"What?" I look at Shane with my curious stare. "How? Is your plan isn't still finish? How many secrets do you have, Shane? I won't force you to tell me the truth but if you know it will hurt me or make me confused, you should've told me."
"I am sorry, Lexi. It's just that—" she paused. She look at her fingers and let a heavy sighed. "It's just that, I am afraid you would tell Mr. Dylan about me. I don't want to come back there."
"But it is not right for you to hide it." Shane's tears fall. "For how long did you hide it from me? Are there more secrets you want to tell me now? Shane, you know I am still recovering from yesterday's event, right? Why? If you had secrets, tell me now. It is hard living like this."
"I hide it for a reason, Lexi." Her voice is like pleading. I abruptly stand up, causing Hunter to hold my hand.
"What reason? You're afraid I will tell dad everything? What a lame excuse you had today, Shane. What happened to you? Are you my best friend?" My eyes slightly filling with tears from anger. "Shane, you keep on telling lame excuses since yesterday but I let it slide. This one—" I paused. I scratch my forehead. This is making me frustrated. "I'm out," I said. I turn around to leave the room.
I heard them calling my name but I didn't stop. Even if Hunter was with me last night to console me, the thought of the past and Melanie and what happened last night keeps on coming across my mind. Now, this added to my thinking? What a life is this?!
It's been two days since I am ignoring Shane, Ayden, and Hunter. Mom and Dad called me yesterday telling me to forgive me. They also tell Shane is afraid of coming back to her home that she can't even think about telling her. However, I don't feel satisfied. I am losing my trust again in every people I am living with. I don't want to distance myself from anyone anymore while having this trust issue again. I don't know if this is a trust issue or depression anymore?
I feel my surroundings getting dark. I feel like getting crazy every second while I am sitting in my bed. In these two days, I only talk to Dad. I don't want to give him such treatment from me because he never does anything to me but still, I feel like I am also distancing myself from him a little. I hate myself.
Melanie came back, I start to feel everything I feel before. I hate the feeling of it. It feels like I am not safe whenever she's around. I did not attend my job in a school these days, I don't feel like going there. I wonder if I'm already fired?
There's a slight knock on the door which made me came back from the senses. Soon, the door opens and it reveals Ayden with his sad face. He went to me and sat next to me. "I hope you're calm and ready to hear us?"
"Where is Shane or Sienna?" Ayden sighed.
"She's in the kitchen, trying to calm herself by drinking water." I smile mentally at how she gets nervous when I get angry. Her confidence and loudness will fade if I get angry by any chance. I stay on my straight face as I waited for Shane or Sienna.
Shortly after, the door to my room opened. I look up and see Shane with a nervous face while rubbing her both palms. She went near us and Ayden move a little away from me and Shane went to my side. She holds my hand in my lap while her hand is shaking.
Am I that strict? Am I too much?
She watches our hand. After feeling my hands under her palm didn't move, she look at me. She knows my weakness— her palm on my hand. It will make me comfortable and feel at ease when she did it.
"Can I t-talk to you now? A-are you calm?" I slowly nodded my head, looking down. "Uh- I am sorry for hiding it. I am very afraid when I went back there, they will make me marry the man I don't know and force me to end everything that I and Ayden had." I slowly look at her.
"I doubt?"
"Me a-and Ayden had a thing," Shane retorted. She shivers under my stare. I look at the chair that was placed near the door to lessen her shiver. "I am afraid they will force me, I am very scared, Lexi." I can see in her eyes that she's really scared. "I am afraid I will lose you, I will lose your brother." There's a water drop in my hand, I look down at it and see Shane sobbing. "I don't want to lose you, your brother. I love you so much and my job."
I let a heavy sighed and went near her and pulled her in my embrace. "No need to cry," I whisper. I can tell she's really afraid because she tells me she had a life but feel like she's dead inside their house. She had luxurious things, a big house, everything she needed was there to her but one thing she's been longing for her parents and to the people around her— love. She told me she just find the love and warmth she's been longing for after she scapes into their house.
"I understand." I patted her back and noticed that she's still shivering. "Can I have a water, Ayden?" He look shocked but nodded and rush downstairs. "Calm down, Shane. I understand, my mind was filled with many thoughts and my feelings were heavy that day. Sorry if I pour it all out to you."
"I-I'm fine," she retorts. "You- you should rest too. Melanie is a b!tch for not learning her lesson that night."
