chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-Four

“Hey…” I felt a strong finger ping gently on my nose, rousing me awake, as the gruff, seductive voice of Brandon called out to me.

I was lying on his right arm serving as a pillow for me, and my hands spread daintily on his heaving chest. I looked confusedly at him, blinking rapidly to adjust my eyes to the light in the room, at the same time, trying to roll away from his side. He was peering down at me with a weird grin plastered on his face.

“Sleep well?” he asked, but I turned shyly away from him.

“Why are you here?” I asked instead with the grumpiness still evident in my voice?

He raised his eyebrows questioningly, “This is my room?”

“But I’m your guest.” I murmured with a sour expression.
He gave a throaty chuckle, “You don’t like it here?” His raspy voice crossed the silence between us as he tried to pull me closer to him, teasingly.

“Let go!” I gasped, hitting his hand away as I skipped out of bed, trying to run away from him, while he laughed heartily at my reaction. He seemed to be a different shade of himself this morning. A young, carefree Brandon, with a beautiful face and cheerful smile. He looked happier, fulfilled even, like he had won a lotto. What was even making him happy huh?

If Mia were here, she would’ve said “Blame it on testosterone. He released too much.” gosh! Mia had such a vibe! I hate that I miss her, and I hate the fact that I have a fault against her too, so I cannot fully be angry with her.

Like, I am caught in a situation where I am half mad at her and half guilty towards her. I really can’t have any of these feelings towards her fully. When I am mad at her, I still feel a pang of guilt eating away at my heart, and when I feel guilty, that surge of anger for her betrayal washes through me still. Well, you could safely say we both were betrayers, we both betrayed each other.

Even though mine was totally a mistake and I do not fully remember how it happened, I woke up from a memory of a dream and saw myself with a dagger in my hand with blood dripping from it, and blood splattered all over my face, hands and body, with Gin lying lifelessly in the pool of his own blood. That image has since haunted me, and I’ve still not been able to get over it. The image of Galena Fields being a murderer haunted my mind daily in different forms. Something simply found a way to remind me of that trauma, taking me back in time to where I never wanted to be.

But… even if I were to tell Mia all about it, how do I even start? How, tell me how?

“Back to earth, Galena.” Brandon snapped his fingers in front of me, restoring me from my reverie. I was totally lost. I stared at his half naked body laying regally on the bed, with the blanket covering his lower body from his waist downward. He looked enticing, seductive.

A beautiful red spot like a ribbon caught my eyes from the side of his bed I was lying on. It indeed was my blood, I must have left a stain while sleeping. My eyes gaped in horror at the realisation, as embarrassment and terror surged through me, flushing my cheeks red. I couldn’t just let him see that, for fear of him teasing me with it for the rest of my life, or even worse, making nasty comments about it in every serious moment of my life.

An idea crossed my mind, and before he could form the words in his mouth, I flew right beside him, landing on my butt directly where the stain was. He looked surprised and amused by my reaction.

“I thought you were a businessman?” I said pushing him fiercely, though he barely moved, “you’re gonna be late for meetings! Go ahead, prepare!”

He laughed heartily, feeling both amused and enlightened by my reaction.

“I thought you couldn’t wait to fly into my arms,” he whispered seductively with a big grin plastered on his face.

“Stop being naughty and go to work! If I were your boss, I’d have you fired for this!” I threatened with desperation in my voice, and he laughed again.

Jeez! I was cracking no jokes! I just wanted him out of here, why can’t he just leave!?

“I thought you were my boss, Miss Galena?” He whispered huskily, inching closer to me. He had a lascivious glint in the depths of his ashen eyes. “Why don’t you fire me up baby?” his voice was growing husky with desire, “fire me up like cannons.” he said with his lips teasing my ear. Oh no! Don’t do this to me Brandon.

“Stop!” I screamed in terror, trying to control the desire that was exploding through me. “You need to leave, now! I want to be alone!” I quivered.

He had a surrendered look on his face as he shrugged with an evil smile, “alright Ma’am. I’m leaving!” he said as he sat upright in bed, ready to leave. He glanced at me again, as if studying me one last time, before letting out a dark, dark, chuckle that sent shivers down my spine.

“You are really unpredictable, Galena.” He noted with a thoughtful expression on his face as he regarded me.

“You are really unpredictable, Brandon.” I remarked, shooting a glare at him. Can he just leave already? What exactly was he waiting for!?

He smiled with a lopsided grin before pulling the blankets from off his legs, revealing his fine, athletic legs, with well shaped muscles that curved sculpturally, giving him a modelled, god-like look. Everything about him was just charming, fictional. The only part of him that was far from charming was his entitled self. I completely hated that entitled Brandon, but I could make do with the boyish, carefree Brandon, anytime, anywhere.

Wait… I hope I am not falling in love with this cute devil? Certainly not.

He had a I-will-deal-with-this-later kind of look on his face as he got up to leave. His shorts hung loosely on his waist, somewhat making him seem ethereal, and desirable. I slapped myself mentally from having such ill thoughts, when I was to focus on how to make him leave quickly so I could get myself cleaned up.

He walked towards the door and unlocked it before stepping out, making me heave a sigh of great relief, and sit upright in bed, ready to get the stained bed clothes off the bed before he could get back. I quickly got down from the bed and started pulling out the bedclothes, but they seemed too tightly fitted, and were taking eternity to come off.

I grunted angrily, flinging the blanket on the floor and trying to raise the mattress from the frame in a bid to pull off the bedclothes, but I immediately heard his voice from behind me, making me freeze in time and melt at the same time. How did I not hear him coming in?

“What are you doing Galena?” He seemed to be amused. “Trying to be a cute wifey here, eh?”

Oh God! Save me!

I gently put back the mattress in its place and turned to face him with an embarrassed, defeated look.

“Why are you here?” I asked almost in a whisper with defeat evident in my voice.

He cocked his head to one side regarding me, but before he could say anything else, he seemed to be attracted by something behind me and raised his head to look past me. He clasped his hand over his mouth trying to suppress the laughter that was welling up in his throat as he looked amusedly at the bed behind me.

I stood transfixed to the spot as I fondled my hands nervously in embarrassment, daring not to look at his face. He seemed to be enjoying the moment, and I could hear his throaty laughter chasing out the gripping silence that held me.

“That’s a beautiful red wine over there, you should squirt some more!” he remarked and I flung the throw pillow at him, but he ducked with his hand getting the hit, while he laughed heartily. I glared daggers at him, and if eyes alone could kill, he would’ve been six feet under.

“Don’t kill yourself over that. I’ll just have my maids change it.” he said with a victorious, big smile.

“Whatever!” I spat under my breath still waiting for him to leave so he wouldn’t see the stain on my pyjamas, but as if he could read me, he said; “ don’t worry about that. I saw all of it earlier.” he smirked at me with a knowing look.

Noooo! My subconscious cried. Brandon!

“Go get cleaned up.” he nodded towards the bathroom with a kind smile.

“I hate you!” I screamed at him before running off towards the bathroom as I used my hands to shield my butt as I ran, and he laughed heartily after me.

“Would you join me for breakfast or you’ll have yours here?” He called after me.

“Here!” I screamed back at him, not looking back, before dashing into the bathroom and locking the door behind me.