What are you hiding?
Taylor’s pov
Upon finding Larisa asleep on the bed, I noticed a nearly empty bottle of wine on the floor near her bed and also an empty glass cup. Curiosity piqued, and without wasting time, I picked up the bottle and took a sniff, immediately detecting a strong alcoholic aroma and even before sniffing it, I could perceive the aroma.
"This must be a very strong wine," I murmured, feeling upset because everyone believed Larisa had retired to her room for some rest and recovery from the alcohol she drank at the event yesterday.
When did she start behaving like this? If I were to reprimand her, she would accuse me of the same misconduct. Anger arose inside me as she had disrupted my plans of coming to take her to my parents.
In secret, I confided in my brother and parents about my intention to propose to her soon. My mother expressed her desire to have a conversation with Larisa before they departed from the hotel. How could I inform them that the person who claimed to be experiencing a hangover had resumed drinking? Annoyed, I reached for my phone and dialed Larisa's closest friend, Bridget.
"Hello, Bridget. Please, don't withhold anything from me. How did Larisa start drinking? This is completely out of character for her."
"Drinking? I don't understand. Larisa isn't typically fond of alcohol. I'm genuinely surprised to hear that she's drinking."
"She's currently intoxicated as we speak. However, I didn't ask you to inform her. You're her closest friend, and I'm certain you can persuade her to stop if she engages in such behavior."
"Are you absolutely sure about what you're saying? Is Larisa truly drunk? I find it hard to believe."
"Do you doubt me? Let's switch to a video call and see for yourself." I said as Bridget’s tone of voice showed she was doubting me.
"Okay," she replied, and after a brief pause, we transitioned to a video call. I presented a view of Larisa lying on the bed, contrary to my expectations.
"Can you see for yourself?" I showed Bridget the video, revealing Larisa's state as she rested on the bed, prompting a response that contradicted my own thoughts.
"Don't you think she might be going through something incredibly challenging? That could be the only reason why she would resort to excessive drinking like this." Bridget said.
"I understand your point. Let's pretend this call never happened, and under no circumstances should you mention it to her."
"Okay, Taylor."
With that, I concluded the call and stood there, contemplating Larisa's situation, recalling Bridget's words. What could she be thinking? As I continued pondering Larisa's circumstances, a sudden realization struck me—my parents were waiting for both of us. Hastily, I turned and exited the room to meet them, trying to move faster with my crutches. A few minutes later, I arrived at my parents' room, where they were preparing to leave.
"Where is Larisa?" my mother asked.
"She's asleep. She needs the rest, and it will help her recover," I explained.
"Okay, what a pretty lady, whenever you're ready for the surprise engagement party, we're open to your invitation," my dad replied, a big smile lighting up both my parents' faces. My mum took a step forward and embraced me.
"It would have been nice to express our gratitude to your girlfriend, who has been there for you according to what you said. Please, when she wakes up, let her know how thankful we are for her support," my mum said.
"I will tell her," I assured them, unable to follow them to their car due to my injured leg. I walked over to the window where I could see them, and after about five minutes, my parents emerged from the hotel. I waved at them and waited until they drove away before returning to Larisa's room.
When I got there, Larisa was still fast asleep. What should I do? Everyone who had come for the occasion had gone home. As I sat on the bed where she was sleeping, various thoughts crossed my mind. Should I wake her up? Or perhaps carry her to my car and manage to drive her home? I paused, contemplating which idea was more suitable, and suddenly, another thought sprang to mind, making me smile to myself.
"That would be great!" I couldn't help but say it aloud, glancing at her to see if my words had stirred her from slumber. Unfortunately, I didn't have the ring with me, and I hadn't even purchased it yet. The idea of proposing to Larisa while she was asleep and surprising her with the ring when she woke up seemed appealing. However, I also wanted an engagement party.
I closed and reopened my eyes, returning to my previous thought of carrying Larisa to my car. If only my right leg was not injured, I would have lifted her myself. Or should I seek assistance from one of the hotel staff? Hmm... That wouldn't be ideal. I wouldn't feel comfortable with a hotel staff member carrying her so intimately. The best option was to wait patiently. Besides, once we got home, who would help me carry her out of the car?
After an hour, I noticed Larisa's phone ringing. At first, I hesitated to approach her phone. When the call rang again, I stood up and reached out to answer it, but the call ended. Nevertheless, the phone was already in my hand and I had the opportunity to check who was calling.
Why is Dylan calling her phone? Has he arrived? But he hasn't called me first as his brother. As I was about to return to my comfortable spot on the bed where I was sitting down, my eyes caught sight of Dylan's wristwatch on the stool near the table.
Perhaps Dylan was calling because of his wristwatch. As soon as her phone rang again, Larisa woke up abruptly and was shocked to find me in her hotel room and not just in her room, I was holding her phone. Her eyes were red, and upon seeing her phone in my hand, she demanded,
"Give me my phone." She sat down, placing both her legs on the floor.
I waited for her to compose herself, but she didn't bother to check her phone to see who was calling. Instead, she lowered her face towards the ground, clutching her head with both hands.
"What are you trying to hide from me?" I asked, and she immediately looked up at me, but remained silent.
"I've been your boyfriend for some time now, and I can tell when things are going wrong," I continued, hoping she would open up. However, she stayed quiet. She slowly stood up, arranged her short gown and grabbed her bag. As she was heading towards the door, I hastily interjected,
"Why are you trying to keep the truth from me? I can sense when something is amiss, and you know exactly what I'm talking about., and that was the reason you got yourself drunk.”
She glanced at me, and I observed her actions, realizing she was determined to shut me out of whatever she was going through. Just as she was about to leave, the thought of Dylan's wristwatch came into my mind, and I uttered,
"You're forgetting something."
"What am I forgetting?" she asked nonchalantly, leaning against the door frame. As I was about to respond, I received a text message from Dylan. It read,
"I'm just coming out of the airport. I have arrived..." This could explain why Dylan had been calling Larisa, and my face was still fixed on the screen of my phone when Larisa interrupted my thoughts.
"What did you want to say that I forgot?" Larisa asked, her voice growing louder and her tone filled with arrogance. It infuriated me, causing my right hand to involuntarily clench into a fist, but there nothing I could do but to quickly say,
"Who does that wristwatch belong to?" I pointed towards the stool near the table. That moment, I noticed how her lips slightly parted and her eyes dilated. Her feet seemed glued to the floor. I saw how my last statement shifted her demeanor, and she hastily adjusted her posture, grabbing her bag that was on the verge of slipping from her grasp.
"Are you ready to tell me what's going on now?" I demanded and it was as if I had won an argument.
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