SYBIL POV
"You look like you need to sleep for five days straight," Dave said with a worried smile on his face as he stared at my image.
I forced a smile and dropped my laptop on the table, so I could speak with Dave while also putting away the rest of my stuff. I stepped away from the laptop to get all my work drives. This way, I could at least tie up some of the loose ends at work. Once I finished, I sat back down at the edge of the bed and really took a closer look at Dave's face.
"Yeah. Well, you look like you need to wash whatever that is off your face" I motioned to the ash face mask he was wearing.
He smirked. "This is how I get all the girls, boss. I'm already ugly enough," he paused and I raised a brow waiting for the question I knew he really wanted to ask. "How's Kushi doing?"
"Why don't you just call her and find out".
Dave sighed then inhaled deeply, his smile slipping. "No way. She'd say I'm a stalker and all that. Don't want a lawsuit. Hey, what happened to your phone? I tried calling like a hundred times" he changed the subject and I managed a smirk.
"We had a bit of an accident and the phone was crushed. I forgot to take out my sim card, I only took the memory card... " I trailed off as Dave gave me a knowing look.
"You should have left the memory card behind. You're holding unto things that are slowly killing you. It's been years Sybil" he said and I wanted to snap that I knew that, but he was right. I couldn't hold on to pictures and videos of Dian, yet hating him at the same time and hope to forget about him. Kushi didn't know that I still had all the images we took together... I didn't want her to see me as weak ever, especially not because of Dian.
"Are you there... You're spacing out"
I rubbed my face tiredly. "I have to get something done Dave. Can we talk tomorrow". I didn't wait for an answer before ending the call.
I picked up the flash drive, the temptation to look through the images on them overwhelming. I should hate him with only murderous intent, but he was the only man I'd ever loved. I'd sacrificed everything for him, so there was still something in me that wanted to know why he did what he did to me. I had been so devasted, and it didn't get better not when my parents used every chance they got to rub it in my face, and they had every right to, considering the amount they spent to keep the scandal off the internet
Using the last of my savings, I'd worked with a vengeance to invest and build up my life since I was estranged from my family.
It was just me against the world now, and despite the success, all I wanted to know was why. Was mother right about me, or about him? Did he leave me because he found out I had been cut off from my family and I didn't bother to tell him about it or was I so unlovable that even he got tired of me?
I shoved at the content on the table before I could think it through_as the rage welled up inside. I jumped back from the mess on the floor. I really needed to stop torturing myself.
I crawled on top of the bed, reveling in how soft and comfy it was against my body. The resort was gorgeous, everything perfect and to my taste but I couldn't enjoy it. All I felt was a soul-crushing bitterness, and as I drifted off to sleep, it was to go through all the horrible nightmares that made me hate shutting my eyes.
******
The loud knock on my door woke me up, and I knew it was no one other than Kushi. I forced my feet to move, even tho what I really wanted to do was never get up.
I pulled the door open and her eyes widened when she took in my appearance.
"What the hell? You totally missed the morning exercise. Are you just waking up?" She asked unbelievably.
"I thought we came here to rest, also, no one told me about any exercising... and it is not even seven yet".
Kushi pushed past me into the room and then picked up the small alarm clock. "It's freaking nine-thirty. I'm sure you slept even tho this rang at seven-thirty." She dropped the clock muttering under her breath. I closed the door and dropped into the sofa. "Should I order you breakfast in bed"
"I'm assuming everyone already had breakfast".
"Mostly everyone. Oh, I also ran into Helaena. She is so fit it's insane. I was so jealous".
The drumming in my head was starting to get louder. "Did you thank her for yesterday"?
"First thing I did." She said, stepped towards me, and yanked me to my feet all of a sudden.
"What the..."
"Go shower right now. I didn't spend months convincing you to come here just for you to stay indoors. I'll take you on a tour, so go!" She said and took my seat.
I cursed under my breath, feeling too tired to argue.
Showering and dressing up didn't take long, not when kushi breathed down my neck every second of the way.
