Chapter 27

Alex finished giving his report after two hours of long intensive interrogating by another set of policemen, they too gave him the same response the other officers gave saying they are going to be under the protection of the police until Skyler is caught.
"Right now that's the best option, leave the rest for the law, don't try to be a superhero" Said the officer.
"I'm just so worried about my pregnant wife," Alex said anxiously.
"Technically she's not your wife, you dismissed her as your lover on national television.... I mean we all watched it so what changed?" Asked another policeman, Alex could see the others in the station concurring as well to the question. There was no way he could avoid answering this one.
"My ex lied to me about my lover and I believed her fake stories but now that I know the truth I am willing to do anything for her after she forgave me and gave me another chance" Alex twisted the story for his own benefits, no need to tell them more than they need to know.
"You're lucky she has a good heart if it was me or some women I know they would've rained insults on you the moment you try to apologize" A policewoman said from her desk which was kinda far from the conversation but she still chirped her opinion from across the room.
"Man you got a lover with a good heart, you better not hurt her again or else......... I'll leave you with that" Another policewoman added
"I will make sure of that" Alex said, putting on an awkward smile to show he was embarrassed by all this type of attention but the officers were not letting up.
"You nosy women should stay out of this!! Mr Montero I would stop by your address to observe which location would be best to set up our surveillance hideout well before then it's best to keep this from the public eye because it's was a juicy story already without the attempted murder so if they hear about this the media would be all over your ass....... That's exactly why Skyler needs a perfect cover for her to achieve her melancholic goals" The sergeant drank his coffee after his small speech leaving Alex to face the predators in the form of officers that want to hear the full story and the gossip policewoman at the front desk.
"Mr Montero, are you leaving now? How about that meal you promised me?" The fat policewoman at the front desk asked, she was the one for food.
"I'll get you a surprise meal when next I visit the station Patricia I won't forget I promise" Alex gave her one of his best dashing smiles as if to reassure her.
"No problem sir, have a nice day" She waved him farewell.
On his way back from the station Alex pondered about what Eva had told him earlier, 'Skyler the killer' He couldn't believe his college sweetheart had become such a menace over a short period of time, to the point she even planted hidden cameras in the house...... Who could have done that Alex wondered. He ran through a list of external outsiders who could be working for Skyler but he came up with nothing.
'All those people are innocent, they can't be working for Skyler' Thought Alex. He turned the car to a fast food drive thru window to order food for himself and Petra as a compensation for coming home late, he planned not to tell her the bad news yet.
"Honey you're back, how did your meeting go?" Petra asked Alex as he entered the house.
"It went well my dear, the board members loved the new innovations. Where's Liam?"
"Oh I guess he must have called you then, he's in the guest room go see him and I'll have dinner ready in a minute"
"Don't worry yourself pet I bought dinner for us, here go microwave the pie" Alex handed the polythene bags over to her.
"You came prepared," Petra chuckled.
"It's late and I don't want to stress you out my love...... Where's Emily?" As soon as he said those words he heard laughter coming from the guest room, he looked at Petra questionly and she gave a sheepish smile.
"I'll be in the guest room, let me know when you're done microwaving dinner" Alex walked briskly into the guest room and he saw Emily laughing really hard on Liam's lap with a glass of red wine in their hands.
"Oh hey Alex, what took you so long? I've been waiting for ages" Liam said slightly slurring in his speech, he was a little bit drunk and Emily was too.
"You wouldn't miss me, you have a pretty dam to keep you company" Alex gestured at Emily sitting on Liam's lap.
"Liam has been the one keeping me company, I haven't done nothing but laugh all night" Emily laughed again as if to prove her point.
"Sorry to cut your fun short Em but me and Liam have some men talk to do, go help Petra with the dinner"
"Okay, let me know when you're about to go so I can see you off Liam" She pecked his jawline before heading for the kitchen while humming a tune which sounded a lot like a Nicki Minaj song.
