Chapter 4

"If he can't handle you at your worst then he does not deserve you at your best. Real love means seeing beyond the words spoken out of pain, and instead of seeing a person's soul."

Shannon L. Alder~

My night was horrible, and to top it off, I had a terrible nightmare that kept me up for hours and I only had a few hours of sleep before my alarm woke me up. After being woken by Jack to get ready, I know the day isn't going to be the best, but that doesn't stop me from making sure that I am properly prepared for today.

"I didn't see you throughout the party 'twas like you vanished. What was the reason?"

Jake and I arrange the table while Mom, Josh and Jack serve breakfast.

"I was just out meeting new people." He shrugs, "wasn't that the reason we came along anyway?"

He is right, and as much as I'd like to know every little detail of his whereabouts last night, I don't want to push him.

We sat to eat and Mom begins to speak.

"So how was your outing last night? I don't remember the last time the four of you went out together."

"It was great," I say biting a slice of my bread and drinking my tea.

"Josh had the most fun though," Jack adds, giving Josh a mischievous glance.

Josh nervously gulps his tea.

He's nervous, and who can blame him?

Jack has never let him have a steady relationship before, the last relationship he had with a girl called Gwendolyn ended when he found out, she was unknowingly dating Jack too. Apparently Jack used the fact that he looked like Josh to wiggle his way into their relationship and ruin things for Josh because he knew Josh wouldn't reveal they were triplet or related in any way. It hurt Josh so much, but he didn't want that for Gwen.

"Back off Jack," I warn sternly shooting him a killer glare.

"What did I do?" He blurts out in defence.

We finish and the three J's and I begin walking out. Mom waves at us and we return. Once we are out, I decide to take a cab, but then I hear Josh and Jack arguing behind and I walk to them.

"No, if you dare come even as close as 5 miles to Naomi, I will tell her we are triplet and I don't care if it blows your cover or any damn shit like that."

"Ha! Look he's giving orders, and he doesn't even say please, you know  he  usually says please." He tells Jake who is scratching his head awkwardly as he spots me walking towards them.

Jack who doesn't see me because his back is turned to me continues. "She was in glasses last night, laughing at your humourless jokes she's got a thing for you you know that. God, why do you always have to be the one with such luck? She's really pretty, and sexy. What's her name, Joshua?"

Josh stays silent with a furious expression.

"I won't ask again."

My nails catch Jack left ears and pulls him closer. He yelps in pain, but he knows better than to struggle as I pin him at his weakest spot.

"What part of back off don't you understand Jackson?"

"Let go, Taylor, you're hurting me." He slowly says in deep pain.

I scoff and raise an eyebrow, "Oh really? Would you prefer my teeth then?"

If there is anything I hate more than bullying, it's bullying that happens under my nose.

I turn my eyes to Josh, "Tell him what to you were saying earlier."

"He wouldn't listen, he doesn't."

"Try him now!" I tell him and to Jack, I whisper hardly. "Listen carefully."

Josh has his eyes fixed on Jack and he begins to speak. "I want you to stay away from her Jack, I was silent with Gwen, I won't be with Naomi and I'll take you to hell if you ever try to interfere in our affairs."

"Okay I get it, lover boy, I'll let you have your way with your girl, now let go of my ear before you pull it off!"

I let go and back off from him. "I'm ashamed of you Jack, bullying your brother, you're the older one for a reason, use your brain!"

"He can't." Jake declares, shrugging his shoulder carelessly. "He has none."

"I don't care what he has and what he doesn't have, I want you guys to be close, be each other best friend, and most of all, stop bullying the weaker one among you." I look at Josh who is trying to avoid gaze with Jack.

"I'll try, I can't say the same for him." Jake points at Jack who is fuming angrily.

"Don't worry about him he'll be fine."

Without no other uttered word,  they begin to walk away and I get a cab to take me to my place of work and for the first time, Paris is waiting for me.

"I take it you're late for a good reason?" She says with an emotionless look from my desk where she sits waiting for me.

My eyes immediately fly to my wristwatch which is eight minutes pass the clock before looking back at Paris.

Shit! I don't have a good reason.

"Some family problems," I mumble silently going over to my desk to drop my things.

"Anyway, I need you to go to Rory's office and get me something." She instructs, straightening up my desk before standing up.

"What?" My eyes widen in horror at what she just said.

She gives me nothing but wants everything. "Rory wants to get something for me and I want you to pick it up for me."

Why can't someone else do it? I whine inwardly.

"Okay Paris when do I leave?" Is all I say.

"Now." She hands me something I think is the address.

Now? Is she kidding me right now? This is barely 8:9am, and it's still morning!!

"Um okay," I answer and she walks away from my office.

One day you want to be my friend, the next day you treat me like a slave. Way to go, Paris.

Then it hit me again, I'm going to be facing Rory John Gate and most dangerously, in his territory.

