1.5
He rushed to the bathroom, perhaps he was thinking that I was there. If he is looking for me, he should have thought about wearing something first. He finally walks out of the bathroom and I began to pray that he won't walk into this closet because I wouldn't know what to do if that will happen.
He stood next to the closet where I am actually hiding and my heart just leaped out of my chest and my soul begin to leave my entire body. But then he stopped and didn't continue opening the closet's door and I was saved from his phone ringing.
"Hey Leon." Hugo greets.
Hugo looks so troubled and of course he should be, seeing a bloodstain on his bed with no woman in his room would totally ruin his career. But don't worry Hugo, I won't let that happen. I will not be the reason to ruin your career even if it means hiding everything. I will forget this day even existed but I won't forget what I saw around here.
"You need to come here in my room. I need to talk to you." He keeps running his fingers through his hair.
He exhales and adds, "Yeah, it's something serious."
I gulped.
"I'll take a shower for a bit but be sure you get your ass here right away. I need to show you something before we leave." Hugo worries.
"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks man." he finally hangs up.
He sighs and finally marches his way to the bathroom with low shoulders and troubled expression on his face. I listen to him and finally hear the water running..
I need to get out of here before Leon would see me and even though I want to see Leonardo Porter, SatPat’s talented pianist, so badly, I can't. I need to go before anyone of them sees me here.
It's better if we remain anonymous.
I carefully pushed the closet door open and noticed that Hugo was really taking his shower. This was my chance to get out and save myself. I walked out of the closet and tiptoed my way to the door as quiet as I could and wished that room has no CCTV camera. I take a last look at the bed, then the entire room which makes me realize one thing, it was fine that I missed the concert, what happened in this room was much more worth than that concert ticket anyways.
Finally I headed out of his room with my head low, covering my face with my hair with the help of my hands as I continued to march away from Hugo’s room. I'm ashamed of what I could've done and what’s more frustrating is that I don’t remember anything of the things that I did to Hugo.
When I finally got inside the elevator, I was alone. I exhale heavily and place my hand over my heart. It was still beating ridiculously fast.
I gasped and felt that my neck was empty.
My necklace!
I left my necklace inside Hugo’s room! Damn it! God damn it! That has always been something important to me.
Face palm.
Way to go Miranda!
My tears were quick to fill my eyes and they started streaming down my face. I cried for a while with my head down as I kept my wiping my tears off my cheeks.
The elevator makes a sound before the door opens. I hurriedly wipe my tears with the back of my hand.
"You okay love?"
I quickly pulled my head up and saw Landon Thompson right in front of me. Am I dreaming? I want to slap my face but it's really Landon who asked me if I was okay. It's the real deal Landon who's marching inside the elevator with a rueful smile on his face. I was surprised to see him all by himself with no security around him.
He stands next to me as the door finally closes, “You okay?” He asks again.
"It's... It's..." I stutter, still starstruck.
He smiles a little wider, "Hi. I'm Landon." He introduced himself to me as if I do not know who he was.
I accepted his hand right away and I think I was still gaping in surprise. I feel him squeezing my hand but I seemed like I held onto it a little bit more. "Miranda." I croaked.
"Are you okay Miranda? Why were you crying?" He asks.
"Nothing. I’m.. I’m actually fine." I lied.
Why am I so calm?
It's Landon Thompson, my ultimate crush, but why am I not screaming or hyperventilating? I'm in one elevator alone with the freaking Landon Thompson but I'm not fangirling.
What's wrong with me?
"Are we on the lobby already?" I asked, anxiously being in the same small room with him.
He chuckles and his laugh sounded so handsome even if it doesn’t make sense but to me it is. "No.” He answers. “You were on the 25th floor when I hopped in. We're on the way to the lobby now."
I nod but my eyes were still glued to him while he stares ahead of him. I didn’t really want to be so weird in front of him but it still doesn’t sink in that we are both here and I am actually not freaking the fuck out when I was anticipating myself to be.
God Landon sure is heavenly adorable.
His head turns to me with rueful eyes, “Are you sure you're alright?"
I nod, too mesmerized by his handsome face. I didn’t even realize that he is actually pretty tall in person.
"Are you going somewhere?" He asked again.
"Home." I say. “I had a rough… night and morning.”
He nods. "I can drive you there. I mean, it’s the least thing I can do for a woman looking so sad."
My eyes dilated with his words. I swear to God, he is so perfect.
“You’re too generous.” I smile shyly as I shake my head sideways. I know how the fans would react if they see the boys with another woman and it’s something that I don’t want to be involved in.
"That would be nice but ummm.. a cab will do." I say softly.
I can't believe I'm having a causal conversation with Landon.