"I see she has a fancy for funny guys like you" Alex said after Emily was out of earshot.
"She was kinda lonely staying upstairs all by herself, other than Petra that is"
"Glad to see she's having fun with you" Alex said, making Liam smile but it was short lived.
"How is Eva doing?" Liam asked solemnly, looking at Alex.
"The doctor said she lost a great deal of blood but she's strong and she'll be discharged soon we hope, did you tell Petra yet?"
"No no I didn't, I kept it discreet..... So how did it happen?" Liam asked with his eyes shining.
"Skyler unexpectedly came back from her trip, she confessed to Eva that the trip was fake and she only traveled because she wanted to watch our moves from the hidden cameras she had someone plant in our house... " Alex paused because of the look on Liam's face and asked a lot of questions at once.
"Oh my gosh, do you think she's watching us right now?" Liam whispered looking over his shoulder as if they were being watched right now.
"Calm down buddy, I don't know yet but what's important right now is finding who planted the cameras, I haven't had a faintest clue on who it might be" Alex said furrowing his brow in thought.
"Hey, what about that maid that you said was acting suspicious one time...... What's her name now Clarion?"
"Her name is Clara, you might be right.....she was acting sus one time when we caught her trying to eavesdrop on our conversation...... Speaking of which I haven't seen her in a long time now" It's all coming together now Clara had been the agent all along, acting like a background character in a movie she used her unimportance to hers and Skyler's benefits, Nobody would have suspected her if only she hadn't given them a reason not to be trusted.
"I will make further investigations but for now don't let Petra know about any of these recent happenings, I will tell her Eva went for a wedding of an old friend in another state, Eva would have to lie as well because I'm sure she wouldn't want her sister to worry about her during such times"
"I understand Alex with the pregnancy and all she might pass out if she hears her sister was almost murdered" Liam said understandably, as he finished his sentence Emily burst into the room with Petra following close behind.
"Dinner is set boys, Come let's go eat Liam you look skinny" Emily said making everyone laugh, She exited the room dragging confused Liam by his wrist.
"She has a thing for him doesn't she?" Alex asked Petra who was in his arms now.
"Yeah she does, ever since the revelation he's the only thing she talks about and she thinks he came to visit because of her........ Why did he come anyways? it seemed like something urgent" Petra looked into Alex eyes making it harder to lie.
"Oh huh, well he.....uh wanted to hear the news about my meeting firsthand" He lied, she could see he wasn't telling her something but she decided she would ask later.
"I've been wondering, where is Clara?" Alex asked her, glad for a subject change.
"She was very ill so she went back to her hometown to get some local treatment, she said she can only recover there....... Anything wrong honey?"
"No dear everything is fine, I was just wondering why I haven't seen her since. I'm starving dear I would love to eat now" Alex said rubbing his stomach for emphasis.
"Well go take off your suit, wash your hands and come join us at the table. We'll wait for you but you'd better hurry up if you want to eat some of the scones I baked this afternoon," Petra said, galloping to the dining room.
'So after her dirty deeds the cameras was the last job she had to do before running off to reduce suspicion, smart move Skyler you and your subordinates are playing this dangerous game well but two can play at that game' Alex thought to himself ways he can protect Petra from his evil psycho ex girlfriend, how can he find the cameras in the first place? That's the most important thing he has to take out her eyes and ears if not they'll be two steps behind Skyler. The thing is where and how would they find it?.
Skyler closed the curtains of the room she rented, it was a shabby hotel with good rooms and poor furnishing but it was the best option if she intends to stay off the grid cause by now the police would be looking for her, she offloaded her clothes, her laptop, and a 4.4 Semi automatic Desert Eagle handgun which she had bought from an illegal vendor. As she took her shower she reflected on the murder she had committed earlier today, Eva her very own best friend had betrayed her and she suffered for it so why is she feeling so sad about it? Why is her hand shaking when she touches the stainless steel of the shower handle? The whole thing replayed over and over again in her head and she blamed Petra as the cause of her mishaps, if she hadn't have that affair with Alex things would have been normal, Eva would be alive, Alex and her would be happy and Petra would find love and be happy too but no, Petra just had to fuck things up. Skyler made up her mind she was going to kill Petra in the most terrible way, stabbing her would be too boring, shooting her would be too quick, poisoning her would be too easy and even more boring, for Petra no death seemed good enough.
