JOANNE-
I let out an explosive gasp and felt as if every drop of blood in my body rose to my face and accumulated around my nose; my heart was as heavy as my head, and I was about to sprint somewhere, anyplace away from the intruder who had grasped my shoulder.
His grasp tightened on me, he took my other shoulder in his other hand, and the hotel lights turned back on immediately.
“Joanne..” A familiar voice called softly.
I turned around swiftly to see Trevor looking at me with a small smile.
“Ah..” I let out an inaudible sigh of relief as I brought my hand to my chest.
“Goodness. You scared me,” I could feel my blood vessels functioning well again.
“I’m sorry,” He took his hand off my shoulders. “I didn’t mean to, I saw you and was about to approach you when the lights went out. And I should have said something when I grabbed you, I just didn’t think fast and didn’t want you to run around in the dark”
I nodded and let myself catch my breath.
I cast a furtive look about before returning my attention to Trevor. He was dressed in a blue shirt and brown shorts, and his hair appeared thin and moist.
Nothing like my stalker, who was clothed entirely in black. Seeing how I was attempting to keep my breathing calm. He gestured towards the chair I had just risen from.
“Have a seat,”
I didn’t argue and just went on to take a seat.
After catching my breath, I was about to ask him what in the world he was doing here when he beat me to it.
“It’s a surprise you’re here. Is Hardy here too?” He asked cautiously.
“Yeah” I nodded.
I looked around the place again, not hoping to see the stalker.
“Is everything okay?” Trevor asked.
“Yeah” I nodded. “everything is fine, the brief blackout and your quiet approach is still shaking me a bit”
“Sorry,” He apologized once again.
We were both quiet for a while before I asked him.
“What are you doing here?”
He shrugged, “Came here to take a break, there’s this campaign going on back at the city, I just wanted to take a break from it all. And this hotel is partly sort of mine?”
I raised my brows.
He beamed. “Yeah, there was this collaboration project Hardy and I worked on once. This hotel was part of it. So this is the place I come to cool after I’ve crashed and burn. But how are you? It’s so good to finally see you, after that night-
“Yeah,” I cut him off. “That night has been the reason why I was so thrown off after you approached me,”
“Yeah. I wanted to know what happened back there. You see… Hardy doesn’t share anything with others. But I consider him a friend. But he doesn’t let me out on things. Despite it being me and him running around the place to look for you. He wouldn’t tell me what went on that night or after he found you.”
Trevor explained.
I looked at my feet hidden in the brown wedge sandals on my feet.
“Well that night I- well there was a misunderstanding and well- I’m here right? I’m okay.” I shrugged.
If Hardy hasn’t mentioned anything to him. Then, it was not my place to.
“A misunderstanding?” He didn’t look satisfied.
“Is something going on with you and Hardy? Is someone out there trying to get something from both of you? Is that why you’re both out here?”
“I-I don’t know how to answer that.” I pursed my lips.
He leaned back and nodded, taking a seat right in front of me.
His lean fingers brushed against his jawline.
“Well… You could start from somewhere.” He pressed.
“If Hardy hadn’t let you out on anything. I can’t” I shook my head, saying it in the nicest way ever.
Just like Hardy had assigned to every other person. I didn’t have to spill the beans just because he didn’t have any dirt on Trevor. Lisa’s death wasn’t a suicide, and I’m very sure only Hardy and those closest to him knew this.
“Okay,” He nodded. “Are you and Hardy okay though?”
Trevor’s question was a bit alarming.
I tilted my head.
“Why do you ask that?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged.
“You both act a bit weird”
I gulped.
“How weird are you talking about?”
“Do you love him?”
Okay.
His questions are becoming a little bit too much. And obnoxious.
Maybe we did talk during the auction and sort of became friends. But we weren’t close enough for him to start asking personal questions like this.
I squinted. “That’s-
“I’m sorry if it looks like I’m prying but. You two seem a bit off. I don’t really like to notice people but the first time I saw you two together, you were both aggressive to each other and I decided to pay more attention to you two and yeah, you only act like couples when it’s necessary.”
Shit!
Who knew he’d catch on real fast.
“Every couple has their ups and downs,” I shrugged, trying to justify our hatred towards each other.
“Yeah. But like, with you and Hardy it’s just downs. No offense.”
How could I actually blame him?
“Yeah, well Hardy isn’t a show and tell person when it comes to relationships” I shrugged.
Trevor looked at me. Like he was holding back a laugh.
Shit.
Did I say anything wrong?
“What?” I titled my head.
He laughed.
“I’m sorry,” He apologized, pulling up a poker face.
“I really don’t mean to be this way. But Hardy definitely is. With Lisa he was every shade of show and tell”
I refrained from rolling my eyes.
“He’s different now. I guess,”
“But are you okay? Do you like him? You didn’t actually get engaged to him out of something he’s holding out on you right?”
My eyes were almost bulging out of my eyes at this point.
Shit.
How much does Trevor Jones know?
“Why are you asking me all these?” I made it sound like I was actually offended.
He made a shift. “Because you both don’t look at each other with loving eyes and there’s a baseless rumor I heard about you two.”
A baseless rumor?
“What rumor?” I pressed.
He looked uncomfortable as he spoke. “One where Hardy got you pregnant by mistake and had no choice but to marry you. And that rumor started because the time frame between you walking into his life and Lisa dying was too short.”
I almost lost my mouth to the floor.
What the heck was that?
People talked about us like that?
I scoffed, not trying to sound offended. Not like I was offended or anything.
“You don’t actually believe that, do you?” I said.
“I don’t. It’s a stupid rumor, I mean. True it hasn’t been long since Hardy brought you here and the pregnancy allegations is just silly.”
Well. I was pregnant.
But he didn’t need to know.
“Rumors will be rumors. And besides We don’t look at each other with loving eyes? How do you look at someone with loving eyes if they’re not me and Hardy” I scoffed.
I should be paid for defending this forced contracted relationship of mine with Hardy.
“I don’t… know.” Trevor was hesistant.
“You don’t know. So how is it possible that you’re able to spot me and Hardy not looking at each other with loving eyes.”
“Because I’ve seen others.”
“And what if they’re just faking it to toss every baseless rumor too,” I rolled my eyes.
Trevor nodded and his lips pressed into smile.
“You’re right” He let his smile linger. “What do I know. I couldn’t even tell my ex-wife was in love with another man.”
He said it like it didn’t hurt, but his eyes told otherwise.
“Oh” I breathed out.
“Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay.” He nodded.
I got on my feet.
“I think it’s best if I go now, Hardy might be looking for me”
He got on his feet.
“Yeah, Sure. glad I met you out here”
I was about to turn when Trevor grabbed my hand.
“Hold still. You have something on-
He stopped talking as his hand reached for my hair, gently pulling my roots to take out something.
We were super close. I could smell how he smelled like the hotel most used lily soap.
“And what in the finest fuck is going on here?”
Hardy’s voice spun me around without it being my intention and I almost fell.
Trevor caught me by the arm. Luckily.
“The fuck are you doing here?” Hardy asked Trevor as he got up to grab my arm.
“Trying to have the best week. You?”
Hardy didn’t give him a reply and just held onto me as we both walked out of the lounge together.
“See you both later” Trevor’s voice called from behind.
Hardy looked down at me as we made it to the elevator.
“Really? Trevor?” He scoffed.
–
*