Part B: Chapter 31

***Sean’s POV: Seven Days After Jemila Left***

“Lila,” I called, feeling frustrated with everything. I missed waking up and having my gem right there next to me but now she was back in Carmichael’s arms and there was nothing that I could do about it.

“What do you want?” Lila asked, standing by my bedroom doorway with her hands on her waist and a scowl plastered on her face. “If you want to whine then find someone else to do it to, I have important things to do and taking care of you isn’t one of them.”

I sighed audibly and rolled onto my side on the couch. “You know, whenever you are in trouble or crying about how Aidan isn’t answering any of your calls, I’m always the one helping you through that but when I need you to comfort me, all I get is someone who needs an attitude adjustment.”

I heard her footsteps and the closing of the door. “Look, I warned you about her but as always you never listened to me,” she said and then I felt the dip of the couch and she then lifted my feet and placed them on her legs. “But I had to tip him off that you had her, no hard feelings?”

I quickly sat up, pulling my legs from her and then glaring at her. “What do you mean by no hard feelings? You are the one who told him about her being her, you told him I was the one who kidnapped her. Just what the hell is wrong with you Lila?” I growled, getting angry with her. “I am always helping you but when I finally find happiness you just had to take it away from me, didn’t you? You don’t like seeing me happy.”

Lila rolled her eyes which only made me angrier. “I did it for your best interest, you shouldn’t have gotten attached to her in the first place,” she countered, looking at her nails with a bored expression. “Get over yourself already and move on.”

I stood up, feeling the anger taking control but I had to control myself, she was still my little sister. “You have got to be kidding me. How was that in my best interest? I lost the first woman I actually liked.” I was pacing back and forth, not able to look at her without wanting nothing more than to squeeze her neck as I watched the life out of her dwindle. “Does everything always have to be about you? I help you clean up all the messes you make and if it wasn’t for me, Carmichael would have found out what you did to her but I covered that up for you because that’s how much family means to me.”

She just rolled her eyes yet again, placing her feet onto the coffee table with that bored expression of hers. She picked up the remote and began scrolling through the channels as if I wasn’t talking to her. “I don’t ask you to help, you do it because you want and I don’t complain about it. So sweetie, that’s your fault, not mine,” she replied, not even looking at me. “Besides, I figured if I helped her escape, he may think differently of me and only hate you which is a win in my books if you ask me.” Lila finally turned her head to look at me and she had a smug smile.

I opened and closed my mouth, trying to find the right words to say but nothing came out. I hadn’t realised just how evil and uncaring her really was and I had spent most of my life protecting and defending her from every negative thing that people said about her. But now, standing here in front of her, I realised that they had been right and I had been foolish to believe that she could change and that she wasn’t such a bad person. Without saying anything to her, I walked into my room, grabbed my phone and wallet and walked out of the room. I had to figure things out.

I heard her call out to me but I kept walking. I couldn’t be bothered by her anymore because I finally knew who she was. She wasn’t my little sister, she was the reason why I had so many enemies.

I got into my car and just sat there then without thinking much, I called him. I wasn’t sure if he was going to answer but I had to try and thankfully he picked up on the fifth ring.

“What do you want?” he sounded pissed and I couldn’t blame him.

“Can we talk? I have something I need to tell you and I know your anger is justified.”

“Damn right it’s justified after what you did.”

“That’s why I want to talk and clear things out. Meet me at the spot we first met.” And then I hung up.

I started the car and drove off to the place where I had made both a friend and an enemy.

*****
I hope you know what you are doing. I was nervous of how this would go down.

The waiter brought me a glass of scotch and then left as I looked at the door, waiting for him to walk in. An hour passed and he didn’t show up, all hope started to leave but just as I was getting up, the door swung open and he walked, dressed in all black and usual and then his friend followed behind him.

You have got to be kidding me, did they think I wanted to attack him or something.

His eyes found mine and he changed direction, walking to where I was sitting.

“Really, you had to bring your lapdog with you,” I said with a sigh. “What did you think I was going to do to you?”

He sat down and his lapdog took the other seat, beaming and finding all of this funny.

“You should be thanking him else I wouldn’t have shown up,” Aidan replied. “But he gave some compelling arguments on why I should come and listen to you.”

“Besides, I go wherever he goes, we are a package deal,” Carter added with a smirk.

I took a deep breath, this wasn’t the time to argue. At least he showed up to listen to me, that was all that mattered. “Fine, thank you for coming,” I finally said. “I need to apologise about everything that happened. I don’t know what Lila told you but I wasn’t the one who kidnapped her, I rescued her from Lila because she would have killed her and if I’d let her go then Lila would have still found her. It was the only way I could protect her but somewhere along the way I guess I fell for her.”

Silence, but what else did I expect?

“I know you don’t like me anymore but trust me when I tell you that I would never do that to you. Once upon a time we were friends until we weren’t.”

I saw Carter nudge Aidan to say something but Aidan was just glaring at me, looking furious.

“You expect me to believe that crap? Why would she call to tell me you had her if she was the one who kidnapped her in the first place?” he growled, almost getting up from his seat but Carter kept him seated.

“Because she thought that would earn her some brownie points with you,” I groaned in frustration. “She wants you to marry her after all and she will do whatever it takes.”
Aidan’s veins were throbbing with anger but Carter kept him at bay which I was thankful for.

“He’s telling the truth you know,” Carter added, “Jemila told me everything and she told me he was protecting her, so cut him some slack for a change.”

Aidan turned on him. “What the hell Carter, you are now siding with him?”

“I’m not siding with anyone but simply telling you the truth,” Carter replied with an eye roll as he picked up my glass and drank its contents. “This is good scotch, that’s why I love this place.”

Trust Carter to make everything into a joke. But at least he had confirmed the fact that I was telling the truth.

“That’s all I wanted to say and I’m truly sorry about what happened after,” I said as I stood up, pushing back my chair. “For what it’s worth, I hope someday we can be friends again.”

“Baby steps Sean,” Carter said.

I nodded and walked away then remembered something and I turned back around. “One of your men helped Lila kidnap her, you can start from there.” And then I left.”