After showering her hate for Petra quatripled, she was oozing out hatred like a heavy cologne choking innocent passersby, she was so engulfed in her thoughts of hatred that she didn't hear the knock on her door. The knock came again this time more pertinent.
"Who's there?" Skyler said, rousing from her thoughts.
"It's me, the hotel chef, I am here to know what you would like to eat, ma'am" Said the voice from the other side.
"Give me a minute" She wore a robe over her still wet and dripping body then advanced to the door, she got a shock when she saw the brown skinned hunky stud standing at her door with his chef outfit a tad too small for his large toned biceps, Skyler stuttered what sounded like "Oh My Lord" and the hot chef smiled biting his lips as he accessed her wet body from head to toe.
"What would you like to eat, miss?" The chef asked again.
"Are you on the menu?" Skyler asked seductively.
"That can be arranged........ For a good price" He said, showing her his set of perfect white teeth.
"Any amount spent on a chunk of chocolate goodness like you is money well spent" She said pulling him inside, Alex had already chosen Petra over her so right now she wasn't anybody's property so she's free to do as she pleases but as of the moment she's the one about to be pleased. Revenge is sweet but revenge sex is even sweeter.
Emily thought about Liam all day and night and in her thoughts everything came into a brighter light, his eyes, his hair, his perfect teeth and smile. To Emily Liam is an angel sent to remove the pain of her past from her broken life so she reverses him highly, she makes it obvious that she's in love with him but there's just one problem.
"So you're saying his girlfriend is coming back from her trip soon?" Emily said quite unable to believe that her cupid was about to be reclaimed by his rightful owner.
"Yes I'm pretty sure that's what I just said" Petra said quite confused.
"But you said she was going to be on her trip for a while so what changed?".
"Well she said she might be done with her work over there sooner than she thought so....... wait is this about Liam?" Petra asked with an inquisitive eye.
"And what if it is?".
"You have to stop this lust over someone else's man, It would lead you to destruction" Petra chided her.
"And who's going to destroy me? That feeble Arianna? Oh please!!" The sarcasm in her voice had a lot of incentive behind it.
"You can have any other guy but why Liam?".
"I can't explain it alright, there's a way he makes me feel...... as if I'm no longer a sinner-"
"Now I know that you are officially over your head, how can he make you feel that way? Is he an angel or something?" Petra said laughing.
"Well laugh all you want it changes nothing and besides I can tell Arianna doesn't give him 100% satisfaction in bed" Emily said rolling her eyes, Petra's mood turned serious after Emily's comment.
"You don't know that..... You can't know that unless you sleep with him, which you haven't done since last time I checked!" Petra was getting furious now and it's not just because of pregnancy mood swings.
"Calm down alright sheesh, I haven't done that I know but I can tell from his behavior that he has not been receiving the special treatment which he truly deserves" Emily purred the last part seductively to make her point clear.
"Okay now you're just being weird".
"Call it whatever you want to call it but I believe the French people call it..... Love......." Petra was getting exasperated now and she made it obvious.
"Look I don't have time for this, I came here to ask you if you are going to accompany me to the grocery store?".
"No way I'm letting you go grocery shopping with that bump on your stomach" Emily loved teasing Petra about her bump.
"I'm pregnant but I'm not handicapped!! Ever since Clara went on sick leave you have been the one doing most of the chores-".
"And I am not complaining about it am I?" Emily cut her short.
"You are such a sweet plum for that but I want to go out of the house and see the city, feel the outside breeze you know....... I just feel suffocated".
