Chapter 12

CHAPTER XII

Five months.

I’ve been preparing for another fashion show for about five months. This would be the biggest show for me and I’ll be flying to New York.

I am now painting something for a customer. I am on a break from school and I have been taking serious art classes since we arrive from Maldives and I’ve been posting these works on my website. The proceeds are donated to a shelter where they take the babies whose parents are not yet ready to take the responsibility or cannot afford to raise the kid.

Luckily, a lot of people buy my paintings, my artworks and I have a big sum to donate plus I also add half of my income to the donation.

“Ate, si Kuya Louise daw susundo sa’yo sa airport.” My brother barged in.

“Noted.” I informed him. He went inside, closer to my paintings.

“Ang gaganda, ate.”

“Well, thanks. Ginagalingan ko para sa mga bata sa orphanage.”

“You do have a golden heart. I don’t know why the asshole cheated on you.”

“Stop it, Aidan. Out.”

He obeyed me. I still don’t want to hear anything about Kade or Coleen right now. I am still on sixty percent of repairing myself.

I make small progress every day but it’s still a progress so I consider it a step to moving on.

Aside from paintings, I also paint on tote bags and shirts. I also practiced calligraphy and is currently writing a book about the life in the limelight.

I knew I have enhanced and develop some skills while trying to fix myself that help me and the people around me.

My eating disorder treatment is still on-going and my mom is strictly looking out for me. She personally prepares my meal plan for the whole week and makes sure I am on track always for me to not go binging and purging again.

The doctor told me to practice a healthy lifestyle and to not mind the weighing scale number.

The day came for my flight. I am at the airport. My fellow models are already in New York. They had their flight yesterday. I will fly a day late because I still have to finish some things for the orphanage and other things that I look at to.

I am now seated on my assigned seat when the people inside went crazy.

“Andito sina Kade at Coleen!”

“Cute nila!”

“Another couple trip ata.”

“Baka concert tour ni Kade.”

“Diba sila nung model?”

“Last time pa sila wala.”

“Siguro staged lang ‘yon for fame.”

I should have requested for a private plane. I’m not yet ready for this and I don’t think I’ll ever be ready.

When I step out of the plane as it landed, the media bombarded me with lots of questions. Thankfully, the guards were quick to stop them from getting to me.

Someone then suddenly tapped my shoulder. I turn around to see, Louis Zayn Wesley. The highest paid male model in the world.

“Louis! I’m so happy to see you.”

“Me too, love. Me too.”

He helped me with my things and we rode his car. He sent me to the hotel where we should be.

I was once again sharing a room with Keesha.

“Hey, Keesh.”

“Hey.”

I changed into comfortable clothes and jumped on the bed. I have nothing to do and I still am not sleepy so I opened my Twitter to see a photo of Kade and Coleen going out of the same plane as me.

‘Is this another hint that the two are getting stronger?’

Then another picture was a picture of Louis and I hugging each other.

‘Is this Isla de Catalina’s new love interest? Have she finally moved on with Kade or she uses Louis Wesley as a rebound?’

“What is this, Isla?”

“What?”

“These people are funny, thinking that Louis is your new lover. This is incest!”

We both laughed at how hilarious it was.

Louis Zayn Wesley is a family. His grandmother and my grandmother from the side of my father are siblings. Our parents are cousins.

“They don’t do fact check, Keesh.”

“And I know my name would be dragged here since we’ve been seen in his condo yesterday.”

Keesha and Louis are a couple. They have been together for five years now but are keeping everything lowkey.

I was left alone since Keesha went out with the others. Louis visited me and invited me to explore New York since he already took Keesha out and they wanted me not to feel left out.

We went out the next day to eat breakfast.

It was fine, exquisite restaurant in the metro as he describes it. The restaurant deserves it though. The interior and exterior are classy and even the foods served are delicious that they deserve every penny paid for it.

It was the same things for the past days before the show. We go out for breakfast together with Keesha sometimes or we stayed in our hotel room then have practice and fitting for the show.

Articles after articles came as they see Louis with me. They suspected that we are dating secretly and I am making him my rebound.

We would just laugh it off. They call us the power couple. They even complimented that we look too good together that we have some facial trait similarities.

We don’t say yes to every interview that the press wanted. We want to be silent and let the clowns speak nonsense about us.

Keesha was right because her name was soon tied to our ‘supposedly-love triangle’.

‘Keesha Atalia Romanov seems to be the third wheel to our power couple. Keesha and Isla had been friends for years. Will this be the reason for their friendship over? Or they would choose friendship over Louis.’

Today, a day before the show, Louis wanted to take me into a shopping galore. He says he’ll pay for everything but I just wanted books.

Arriving at the bookstore, my eyes twinkled at the sight of the books. I can even smell them from here. I quickly scan every bookstand looking for books of my likings.

After picking about 10, I also choose a bookstand and let Louis pay it. While walking back to the hotel, we bumped into someone, causing my books to fall out of my grip.

To my surprise, it was the persons I was most anxious to not cross paths with. It was Kade and Coleen. His hand on her waist, showing possession.

I just stood there, unmoving. Louis was the one who grab the shopping bags.

“Let’s go, love. Come on.”

I just let him take me away from here but even though we are already miles away, I still couldn’t forget Kade’s eyes blazing with anger and jealousy while looking at me and Louis.

Is it just my imagination playing with me?