(Beverly Hills, California.)
Natalia shook that thought away, not wanting to ruin the present. She turned Arian’s face to hers and pecked him. His lifeless eyes changed to a naughty one in a flash.
She smiled and bit her lip.
“What…” He started but she pecked him again. Arian pulled her closer with a sly smile. Before Natalia could run away, he smashed his lips on hers.
She giggled and wriggled but her hopeless movements only pushed the throw pillows off the bed.
“You’re ill. Don’t play naughty because I won’t hold back next time.” He smiled, staring down at her. Natalia pushed his hair behind and nodded, smiling.
“Time for breakfast.” He said and pulled away. Immediately, the cold returned to her skin. Arian slipped his feet into his white slippers and turned to leave.
“Aren’t you forgetting someone?” She pouted aggrievedly. He turned back and smiled. Natalia scrambled out of bed into his oustretched arms and carried her downstairs into the kitchen.
Arian placed her on a counter and stood aside, looking around for something. Natalia fluttered her lashes, noticing something. He kept avoiding body contact and a part of her was hurt.
She’d been used to his former jolly and naughty side but the person before her was the complete opposite. He was almost never smiling and seemed to be faraway, out of reach.
Had his life been that way?
Natalia knew that if she had to convince Arian to return to his family, she had revive that shade of him that was almost dead. That shade of him she once knew. He had to be open again. Not shut off, distant, awfully quiet than before…. And different.
And that shook her confidence a little.
“What are you looking for?” She asked and gingerly played with an apple, flinging her dangling legs cutely.
“Not what, who.” He muttered.
“The maid?” She raised a brow and he nodded.
“I don’t like her.” Natalia mumbled under her breath, remembering the drama that morning. But Arian heard her. He looked at her.
“What have she done?”
“Nothing really.” She quickly added noticing the change in his aura.
“But she’s…. I don’t just like her.” She pouted. He nodded and brought out his phone.
“I’ll terminate her appoint…”
“No!” She gasped and snatched his phone away. “I don’t want you to fire her.”
“I’ll just ask the agency to send a replacement. She only comes here thrice a week. It’s not like she has an actual job here.” He reached to take his phone back. Natalia forced her eyes not to fall off!
He was different.
It was then the Royal fully realised that keeping her promise to his mother was going to be tougher than she’d thought.
“Let’s just forget it. Breakfast? What would you like to have?” She slyly hid his phone behind her.
“I’m not gonna let you cook. We’ll just order.” Natalia trapped him between her legs when he tried to reach behind for his phone.
“I insist. Besides, I get restless doing nothing.” She jumped down from the counter and rolled her hair into a messy bun.
“You should feel honored I’m cooking. It’s something I rarely do.” She puffed her chin slightly smug and Arian cocked a brow.
“Okay?” He smiled in a daring way. “I’ll have croque monsieur, croissants with crème, coq au vin and French toast with…”
“… marmalade?” Natalia completed. Arian smiled again and sat on a stool.
“Observe the expert.” She snorted and rolled up her sleeves…
***
Nicky rang the doorbell for the second time. And almost immediately, it flew open and a grinning Ashley came into view. But when she saw it was Nicky, her smile faltered a bit.
“Hey.” Nicky beamed.
“Hi.” She replied, looking behind the strawberry blonde for something.
“Happy new year.”
“Wishin’ you the same. You came alone?” She asked. Nicky slowly nodded, observing her reaction.
Ashley shrugged and opened the door wider. “Come on in.”
“I baked your favourite cake.” She smiled as she closed the door after her.
“Strawberry??” She gushed and grabbed the cute package. Nicky nodded again.
“Thanks!” Ashley grinned and flew into the kitchen with it with Nicky slowly trailing behind. She dropped the cake on the island and brought out a knife.
“Do you want a slice?”
“No, thanks. I don’t plan on staying long.”
“Oh.” Ashley breathed and poised the knife on top of it again. But at the last minute, she suddenly paused as a thought flashed across her head.
“I should probably wait till Jeffy comes or he’ll seize my ice cream tub for himself! You see it’s our favourite cake.”
“I see.” Was the short reply.
Ashley gingerly tossed it into the fridge and brought out two glasses. “You surely can’t refuse a drink no matter how much in a hurry you are.”
Nicky reluctantly nodded and sat down.
“So where’s everyone?” She looked around the empty house.
“They’re on vacation.” Ashley chirped and poured out some orange juice.
