The dark side of her heart

Episode 5

The ride back home was quiet and not a word was heard from Danica anymore. Basically, she was scared. Scared of the man who she had accidentally met, scared of how he knew about her and Tristan, scared of his threat and what he wanted. Who was he? One would want to ask, it might not even be worth it to think about him like that, but this was San Diego. A mega rich fellow does not just knock on your door one morning to change your life for the better. She could feel her life turning to a nightmare already and all she wanted to do was to run, to hide, to disappear.

The tension in her heart was suffocating and the cinnamon and spicy scent that filled the air was harsher. It was harder to breathe knowing that he was right there, next to her and it was even more terrifying to know that she had no idea who he was. With so many questions in her thoughts and fear in her heart, she still kept her mouth still, wanting to simply just go away from him.

He neither said a thing as well and just kept his eyes on the road. He would occasionally steal a glance at her and turn back to the road, but aside that, nothing more happened. He didn’t ask any more question and that damn phone finally stopped ringing. He didn’t need anyone to tell him who it was, he could tell. And in as much as he hated it, Tristan was smart. Making sure that he could not be tracked through his cell, he was covering his track pretty well. He really was not expecting him to play such a smart and cowardly game, but he was doing it anyway. One because, Danica look to be fun and beautiful and two because it was still a trap and the reason he was there. He knew all he could about her and that was exactly where he started from.

He pulled up in front of her apartment after some time of silent driving and only then did Danica come out from her state of trance. She looked around only to find out that he was right there in front of her apartment. A place where she had not given him an address to.

“Don’t be so surprised,” he grinned at her when he saw the surprised look on her face. She turned back to him, wanting to open her mouth to speak, yet no words could be said.

“Come on…”

“Go on down,” he scrunched his nose, unable to hide the disgust and irritation he was feeling over her choice of scent. He had really put up with the smell of lilac way more than he would usually.

“Or do you want to return with me?” he couldn’t help but to add that part. Instantly, she flashed him a glare and opened the door, stepped out in a hurry and shut the door with a bang. Almost shattering the window if she could. Then she remembered that she had nothing with her, not her cell phone or the keys to her apartment. With an angry groan, she turned back to the car and bent down to meet his mesmerizing brown eyes. They were really similar to someone she knew. He smirked and turned to the back of the car, where he brought her bag and handed it over to her. she snatched it fiercely and turned to storm into her apartment when his breathy voice rang from behind her.

“I will be seeing you soon….” she froze in her step, her heart skipped a mile and a dreadful feeling settled at the pit of her stomach. It truly seemed that her life would turn upside down at this very moment and she knew it at the very pit of her heart.

Pushing that feeling off her shoulder, she started towards her apartment and opened the door. Stepping in, she paid one more glance to the car outside and shut the door. The sound of its engine roaring back to life and speeding away made her let out a deep breath, one she didn’t know that she was holding back. The event that had happened replayed in her thoughts the moment the silence of the apartment that she once used to share with Tristan pierced her heart. With a weak body, she started towards the bedroom and fell on the bed the moment she was close. The scent of black coffee and mint invaded her senses, feeling her with a certain warmth that only one man could give. Just the thought of Tristan made her eyes blurry and, in that moment, her phone rang, like he knew that she was yearning for her.

“Tristan….” Her voice shook and echoed at the loneliness the house gave the moment she picked the call. At the other end of the line, Tristan breathed a sigh of relief with ease settling in his heart when he finally heard the voice. He had long since arrived at his destination and the first thing he did was to call on her cell, only to find out that it was not reachable for some strange reason. After a while, it went through, yet she didn’t pick. All sorts of thoughts were beginning to go through his head when he kept trying and trying and still found no way to get to her. Ignoring the need to unpack, he had focused on trying to reach her and did not stop. His heart had been aching and his mind had been thinking of the very possibility that she might be in danger. They might have gotten to her. The very thought of actually running away just to leave her in danger was more terrifying than actually returning to them. He had truly run like a coward only to leave her in danger. He just didn’t know what he would do with himself if it actually turned out that she was in danger even after he had made sure that their eyes would not be on her.

He was thinking of booking a flight back to San Diego when time went by so quickly, yet he still had not heard from her. Fortunately, he picked the call, right in the nick of time and the relief that overcame his heart had become unimaginable.

“My love,” the sweet sound of his voice came from the other end of the line. It was almost like the both of them were feeling the same thing at that moment. Danica wiped the tears that came running down her cheeks away and sniffed at the sound of that wonderful voice. His voice that was as clear and bold as the ocean water.

“What happened, my love?”

“I called, I texted, I almost returned.” He continued. His tone calming down the more he spoke and his accent filling her ears like the very heaven beckoning on her. Her heart eased and a wave of peace and ease washed all over her. These feeling was different, far different than what she had felt with that stranger earlier. He had done nothing but make her feel like a prey, a victim and filled her tremendous fear where as he, he was always her peace.

“I’m sorry,” she fell back on the bed and picked up a pillow. It still carried the smell of mint that his hair always scented like and she took a deep breath, taking that scent in like her life depended on it.

“It’s okay. I’m just relieved, relieved that you are fine.”

“How are you? What happened to your phone?”

“Something happened when you left and….” She paused. Her heart skipped a minute at the very thought of that stranger and she wondered if she should tell him about it. He had only just left and she didn’t want to be a burden to him anyways. However, she just could not pretend that it did not happen. They had never had secrets away from each other.

