ARLAN’S POV;
I was about heading into another meeting when my phone buzzed. The screen lit up with Saraya’s name. I froze for a second, surprised. She had refused to pick my call but there she was calling me.
I quickly picked up, not wanting to miss the chance to hear her voice. I excused myself while others went in.
“Hello?” I said, trying to sound calm, but then I heard it. She was crying.
“Saraya?” My heart sank. Her sobs were soft and I could tell she was trying hard to contain her tears, the kind that twisted my chest and made it hard to breathe. “What’s wrong?”
Her voice was shaky as she spoke. “Arlan, I think you need to talk to Matilda. Call her to order because the next time she crosses my path like she just did, things won’t end with just exchanging mere words. Whatever is going on between you two has nothing to do with me. I don’t want any part of it.”
I frowned, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “Wait. Did you see Matilda? What happened?”
She sniffled, trying to steady her voice. “We bumped into each other at the store,” she said. “She made it clear I was intruding on her territory, and honestly, I don’t have the energy for this. You know as well as I do that we’ve ended things.”
“Shit,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. Of course Matilda couldn’t keep her ego in check. “Are you okay?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
“Do I sound okay to you?” she snapped, her voice breaking. “I can’t keep doing this, Arlan. Whatever this is, it’s exhausting. I wish you and Matilda all the best in your relationship.”
“What?” I blurted out, shocked. “No, Saraya, that’s not true. Matilda and I-”
But she hung up before I could finish.
I stared at the phone in shock, then quickly called her back. It rang once, twice, then went straight to voicemail. I tried again, but this time, her phone was off.
“Damn it!” I slammed my fist against the dashboard, frustration and guilt swirling inside me.
This was my fault. I should have kept Matilda away from her, “I guess it time I make it clear that she had no right to meddle in my life or Saraya’s.”
I leaned my head back against the wall, staring at the phone in my hand. I needed to fix this, but I didn’t even know where to start.
“I should call Matilda.” I scrolled to Matilda’s number, I paced as I dialed her number, her phone rang but I was directed to voicemail. “Pick the damn phone, Matilda.” I cussed out loud , drawing stares from other who seated.
I sighed heavily, comported myself and thought of my next line of action for a second before typing out a message.
“We need to talk. Now. Call me when you can.”
I hit send and leaned back in my seat, trying to steady my breathing. Matilda had crossed the line, and this time, I wasn’t going to let her get away with it.
I glanced at the time. My meeting was in five minutes, but my mind was already elsewhere. I needed to find a way to fix this. Saraya didn’t deserve to be caught in the middle of this mess.
But first, I needed answers from Matilda. And she was going to give them to me, whether she liked it or not.
*
The meeting dragged on longer than I’d expected, but I barely heard a word anyone said. My mind was stuck on Saraya … Her voice breaking, her tears, her words. And Matilda. I clenched my jaw just thinking about her.
When the meeting finally ended, I didn’t waste any time. I got in my car and drove straight to the Newmans’ mansion, parking a few houses down where I could see the gates without drawing attention to myself.
I called Saraya again. No answer. My fingers drummed anxiously on the steering wheel as I stared at my phone, debating what to do next. I sent her a text:
“Saraya, please. We need to talk. I’m outside waiting for you, please don’t shut me out.”
A moment later, the read receipt appeared. She’d seen it. But no reply.
I cursed under my breath, running a hand through my hair roughly. Every sound my phone makes made me anxious. My head was spinning, trying to figure out how to get through to her, and then, suddenly, an idea hits me.
I got out of my car and approached the Newman’s gate. I crouched low until I got to Saraya’s wing of the window.
It wasn’t the brightest idea, sneaking over to her place this late, but I didn’t have a choice. I needed to talk to her, and waiting until she comes around was the best thing either.
The problem was her window. It was too high for me to reach, even if I climbed. My eyes darted around for something useful.
Then my gaze landed on the loose gravel scattered along the ground. Perfect. I picked up a handful of small stones, testing their weight.