“You’re staying alone?” A part of Nicky was worried. Even though she seemed a bit more bubbly than the past few days, Nicky didn’t think it was a good idea to grieve alone in such a large house.
“Yup! Nanny comes occasionally but Jeffy stays and keep me company… He promised to be here early today. Wonder what’s holding him up.” She muttered to herself and checked the time.
Nicky checked the time herself and decided it was time to leave.
“You’re leaving now?” Ashley was stunned when she stood up.
“Yeah. I’ve got somewhere…”
“But stay please.” She pouted. “I don’t get much visitors except the milkman and Jeffy. Stay and watch a movie with us. It’ll be fun!”
And be the third wheel?
“Thanks. Maybe next time.” Nicky gave a small smile and left with all the answers to her Ashley problems…
***
“Honey, I’m so glad to see you again. Thank God you’re alright. I was so…” Senator Wells tried to touch Bianca’s cheek but she shifted away. The sorrow in his eyes multiplied.
“Why am I here?” She asked no one in particular, trying to steady her voice.
“Honey, I really needed to talk with you. I was desperate. Come back h…”
“I have to leave.” She whispered more to herself and walked away. But her dad held her back.
“Let me go!” She yelled and yanked away.
“Bianca, I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? Sorry doesn’t change anything! I don’t know you anymore. You’ve been lying to me. Keeping something so huge and disgusting behind my back!”
“Honey, calm down and listen to your d…”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” She screamed, her heartbeat accelerating.
“And you!…” She angrily turned to Damon, then her dad, then looked at nobody.
“I can’t do this right now.” She muttered and ran out, forgetting to put on her coat.
It had started snowing again but Bianca kept walking. Nothing could douse the anger and bitterness in her heart.
“Bianca!” Damon called and sidestepped her.
“Why did you do it?! I told you I never want to ever see either of them again!” She snapped.
“You did. Out of anger, you said so. But can’t you see you’re hurting the most?”
“I don’t care!” She yelled. “Seeing them reminds me of everything they’ve done and it sickens me!”
“Bianca, you’re lonely and angry. And I understand you have every right to be, but it’s making you bitter! You’re mad at what happened but it’s turning you into this hating machine. The more you prolonged the discussion with your dad, the more hatred you were developing for them!
“Aren’t you at least glad to know that the only blood relative you have left is still alive and worried about you? Growing up, my dad never really cared about me or my little sister even after our mom died. But in the absence of your mother, you grew up swimming in your father’s love! At least give him a chance to…”
“… explain? What else is there to explain? That he’s been screwing my best friend, who was supposed to be my sister behind my back?! What’s difficult to understand, huh?” She painfully wiped away her streaming tears.
Unknowingly, Damon’s heart squeezed in so much pain seeing her tears.
“Bi…”
“You know what? I thought you understood me. I thought you were on my side.”
“There are no sides.” His voice was barely a whisper. “I just wanted you to be happy a…”
“Whatever! Just stay away from me! I don’t want to ever see you again. Don’t come to my apartment or I swear I’ll move out.” She glared.
“I don’t know why it hurts so much in here…” She said and touched her chest.
“… but it feels like you betrayed me and the pain is killing!” She choked and ran off without waiting to see the broken look on his face…
***
( 11 : 45pm. )
Nicky checked the time as soon as Jeffrey drove into the driveway. She clutched her sweater closer and waited for him to notice her. But he didn’t.
“Hey.” She called. Jeffrey halted on his tracks hearing the familiar voice and squinted his ocean blue eyes her way.
“Nicky?” He was a little stunned. She waved him over.
“What are you doing out here in the cold?? Come on in…”
“No. Let’s talk outside.” She replied after she let him kiss her. As usual, the feminine perfume was strong all over him.
“Oh.. kay?” He looked confused. Nicky bit her lower lip, trying to reel in the pieces of her runaway courage and smiled up at him.
“Talk about…”
“How was the movie?” She beat him to it and he shrugged, looking away.
“Good, I guess. Ash told me you visited. Thanks for the cake.” She simply nodded.
“But you should’ve stayed.” He warmly held her eyes. She took her eyes away.
“Nah. I wouldn’t have enjoyed the movie. And besides, I didn’t wanna make ‘Ash’ uncomfortable.” She muttered and he raised a puzzled brow.
“She likes you, Jeff. And me being around would’ve ruined her little date.”
“What do you mean she likes me? Ashley and I ended a long time ago. She under…” Nicky tried not to sneer.
“Her feeling are still the same, Jeff.”
“She knows we’re together!” He reached for her but Nicky took a huge step away…