by Lannah Smith
I was still aware that I was secretly despised by most of the people in this party but they were loath to say so anymore. Terry had expressly told everyone I was her friend. And no one would dare be rude to any of her friends. She was helping me. Protecting me in her own way. And I didn’t like it. I wasn’t comfortable with her help.
I tried to keep my expression neutral and with supreme indifference to the curiosity my appearance was once again generating. I focused on my dinner, focused on not laughing when Christopher kept muttering funny anecdotes about some of the guests to me and focused on not giving Sophia, who was seated directly in front of me, a smile. Give this woman an inch...
Rohan glanced at me over the table. "Are you going to frown all night?" he asked like this had been bothering him all the while.
I gave him a saccharine smile. Then I dropped it and looked pointedly away.
"She's pissed, isn't she?" I heard Rohan ask Christopher. Emilia giggled beside me and I gave her a short look to tell her what I thought about that.
Christopher appeared to give that some thought. I elbowed his side gently and he chuckled.
"I'm not pissed, I'm tired," I declared. "When are we going home?"
"You used to enjoy parties," Emilia reminded me.
I sighed. "To terrorize people, yes. I can't anymore, can I?"
It was meant to be a joke. But Hannah's eyes honed to me, narrowing. She didn't think it was a joke nor did she think I was funny. Will, on the other hand, was trying not to smile.
I noticed John's grim preoccupation then. He was standing a few meters away from us, half-listening to whatever Leon was telling him while he stared at Terry’s way. Terry was talking to her brother and a pretty brown-haired woman by his side. Leaning close to Christopher, I whispered, "What is wrong with Steele?"
Christopher lifted his glass to his lips and said, "Terry."
I wasn't surprised. "She's ignoring him."
"Yes."
"You know why."
He brought the glass down on the table and smiled. "Yes."
I didn't ask. Their relationship wasn't my business. Laying my hand over his, I said, "One hour and we're gone alright?"
"No way," Emilia spoke, wrapping her arm around mine. "We're all going to the after party. John said so."
"You're pregnant, you idiot," I reminded her irritably.
Rohan looked at me and mouthed a thank you. I sighed and shook my head.
Christopher was watching Terry. I looked at her too. She was done talking to her brother and was walking towards us with an exasperated look on her face.
"They still won’t admit they’re dating," she announced at us.
Sophia grinned. "I think they’re doing that to annoy you."
"I bet it was Iris’s idea," she grumbled. "She’s fortunate I love her with all of my heart. I just want them to announce their wedding soon."
The word wedding had John’s expression morphing. He looked like he was battling explosive rage that was tearing him apart. Everyone saw this. Everyone but Terry.
"What about our wedding, sweetheart?" he asked quietly behind her. “When are you going to announce it?”
She didn’t even look at him when she shrugged.
"Who's watching Maria?" she asked Sophia, putting a hand around her shoulder.
Sophia gave John a worried glance before answering, "My parents. But we're going home after maybe an hour, okay?"
"It's okay.” She patted Sophia with a smile. “I'm just happy you came."
“Well someone else isn’t happy tonight,” Hannah muttered as she pushed William’s glass away from his reach.
“What was that Hannah?” Terry asked.
“Nothing,” she muttered. “Will, no. You’ve had enough. We still have an early flight to catch.”
William gave her an amused look. “That was just my first, darling—.”
“No is no.”
Still battling with himself, John grabbed a glass of wine from a passing waiter and finished it in one long swallow. Leon stared at him with concern in his eyes. Rohan stood up to murmur something in his ear. Christopher tried to make the mood light by telling them a funny joke about an investor.
They tried to deviate from the topic but it had awakened a curiosity.
And this curiosity got the better of me when Emilia started to talk about her wedding plans and John's expression turned pained.
"Aren't you getting married?"
The conversation around me stopped.
I had all their attention but I was looking at Terry. She tried not to look uneasy but failed.
"We... don't have such plans yet," she said.
Sitting back and crossing my arms, my gaze slid to John. "But I heard from Christopher that John's already proposed to you."
"April..." Emilia murmured in a warning tone but I didn't heed her.
“Is this about your mother?”
It didn't sink in immediately but when it did, Terry's face turned white.
"Are you fucking insane?" Hannah hissed, jumping out of her chair. William had to grab her arm to stay her.
My brows drew together. "That would be her mother, isn't it?"
"Jesus Christ," John clenched his teeth, looking at Christopher. "Shut her fucking mouth or I swear to God, Skull—."