After a while, she had calmed down and we made out. I had a chit-chat with them, about their relationship. We both are laughing and teasing each other. I feel a little at ease that Ayden and Shane fall to each other and I know they are safe in each other's arms.
"About James—"
"I know you would ask," Ayden cut my words.
"He's just a friend, I don't know why we act like we're a couple and even tell you we're dating. It's for fun, I am loyal to your brother, Lexi." I chuckled as I saw Shane wrapping hr hand to Ayden's neck while giving me a teasing look.
Another day passed, Hunter and me became busy in our own business. I had a test while he also had a meeting. The sad thing is when I am free, he would be in the middle of the meeting or had lunch with his business partner. When he also had free time, I am the one who had a schedule or was busy. At dinner, we had a time together but sometimes, he can't go because he is over timing for us to had a date the next day. I told him not to overwork himself so he can ask me to go on a date.
Shane and Ayden were in their own business, they keep on having a date on weekends. Ayden will be back in Canada the next day, maybe they are already using it to have time together before going on a long-distance relationship? I still can't call them because they seemed so busy with each other's business.
About my job, Shane asks our head if I can get 3 months off since I'm in Labor. I rolled my eyes and sigh. My friend is indeed a good excuse maker, she can make everything worse.
"Ayden, I can punch Shane for a minute?" Hunter looks at me, shocked. I know, he didn't expect I would blurt such a word. However, what can I do? I am not even pregnant?
"Why?" Ayden and Hunter ask in unison. I rolled my eyes.
"She just tells the head I am in labor. I don't know why the headteacher buys her useless excuse." I shook my head. "But at least she tries."
"Of course, no. She's my girlfriend so you can't touch her." Ayden grasps Shane's waist and pulls her even more to him while Shane giggles. I glared at him.
"So now that you find your loved ones, that means I am not your princess anymore? You just agree on everything I wanted to do back then. Why are you being like this?" I fake my cry.
"You're having mood swings, maybe the pregnancy she's talking about is true?" Ayden teases. I mocked him. Hunter just clears his throat awkwardly on the other side.
"Yay! As if we're going to make one while we're still not settled yet."
"Oww, It's good to hear that you both had family planning first before doing it." Ayden passes a teasing look to Hunter while laughing.
"I am not like you," Hunter argues. I see Ayden stop laughing and pout while glaring at Hunter.
"Stop with it," I said. I don't want them to tease each other on our way to the restaurant, it may lead to an argument. Man surely is so short-temper. "Let's go to Shane's favorite restaurant!" I cheered. Shane's eyes lighten and cheered also and we both shared a squeak.
The dinner went well. Ayden, Shane, me, and Hunter share a lot of things about what happened to us in these last few days. Ayden will be going to Canada next week, he postpones his meeting from today to next week. He should be in Canada since yesterday and he's in his office now but here he is— joining us in our dinner together.
I look at the window and see the clouds surrounding the moon are red and the moon is fully red. It makes it scary since we're in the middle of the like-death streets because the house's lights were turned off, maybe because they are sleeping. Ayden was the one who's driving the car and Shane was sitting in the passenger seat. I and Hunter were in the back seat.
"Lunar eclipse will be my favorite!" I smile and look at it.
Bloody Moon.
"Me too." I look at Hunter while smiling.
"Don't you know vampire and ghost is most likely going out in their cave when it's a full moon and the color of the moon is red? Aren't you both scared of that?" Shane asks.
"How would we get scared when I am Vampire and he is a ghost?" Shane laughs, sarcastically.
"That's why you're very very white?"
"Yeah, it can be." I laugh. I look at Hunter once I remember something. "You know what, Hunter?" He looks at me with curiosity in his eyes. "Did you already tell Hunter about what I said to you when we're eating, I think?"
"Which one?"
"About the story Broken Love?" His face turns into pale and became nervous for a second. "Did you tell Hunter to let me read the chapter before he publish it?" Hunter's face brightens up a little. He no his head. You know I want to see the chapter is still 0 reads. When I open it for like 1 minute after it got posted, the chapter will have its 5.4K reads then counting." He chuckle as I said those.
"Of course you can. He will upload tomorrow, and he will update 2 chapters." I furrowed my brows. How can he get so much information about when the author will update and how many chapters? Could it be, HunterC19 telling Hunter about everything about the book? Well, it could be possible, they are friends though.
I giggles and bounces in my seat. "Yay! I would skip class tomorrow then." I let an evil laugh as he also chuckled.
