Some friends we are, we kissed. Twice!
“That was pretty fast,” he suddenly said, and I followed his gaze to see him looking at sleeping Ayden. Our conversation already in the past, I knew that it was going to happen again, but then, I’ll hopefully be prepared to answer properly.
“He can fall asleep anywhere. It’s quite convenient actually,” I mumbled. He nodded before gripping his chin where beard started appearing. Three or four days old, I’d say.
“Do we leave or wake him up?” I asked, and he shrugged.
“I don’t have the heart to. Let’s just lock the car. It’s pretty safe inside,” he spoke, more to himself than me, and I nodded. I trusted Blake. At that moment, I realized that I trusted Blake enough to leave my little brother in his car, alone. That wasn’t my way of adapting; it was a genuine feeling.
Real trust.
It was nice having someone like that in my life. Ayden was one, I wouldn’t even think of doubting him, but Blake is someone I didn’t know since birth. He was someone I met and someone I decided to trust, someone I bonded with…Did it even make sense?
However, what I found out that night was that shopping with Blake could be oddly interesting and fun, and nothing to repeat under normal circumstances.
“Come to think of it, you’ll need some necessities for yourself,” he said and moved me to the part where I could find all I needed.
“I’ll buy what I need some next time,” I told him, but he was already looking at some Venus razors and took a few before I could even say something. Only Blake could do that nonchalantly, even I had problems buying razors and napkins for myself, especially if it was a guy who was the cashier. Blake, on the other hand, simply threw in the casket whatever he deemed necessary and moved on like it was a completely normal thing. Except he was the only person in a tuxedo in the entire convenience store. And it was a normal thing to shop. It was my problem for being shy. I needed to grow a pair.
Shopping ironically took longer than intended, and after some half an hour later, we got all we needed and went to pay, while elderly couples passing by were gawking at us and talking about how cute we looked. I blushed. Blake would hug me or kiss my head, giving them a show to watch while I could only shake my head at him.
He and his need to show off. And a few minutes later, we were finally on our way back home.
It was so strange to know that I now had a home I no longer had to worry about, the one I shared with someone other than Ayden. We were always having problems with rent; I won’t lie. I was always afraid that we’d get kicked out, but now I could enjoy knowing that we’re safe. But back to the shopping deal, Blake was impossible.
“I’m never going with you to shop for my necessities again, Blake! Ever.” I desperately sighed. He once again kept his eyes on the road as he drove. Ayden still didn’t wake even after all this time.
“Why?” Confusion lacing his words, he had a cute frown on his face I was already too familiar with.
“Why? That old woman was glaring at us for all the commotion we made. You wanted to attack her for a single deodorant!” Seriously, no over-exaggerating here.
“She could’ve picked any other. I liked the smell of that one for you.” He shrugged. I slammed my head into the seat, already giving up.
“Blake.” I sighed. There’s no point in arguing with him. I was not really angry at him or something, but he was such a child. To make the thing worse, there was only one of those deodorants left. I had to apologize to the old lady, drag Blake away, and make him shut up and not complain for the rest of our shopping, which was hard, meeting that woman again after every two minutes!
“You won’t win this one, and you know I’m right. We picked it first.” Actually, we picked it at the same time. “She didn’t want to let go of it on purpose!” he exclaimed, raising one of his arms, which terrified me, as he was still driving the car.
“Hands on the wheel, Blake! Both,” I said, gripping my chest, and he chuckled, taking it calmly. He was always careful about driving. Why was I even doubting him?
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I know what I’m doing. I would never be careless when driving.” It was the second time he said that word. I gulped. I couldn’t. It was too much.
“Blake, can you please not use that word?” I weakly mumbled, averting my gaze from him. My hands suddenly became an interesting thing to stare at.
“Which one?”
I opened my mouth to say something but couldn’t. Gulping, I tried again, knowing I had to. We wouldn’t be able to make any progress if I didn’t try as well. He was trying. He even apologized, asked me to move in, marry him, took me to the doctor, and brought me to meet his family. I need to try to be comfortable around him. He needed to know what I didn’t like about him.
“Swee-sweetheart…It’s giving me chills,” I mumbled as his eyes widened. He realized. He thought fast; that I learned about him. He was good at analyzing and had a way with words the way only he knew of.
“I’m sorry…I won’t use it again,” he said, and I nodded, leaning on the window, closing my eyes, and sighing in relief. Good, I could live with that. I was grateful he figured it out on his own. I don’t think that I would’ve been able to explain it myself.
“Munchkin?” he asked.
“Hmm?”
“Is ‘munchkin’ alright with you?”
“Sure.” I nodded, blushing. How the hell did he come up with that nickname, anyway?
“Then it’s a deal.” He gave me his pinky finger, eyes always on the road, and I couldn’t help but laugh at his childish behavior before locking it with my own. Playful Blake was my favorite. With him, I could live.
When we came home, Blake gave me the paper bags and keys of the house as he went to the back seat.
“Go inside. I’ll take care of him,” he told me as he picked him up. I nodded before exiting and heading inside first. “Let’s go, buddy,” he mumbled as Ade clutched into a ball in his arms.