What do I take on this war? I think to myself, guns, knife, pepper spray, all of the above, but sadly I only have pepper spray. I pick my bag from where I just dropped it and walk out of the room.

Jason as always, brings his annoying ugly self before me, trying to push me to my limit. "You've got another aye, he's the only reason you are not mine yet." He confidently states.

"He's the only reason you don't have a broken nose yet." I confidently reply.

I take one of the ACH cars and drive to where is written in the address.

I arrive at a magnificently tall building and the ACH can not be compared to it no matter what. The structure of the building can hardly be seen anywhere else, over the top is written boldly, Pearl. I gasp to myself, I am standing in the multimillion phone company called Pearl, I've always heard of it as one of the Gate's later accomplishments from Jake. According to him, it was founded alongside Diamond, Gazelle and Daisy under the Gates name, one of the many reasons he still is the richest man alive till date.

Does that mean Rory handle Pearl for his father?

He is the CEO or something?

My questions are interrupted when a hand crosses in front of me. I look up and see a tall (about 6'5ft) man standing in front of me. My eyes narrow down on him and realise he is the security man.

"Where do you think you're going, girl?" He asks, looking down at me.

What do I say? Um...

"I'm here to see Mr Gate probably the manager of this company." I summon all the courage in me to say that.

"And do what? Ask for a new pair of shoes?" He mocks scornfully.

My eyes immediately go down to my boots, surely there's nothing wrong with them.

"Maybe a new stilettos for the price of stripping for the boss?"

I roll my eyes and sigh. "I was asked to come over here by my boss Paris Allen, I need to see Mr Gate."

"Really?" He folds his hand over his chest and gives me a disbelieving look. "Tell me more."

I am certainly not going to lose my cool for the good for nothing man standing in front of me.

"Listen, girl, I'm gonna need you to start moving along." He says and roughly pushes me back.

"Hey! Stop that!" I snap, missing a step.

"Why? Sluts like you deserve no respect." He spits out harshly at me.

"One more rude comment and that would be you last." I hear the voice of Rory strictly warn from behind us.

Both of us turn to see a pair of green eyes carefully studying us.

How long has he been standing there?

"S—sir I'm sorry, I didn't see you come." The security man immediately falls back into the right manners his own eyes and body trembling from fear.

Rory begins to walk towards where we are and I can't help notice he is looking real handsome this morning.

Did I just think that?

"Tell me something Robert is this how you treat everyone that wants to go inside?" He demands angrily but in a calm voice.

"No sir, she was asking to see you and I thought—"

Rory sighs, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his trousers, before looking up at the man he is dealing with. "Just another stupid excuse for your incompetence, I won't take this, at least not in my company"

I still where I stand listening to them, his company? Isn't it Bill Gate's company being managed by his son?

"I'm sorry sir." The guard lowers his head in shame, knowing he's at fault. "it'll never happen again."

"I pray it doesn't." He answers with a snort, "Then I won't think twice about firing you."

The security man walks away and I'm left, standing silently with Rory.

"Come with me." He says, taking my hand and guiding me into the tall, big and beautiful building.

Something about him holding my hand feels intimate; his hands are soft compared to the most time he'd held me.

I wonder how his hands would feel on other parts of my body.

Did I just think that?

The inside is also busy, but that don't stop the staff from staring at us–me. I feel nervous having a lot of people looking at me, but when I feel Rory's hand tightens around mine, the tingling of fear vanished. I see some workers glaring at me, and others look at me with disdain and others with a frown, but I meet all their gaze with a plain face.

Rory approaches a lady on her desk and the lady quickly straightens up. "I haven't gotten my coffee yet Lucy, did Cynthia die or something?" His voice makes it clear who the boss is.

"Cynthia called three minutes ago while you were out she says she is very ill today," Lucy answers formally.

Rory hiss' in annoyance, "That's just another excuse for incompetence." My eyes and Lucy's furrow, clearly lacking clarity of what he's saying. "If she isn't better by  tomorrow, we might as well find a new place to get coffee."

That's rather mean. I want to say, but I don't.

After what seemed like forever, we finally enter a room I figure is his office and he let's go of my hand and move to his desk. Rubbing his thumb between his brows, he leans against his desk and I can tell he is in deep thought.

I'm silently singing Rihanna's 'what now' in my head.

I don't even realise he moved back until I see him standing in front of me, and suddenly the memories of the night he saved me watched over me and it brings me to the awareness that what he did in less than 5 minutes ago was the same way he did three months ago.

The only question on my mind is why? I get insulted and talked down on all the time, not that I take it likely, but threatening to fire his staff because he was rude is still new to me.

"You're not hearing me are you?" I snap back into reality and notice Rory intense gaze burning into mine. "You could have called me."

I don't have your number. I almost reply, then I remember he must have texted me with his number last night.

"I'm used to it already." I shrug, not knowing how to answer his question.

