She had left for Los Angeles for two days now and he is already feeling her absence. She had called but he didn’t pick up and wondered why he didn’t. He was being a jerk to her… again.
He got out of his car and walked into the reception area and to the elevator, thankfully no one was inside so he could dwell in his thoughts. He swiped his unique card that each penthouse occupant has for their respective floor.
Aiden and Caleb had talked to him on the day she left for L. A, to call her and check up on her at least just to show he could be caring but his egoistic self didn’t let him.
Even when she called, he didn’t want to call back.
‘Jerk’. he could hear her curse at him for ignoring her calls and he agreed to the allegations. He was a real jerk.
He closed his eyes and leaned back on the walls of the elevator, waiting for the elevator to make the ‘ding’ sound that lets him know he has reached his floor. Then it wasn’t long that it sounded and he opened his eyes and walked out of the elevator.
“Wishes definitely come to pass” he muttered and was going to wish they both were civil with each other and show how they care for each other more than ignoring themselves.
‘She doesn’t deserve this, she doesn’t deserve me’. he thought to himself.
He walked up to his door with a sigh then spotted a gift item wrapped in pink decorative paper.
He frowned and looked around the hallway of his penthouse, wondering who would have dropped it there. He was the only one who occupied the entire floor of this penthouse hence no one had access to this floor aside from the people who work here.
He picked it up and looked at it closely then smelt that familiar cherry with vanilla mix and his heart began racing fast.
It isn’t her. She possibly couldn’t be the one. He knows her smell so well even though it has been years. Years of no contact with her.
“It can’t be her” he muttered.
With shaky legs, a fast-beating heart, and a sweaty palm he swiped the key card and opened the door then entered the living room of his penthouse and threw his key on the table but it landed on the floor.
He staggered and walked to the couch and collapsed on it with the wrapped gift still in his hold. His eyes were closed as he tried to even his breathing.
Slowly he opened his eyes and sat up properly then removed the wrapper and saw a pink glittering box.
“What is this?” he asked himself then opened the box and took in a sharp breath of air.
His once calming heart rate shot right up and raced even fast than before. His eyes wide opened as he looked at the content of the box.
How can this be? This was a long, long time ago.
He remembered the content so well and it was buried… he guessed. It wasn’t supposed to surface at all. He wanted it and every memory it brought to be buried and never brought up.
Why all of a sudden this was brought to him? And by who? No one knew about this aside from him, Cade and…
“Daniella,” he said softly and he suddenly felt sad.
The box fell off his hand to the floor. He leaned back on the couch and let out deep breaths as memories that surrounds the package came flashing through his mind.
…
“We would name her Pricilia” she smiled as he kept gazing at her belly that is carrying their baby.
“Babe? Are you even listening to me?” she ran her fingers through his hair.
He just kept rubbing her belly and placing kisses from time to time and would wink at her when he looked up at her.
“Dimitri” she called his name again and he looked up after some attempt of calling him.
He placed his palm on each side of her and leaned in to peck her on the lips.
“I love you so much Mi bebé” he said and she giggled then put her arms around his neck.
“Yo tambien te amo mi mundo” she replied and deepened the kiss
…
Tears gathered in his eyes and he sank till he was sitting on the floor. His eyes went to the content of the box one more time and the tears fell. Slowly with the remembrance of a painful memory.
“Pricilla” he muttered as sobs after sobs escape his mouth.
***
“Is he fine?” she asked herself out loud and glanced at her phone that was on the table between her bed and couch.
The past two days have been spent on work and worrying about Dimitri. He didn’t call since the time she called and she felt bad and worried at the same time.
She would sometimes laugh at herself for even being worried as he could be enjoying the fact that she wasn’t around and can do whatever he likes.
“I don’t need scandal surrounding my name, the last thing I want to do is destroy the hard work of my father all in the name of a few moments enjoyments so you can be rest assured that I wouldn’t jump on any woman out there”
His usual words to her played in her head and she shook her head then went to sit on her bed.
“I don’t think he would do that. I don’t think so” she said to herself.
Tomorrow was when the event would start and she didn’t want thoughts of him clouding her head. She needed to concentrate and decided to do something that wouldn’t remind her of him. In the meantime.
She called Philip and they talked for a while before moving to Sofia, Aiden, her parents, and in-laws then Earl who called when she was going to try Dimitri’s number again.
They talked for a long time and he apologized for not coming around during Dimitri’s accident and ended up making her laugh.
“You are really hilarious, I was not feeling fresh earlier but you just made it better than I ever imagined.”
“Oh come on, Audri. Stop pulling my legs.”
“I am not, I feel so okay now, thank you so much” she thanked him and he humbly accepted the thanks.
“So, how long will you be there?” he asked.
“Er… about a week or so. I hope turns out to be okay so I can get back home on time”
“Awwn… someone is missing me already.” he cooed.
She rolled her eyes at it and shook her head.
“Earl, remember I am a married woman” she reminded him.
She knew the secret looking at her and paying so much attention to everything about her weren’t just normal man-woman friendship things.
That was how it started with Philip and she doesn’t want to deal with another man that might get his hopes high only to shatter them into pieces.
“Yeah, but what if you weren’t?” he asked in a whisper and she took in a sharp breath of air.
“Earl” she breathed out “No, I care about my husband a lot and I can and would never do any nasty thing to him.”
‘Even if he is a first-grade jerk’ her mind said.
“Even if he is a first-grade jerk” she muttered out involuntarily.
“What did you just say?” she heard Earl ask and she froze realizing what she said aloud.
He did hear? He didn’t?
She was scared he heard what she said and would start asking questions.
“What did you say Audri?”
“Uh… it’s nothing. I got to go, thank you so much for making my day, I will text you later.”
“Oh… okay then, talk to you later and take care,” he said and she nods then switched off her phone.
“Wow, that was close,” she said and her stomach grumbled.
Placing her hands on her stomach she scrunched her face and checked the time.
“Still okay to get a nice meal,” she said to herself and went to change into something more comfortable and left her room to get something to eat.
***
Yo tambien te amo mi mundo – I love you too, my world.
Mi bebé – My baby.