I ignored them. "You seriously don't believe you'll turn out to be like your mother when you become a mother too, right?" I asked Terry again. "Because that would be a pretty dumb reason not to get married."
"There really is nothing but ice underneath your pretty surface," she returned with contempt. “I shouldn’t have helped you—.”
“I didn’t ask your help,” I cut-in. “Now let’s go back to the topic, shall we?”
She closed her mouth and started to tremble. At a glance, her hands had formed into fists.
It wasn't me who only noticed.
"April, stop," Emilia begged me with tears in her eyes, clutching my arm. “Let it go.”
I turned my head to her. "She's not denying it."
Sophia stood up to protect me when Hannah tried to launch herself at me again.
"You bitch," she hissed, struggling against William's grip. "You fucking bitch. I don't know what Skull sees in you. You never did change."
"Aren't you going to interfere?" Rohan asked Christopher, helping Leon hold a furious John back from me.
Christopher didn't answer. He looked over their heads, like this was something he wasn't going to get involved in.
Because he knew.
He knew I was right.
People were turning our way because of the scene that I had just created. Terry tried to slip unnoticed, unable to contain her emotions any longer but Hannah shrugged William's hands off her and followed her, calling her name. William followed them both.
John took a step back from me, back stiff, fury contained and Rohan finally let him go.
"I don't care if Christopher's my best friend, I will ruin you myself if you speak to Terry that way again," he muttered coldly.
"You know your little threats don't work on me," I replied with scathing mockery. "I'm already ruined. Nothing, not even Christopher can save me.”
Smarting from my snide tone, he leaned to say, “You bitch—.”
“But your future marriage still can be saved, John." John's head jerked back and the fury gave way to confusion. I looked at him square in the eye and went on, "Because if it's true then you have one hell of job to do, convincing her that she's not going to be just like her mother. That she'll be a wonderful mother. That she'll be able to love her child, your child, once she gives birth. Because if she can forgive and love an asshole like you and try to befriend a bitch like me, then she has it in her to love completely and unconditionally."
It was stupid.
They had each other. For years they had each other’s love and commitment and it was stupid to let this one issue come between them. I’d learned from Christopher that keeping secrets would only bring nothing but pain
. More pain as each time passed by.
Stupid. But I understood Terry enough to know it was hurting her too.
When I stopped my little speech, it took a full minute for John and the rest of them to react.
John's reaction was to pull me up from my seat and give me a tight embrace, making me squeak. Then he pushed past Rohan and Emilia to look for Terry.
Emilia was laughing so hard at the harassed expression on my face Rohan began to worry. "You just put him through hell just to give him heaven, April."
Sophia was shaking her head but she was smiling. "It wasn't nice but it was time John knew."
"You mean you knew of the reason?" Leon asked her a bit incredulously.
"She was afraid to hold my baby. She's actually afraid to hold anybody's child, Leon. And I just knew her trauma..." she drifted off, looking sad.
I felt Christopher's lips on my hair and my head turned to him. He was smiling at me. Pleased and relieved. I took his hand and pulled him away from the table and out to the hall.
"I didn't do it because I was trying to fix their relationship," I whispered to him once we were alone. "I was just curious."
He laughed. "Of course, you were."
Embarrassed, I looked away. I did feel partly responsible for Terry’s fears, having taunted her about them when we were still in high school. And thought I wouldn’t say we were friends, I acknowledged that she was indeed on my side, making sure I could reinstate myself back to society without difficulties. I did owe her.
"I told you they bring out the worst in me," I mumbled.
“Terry will thank you once they finish their argument later,” Christopher told me.
He waited for me to admit defeat but I stood there in stubborn silence, refusing to agree. He chuckled. I sighed.
"Fine. You made your point. I don't particularly appreciate having to admit it so please just shut your mouth.”
“You like them," he said softly, sliding his hand around my waist, curving my body into his arms. “Admit it.”
“I have nothing to admit,” I grumbled, sliding my hands up his jacket. “But I will say they’re not as annoying as I think they are.”
Someone cleared their throat. I turned my head to Rohan. He tilted his head towards Emilia and Sophia who stood beside him, staring at us with huge grins. "They wanted to make sure you didn't leave."
I groaned. "I take it back. You're all very annoying."
Sophia laughed. "Can we borrow her, Skull?"
"Don't you dare say yes—."
"Have fun with them, honey," Christopher said, pushing me towards them.
Oh, he was going to pay for this.