We both had breakfast in my room, with kushi wolfing most of the food down while I tried to force the delicious meal down my throat and simultaneously fought the urge to throw it all up.
Once I managed to finish a plate, we both left my room.
"You should try to eat more Sybil, you're already so lean if you starve yourself..."
"Can you stop" I begged, halting in my track. Kushi stopped too, her gaze raking over me.
"I'm just worried about you Sybil. I fear that something bad is going to happen to you".
"I'm fine ok. You need to stop worrying, especially since it won't solve anything but make me feel like I am a burden to you".
"I do not see you-" she paused as her gaze caught those of someone behind me. I turned to look at who it was, my brows furrowing a bit as I took in the physique of the guy walking towards us with a smile that revealed two beautiful dimples on his cheeks. He was good-looking.
"Hey Kush," he got out once he reached us. Kushi blushed, then smiled up at him.
"Rohan, it's been a minute".
He shook his head, his messy curls bouncing a bit. "No, it has been four miserable hours"
Kushi's smile deepened. "I had to get my friend," she explained and Rohan's gaze finally snapped in my direction, a cute smile making an appearance. "Rohan, this is Sybil my best friend, Sybil, Rohan" she introduced.
I gave a little wave at the same time Rohan reached for a handshake, and it got really awkward when I tried to shake him and he had already withdrawn his hand to wave instead. Oh hell!
Kushi cleared her throat loudly, and I let my hand drop. "It's really nice to meet you, Rohan"
"Same Sybil. I hope you're enjoying this place... It's been the best place to have a getaway so far".
"It's been good," I lied through my teeth because it hadn't been all that good, but my experience had nothing to do with the resort. There was just too much free time. At least when I worked, I did not have the time to think, but being at the resort has had my brain working overtime and it drained me.
"Well, you should come again next year. I would gladly take care of all the reservations and stuff".
Kushi squealed, and at the same time I told him a vehement, "No". Kushi's gaze snapped to mine.
"I mean" I digressed as Kushi gave me evil eyes. "Not next year, maybe the upper one. Lots of work commitment for next year".
"Then you have to make the best of this year. There will be an archery class later, you have to try it out," Rohan said enthusiastically. "Also have you seen the array of food they serve here... They are all mouthwatering good."
Kushi stepped closer to him. "Talking about food is making me pretty hungry, also I haven't seen the sort of delicacies this place has to offer"
"That is not acceptable. Come, I'll show you, you shouldn't miss out on anything while you are here Kushi," he said, taking her hand and holding her gaze as he pulled her along.
I watched them go while resisting the urge to yank kushi by the hair. She told me she was going to give me a tour, convinced me to drop my laptop in the room, and now she was off with some guy she probably met the night before, or early of today since he said four hours, while conveniently forgetting about me.
Not down for feeling sorry for myself, I took the stair and then Walked toward a Grand looking hallway, only to realize it was a mini art gallery. Paintings and pictures adorned the white walls, and they looked amazing.
I looked around, admiring each piece of art until I stood in front of a particular painting. It looked really familiar. It was a splash of different colors but when examined more closely, you could make out a face.
I reached to trace the eyes of the hidden girl.
"You see it," someone said from beside me and I jerked back, my heart almost flying out of my mouth as I turned to glare at the culprit. I blinked and wondered if the hotel made it a point to book and accept only the beautiful and handsome-looking people to the resort.
"I'm sorry I scared you," he apologized, his voice thick with a really sexy accent that I couldn't place. I was mostly hostile with strangers, but the guy looked like he could be an angel. He looked really pure.
"It's fine, and yes, I see it. It is a very captivating piece. I think whoever the artist is, he's a genius" I said, and the guy smiled, his eyes shining.
"I'm glad someone appreciates my work," he said and my eyes widened. That seemed to boost his ego further. "If you do not look closely, you only see colors. You have an art intuition".