"How won't you feel suffocated with that computer monitor that's in your stomach?" They both laughed for a while before Emily finally agreed to take Petra to the grocery shop.
"Finally you are seeing the reason..... Alex can be unreasonable at times. I mean why keep me indoors all day...." Petra muttered to herself as she dressed up, rushing back and forth without a proper direction. As Petra dressed Emily's mind strayed again to Liam, wondering what he was doing at the moment.
"What are you smiling about?" Petra asked Emily who didn't know she was wearing a wide smile.
"Oh..... Uhhh nothing it was a funny meme I saw" Emily lied about her thoughts, of course she had been thinking about Liam.
"You were thinking about him weren't you?" Petra eyed her suspiciously, Emily flinched before answering nervously.
"What!! No, I have other things on my mind, are you set to go?" Emily asked, hoping to change the subject.
"Yeah I just need to get my scarf".
"It's a sunny day, what do you need a scarf for?".
"It might get draughty".
"You know what? Just act as if I never asked".
Emily went downstairs and Petra followed her quite slowly moving one step at a time, panting and groping the hand rail as she descended.
"Come on, you slowpoke!! You're pregnant, not handicapped remember?" Emily laughed at her as she pathetically climbed down the stairs.
"Haha, very funny," Petra replied in a sarcastic manner.
"Remind me not to ever get pregnant, it's already too much work watching over you so it's going to be even harder being the pregnant one" Emily teased Petra as she grabbed the keys from the counter and made her way to the car.
"Where do you think you're going with those keys?" Emily asked her as she walked past.
"To the mall duhhh".
"Let me drive the car as usual".
"I can drive myself Emily...... I'm not handicapped remember?" Petra used the line on her again.
"Well played Mrs Montero, I see you have some fire in your spirit" Emily said, giving up at last, Petra can be adamant sometimes.
"Thank you, now buckle up and enjoy the ride".
The drive to the mall took longer than expected partially because Petra was driving like an old granny and the traffic wasn't helping matters at all. Emily had almost fallen asleep by the time the car came to a jittery stop.
"Uhhhh....... What happened? Oh we are finally here?" Emily rubbed her eyes as if she had been sleeping for a long time.
"I see you are feeling very jovial and in a mood to make jokes".
"Ahhhhh come on loosen up a bit" Emily playfully punched her arm and Petra winced.
"Ow! That hurt" Petra rubbed her shoulder.
"You are no fun at all, this pregnancy is killing your vibes" Emily got out of the car before Petra could hit her with her bag.
"Slimy bastard!!".
While inside the mall Petra was plagued with the terror of decision making, she could not choose between pork or lamb, blue or green, soft or hard, even hot or cold. Emily got tired of walking around with her so she took a stroll amongst the other aisle and as she was about to turn round a corner she bumped into Liam, her guardian angel.
"Woah easy with the chest dude" She said boyishly making him laugh exposing his fine set of whites.
'Okay I'm wet' Emily bit her lip hard as their bodies contracted in a tight hug.
"Emily!! I didn't expect to see you here. Where's Petra?" Emily was lost staring at his face, quite unable to reply to him just yet.
"Well.... Uhmmm she's buying some kitchen utensils from the other aisle, she refused to let me do the shopping by myself".
"Oh I see".
"What are you doing here Liam?" Emily asked, eyeing his basket.
"I came here to get a pack of beer and some vegetables for the soup I'm making later tonight".
"Oh I never knew you had culinary skills, I would like to taste your disaster" Emily laughed at the thought of seeing Liam in an apron.
"Well I might surprise you one of these days".
"How about tonight? Come by our place and cook it for everyone, Petra, Alex and me the chief judge" Emily pitched her shot nicely and she knew it was going to make a hit.
"Uhhmmmmm..... I don't know...... Maybe I would drop by" Liam awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, he wasn't used to cooking for a mass of people mostly the Montero household and Emily.
