her mouth by bitting
He smiled to himself, drumming his fingertips eagerly against the refined table the moment one of his men announced that the documents he requested had been prepared."Here it is, sir." His secretary bowed slightly, stretching out a brown envelope that Justin received hastily as if there was an itch on his palms and the paper was the only cure to it."Every detail we could get about Ms. Patterson is in it. Her home address, occupation, age, education level, phone number, marital status, social media accounts, and email address. All the basics are in there, sir." The lady added, gesturing for him to open the folder and have a look at what he had gathered about her.Justin breathed out deeply, satisfied with what his eyes were scanning. His attention was almost lost in the newly found information nearly forgetting his secretary was with him. His smile widened when he saw the phone number in digital black digits. 'Told you I was going to get your number one way or the other, dear pretty
"Are you ready to go now, Miss?" The chauffeur's voice interrupted the silence lingering in the estate, his brown eyes looking towards the blonde lady standing before several guards guarding the main entrance she had just walked out from.It seemed his request was successfully delivered to see the doctor nodding her head quickly in response, her lips curving in a smile as bright as her flowery dress. The lady began to move only to be stopped by the sound of a different car driving into the property, making both Maria and the chauffeur stop in place to turn their gazes towards it.The vehicle that entered the driveway was a flashy white limo, and it looked familiar to her narrowed blue eyes. Without a doubt, she identified it as the vehicle Jayden had used in playing his undercover kidnapping stunt from the previous night.It seemed the young master was back from the hospital, and she was curious to validate this suspicion. Her chin raised above the convertible, her eyes peep
The question was definitely something Maria didn't expect from the madame. It surprised her, making her heart skip a beat before it was pounding inside her chest. A nervous tickle moved down her spine, making her gulp thickly. Involved? It certainly sounded really bad if the woman put it that way. "Involved...," She began hesitantly, before clearing her throat to finish her statement. "That's impossible." "Really?" The woman raised a brow, not looking entirely convinced. "I was surprised to find you at the hospital last night, but the matter on the ground made me not bother too much about it, or ask you concerning that. Well, I got to learn that you came as Jayden's date and that you two...kissed." Delia spoke slowly, watching Maria with an expression of intrigue. The words brought Maria's heart a jolt of shock, abruptly and without warning. She gasped, staring back in disbelief, and wondering how in the world was the woman able to deduce all those information so accurate
Maria woke up with a yawn, stretching her arms above her head and letting her hair slide over her face as she rolled to the other side of the bed. It felt like she had just gone to sleep, but when she looked at the clock beside the bed, it showed that it was already the beginning of another day. She had been tossing and turning restlessly for what seemed like an eternity, the incident of the previous night playing vividly in her mind and keeping her up half the night.The whole night she was trying hard to not replay the kiss in her mind. Even when she did close her eyes for some brief periods, she would always find herself staring at Jayden's face before knocking him into the pool. That stupid, random kiss that should never have happened. She still had a lot of questions for him concerning why he did that, but whatever it was, it definitely wasn't out of affection.She wished a fairy could appear from the blues and wipe that memory from existence because she wasn't sure she
The water was cold, chilling her entire body like an icy hand. It wasn't pleasant, but the fear of any more harm happening to Jayden than he already suffered was all she could focus on now. It had her drowning herself deeper in its merciless coldness, her body swimming with speed to reach the bottom, following Jayden down as her vision blurred with panic.He had been unconscious since the moment she had found him submerged, after several attempts to keep himself afloat. She reached nearer, grabbing under his arms from behind right before his body landed on the ceramic base, and began to swim them both towards the surface. During her strenuous swimming, her blurry vision found two new bodies jumping into the depths of the water, coming towards them with a determination to help, which made her gasp in relief; she had barely reached the surface yet her muscles were already crushed with fatigue. She knew it was her fault for jumping into the water impulsively to save him, but
"Hey," Jayden called as soon as his strides had caught up with Maria who was still moving with fury.Her steps turned into a shuffle once he reached for her wrist and held it firmly, pulling her to a halt, and blocking her path with his taller build."Let go of me," her command came through shaky breaths, her head slightly bent low."C'mon, we are not through with this acting thing that we have going on, right?""Let me go."Nothing came from him for a few more seconds until his sudden touch startled her into looking up, her teary blue eyes moving to the way his fingers adjusted the golden strands of her hair, a tender expression passing over his face, making her feel even weaker than before."How about we finish what we started and show everyone that not even one of them can stand a chance with Jayden Stanley's girlfriend," he suggested in a low tone that was filled with passion, and the words made her blink back at him as though she was just awakened from a daze.The movem
Maria freed herself from Jayden's grasp, refusing to let him drag her any further, making him halt his steps likewise and face her with a questioning gaze. "Are we leaving now?" She asked, apparently tired of the party, wishing she could return home as soon as possible.His gaze lingered before speaking as if he was memorizing her features. "After dinner."She blinked. Was his dinner offer still available? She hadn't expected him to extend the invitation again, not after rejecting it the first time. "...Dinner?""Yes. I have a business dinner soon, the most important reason why I had chosen to attend this time-wasting event." He explained, his eyes narrowing into slits as he watched her.Her eyes drifted from his face after his words, finding herself stupid for actually thinking he would invite her to dinner just because he wanted to be nice. Of course, he wasn't being kind or generous. It was all about business."And you want me to join you?" She finally answered and he nod