"Wow, well, this is... Your work is really a masterpiece, and since I'm meeting you like this, can we talk about my acquiring this piece? Damn, where are my manners? I'm Sybil Eagan by the way"
He smiled, "I'm Seth, Seth Rodriguez, and it's a pleasure to meet someone more beautiful than my paintings".
I stared at him, the compliment not quite hitting right. "Well about what I said... "
"You can have it free of charge since you're the first to have taken notice of it. It is actually my first work, and since you love it, I'm motivated to continue".
I gaped at him. "You mean no one has taken notice of your talent. That is so hard to believe... Look, I could help you, I have friends who are dying to showcase unique art pieces, and since I'm intrigued by your work, I can put in a word for you... What do you say"
"I don't know Sybil. I mean we literally just met and you're trying to help me... I can't wrap my head around it".
Neither could I. Was this, in some sort of tragic way because Dian used to paint? I clenched my fist, hating that everything I did was in one way or another influenced by him.
"-I'll think about it," Seth said and my gaze jerked to his. "I really appreciate the offer tho" he grinned, his bright blue eyes reflecting the light.
I couldn't help but stare at them. They were really pretty, and they were coming closer to me. His lips were almost touching mine when I shoved him until he was on the floor.
My heart raced as he stared at me in shock
I ran out of the gallery without thinking.
SYBIL EAGAN POVMy heart galloped as I rushed down the stairs. Why had I shoved him so hard, or fled as if he was a serial killer who was after me with a sword? There was also the fact that I didn't know if he had been trying to kiss me or not. I'd just panicked when I saw_or felt him suddenly closer. I wanted to yank at my hair from all the thoughts whirling through my head, and it got so bad that I didn't see the person coming right in front of me until I bumped into them. "Hey, be careful" Helaena's voice sounded frantic as she steadied me with her hand. "You look like you are being chased by a ghost. Are you ok" Pushing her hand from my arms, I forced a smile on my lips. "I was... I just..." I stuttered, my brain scrambling to find an excuse.Helaena touched my arms, something I noticed her doing often, but at least it made me feel a bit calmer than I normally did when other people touched me."It's ok. You do not need to explain anything to me... I understand".I nodded. "I hav
SYBIL POVIt had been two days, two days of me hiding away in my room to avoid the cringe of bumping into Seth Rodriguez after how our last meeting ended.It was utterly mortifying that I'd freaked out just because I thought he was going to kiss me, when he might have just been leaning in closer to get a closer look, but who in their right mind did that? And I just had to shove him so hard. I tugged at my hair, then dropped into the sofa as I'd come to do every passing minute. Why was my life such a freaking nightmare? My phone pinged alerting me of a video call and I answered once I saw who it was."Guess who just dropped in!" Zach gushed and just seeing his face immediately put me in a good mood. He was one of the few people who had wormed their way into my life by being there when I started having problems with my parents."Don't tell me Kushi convinced you to come to keep me company" I gasped, my eyes widening as I saw the familiar setting behind him. He was definitely at the re
DIAN ANGELO POV "Are you even listening to what I am saying..." I could only vaguely make out the sound of Helaena's voice. My fist was clenched so tight that my knuckles hurt and when I glanced at them, they glistened white with the amount of pressure I exerted.It didn't do justice to the anger that burned through my chest, a wave of anger that should not have been there in the first place, especially not because of Sybil Eagan. I'd thought I would never see her again, I'd made sure we never crossed paths but I guessed the universe was fucking messing with me. Watching her laugh, her voice booming across the space would have been bearable, but watching her touching another man, and the said man touching her like he had a right to made my chest go tight with white-hot anger. She'd moved on just like I knew she would, and it pissed me off. But It was absurd. I hated Sybil, she was nothing to me so why did seeing her affect me so much? Of course, her betrayal was enough for such a