"Come on it will be fun and besides Alex won't like to hear that his best friend refused to have dinner at his place".
"Okay now you got me in a tight spot, okay wait how about this? We go and eat at a restaurant you like and we'll have dinner another time " Emily thought about this, just her and Liam alone eating at a restaurant she likes! What could be any better.
"Yeah sure that would be fun" Emily said smiling, her cheeks were redder than before.
"So I'll pick you up by five o'clock?" Liam said checking his watch, it was almost as if he was expecting someone.
"Five is a little bit too early for a date don't you think?" Emily said not getting why a date that should be from 7 o'clock till 10 starts from 5?.
"It's not a date Em, we're just eating at a restaurant together....... As friends' ' The words hit Emily like a cannonball to her chest, her demeanor changed and all of a sudden carrying the conversation on wasn't in her spirit anymore.
"Oh my gosh Liam is that you?" Petra said, wheeling her shopping cart towards their direction. Liam returned her smile with an even wider one.
"Hello Petra, how are you doing today? Vibrant as always I see" Liam greeted her back.
"Can't let pregnancy stop me from spreading love as usual".
"You have a lot of shopping to do I see, why didn't you give her a hand Em?" Liam asked Emily playfully but she wasn't in the mood to play now.
"I was just leaving," She said coldly, walking away from them. Liam and Petra looked at each other confused.
"Ain't that a sour puss?" Petra said laughing.
"She was smiling just a minute ago, I don't know what happened to her just now".
"Well I'm just about to go pay for these and head back home, It was nice to see you again Liam" Petra said, rolling her cart towards the cashier's counter.
"Please tell Emily I'm coming to pick her up by 5 o'clock sharp, thanks" Liam waved a very dumbfounded Petra off.
Emily sulked all the way back home refusing to say any word about Liam or talk to Petra. Petra left her alone throughout the entire ride back home but she couldn't take it anymore when they got inside the house.
"Are you going to continue this immature game of yours?" Petra asked Emily with an angry face.
"You wouldn't understand! The person you love loves you back so you can't feel my pain" Emily cried at her, the words shocked Petra so much that she forgot that she was supposed to be angry.
"Oh my dear, is it about Liam?" Petra came to her side rubbing her back comfortingly.
"Yes!! He asked me to go on a date with him but it's not actually a date, just two friends eating at a restaurant!!" Emily couldn't believe that she could be friendzoned, it was usually her friend zoning guys not the other way around.
"He has a girlfriend Em you can't just expect him to betray her love just like that".
"I get what you're saying! So if I gradually show him that I am better than Arianna he would leave her for me" Emily said standing up suddenly making Petra jump in fright.
"I'm not sure that's how it works".
"What are you saying? It totally works, I mean it worked for you didn't it?".
"Now that you mention it..... Yeah it did" Petra said, giving up.
"But your case and mine are entirely different, you might end up pushing Liam away if you try too hard," She added.
"Trust me Petra I won't try too hard".
"He told me he would come for you by 5 o'clock sharp so I would better start getting ready if I was you".
Emily checked the time and saw that it was just an hour and a half away from 5 o'clock so she ran upstairs and started preparing for the 'friendly date', what Emily wore was the opposite of what a friendly date appropriate dress was supposed to be like, a thin strap pencil gown which was far above her knees with a slit exposing her luscious thighs, the gown was embroidered with tiny black diamonds which glittered round her shapely figure whenever she moved.
"Don't you think you are a bit overdressed for the occasion? '' Petra said in awe.
"Don't talk like a mom Petra you're not fully one yet" Petra threw a pillow at her but she nimbly dodged, Petra was about to throw something else if the door bell hadn't rang.
"It must be my date," Emily said, rearranging herself, adjusting her hair and checking her gown for creases.
"If only you paid this much attention to cleaning the house!" Petra said spitefully.
