"Baby?"
Caleb's arms circled on my waist as he called me and immediately, my body gave in to him. I leaned on his chest and his eyes tightened around me, I breathed his intoxicating scent that mixed with the sea breeze, it smelled so fine as if he was using the best perfume brand in the world.
"Hmm?"
"We'll go back to Sydney tomorrow,"
I smiled. Yea, we'll be back in Sydney tomorrow, we'll be back to reality tomorrow, away from the paradise and fairytale-like life that Caleb made my experience for our one-week stay here. Everything was magical and dream-like, I was beyond ecstatic.
My heart wanted for these days to never end, my whole being wanted to stay like this, but then, reality always knocks at our doorstep just when everything was going fine. And that's what I hated the most in this world, ruining everything when things are already going accordingly. It's like the world doesn't want us to have peace.
We were facing the horizon again,
"Do you have everything in your luggage now?"I nodded as I slipped my left foot on my sandal and straighten my body, looking at him. He was dressed in a casual faded jeans and a white t-shirt with the words "Romance in Baros" printed on it and a black heart design. I was wearing the same as his, it was a couple shirt that we bought yesterday. At the back was the word "Maldives", it was a souvenir, a remembrance."You enjoyed our vacation, didn't you?" he asked again as I stood in front of him.Nodding my head, I replied, "Of course, I did. With your neverending surprises, how wouldn't I enjoy it? It was one of the perfect vacations for me, thank you."He chuckled and pinched my nose, telling me not to be cheesy. Well, even if it sounded cheesy for him, it was true. This vacation was just perfect and I hope we would share more vacations like this in the future. I smiled when the thought of the word "future" somehow having a double meaning, I shook my head
"Mr. Craige, what can you say about the trending photos of you and the ex-journalist, Hazel Quin?""Are you and Miss Quin dating?""What is the status between you Miss Quin?""How long have you been with Miss Quin?""Miss Quin, is it true that you only dated Mr. Craige for money?""Is it really you who posted your photos on Instagram, Mr. Craige? Or is it Miss Quin's doing?""Are you two just dating or are you now married?""You two were in Maldives for a week, how does it feel to be on an island with one of the most prominent businessmen in Australia?"Reporters and cameramen from different news companies in Sydney and even outside the city were after us as we tried to make it through the parking lot. There were airport staffs and security guards trying to shield us from the energy of the reporters around who welcomed us the moment we touched the ground of Sydney.Good thing that we were informed before we went out of t
"Mirna?" I called her in surprise.The woman whom I almost didn't recognize looked at me and smiled warmly, a smile that tells everything would be okay. My mouth just gape seeing for real that it was her in formal clothes, so far from the Mirna that I always see here doing house chores."W-what... who are you?" I asked.She smiled and introduced herself which only made me gape even more."Let me introduce myself to you for real this time, Hazel. I am Mirna Cruz, Caleb's auntie from her mother. I am the person that Caleb was trusting, I am her personal assistant and secretary for years now."Questions then started coming in my head and I wouldn't be able to sleep properly at night if these questions wouldn't be answered soon. I looked at Caleb who was silently smiling at me, I gave him a look that asks what was happening and if he could explain this to me. But to my disappointment, he shook his head."Now is not the time to dwell with this, b
I spent the whole day alone in a dark room, I didn't bother switching on the lights as darkness was the perfect match for my mood. Caleb never did show up, not even once. I was expecting him to apologize, hoping that he was just in a bad mood this morning that's why he said those words, but nothing. There was nothing, he didn't come. Not even when lunch came, I waited for him to invite me to lunch but he didn't.A new housekeeper named Len was the one who knocked to tell me that it was time for lunch, but when I found out that Caleb was taking lunch in his library and not with me, I chose not to eat lunch and starve myself. Now, I was starting to regret it as I felt hunger consuming me, I wanted to go to the kitchen and search for food but I held my ground. My chest was still heavy for the things that Caleb told me.I wasn't expecting him to say that hence the blow was too painful for me to bear. And what hurt me more was when he told me that I should go
"So, you are dating a rich guy? You didn't even tell me, how ungrateful you are, wanting all the money by yourself.""I'll go there by tomorrow, I want to meet your future husband."No, this can't be happening.I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to calm myself. But no matter what I do, the thought of my mother wanting to go here was getting into me and I couldn't let it happen. Knowing what she could say and what she could do, I couldn't let her go here.But then, based on her message, it was like she already made her decision. And what did Geraldine say? This was all Stephanie's doing. She wouldn't stop pestering the hell out of me although I wasn't in their company anymore. She just wouldn't stop!Frustratingly brushing my fingers through my hair, I screamed at the top of my lungs. This room was soundproof, hence no one could hear me, not even Caleb. This was one of the times that I appreciate being in this room, I could do wh
"Baby, will you please talk to me now?"I sighed as I heard him plead again for the third time. I've been silent since he said that he was planning to announce our relationship in public through ZNA TV press, the idea didn't go with me. Once he announced and confirmed our relationship, I knew mom would never hesitate to go here and insist to meet him. And I knew it wasn't because she was concerned for me, she would surely persist me to get money from him and I wouldn't do that.Never did it once come to my mind to ask for money from Caleb, I never asked money for him. I was eager to work hard for my success and using money that I never worked hard for was never my thing. But then, it was different for my mother. Surely, if she confirmed that I was really dating Caleb who was a known businessman, she would start asking money from time to time and she would stop working. That's how she was, I knew it too well."Baby—""Caleb, will you please stop even
Caleb Craige'sI was frozen in my spot for a while, staring at Miss Heillie Quin in awe, noting how she looked like her daughter, Hazel the love of my life. Miss Quin has a wide smile plastered on her scarlet lips as she looked at me, waiting for my response. Her brown, almost red hair cascaded down her shoulder, her cheeks weren't naturally rosy as her daughter, but they have the same cheekbone that emphasized their faces. After a while of being in silence and frozen, I finally managed to stretch my lips into a welcoming smile and greeted her back."Good morning, Miss Quin," I greeted. "I am very good and feeling well. Welcome to my humble abode, how are you?"That line of mine made her smile widen as she laughed heartily, but I wanted to raise my hand and put it on my ears to protect my eardrums from her voice that wasn't too pleased to hear. Even Mirna winched but she made sure Miss Quin wouldn't see it. Her loud laugh echoed through the hallway
Hazel Quin'sMy memory of what happened last night was hazy, but I did remember that I started to tell Caleb what was it about my mother. I also remember that I wasn't able to finish my story because he already pulled me in his embrace and I cried there, unable to talk more. After that, I didn't know what happened anymore and now, I just woke up. That meant I fell asleep while crying or I didn't know if I stopped or not.Caleb was nowhere to be found again even after I got showered, he wasn't here. Wearing the outfit that I chose for today, I stepped out of the bedroom and the silent and cold hallway greeted me again. It has always been like this here, cold and silent. But there were times that this hallway doesn't feel like this, maybe it was just because I wasn't in the mood. I don't know.I was thinking of checking him on his library because that's where he might probably be, but then, I remember that it was workday today and he might be at the