SYBIL EAGAN POV"I honestly do not understand this switch, Sybil. You were ok just some minutes ago" Zach worried, his eyes trying to catch mine. "Are you mad that I talked with Miguel for so long, because if you are, I don't even know what to tell you right now"?I stared at the liquor I'd poured for myself, my gaze boring into the liquid that I hadn't quite worked up the nerve to drink. "I just saw Dian" Zach choked on whatever he wanted to say, took a pause, and I finally met his gaze. He looked dumbfounded."What?" He finally gasped, a disbelieving look on his face. "I'm not sure I heard you right...""I said I fucking just saw Dian" I yelled, then grabbed the glass in front of me, but Zach smacked it out of my hand before I could drink it. Staring at the shattered content, my gaze snapped to Zach and I glared, the anger in my chest urging me to pour out all the fury I felt onto him, but Zach looked furious too."And what if you saw Dian, what the fuck does that have to do with a
SYBIL EAGAN POV.The roaring sound in my ear felt overwhelming, the nostalgic feeling hitting hard as the familiar sound of his voice reached my ears. They were just as I remembered, even deeper now than they had been before.He'd changed a lot in five years, and it was not just his Aura. My hands turned sweaty as I forced myself to appear unaffected as his gaze burned into mine. It was intense, the way he stared at me and my heart rate kicked up until it felt as if I was on the verge of a heart attack.His eyes had always been beautiful and they could always make me feel calm whenever I was derailing, but right now as he stared at me, all I wanted to do was run and hide away from his fury because he looked majorly pissed.Running was not an option tho. I'd already made a decision and I was going to stick to it even if it killed me. It was time I buried our memories and move on with my life. I gazed at him, pasting a puzzled look on my face."I'm sorry, but do I know you" I got out an
SYBIL EAGAN POV."Just let it go Zach" I murmured in a low voice, feeling a little bit out of it as Zach continued to fume. "Why did you let him talk to you like that, ugh! I should have punched him, that ass" Zach yelled, and I could literally see the steams coming out of his ears. "The nerve of that guy, after what he did to you"."Enough already!" I yelled, my hands reaching up to cover my ears. Zach rushed toward me, worry, the most prominent feature on his face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go on about him like that. Are you ok".I stared at him, then looked away. "I'd be lying if I said I was so I won't. What was Dian going on about Zach... I don't understand why he will accuse me like that... I was literally a virgin when we were together, and he didn't even have sex with me, I was with no one but him, and after the wedding, I didn't go out with anyone, so why was he saying that horrible stuff about me" I asked, my gaze snapping back to Zach's as if he was the one who held al
SYBIL EAGAN POV.Holy freaking hell! I stared at him dumbfounded, unable to get my heart rate to return to normal or even form a sentence. His gaze burned through my skull as he stared me down. It was as if I was some filth under his shoes. It was an odd reaction considering he was the one who just freaking kissed me without my express permission. Dian turned to face Seth. "Did I interrupt your painting session? I should apologize but I have nothing to be sorry for since Sybil and I have a prior appointment before she wandered off and met you" he said with a condescending voice. Seth glanced at me, and he had a sort of disappointed look in his eyes that tugged at my heart. It was like I'd broken his heart without even knowing I had the power to. "Is he telling the truth?" He asked and Dian scoffed, as he grabbed me by the wrist."She doesn't have to answer that question. You're nothing to her anyway," he got out in an antagonizing tone, before he glared at me, his eyes daring me to
DIAN ANGELO POV.She was going to deny it to the very end, the witch. How could she look me straight in the eyes and act like she didn't know what I was talking about? It had already been two days and I was still obsessing over it. How could she so blatantly deny everything without even batting an eye? Kissing her had been a bloody mistake, one that I had committed In the heat of the moment because seeing her staring at that guy as if he was her salvation rubbed me in all the wrong way and pissed me off to no end. First, it had been Zach, the guy that she was allegedly getting married to, and now it was the freaking painter. Was one guy not enough to satisfy her? Did her parents get to her so much that now she did everything they asked of her? Was acquiring the fortunes of others the only thing important to her? But why did she have to look at me like that? She had stared at me as if I was making stuff up just to discredit her, and why did that bother me at all? I didn't care about