Emily opened the door to see Liam in a T-shirt and Nike track pants which made him seem like an athlete even more. Liam was struck with awe of her beauty. She had applied light makeup but she was looking totally different from when he saw her earlier. She had taken her time on every little detail even down to her shoes being shiny black like her diamond embroidered gown.
"Cat's got your tongue," Emily said seductively.
Liam gulped down a hard lump in his throat and let out a huge sigh, it was going to be a long evening.
Liam adjusted his pants for the fourth time that evening, Emily was making it hard to breathe down there. His eyes raked her petite body up and down again as he drove towards an Italian restaurant on the other side of the town.
"I'm going to roll up the windows if one more guy whistles at you" Liam threatened playfully as a guy whistled at Emily from across the traffic.
"Jealousy much? I like it when you're jealous, you look cute" Emily pouted at Liam like a small child as a mimicry of his current face.
"It's not jealousy, it's just that most of these men have wives at home and here they are whistling at you as if you're from the meat market".
"Liar!! Don't try to disguise it, I know you think my dress is hot".
"I do, you know what else I think? I think you're a bit overdressed for a friendly eat out".
"Oh so that's what we are calling this huh?" Emily said, offended.
"It's not a date Em so get that thought out of your head" Liam reminded her.
"It was never there in the first place!!".
"You sound pissed, maybe some ice cream would help" Liam pulled the car to a halt. The restaurant wasn't very fancy but they cooked good food and that was the main reason Emily had chosen here because it brings back memories of when she used to come to her university days before..... That happened.
Liam placed their orders and poured out some wine for himself and his "date" as they waited. The waiter returned with their food and they set to work with their meal before starting any conversation.
"How long have you been single?" She asked after laughing so hard at his last joke which was about a frog and a dumb princess.
"Well I was single for about a year before I met Arianna, what about you?" Of course he was going to throw the question back at her: how did she not think of that?
"Well.... I've been here and there but never been in a relationship with commitment involved. My luck perhaps?" Emily gave a nervous laugh, she hated talking about herself and she was two times nervous when the person she was talking to is Liam.
"I don't think so, I think you are scared of commitment, falling in love isn't hard it's just something you don't want to do".
"Okay Mr love therapist, did you ever think the reason might be because every guy I actually falls in love with is either taken or they can't date me because they are scared to hurt me?".
"Truth be told, No I did not think of that..... It would be alright Em your chosen one would come" Liam rubbed her in an attempt to comfort her but Emily was having wild thoughts.
"I don't want to bore you with my sob stories-".
"No actually I wanna hear them and I think I have some to share as well" Liam looked into her eyes in a compassionate way that made Emily want to forget about girl code and make out with him right there and now...... If only that was possible.
"Okay but you go first" Emily said brightening up.
"Why me?" Liam asked, surprised.
"Firstly I'm kind of shy and also I would like to hear your embarrassing stories".
"You're a hard one to deal with".
"My mom used to say that" Emily gulped another glass down and turned another glassful for herself, it was going to be a long evening for poor Liam.
"Well..... I got an embarrassing moment from my past... You don't want to hear it I swear" Liam was fighting the urge to burst out laughing and that made Emily even more intrigued.
"Tell me please".
"Fine...Okay...... But just don't spill your drink out of laughter" Liam warned her, laughing still.
"Tell me I can't wait anymore".
"In fifth grade I got beat up by a girl" Liam paused because Emily had spilled her drink out of laughter, it took her a while to calm down after drawing the attention of other customers.
"I'm sorry.... I'm sorry..... I just can't..... What?" She gasped trying to be serious once again but failed.
"Just listen alright, she was an eight grader and she was twice my size" Liam gestured with his hands.
"So you got beaten up by a fat girl?" Emily started laughing again.
"I am starting to regret telling you this" Liam wasn't laughing anymore, he had just told her his most embarrassing moment and she just laughed at him like he was a wimp for not hitting a girl.
"Liam I'm so sorry I kind of lost it there, please go on I promise to take you seriously this time" Emily rearranged her composure quite embarrassed at herself for laughing at her "date" in such a manner.