"No, you won't. I would be your teacher for tomorrow's lesson so you better listen or no phone for the whole week." I glared at him before pouting.
"You're more than Ayden," I said while pouting. "He wouldn't give me allowance back then if I wouldn't get past the test." I look at nowhere while crossing my arms. I pouted.
"I love you, princess. At least, it all pays off." I nodded at Ayden.
"I love you, honey," Hunter said.
"I love you, Shane," I said. Hunter and Ayden look at Shane.
"I love you, Shane/my sweetheart," they both said in unison. Shane and I laughed throughout the way to my home. Ayden drop me off, safely.
"Dad!" I yell as soon as we stepped inside the house and see Dad in the living room with some guy also in their business suits. One is in their mid-20s and one is I think he's in his 30s and I guess it is father's co-businessman. Instead of hugging him, I smiles and give him a peck on his cheeks, and bowed to the guys.
"Is she your daughter?"
"Yes, she's pretty, right?" Dad said, full of himself. The guys in front of us looks at me and nodded with amusement in their eyes and bowed. Their eyes were saying something and it is making me somewhat unease with them. I shrug it off and smiles at them.
"She's indeed beautiful." I bowed and look down to hide my blush. Hunter holds my hand and pulls me away from there after bowing to them. He drags me upstairs, I am still busy recalling what they just said while Hunter still dragging me. I bite my lips to hide my smile.
He loosens his grip on my hand a little harshly and stands in front of me. "I am getting jealous," he stated. I look up to see him being serious.
"Why? I don't recall having a conversation with another guy but you." I furrowed my brows, still looking at him.
"That guy in the living room keeps on looking at you like he's falling in love with you." His eyes say it all, he's jealous and his face is serious. I chuckled.
I giggles and went closer to him. I pinch his cheeks and shake it a little, I then lean over and peck on his lips. "It's just dad's co-businessman, no one can ever pull me away from you. I am yours and you are mine. Understand?"
He smiles before engulfing his hands in my waist, pulling me more to him. I giggles and give him a peck again and again and again. Before I could give him a peck, he held my lips back to him and give me a long passionate kiss. I chuckled and giggle after we pulled away. "Have a good sleep and sweet dream, I'll see you tomorrow!" He nods and kisses my forehead.
"Good night, sweet dreams, I love you," he said. He pulled away from me and went to the guest room, his room temporary. I also went inside my room with a smile on my face but it dropped as soon as my heart starts to sink.
Something's not right in those guys.
I look at nowhere, debating to myself if I will go downstairs or I just shrug it off. what if something will gonna happen? What if those guys were bad? I look at the stairs that were a bit away from my room. I can't hear their conversation and seconds after, I heard a shout. I flinch. Could it be true? Those guys were bad? I
I didn't waste any minute and was about to run towards the stair when I saw a silhouette from my back. I look at my back and see the door locked quietly. I look at it, confusedly. All the maids were working downstairs at this hour and it's impossible some maid will just enter Dad's room like that.
I made it to the downstairs and saw a lot of bodyguards were holding their guns towards unknown people. I step a little on the steps and peek at the scene. All the bodyguards were pointing their guns towards the two-man, I just saw a while ago with Dad. Dad was in the center of the bodyguards. They were making their way outside the house. Hunter was running behind me.
"Where are you going, dad?" I ask, jumping towards him.
"I had a late meeting, Lia. You should go back to your room." I look at our surroundings.
"Why are they pointing the gun at them?"
"Oww, is Mr. Crawford's daughter is dumb or what?" The man in his 50s asks while tilting his head, looking at me. Dad looks at him before sighing.
"Don't pull my daughter inside of this mess," dad said, sternly.
"Everyone, everything that involves you are already pulled into this mess."
"What are you talking about?"
"Well—" Before they could answer, someone went to them and handcuff the man in his mid-20s while they shoot the other man. They drag them out of the place while I stare at it blankly. What did just happened?
"I'm sorry for you to see that." Dad looks at me and kisses my forehead. He grip my cheeks and caressed them. All of the bodyguards drop their guns and I sighed in relief.
"Go back to your room and get enough sleep. Tomorrow, a maid will tell you some of the new placement of things."
"Won't you like to explain all the things instead?" I inquire. There was a hint of sadness in his tired eyes while he smiles. How can he do that?
"I can't. I had so many schedules for tomorrow." He drop his hand that was holding my cheeks.
"I know you can make time for me," I said. I giggle at his arms.
Something is wrong with him today.
To be continued.