Emilia and Sophia both had their arms around mine and marched me back inside, muttering about missing the performance of the guest singer for the night and how I shouldn’t miss the cake that was about to be served.
The guest singer couldn’t perform that night however.
Because when it was her turn, John and a happily crying Terry announced their engagement, the bright diamond on her hand shining across the room to where we were.
Chapter 67
Christopher came home around nine in the evening. He was stiff and exhausted from sitting at his desk for long hours. Loosening his tie, the elevator doors slid open and he entered to find Klay leaning against the wall nearby, looking as exhausted as him.
He stopped and frowned.
"What did she do this time?"
It was Jaehyun who answered.
"Miss Locke had visitors," he said, his lips twitching.
"Who?"
"Some high school acquaintances of hers."
Christopher's brows lifted. "Acquaintances?"
This time, Jaehyun grinned.
"She doesn't dare call them friends, she said, since she wasn't exactly friendly with them."
Looking at Klay, Christopher asked, "But what happened to you?"
Klay shook his head, as if rousing himself from his stupor and straightened from the wall.
"She didn't give us any warning that one of her visitors was Nick Fuentes."
"That doesn't explain why you look so done in," Christopher said, perplexed.
Exhaling low, Klay muttered, "He was sitting too close to Miss Locke."
Ah.
Christopher started to laugh. He could already imagine what happened.
"Are we having a party here, sir?" Alec said behind them and he turned to see him step out the elevator. "Why are you all standing here?"
"Nick Fuentes came by," he told him.
"And?"
"Klay tried to hit him."
"Jesus Christ, that was stupid."
Klay leaned back against the wall. "He took me down in just two seconds."
"Fuentes came by with Miss Emilia and a certain Finn Goodall," Jaehyun explained. "They spent the afternoon catching up with each other. Fuentes asked me to tell you to set a meeting with him soon because he and Goodall are going to England next week."
"Set it up, Alec," Christopher muttered, moving inside.
He heard Alec dismiss Jaehyun and Klay for the night just as April appeared in the great room. He immediately smiled. She scowled.
"Emilia is set on making me the maid-of-honor," she muttered, coming up to kiss him. "Abigail is going to hate me even more."
"She's not going to hate you," he assured her. "You know she spoils her older sister too much."
"That's what's making Emilia so damn stubborn," she peered over his shoulder to Alec, "Have you two eaten? I saved some food for you."
Alec promptly said, "I'm just here to drop some documents. You two can eat without me."
Looking at Christopher, she said, "Order him to stay. I'll go prepare the food."
Then giving him another kiss, she left for the kitchen.
Christopher slumped down on the nearest chair. "You heard the lady. Stay."
Alec growled. "You're not giving up, are you?"
"The results are now in my office. Second filing cabinet, third drawer."
"Damn you."
Giving him a side-look, he said, "She likes you enough to make you stay for dinner. That's a start."
Alec had no answer to that and went into the study, clenching his jaw.
"Sophia is helping me enroll for online courses," she was telling him as he ate dinner. "It's pretty much self-paced and I'll easily earn academic credits if I decide to go to university."
"That's good, honey," he told her with a smile. "If you need anything, just tell me, alright?"
She looked at Alec who had been quietly eating his food. Her brows pulled together. "I'm planning to use my trust fund so that it won't just sit in the bank. You really don't say a word to me anymore, do you, Alec?"
Alec. He'd recently been an Alec to her and not Jackman anymore. He didn't miss this. Nor Alec.
Alec lifted his gaze. "Why does it matter?"
"Because I didn't want to believe that you'd become prissier once we came back just like Christopher said," she told him.
"I'm busy," he said with a shrug.
"From the way you're greeted by the other men, I can tell that he's well thought of," she went on, turning to Christopher. "When our problems are all over, you have to give him more freedom. He's older than us. He also needs to get married."
Laughing probably would make Alec strangle him so Christopher pressed his lips together instead.
"Don't you have a girlfriend, Alec?" April kept on hounding, intent to get a proper response from him.
Alec frowned at her. Still, he answered. “No.”
She let out a pretty sigh. "You'll get your just desserts then when you find her." she paused for a second then said, "Or him. I'm sure you don't discriminate."
A muscle in Alec's jaw jumped out. This time, Christopher couldn't hold back his laughter even if he tried.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, Miss Locke, but I can't get it up if it's not a girl," Alec growled.
She studied him for a few moments. “Don’t you want
a girlfriend?”
"I don't. I don't want to have a weakness others can exploit."