'You just had to laugh like a jackass! Really Emily?' Emily gave herself a mental facepalm.
"It was lunch time and some pranksters had the habit of sticking a 'Kick me' sign on any unsuspecting victim, Caroline was the victim this time and she was out to punish the offender" Liam paused to check if Emily was paying attention.
"But you weren't the offender were you?" Emily urged him on.
"No I wasn't, she asked who stick the sign on her back and I was pointed out by the pranksters as the culprit, I thought she was only going to scold me or maybe call me names but she didn't do that instead she dived me to the ground and pummeled my face with slaps and blows" Liam's face went red in embarrassment as he remembered the terrible experience.
"Oooouuuu, I didn't see that one coming" Emily covered her mouth with her palms cringing till the end of the description.
"She was a feisty one but why didn't you defend yourself?".
"For one reason she's a girl and the other is because I knew that after the beating I was going to transfer all my painful aggression to the pranksters".
"I like the chivalric mister Liam, did you beat the pranksters afterwards?" Emily said with her eyes shining in admiration.
"Yes I did, every single one of them" Liam made a cracking sound with his knuckles which made them laugh.
"Now it's your turn, tell me your most embarrassing story" Liam looked deeply into her eyes, piercing her soul making it impossible to lie to him or try to fake a story.
"It's not just embarrassing..... It's pain filled as well" Emily said sobering up.
"Go on, I'm listening".
"Okay...... Here it goes......" She took a deep breath trying to calm her jittery nerves. The story she was about to tell has haunted her for so long but she hasn't been able to open up to anybody.
"After Skyler paid me off I went to my aunt's place in Nebraska, There I stayed lowkey and acted perfectly like a local of the town, I told my aunt about the rape and she promised to take me if only I got a job and started to fend for myself without getting into her way. I agreed to the terms and conditions partially because the money Skyler gave me was enough for me to fend for myself and also because I got a job in the first week I got into the town".
"Charm will take you anywhere I see" Liam commended her for making her smile but it was short lived.
"I became popular in the town because of my polite way of attending to customers and the vibes I spread out from the bar to the rest of the pub. I started earning more than my aunt so she started getting jealous. Anytime I asked her if there's any payment or anything she needs to be taken care of she will always say no and start talking about who's the head of the house blah blah blah".
"She was jealous of my popularity and whenever we went out together I always got more attention from men than her, it reached the tipping point when she saw her lover trying to force himself on me at a cinema ladies bathroom" Emily's voice broke as she tried to swallow the lump building in her throat.
"Oh my goodness how did it happen?".
"Me and my aunt went to a cinema to watch a movie. She was going with her lover and I was the third wheel. My aunt went to get some popcorn while I went to the ladies bathroom to urinate before the movie started. Unknowingly to me I was being followed by her lover, he entered the bathroom with me and blocked the door with a chair...... He tried to rape me...... I fought back...... I didn't let him do it........ My aunt caught him forcing himself on me but she didn't say the truth to the locals instead she said I forced myself on him and she told them about the rape incident which she had promised not to say anything about....." Emily was crying now and Liam quickly handed her a handkerchief.
"Thanks....... The person I once loved became the most hated in the local area. I ran away from the town at night without saying goodbye to anybody...... It was so horrible, I was alone, cold and somber.... " She couldn't go on and Liam didn't urge her on, he waited patiently as she dabbed her eyes and wiped her face clear of any sign of tears.
"Who knew I'd be crying on my first date? " She said trying to laugh it off, it was a feeble attempt but Liam followed up with it.
"I guess you aren't really the emotional type huh?".
"Even if I get punched in my nose I still wouldn't cry" Emily laughed again.
"I guess there are some things that hurt more than a nose punch.... " Liam stared into her eyes again and for a moment everything stopped moving in Emily's radius, she felt the sudden urge to kiss him again.