“Thanks,” I told him, and he nodded.
“It’s fine. You go to the kitchen, and I’ll come after I put him in his bed, okay?” he asked and went with a smile as we parted our ways.
“Sure.” Since Ayden’s room was on the floor above, the two of them disappeared shortly after they climbed up the stairs as I headed to the kitchen.
However, nothing could’ve prepared me for the next thing I saw as I slowly entered inside.
A half-naked blonde was sitting on his kitchen counter, and her horrible voice ringed in my ears as she loudly exclaimed before even turning around.
“Blake, honey! I’ve come home. Shall we have some fun tonight?”
Who the fudge was that crazy witch?
Surprises are meant to be part of our lives. They weren’t really different than the future we know nothing about. Both can be pleasing and painful. But there was something so wrong and terrible with stumbling and messing with a surprise set for another.
And fuck my future for letting me face right that.
Chapter 20
I Don’t Love Him
In order to prove yourself that you’re not in love with someone, you have to admit to yourself that you love them first. Because you cannot know whether something is or isn’t if you didn’t even understand it in the first place.
One thing I knew for sure was that the girl who stood in front of me, whoever she might’ve been, wasn’t invited by Blake. In the last few days, all Blake did was either work, sleep, or annoy me, being around me 24/7. Also, he wasn’t at his home for two days, and for some reason, I took that girl to be the one he shagged, the one Alfred and Melissa complained about.
“Now, who the hell are you? Where is Blake?” she asked me, anger dripping her voice as I took it had hints of…what? Jealousy? I took my time staring at her perfectly shaped nose, wondering if it was natural. My first instincts were to get rid of her. And why didn’t I have a nose like that?
For better or worse, I think I knew what to do to find out the
truth.
“Who am I? And who the hell are you?” Seriously, I’m not the one half-naked in your room. Why was she like that? How did she get inside when no one was at home!
“I’m Blake’s girlfriend, and sorry if he brought you here for one night stand. He’s quite the player.” She giggled. I tried to hide my glare, and it was already pretty obvious that she was lying. And come on, his girlfriend badmouthing him?
I remember Melissa complaining to me that Blake was as single as fuck—her words, not mine, so I was sure that she was falsely imposing on me, not to mention that he was also engaged to me. It’s not like he would have had time…At that moment, I decided to go along, to check if her words had some truth or not.
“What? No way. He was so sweet! There’s no way that he could do something so cruel.” I fake-gasped. I noticed a small smirk came up her face. I worked in a family dinner restaurant. I knew how to read moods of people to immediately know if they like what I brought or something, except for Blake.
Blake, I couldn’t read.
“I know. I tried so many times to stop his player ways, but it was useless…I don’t even know why I became his girlfriend. We even got engaged last night.” Yeah right, and I got engaged with his twin on the same day. I was sure with that statement that she wasn’t saying a single ounce of truth.
“Oh God, poor you. I would break up with him immediately, you know. You must be a really nice person to endure that all.” The thing with couples is that they don’t cheat. If they do, that’s not a relationship. They don’t care about each other. They just like the idea of being in a so-called relationship that they didn’t end, so they chose to cheat. If you, after all, love someone, then you wouldn’t even think of sleeping with someone else.
Trying to excuse yourself by saying that it was just a little accident? It takes just as much effort to cheat as it does to get into a relationship. You meet, talk, kiss, keep silent about it, meet behind your partner’s back, still hear from each other, make a deal, choose the place, go there, take off your clothes, kiss again, sleep. And you call that a single mistake? No, that’s all planned thoroughly. You don’t keep secrets like it’s a normal thing to you! Especially from someone you supposedly care about, especially as you keep secrets little by little.
“What can I say? I’m head over heels with him.” She sighed dreamingly. That was maybe the only truth she said, but then again if she were willing to talk peacefully to the girl he brought, then I’d say that she didn’t even love him, just the idea that she’s with him. “I’m Regina, by the way,” she stated. My eyes slightly widened.
Hearing her name only confirmed my doubts about her. She really was the girl Mel and Al talked about days ago.
“Oh, such a pretty name.” Surely, but Regwitch is much better. I had a weird habit of giving people funny names when I disliked them. Blake’s was BlaBlator one time. Don’t ask; I warned you, and he was talking too much.
“I’m Kaley, by the way.” I offered my hand to her. She shook it, and I smiled. She glanced at my hand, and I followed her eyes, which were looking at my engagement ring. Oh, I forgot that one.
“Oh, you cheating on your fiancée?” She had that smug grin on her face I so wanted to wipe off. Not only did I not cheat on him by sleeping with others, but I didn’t even sleep with him either. I’m practically a nun.
One that lost her faith.
I only gave her a huge fake smile I was sure even she would be able to see through, and before I could say anything, Blake’s voice came loudly from the entrance.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Talk about Prince Charming and his timing.
“Oh c’mon, you know why I’m here, sunny.” I cringed. Sunny. No, just no. That nickname and Blake just didn’t go together no matter what. Blake was more of the moon than the sun if we’re gonna look at it like that. He isn’t cheerful or bright as the sun. Neither is he trying to get attention. He is more of the silent yet alluring type, carefully observing yet unknowingly alluring. I could draw that scene—on the balcony, no clothes on Blake, full moon behind him.
