Today is her wedding day.
“Rise and shine, our beautiful bride. The groom is waiting.” Aunt Evelyn and Leigh’s mom announced in a sing-song voice while they opened the brocade curtain allowing the sunbeams to slant through the window and reach her face.
Groaning, Leigh opened one eye and shut it back quickly when the sun's rays hit her.
She was still sleepy.
Even under the haze of sleep, she blames Rocky for the sleeplessness, recalling what he did last night.
Rocky insisted on sleeping beside her and was adamant when she suggested they sleep separately, claiming they needed the practice.
She relented as usual and let Rocky have his way, but they did not get to sleep until the wee hours.
At the reminder, warmth spreads through her cheek.
She turned to her side, ready to hit him, surprised she did not find him there.
“Where is Rocky?” Th
"Adam! Adam! Wait!" Leigh called right after she saw Adam jump out of his seat right after Mr. Wicker's class. He ignored her, prompting her to chase after him. “Adam!” She called, right hand raised. Exasperated, Leigh put her hands down to her sides, seeing she's only getting other people's attention but not the one she wanted to attract the attention of. Thinking she would get much better results, she run after Adam, ignoring Sam's call behind her. Because he is an athlete with an agile body and long legs, Adam moved way too fast for her, leaving a good distance between them. He jogged outside the building, crossing the track field, but he was no match for a determined person like her. Even if it looked unladylike, she sprinted, not caring how she looked with her hair flying and her jacket flapping in the wind. She had to catch him. In the middle of the track, a group of practicing runners stopped blocking his path. Adam was forced to stop, giving Leigh the chance to cat
When Leigh got her bearing, she started struggling until her captor stopped. Angrily, she turned her head around to confront whoever it was that had the gall to snatch her away, surprised to see her best friend behind her. “Where have you been?” Sam asked, looking frantic.Dragging Leigh away from her next class’s building, she brought them back to their dormitory which somehow surprised Leigh. “What the h*ll, Sam? What are you doing?” Leigh struggled from Sam’s hold, twisting her arm around, trying to free her arm from Sam’s grasp, but her friend was unusually strong. Leigh could not pry her arm away. She gave up. She stopped struggling and let Sam take her wherever. Sam temporarily released her arm to get her keys to open their room before she gestured for Leigh to get in. Leigh grudgingly did. She strode inside and clambered up her unmade bed to sulk. Sam joined her. She, too, jumped on the bed, asking. “Where were you? I have been looking everywhere for you.” The
Rocky screeched his car to a halt in front of Chillz, the bar he and his friends frequented. He got out of the car, threw his keys to the waiting valet, and walked the dark halls until he reached the second floor that houses the VIP lounges. Rocky and his friends co-owned the bar. It was newly built and boasts an inviting, comfy, and relaxing vibe. There Rocky was greeted by Kade when he walked in the door.“What took you so long?” Kade whispered. He looked harassed. “We sent our parents to the airport and I drove Leigh back home.” He replied before checking the center of the room where the mini-bar was set up, and a woman slumped on it.“Where’s Rocky? Tell him I won’t leave unless he fetches me.” Regina slurred in her drunkenness.Rocky whispered again to Kade, eyes that had grown steely fixed on Regina. “
He panicked. Wild thoughts ran around his head.Did Regina get to Leigh that fast prompting Leigh to run away?He was frantic.He forced himself to think straight. He could not find Leigh if he was panicking like this. And so, he took a deep breath, trying to wrack his brain as to where she might have been.He ran towards the entertainment room, not caring about his state of undress. Leigh loved to watch television before going to bed. Maybe she dozed off inside the entertainment room.He reached the room fast, flung the door wide open, and switched the lights on. Still, he found no trace of Leigh.He went back to his room to get his phone to call Arthur, his head of security.“Did the bodyguard outside say anything about her leaving the house?” He asked in a rush, holding his breath while waiting for the answer on the other line.Arthur radioed his man who
When Leigh knocked on her old dorm room, she was trembling all over. The likelihood of her being pregnant left her badly shaken.“Leigh, what is wrong?” Sam took one look at her pale face and thought the worst. She opened the door wide to let Leigh in.“Did Rocky hurt you? Did Regina do something?” Sam questioned, closing the door and following behind Leigh.Leigh waved her hand dismissively. “No. It’s not that, but it was something bigger that could affect my entire life.”Sam watched as Leigh plopped down to her old bed while she hurried to the personal refrigerator to get her best friend water to drink.
“What are you gawking at? Call Rocky and tell him what happened..” Sam barked the order at a visibly shaken Regina. They all saw blood drenching the white cotton skirt Leigh wore, and they were all panicking. “Are you alright?” Sam asked the conscious Leigh. She checked Leigh’s head and found a bump in her head. They were attracting a small crowd. A bystander called 911 which arrived a few minutes later. Sam was unsure who called Rocky, but he came along with his friends just when the medic was about to lift Leigh into the stretcher. “What happened?” He asked Sam, who hovered over Leigh while the paramedics checked for other injuries. “She fell on the stairs and bumped her head.” Rocky looked at Leigh’s face, gently brushed the area near the bump with his fingers, and pulled at the strands plastered on her face. “Rocky…” Sam hesitated. “What? Rocky absent-mindedly asked, his eyes never leaving Leigh’s. “She has blood in her skirt.” Sam saw the sudden tensi
"Oh my god!" Sam could not help cursing when she saw something in her news feed. Her chest rose and fell heavily in time for her heartbeat, her fingers busy scrolling down her phone to check on the comments. And every time she reads one comment, she would start sighing and tsking. Is this for real? She ran toward Leigh's bed, showed her what she saw, and together they read Regina Clark's open letter to her fans and followers. To my dear followers and friends, I know that it’s unusual for me to write an open letter, but the pain in my heart threatens to eat me whole. I am deeply saddened because I feel that my life is falling in shambles right before my eyes. I don’t know what happened. In the past months, you saw me posting about my boyfriend, Rocky Bolton. He was the love of my life not because of his family's wealth but because he made me feel things I have not felt with anyone else. I imagined a blissful life with him, the two of us growing together. I know I am
"Hello!" Rocky barked when he answered the phone. He was not in the good mood right after the argument with Leigh.The expression on his face slowly changed from stony to relieved while he listened to the other party on the line. Finally, he has something against Regina Clark without making Leigh involved. He dropped the call and almost ran to his car, to the astonishment of his clueless friends. They all raced toward him. “Where are you going?” Matt asked when he caught up with Rocky. “I am meeting Professor Wickers. He now has something that could pin Regina and take her out of my life for good.”Kade heard the tail-end of their conversation. “Finally! Now, Leigh wouldn’t be bashed and suspected of stealing you from your “fake girlfriend.” He said sarcastically, but Rocky failed to notice as he was in a hurry. He met with Prof. Wickers at the Chillz. The establishment was still closed, but he already alerted the manager he was expecting a visitor. When he reached the VIP