"Well you shouldn't, no one has the right to be rude or worse call you names."

"No one but you right?" I tell him flippantly meeting his soft and concern eyes.

I don't mean to hit the nail on the head, but that's what I do.

"You're surely not going to let me forget that would you?" He asks, his eyes dropping in pain and moving back.

I smirk to myself, knowing he is not feeling good about his sins anymore. "It doesn't hurt Mr Gate and for future reference, I prefer being called a slut than a whore hope you don't forget." I playfully remark with a grin.

Before I know it, he grabs me by the arm making my stomach curl up in a panic and my mouth open as I look at him in fear.

Way to go, Tay, you have stepped on the wrong wires, now prepare to get burnt.

His breath hit my neck, sending shivers down my spine, and I don't want him to let go. "You're not a whore, neither should you be okay with being called a slut."

He let go of my arm to cup my face in his huge hands.

I feel incredibly small right now.

"I'm sorry I called you that, I had no right to and I hope you can forgive me someday."

I feel breathless as he said those words and he let go of my face. I blink a few times and compose my trembling self, certainly not willing to give him the wrong impression. I can handle cases like this, I have handled cases like this in the past, haven't I?

No.

"Paris asked me to come over and collect something?" I begin awkwardly because I don't know what it is I should be getting.

He shifts uncomfortably where he is when I say this and he seems to understand the reason for my visit.

You're not expecting a visit from me, are you?

"For a moment I thought you came to visit me." He tells me in half humour, half-truth.

So you are!

"Why would I do that? We are barely friends."

"You didn't get my text did you?" His eyes narrow at me in an inspecting manner.

"No?" I lie, but he knows better 'cause he smirks.

"You've never been good at lying have you?"

Oh, you have no idea how good I am.

"How did you get my number?" I ask instead.

His face breaks into a loose smile. "Let's say I hacked into the ACH file book last night, I have to admit it wasn't that hard to get since your name was the first I saw." He admits. "I always get what I want."

"That's suppose to be illegal!" I can't believe he went through all that for just my number, but then again he wouldn't have gotten it if he decided to ask me or Paris.

"Who's gonna tell? Besides, you owe me."

He stretches his right hand and shows me the little bandage on it.

"My hand still hurts you know."

"It wouldn't if you didn't choose to be a jerk last night," I mumble, he hears it, but instead of getting angry like he normally does, his smile widens bringing his deep dimple n display.

Damn those dimples.

"And you were the viper that stroke the jerk weren't you?" His teases strolling towards me. "Well you're right, so I'm not going to demand payment. I'll just have to let it go."

Now that's weird, is he bipolar or something?

"Why are you being nice? Last night you were willing to bite my head off."

His smile dies off in an instant and he moves to his seat. "I don't know." He sighs deeply, "You kind of left me stranded three months ago."

"So it this is your way of getting even?" I raise my brow at him.

He nods in admission.

"You called me rude and rebellious, weak and vulnerable." I vehemently argue my point out to him.

"You know I'm right, but you'll never admit that."

He's right I wouldn't. "There's a reason."

"You're even more beautiful in glasses you know." He complements out of nowhere.

That caught me off guard.

My cheek grow red and I cover my face in embarrassment, I can't believe this is happening to me while he's watching.

Complement should not have this effect on you Taylor.

I peak at him from between my palm, not knowing how to reply to him. "Looks like I said something I shouldn't." He states pressing his lip together into a thin line.

"Yea you did."

"I don't want you to be uncomfortable around me Miss Snowfall, that why I'm putting in so much effort." He resumes in a more business manner. "I noticed my first impression wasn't the best, but I want to be able to have an understanding with you."

"What kind of understanding?" I can't help but ask.

"A mutual understanding." He replies briskly. "You take a seat and let's get down to why you're here."

I do as he says. "Paris asked you to do what?" He prompts as soon as I sit.

"Collect something you wanted to give her."

He groans immediately, "I told her we were to go out together and get the engagement ring, what was she thinking, sending you over?"

He mumbles to himself, rubbing his temple.

Then he looks at me. "Well, we'll need to go get an engagement ring then since Paris sent you over." Something in his eyes feels withdrawn as he says this, maybe he isn't really happy getting married to Paris.

"Sucks doesn't it? Getting married to someone you hardly know." The words run out my mouth before I can stop myself.

Sometimes I wonder how I've survived all these years with a mouth as big as mine.

"Miss Snowfall?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean—." I begin to apologize, but he cut me off.

"You're right it sucks, but it a decision only the brave can make."

I remember his quote from the book A Little Of Everything, but it seems he kind of mixed the whole thing.

So I ask, "Isn't love the decision only the brave can make?"

He stands up and straightens his suit, then moves to my seat. "Well, Ms Snowfall love is a luxury that's people like me can't afford." He tells me and stretches his hand towards me, I take it and together we exit the room.