He nods. "Alright. I'll call you a cab. I'll tell the hotel manager to get you one to make sure you get home safe, how's that?" He smiles.
I nod.
The elevator finally opens and we were at the hotel lobby in a split second. I realized that I was inside one of the most expensive hotel in town, the one that Nina and Beth were thinking that SatPat were staying. They were damned right.
Finally walking out of the elevator, I still feel completely remorseful now that I walked the walk of shame from Hugo’s bedroom. The more I tell myself that what I did was normal, I still can’t help but blame myself for getting too drunk the night before.
Remembering Hugo’s face after seeing the bloodstain makes me hate myself for what I even went through without actually having no memories from last night. That look on his face, I think he was completely disgusted of what he saw.
He was disgusted of me.
"You sit on the couch, love. I'll get you one right away." Landon tells me.
I walked to the couch and sat down where he told me to. I waited for a while but my tears were building up again and I don’t know why in hell I was crying for.
Am I crying because I saw Landon? Am I crying because I was hurt seeing Hugo’s face from the bloodstain on his hotel bed? Or am I crying for blaming myself of what happened to me and Hugo?
"Ma’am?" I pulled my head up as soon as I heard the voice. "Mr. Thompson wants you to have this and the cab is already waiting."
I smiled back and accepted the paper.
From the corner of my eye, I see Hugo and Leon walking out of the elevator which causes my breathing to hitch in the back of my throat. Hugo looked fresher than earlier but he had his brows creased in the middle of his forehead. They were busy talking at the same time walking towards where I was. Before he can see me and recognize that I was the girl from last night, I quickly pulled myself up, thanked the attendant and headed out of the hotel as fast as I can.
I get inside the cab exasperatingly while my eyes were still glued on Hugo who is now entering the hotel’s cafe. I travelled my eyes on the small note which I remembered was from Landon.
I opened it quickly with excitement.
Miranda,
You're one beautiful woman. For whatever reason you were crying of a while ago, you'll pass through it. Don't forget to smile, love.
Always,
Landon ThompsonI smiled.
87 T H E A Sebastian committed suicide. He ended his own life with a gun in his head. No one even knew how he had a gun in the first place and no one had any idea he was going to do that. He was supposed to meet Ben and the others tomorrow for a reunion. He was supposed to live a new life after being sentenced in prison for seven years. He was supposed to live in a tropical place and start a new life for himself. He was supposed to live a life filled with dreams now that he is out in prison. Sebastian was supposed to live. I was supposed to forgive him. The autopsy report stated that it happened around twelve midnight which means just a few hours after he left our home. I have never felt so depressed in my entire life that I wasn't even able to tell him a lot of things that I wanted to say. I didnt know what I was exactly feeling, completely lost in my thoughts and emotions after Sebastian's passing. I knew that there was something wrong in his eyes when he talked to me becaus
86T H E A"How have you been?" He asks.Sebastian wore blue, white and light pink plaided top, a pair of faded jeans and a dirty white sneakers. He looked older than the last time I saw him and his hair has gotten longer too. He looked different, but those eyes still frightens me.Those merciless eyes.I couldn't stare at him longer and I had to look away from his gaze. I clear my throat, "I have been well." I answered."I'm really glad that you are." Sebastian tells me."Um, do you want to drink something Sebastian? Tea?" Ben offers.I quickly held his wrist, stopping him from leaving me alone in here and stared into his eyes as I said to him. "Please don't leave me here."Ben stares intently at me before he turns to Sebastian who speaks, "You dont really have to offer me anything."I bite my inner cheek and breathe in some confidence before I faced Sebastian. "What are you doing here?"Sebastian stares at me eagerly."What do you want?" I asked firmly."I came here to see if you ha
85T H E AI couldn't sleep the entire night as I was bothered about Sebastian's release happening in just a few hours.Thoughts were filling and piling inside my head one over the other and I don't know if this was going to let me sleep at all.So I slipped out of the bed where Ben was sleeping soundly and headed out of bedroom to get myself a glass of wine from downstairs. I hate myself when I turn to alcohol every time my thoughts are fogged up and fucked up. I hate when there are questions left unanswered and my solution is alcohol.I hated it.I hated it so much I hate myself too.I finished two glasses of wine and spent almost thirty minutes just sitting on a chair where I tried to drown and sort my troubled thoughts. I finally pulled myself up and headed back to my bedroom only until I saw Xavier heading out of his room, crying. I rushed to his side and wished that he wouldn't smell the stingy scent of alcohol from my breath."Xavier." I cooed. "What happened?""Mommy I had a n