Taking a deep breath, I tossed the first one. It hit the window softly, just enough to make a faint tap. Nothing. I threw another, a little harder this time. The light in her room flickered on, and my pulse quickened.
A wave of relief washed over me. “She is awake, good.”
The third stone did the trick. Saraya opened the window abruptly but before I could get her attention, my fourth stone landed square on her forehead.
“Ah!” she yelped, rubbing her head as she looked around for the culprit.
“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath. “Smooth move, Arlan.”
Her eyes finally locked onto me, and I could see anger etched across her face. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she whisper-yelled, her voice was loud but quiet enough not to alert anyone inside.
“Sorry!” I mouthed, holding my hands up in surrender. I fumbled for my phone, quickly typing out a message and sending it to her.
“We need to talk, please.”
She glanced down at her phone as the message lit up her screen. Her expression softened slightly, though she still looked skeptical. “At this hour?” she asked. “Yiu should go, someone could see you.”
Then I did the unthinkable, it was the only thing I could think of at that moment.
I dropped to my knees, hands clasped together, staring up at her. “Please, Saraya,” I called softly. “I know how this looks, but I’m not leaving until you hear me out.”
Her eyes widened in shock, and I could see her gasp at my action. She bit her lip, looking around nervously. I knew what she was thinking. It would be a series of drama and it would involve a lot of explanation if someone saw me on my knees in front of Saraya but I just don’t care.
“Arlan, get up!” She finally said after her eyes tour. “You’re going to get us both in trouble!”
But I stayed there, unmoving. “I don’t care. I need to talk to you. Please, just five minutes.”
She groaned, shaking her head as if she couldn’t believe what she was about to do. “You’re insane,” she muttered, disappearing from the window and closing it after her.
My heart raced. “Did she just close the window at me?” I asked myself, giving up on my guest of talking to her. I stayed frozen, staring at the house. “Turns out I’m back to square one. It would take more effort to get her to talk to me.”
I was about standing up on my feet when I heard the front door creaked open, and there she was.
Saraya stepped out, walking towards and stopped few steps away from me. Her hair was a mess as it ran across her face but the mess only enhanced her beauty.
If the timing was right, I would have leaned in for a kiss and devoured her at the spot.
“Get in,” she whispered sharply, stepping aside to let me pass. “And for God’s sake, be quiet.”
I slipped inside quickly and could feel the warmth of the house. She led the way to her room while we both sneaked until we entered.
She shut the door softly behind me, then turned.
“You have no idea how much trouble we’ll be in if anyone sees you here, do you?” she whispered, scolding me. “What were you thinking?”
I took a deep breath, my voice low but urgent. “I was thinking that I couldn’t let things stay the way they were. I couldn’t just sit around knowing how hurt you must’ve been.”
Her angry face faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered, her defenses rising back up. “You’re unbelievable,” she said, shaking her head. “Do you even realize what you’ve done? You …” She tried to wal away from me.
“I can’t lose you,” I interrupted, while grabbing her from the back, my voice raw with emotion. “Not again. Not like this.”
She turned, facing me while in my embrace. Her mouth opened as if to argue, but she stopped, her eyes searching mine. For a brief moment, the walls around her seemed to crack, just enough for me to see the pain she was hiding.
“Why are you here, Arlan?” she finally asked, her voice quieter now. “What do you want from me? You should be with matilda.”
I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “Stop saying that, my butterfly. Matilda is my friend.”
“And who sleeps with their friends?” She questioned.
“We were drunk.” I said in defence. “I didn’t mean for us to sleep side by side that night or…”
“Wake up naked the next morning.” She completed the words I was having hard to say. “Is that it?”
“I’m sorry for everything, Saraya.” I pleaded. “I promise to fix everything.”
Her breath hitched, and for a second, I thought I’d gotten through to her. But then she looked away, her shoulders tense. “You can’t fix anything.” She whispered.
Just then we heard an approaching footstep and the both of us froze.