“What happened?” Tristan jumped up from where he had sat. His eyes going wide and his tone going thick with worry.

“It’s nothing serious….” She smiled faintly like he could see her. It was one of the few things that she always did when she was worried out of her mind and wanted to make him feel better. Then she remembered that he was not actually there and could definitely not see her forcing that smile that she always did.

“My love….” He sighed, his accent dripping with warmth and worry, it pierced her heart and filled the deep of her stomach with a beautiful feeling. Even with such distance, he still had such effect over her.

“What happened? Tell me.” he urged on and she could imagine the way he would sit her down or look into her eyes just so she would speak.

“I think I had a panic attack when you left and fell unconscious.” She sighed and recalled that moment when her chest had burned her and breathing became hard.

“Then I woke up somewhere….” she paused again, finding this very information weird and strange.

“With a strange man.” She mumbled almost to herself. Tristan’s froze again at this very information and his heart skipped.

“Who is he? What is his name? did he tell you anything?” he asked all at once as panic began to take over his entire being.

“I don’t know who he is, or his name.” she responded and shivered when she recalled how he been earlier when she was in his house.

“Did he say anything then?” He pressured and she paused again. Of course, he said something, but how was she supposed to say that. if she was so worried about it, what would Tristan do?

“It’s nothing,” she forced out instead.

“It’s just one of those play boys around.”

“He is only a flirt and he did try to flirt with me. But it’s nothing,” she added, in her bid to convince her self rather than him. What more could he do actually? He knew her, he knew her house, he was rich and had a terrible feeling about him, but didn’t all the play boys and flirts around feel the same and act the same. There had to be nothing to it, she was simply thinking too much.

“Danica…” he called out, calling her name that he rarely used. That was to show how serious he was about the entire situation.

“Tristan…”

“It’s nothing,” she smiled.

“I’m fine now and you shouldn’t worry. Now let’s drop this very discussion,”

“How is Florida? Have you unpacked yet,” she got up from the bed and turned to the kitchen suddenly feeling famished. Tristan chuckled and ran his hand over his already scattered hair. Then he turned to the boxes that were littered all over his apartment.

“Florida is dry and lonely without you. Do not talk about settling in, my boxes are still sealed,” he answered. She chuckled and opened the fridge and brought out a jar of chocolate beverage before taking out some cookies.

“You should start now,” she poured a cup for herself, prepared it and started to bite on the cookies.

“I will,” he sighed, feeling the warmth and joy in his heart at the sound of her voice. He could go on like this for ever. Just at that thought, he kept his phone on loud speaker, and immediately started working as he began to unseal his box and place them where they were supposed to be. He had an interview the very next day and should be up early for it. It was already quite late and since Florida was three hours ahead of San Diego, it was already too late and he should be thinking about sleeping away his fatigue soon.

“Have you had dinner yet?” he asked as he began to work.

“Yap…” she filled her mouth with chocolate and bashed in the beautiful taste before she swallowed.

“What did you have?” he picked up his phone and turned to the room, deciding to begin his unpacking there.

“Uhmm…” she paused instantly, knowing that her response would not be favorable to him.

“My love….” He called out, knowing exactly what she had done.

“Drop the chocolate and cookie and make something for yourself,” he added. She grinned and shook her head, disbelieved at how much he knew her.

“My darling….” He smiled, imagining how she would be shaking her head at that very moment.

“Order for a box of pizza…” he suggested.

“It’s late already and this is okay for me…” she shook her again.

“You have an interview tomorrow, don’t you?” he sighed at her stubbornness. She was just that way, stubborn and lazy over what she could eat and would prefer snacks and chocolate every time.

“Oh…” Danica froze at that reminder and groaned. Immediately, she lost her appetite and a dark look assembled at her eyes, making the bright blue she had a few shades darker. The bright, clumsy, easily scared woman that she was instantly became different, as anger and rage took over her entire being. The kind of rage that had smitten her heart and darkened it in more ways than she realized.

Tristan felt the air change with her words and felt something stab his heart as well. Her hatred and rage had always been so deep and even after so many years, she was still holding on deeply to this very anger. It was mostly the pillar of her life and it was burning rapidly, that it even threatened to burn him.

“Are you still going to carry out with this?” he mumbled. He knew the answer to this very question of course. They almost never spoke about this very matter but the few times he had, he knew exactly what she would say. However, he was still hoping that she would stop, move on and forget everything.

“Of course…” she responded darkly and allowed a smirk caress her lips. She went straight for the socials to find out news and soon enough, she found what she was looking for.

“Darkness over San Diego as the son of the Deane and heir returns,” a blogger had posted.

The darkness in her eyes only intensified and so did her rage grow. She had waited so long and finally an opportunity was coming.

“It seems his son came back to town today, anyway,” she started to go through the latest news that was everywhere on social media. Though not a single picture of the man was seen, since guards surrounded him to the brim, she was sure that the universe was in favor with her especially since he came back at the right time.

“His son…” Tristan’s heart skipped.

“Yes. The one no one else knows. There isn’t a single picture of him, but at least…he is here.”

“No…wait…”

“My love…” Tristan felt his heart was about to explode at this very rate.

“Don’t…”

“stay away from that family? Come on baby, let’s forget about this, come over to Florida, let’s forget all this,” panic immediately over took him. Things were happening so fast, too fast.

“Life would in fact be meaningless if I stop now.” She smiled at no one in particular as dark memories resurfaced in her heart.

“I will be fine my love. But I won’t let the Deane’s go….my life was betted on this,”