84T H E A“Why didn’t you tell him?”Benedict's question still lingers in my mind.Why didn't I tell Sebastian back in the day?I have been asking myself that same question over and over again for the past couple of years. I used to tell myself that I wasn't ready and I know I wasn't ready. I lied to myself when I said I was ready to confess to him about our child but I was absentmindedly denying the fact that my mind was filled with so many thoughts as soon as I faced Sebastian.When I saw him, I was reminded of how he raped me mercilessly. When I saw him, I was reminded of how dirty of a woman I was. When I saw him, I was reminded of how I didn't want this baby to be born if only it hadn't been for Ben.Ben has always been my rock and my strength after everything that happened to me. All these years, he accepted me no matter what and I have been beyond blessed to have a man like that in my life.That kind of love and care he showed me is going to be something I didn't want to waste
83T H E AI stare at my own reflection in front of the mirror, I gained weight but I look different compared to the old me a few weeks ago. My eyes travelled down to my baby bump and as I turn to my side, I feel more anxiety building in the back of my head. I am not confident enough that I will be a good mother to this baby once it’s out when I know this baby came from a man who I trusted so much but just raped me. My bump is starting to show now and I know I have a lifelong responsibility waiting ahead of me. I just hope I will be responsible enough.I rub my hand over my small tummy then smiled at myself.“You will be fine.” I told my baby.Ben is here for me and for us. He always has. He made everything feel better. He made me better and happier without asking too much in return. He is a very selfless man and I owe him my life. My everything and all that I have left.I breathe out heavily and tucked my hair behind my ears as I stare at myself wearing this white dress and white ba
82B E N E D I C TShe stands by the balcony sliding door, staring at an empty space wearing my shirt and some pajamas. Standing here afar from Thea, looking at her, I can see and I can feel that her mind is full. It’s full of endless thoughts and worries. I wish I could take some from her restless bothered thoughts and I wish I could help her with what she is going through.Thea is strong but I don’t want her to have another breakdown. I hope I can share the pain and confusions she is going through right now. I wish, at least I could make her happy despite of what has happened lately.But I don’t know what to do as well.I am bothered too, restless, anxious, troubled and angry. I still have this growing hate in me and unwillingness to befriend Sebastian.I hate him.I walk towards Thea and wrapped my arms around her. She didn’t budge but still sets her eyes out the window. “There are no stars tonight.” I say.She sighs heavily.“Aren’t you hungry sweetheart?” I ask.She didn’t answer
81B E N E D I C T“The CEO of Saintclare Enterprises , finally off the market!!”I read mentally the newspaper’s headlines as soon as I got into my office. I scan through the magazines which were also over my desk, and the headlines were also all about me.I sigh. “I knew this was gonna come out first thing in the morning.”The phone on top of my desk rings, I quickly picked it up, “Yes.”“Mr. Saintclare everyone is calling in for an interview with you. They’re all asking if you have any available time.” I can hear telephones ringing from my secretary’s background.“Cancel all interviews. Tell them I have a busy schedule up until next week.” I hung up.Suddenly the phone in my pocket rings. I stare at the screen and it was Mrs. Brown, my PR.I sigh as I answer, “I know what you’re going to say.”“It’s everywhere. My phone has been ringing since six o’clock this morning. I don’t know what to answer them.”“Did you say anything about Thea?”“No. Not unless you tell me to. I’m only wait
80BENEDICTI stare at Thea, and she has been looking out of the window for minutes now. I know she still has a lot of things in mind with what has happened lately and I’m sure she’s tired of thinking about it too. She has talked to Khaleel and I have had talked to him too. Despite her past, we wanted to keep it to ourselves than letting the others know about it. They wouldn’t understand what she went through to survive and it isn’t our story to tell.I have asked myself a couple of times why she had to choose such job but then I didn’t have the courage to ask her. I don’t want her to feel bad about herself and the more I ask about her past, the more she would think it bothers me.Honestly, it has been in the past and we all have had done crazy shit a thing or two. All of us deserves a second chance and women like Thea who strives hard to change herself to become a better woman deserves more than that. I am proud of her and she knows it.A smile creeps on her face as soon as I rubbed
79THEASometimes, in our lives there are instances when you just want to disappear because of awkward situations or embarrassing moments. And right now, that’s what I want to happen. I want to teleport to another place far from here.It feels like everything inside my system malfunctioned and brain feels dead. I have never felt more disgusted of myself and my past than how Sebastian is embarrassing me right now in front of Ben. No one has ever made me feel so little of myself, only Sebastian.This bastard. This one of a hell man. I wish he dies.My tears were just flowing from my closed eyes and I feel this growing pain against my chest. I try to breathe in but the pain grows as I exhale so I remained quiet. I don’t want to face anyone or see how they look at me with disgust and filth. I just want to disappear like one pop of a bubble or run out of this house and never look back.But I cant, I know I have to face them now. I have to face Khaleel. I have to face Benedict even if it’s