Chapter 6

“Enjoy,” was what his manager said before hanging up the call. Shane slumped himself on the couch. “Easier said than done,” he muttered with his eyes closed. Just right when he finished his breakfast, which was great, he received a call from Lucy, his manager, telling him about the change on his schedule.

The company would be giving him another week off if he could shoot a TV commercial in three days. But of course, it meant that he would only have three days' rest from now, and he should go back to work again. Then he could have an additional free week after that. Shane wanted to say no, and he would be lying if he had that choice.

Despite being one of the most famous artists in their entertainment company, he could barely have time for himself because of the long lists of jobs he got and never-ending offers too. Yes, he got good pay in line with his profession, but he’s still young, and just like other men of his age, he also wanted to have fun.

Plus, there’s Audrey whom he needed to face. With his busy schedule, she was lucky to come back while he’s on break. He wanted to take some time to settle things between them which had long been postponed for five years. When his parents went back to the Cayman Islands where they decided to settle down for good, Shane had plans to talk to Audrey about their marriage. Years had passed, and he wasn’t able to do so because of his tight and busy schedule, not to mention that he lacked the confidence to face her until he found out that he actually shared a bed with her the first night she returned home.

It wasn’t a big deal. Not at all since they both always shared a bed when they were young. They were best of friends, well, he could say that he’s the only friend that she had back then. Because of her unpleasant physics, Audrey tended to be bullied before, and he was the one who had the guts to comfort her and be with her side. They spent their weekends playing at each other’s house alternately. Which unknowingly pleased their parents.

Their friendship remained strong even when he started his showbiz career. Leading a completely different life path wasn’t enough to pull them apart. They were fine, supporting each other whenever one had troubles and worries. Until tragedy befell Audrey’s parents, leaving her all by herself. At that time, Shane was at the peak of his career and didn’t want to miss any single opportunity. He was aware that he needed to sacrifice in order to achieve his dream. And he chose to sacrifice her.

(Ring! Ring!)

The sound of the doorbell ringing caught his attention. He sighed, pulling himself up, and groggily went to the door to check who was outside through the monitor. Audrey’s annoyed face popped inside his head, knowing that she probably didn’t know the passcode. It was when something hit him: How the hell was she able to get inside when she came?

Peeking at the small screen, his brows furrowed when someone else appeared. Not exactly whom he imagined neither expected. Shane contemplated whether to open the door or not. After some consideration, he decided to let his visitor in.

“Shane! Thank goodness. I thought I’ll spend any longer standing here waiting for you to open the door. You should really share the code with me, so I don’t have to bother you whenever I come to visit,” Stephanie exclaimed when he revealed himself standing behind the door. She flipped her ash-gray-dyed hair to make him notice it, expecting him to compliment her new look.

“What are you doing here?” he coldly asked while looking at her sternly. Stephanie’s pretty face gradually turned pale with his cold treatment. The new hair color looked great at her but there was no way he’d say that. Shane was actually wondering why he fell for her in the first place. Was it because she’s beautiful? Popular? Talented and have a great voice for singing? Whatever the reason was, the important thing for him was to remind himself not to make another mistake and fall into her trap, again.

“I wanted to see you,” Stephanie said while trying to smile brightly. “I heard from Lucy that you’re having a few days off, so I begged my manager to give me a break for the meantime too. I wanted to spend time with you… just like how we used to,” she added, fidgeting her fingers.

Shane brushed his face with his hand. “Listen, Stephanie…” he put his hands on her shoulders, trying to make direct eye contact with her. “We can’t…like before… it’s impossible,” he told her. He pursed his lips when he saw her eyes starting to turn red. Anytime soon, he knew that she’d start crying.

“I booked movie tickets. We can watch your favorite Hollywood movies if you want or check out the newly opened restaurants in the area,” she said, shrugging off his words. Shane let go of her shoulders, sighing. “Why won’t you stop? We’re done, Stephanie. Everything between us is already over. You ended our relationship yourself so please don’t forget about it and quit acting as if nothing happened!” he raised his voice in frustration.

Stephanie cried as he expected. He didn’t want to be rude to her, but he couldn’t get himself to think of a decent way to treat her after what she did. Letting her inside was already too nice of him, and he may not say it aloud, but he hated her since the day he found out the truth about her motive. He loved her, yet she used him for her own benefits. She could have told him from the start and maybe he wouldn't mind, but she didn’t.

When he discovered the truth, he was devastated. He wished for her to tell him the truth when he confronted her, but she lied. Turning a blind about it for a while, he gave her another chance, but she wasted it when she refused to say anything. Shane gave up on her after he saw her making out with another man. His trust was shattered and his love was tainted.

“Can’t you forgive me? Please… I’ll even bend on my knees if it means you’ll come back to me,” Stephanie got on her knees in tears. Her makeup was ruined and Shane realized that she wasn’t that pretty at all. “I love you. Please be mine again,” she continued.

“Are you kidding me?!” he yelled. How he wanted to drag the lady outside and shut the door, but he was an idiot. He said a lot of things though deep inside he wanted to hug her, wipe her tears away, and kiss her. At the same time, the scene when he caught her cheating kept playing inside his head. He couldn’t forget it. Her face, while she was enjoying another man’s touch, was engraved in his mind, driving him crazy out of jealousy.

“Shane, no. I’m serious. I want you back,” she begged, desperately.

“What do you take me for?” he pulled her up and cupped her face. His hands were shivering in anger. “You’re the one who shoved me away when I was begging you to choose me over that bastard! Now what? You want me back? Just like that? Just because you want me back you expect me to fulfill your wish?” Shane pushed her against the wall.

“Why? Did you get tired of him? Weren’t you satisfied enough? Tell me!” His lips pressed against hers. He was intentionally forcing her but Stephanie showed no restraints. She opened her mouth and flung her arms around his neck. Shane thought he’d feel better once he felt her lips again, and he found out he was wrong. There was no more excitement, ‘cause the moment their lips touched, his brain would play the scene he wanted to forget. He found it disgusting.

(Clank)