"I'm glad I finally have someone to talk to after keeping it a secret for so long, thanks for listening to Liam" Emily smiled at Liam disarming him for a second or two before he regained his senses.
"Hey, what are friends for right?" Liam said winking at her, Emily felt the moment was right for her to confess her feelings but she was stopped by Liam's ringtone, The caller's name was displayed boldly on the screen. LOML.
"Hello kitty boo, how is it going?..... Oh you are at the airport already? That's awesome!! I'm coming to pick you up right now".
Emily watched as her perfect date got ruined by Arianna's return, Liam got up to leave but then a sudden thought came to her head.
"Liam, can I come with you to the airport? I would like to be among the first people she sees when she comes back and also send my regards from Petra..... You can drop me off when we are going back" Liam felt something fishy but he disposed of the thought.
"Sure you can come" Liam wished he hadn't said that.
Liam talked about Arianna all throughout the drive to the airport, what angered Emily more than that was the fact that she had to sit in the backseat while Arianna gets to be in the front observing Liam in all his angelic glory. Emily wasn't going down without a fight.
"So how was Miami like Arianna?" Emily asked coyly.
"It was fun, I enjoyed the weather, the culture and the vibe of the place".
"And the beach too?" Emily asked with a brow raised.
"Oh my gosh most especially the beach, I go there to get my tan on" Arianna said giggling.
"I'm sure those guys were having a hard time applying the lotion without touching some areas" Emily emphasized on the touching part for her own benefit.
"I applied the lotion myself thank you! Besides that was the only time I got to show some skin but you look like someone who enjoys walking around half naked" Arianna turned in her seat to eye Emily's dress, Liam came to her defense.
"You shouldn't judge what a woman wears! It's her choice-".
"Oh so you are on her side now?" Arianna exclaimed in surprise.
"I'm not on anybody's side, all I'm saying is that you wouldn't like it if somebody judged what you're wearing".
"What were you two doing together anyways?".
"We were eating at a restaurant-".
"On a date huh!?".
"No as friends, just two friends eating and chatting there's nothing involved, why don't you ever trust me.....".
"I trust you but I don't trust her!!" Arianna pointed at Emily who was quietly enjoying the disaster she had caused.
"What did I do this time?" Emily entered the conversation again.
"Oh please spare me the fake innocence, I know this was supposed to be a friendly eat out but you dressed as if you were planning to seduce my man" Arianna said bitterly.
"What!? I had no intentions of doing that, if I was trying to seduce anybody it would be someone single not your man!".
"Liar!! You were planning to seduce him just like you did to Alex!! I know all your slinky tricks" Arianna's words shattered Emily to pieces, her biggest insecurity, the most scarring moment of her life had just been used against her emotions.
"Stop the car! I'm dropping off here" Emily said coldly with tears welling up her eyes.
"No I can't do that because your house is just a few blocks away".
"I SAID STOP THE CAR!!" Emily's scream startled them out of their bones, the car stopped and Emily got out, Liam looked angrily at Arianna.
"Why did you have to say such a thing?" He scolded her.
"I don't know...... I'm so sorry..... I didn't want to lose you.. Arianna pleaded, getting all emotional.
"I'm not the one you should apologize to!".
"She wouldn't listen to me, please beg her for me..... I was so stupid, I wasn't thinking straight....... Her gown was just so hot so I thought she was trying to get your attention".
"Do you think she would have succeeded if she tried? Babe what you said was very insensitive and I'm sure you have damaged her self esteem right now by accusing her of trying to seduce Alex..... Meanwhile she was the victim" Liam drove home in silence, he was very unhappy at the way things turned out.
Emily walked a few miles before she found a cab, she regretted following Liam to pick up Arianna and now she despised her even more than ever. She had told Eva that she didn't want much people to know about the rape incident but Arianna was considered family amongst the Montero's household. Emily was done with love now but she still couldn't get him out of her mind, Liam still troubled her thoughts every second of the day she longed for him.