For a second, I pushed my thoughts away, focusing on the two of them. I decided to play a bit with him, just to pique his interest.
“How dare you, Blake? Cheat on your lovely fiancée here. Just look at her. How sweet and charming she is!” I mocked in the most serious voice I had. He raised his eyebrow, staring at me like I grew another head. He crossed his arms before switching his attention to me, confusion getting more to him as he finally spoke.
“What the—” he started, but I interrupted him.
“That’s it. Our engagement is over. I’m leaving.”
It hurt. I don’t know why but it hurt so much to say those words out loud as my voice quivered. He stared at me helplessly. I didn’t know what I had done. I was about to correct things when Regina chose to make her presence even more known.
“What?” His voice didn’t bother me as much as his eyes did. I shook my head before choosing to get away, unable to spend another second by his side, believing that I broke something while I shouldn’t have.
“Goodbye,” was all I said before I brushed past him and got out of the kitchen, heading toward somewhere I could be left alone.
I messed up. I messed up. I messed up.
Hearing yells from the kitchen, I walked further ahead. Seeing the familiar doors of his office, I chose that place. I chose to hide there. Why and how, I don’t know.
I think that I just wanted to make Blake control his exes. Maybe it dawned on me that he trusted them enough to give them keys to his house when he didn’t even bother to give me a chance before labeling me as a gold digger. In the beginning, I thought that if he found me, I could go babbling how he hurt me with the way she treated me; more lies will make him feel guilty, and then he’ll learn his lesson. I didn’t know.
I no longer knew anything.
Was I actually jealous of that girl? To be jealous, I had to love Blake, but no, I didn’t. It simply liked him and felt grateful for him for giving me a home, nothing less and nothing more.
I had to admit I found him handsome, and that was probably why I liked him. I was slightly attracted to him. I found it interesting how he could be sweet from time to time. But I didn’t love him.
How could I say that I loved him when I didn’t even understand him at all? Maybe in the far future, I could fall for him, but not even that was sure. That was not how I envisioned my future. It was not how I saw my relationship with Blake.
Hatred. Yes, that’s what I thought I would feel, but no. Why? Why was it that my heart tore apart when I saw that look on his face? When I saw how hurt he was?
All I could feel about him is gratitude. All I could do with him is to confide.
I sighed, wondering as to what was he doing to me. I couldn’t think properly about anything with him on my mind, and it’s definitely not because I loved him or something.
“Kaley!” Hearing his voice from the outside of the office, I wondered if I should stay or go to him.
“I’m here.” I realized what I did only after I said that. My voice betrayed me as I called out to him, giving my position away.
How do I face him?
I screwed. I really screwed this one.
“Kaley! Where?” It was too late, anyway.
“Your office.” My voice once again acted on its own. The doors opened, revealing the reason why my mind had been so occupied for days now.
“Look, I swear I didn’t know that she’s here. I haven’t talked with her even since I found you that day.” He didn’t scream at me or something. He was the one that was scared instead. His eyes wide, he didn’t bother to hide his feelings as he came closer to me. He kneeled down, and we were face to face. I was hugging my knees. He didn’t know how to approach me.
I screwed up.
“It’s alright, I know,” I mumbled, my head hung low in shame. He didn’t fake it. He was genuinely afraid of my reaction.
I screwed up.
“I swear I…What?” His fear went away. Then confusion covered his face. How could I say anything to him now? How could I dare to do so? I wronged him.
“I guess that—no, I never really doubted you, but I decided to go along with her lie. I don’t know what got to me. I’m so sorry. I made you worried for no reason.” No, it wasn’t supposed to go like this. I couldn’t follow my plan. I could no longer even remember my plan as I faced him. I just knew that I didn’t want to lie to him anymore. He didn’t lie to me. He never…
“Damn it, woman. I was scared shi—I mean, don’t do that ever again, alright? You have really made me worry—” His face softened. I only stared at him. Why? Why was he so…“Kaley, oh God.” The next thing I knew was that his fingers were on my face, wiping away the tears I didn’t even know were there.
“I’m sorry…I–I’m just so confused…” I didn’t mean to say that. His hands went around me, hugging me, embracing me in his warmth. He had so much to give to others, yet he seemed like he knew nothing about that. Like he didn’t know how big of a person he really was. Why? Why was it that his face looked so hurt when I said I was leaving him? I was nothing to him. He didn’t love me. I was just his arranged fiancée. A mother to his future son. No deep feelings between us.
Stop.
My mind went back to what it did best: forgetting, letting go of every single feeling I had, and focusing on something else. I changed the conversation.
“What is the story behind her arrival here, then?” I asked. He pulled away and sat beside me.
“Oh that,” he started. “You know that I wasn’t a saint, right? I mean, if you heard anything about me,” he said, and I nodded. I was rather familiar with that story.
“Yeah, Mel told me a thing or two about you before.” That one was true. She just never said who he really was when she was talking about Blake. She’d mostly talk about him not being able to settle down and all that crap.
One Night Stand with a Billionaire Page 18
