Chapter 33 — Her Boyfriend

“He looks decent.” I and Sarah glanced at the man in the black suit who was standing just beside our table like a robot. “Not only decent but handsome too.” She passed him a seductive smile, but he didn’t respond to her.

“I feel strange that he follows me everywhere, even in the restroom,” I murmured so that he couldn’t overhear us. Henry had hired a special bodyguard for me, despite Joseph. Joseph wasn’t that enough, as he hired one more follower to follow me around. I signed with frustration. I hated being followed around.

“You know Henry has been behaving differently for a few days,” she said while sipping her coffee.

I frowned in confusion.

“Alice. Be honest with me. Are you doing something with him? Something magic?”

I laughed at her silliness. “Are you crazy, Sarah, I’m not a witch.”

She straightened herself as watching a group of teen girls walk past close to our table. “I told you, Alice, he is different. I-I mean he never smiled in his lifetime, but now he is smiling. He smiles when he deals with his clients. He smiles at his employees. And yesterday he was laughing with my father.” She was talking about him as if she was talking about aliens.

She continued. “You know when I used to talk to him. I felt like I was talking to a stone. He had no emotions and his face was expressionless. But now I feel like I’m talking to a real human.” She chuckled. “He had never taken a day off or delayed his work because of someone, but he took a day off so that he could spend time with you. Doesn’t he behave like a loving husband?”

I rolled my eyes and didn’t say anything, just sipping my coffee. I didn’t have to say anything, anyway.

“Something is going on with him.”

“Something what?” I frowned.

“Something like he is into you,” she mumbled and glanced at my bodyguard for a while. “Maybe he loves you.”

I almost threw my coffee at her. “Excuse me?”

“He’s into you.”

“You think so, Sarah, but I don’t think he feels like that,” I said, brushing away the tingly feeling in my tummy.

“Alice, I know my cousin is cold and harsh with you, even with the entire population of the US. But…” Her eyes softened. “I want you two together.” She placed her hand on mine. “I know you like him.”

I quickly withdrew my hand. “I-I don’t know Sarah,” I lied. I loved him. My heart was racing whenever I thought about him. “And he doesn’t like me. He is just trying to be nice. And doesn’t he already have a lot of pretty girls around him to please him? Why would he think about me?”

“But he has never taken any of them to a hillside or his stable let alone postpone his work. He has never given priority to anyone before his work, but he gave it to you. I’m telling you, Alice, he has changed, and he looks different. I don’t know the reason behind it, but as far as I can tell, it is you.”

“I don’t know whether he likes me or not, but if he is happy because of me, I am glad. And I will do my best to always keep him happy.”

“I know because you like him or maybe you love him,” she teased.

I looked away. “What?”

She was already watching my every movement. “Nothing,” she said and passed me her cute smile like she knew what’s going on in my mind.

I glanced at my watch. “Let’s go, we must leave now.” I grabbed my bag and stood up. “Harley must be waiting for me.”

“Harley!” she blurted, “don’t you know?”

“What?”

“Harley went to her maternal aunt. I don’t exactly know where she is staying but it might be Tuscany.”

“She is in Tuscany? Why? And Vivian doesn’t take a bother to tell me!” I was angry with him. Why didn’t he tell me? He could have told me.

I sat back and rested my hands on the table. “Alice. Are you okay?” Sarah asked.

“Yup.” I looked back at her. “I feel really bad for Harley. I wanted to meet her. Do you know when she’ll be back?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. All these things are upon Vivian’s mind. Whenever he wants to bring her back.”

“But why did he send her to Europe?”

“I do not know.”

I caught a man who was sitting behind our table, watching us. He was in a black hood jacket, black sunglasses, and black jeans. I couldn’t describe his face because of his hood. Why was he watching in our direction?

“Hey, Sarah, do you know him?” I asked her, motioning towards him. She glanced over her shoulder.

But before she could examine him properly, she looked back at me. “I don’t think so.” Her voice was nervous.

“What’s wrong with your voice?”

“Um, because I’m hungry,” she said and grabbed her cheeseburger and took a big bite. She was chewing her burger despite having already lost her appetite. I could feel that something was wrong.

“Sarah, you are behaving weirdly.”

She ignored me and paid attention to my bodyguard. “Alice, how ill-mannered you are. Mr. Jones is standing for an hour and you didn’t even ask him for a glass of water? Let me do this,” she said and stood up with a glass of water. “Mr. Jones. Why don’t you join us?”

“Sorry miss, it is against my discipline and Mr. Robinson won’t appreciate it.” He refused.

“Come on! You are not my bodyguard.” She held his hand and sat him down next to her. “What would you like to take?” she asked.

“What are you doing, Sarah? You’re making him uncomfortable.” I felt pity for Mr. Jones because he looked uncomfortable.

“Come on, he is not a girl.” She unzipped her jacket and took it off. “Today is a hot day.”

I watched her with wide eyes, wondering what she wanted to show? I didn’t understand why she was behaving like that. She was seducing my bodyguard, but why? Just a minute after noticing that man, she started to behave like that. I glanced at that man and it shocked me to see his reaction. He was stepping towards us, but why? In the next blink, he stood at our table looking angry.

He slammed his fist down on the table as hard as he could. “ENOUGH!” He growled loudly, catching everyone’s attention in the cafe. “You are messing up with me on purpose, aren’t you, Sarah? So that you could make me feel jealous, right? And you know what, I’m feeling extremely jealous and I’m gonna break his mouth right there!” He threatened and immediately grabbed Jones’s collar.

But before he could punch him, Sarah put her body between them. “Hey, what are you doing? Leave him!”

“I’m doing what a boyfriend should do for his girlfriend.”

Boyfriend? Was it her boyfriend? But two of them had already broken up.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Oh really. Do I know you, mister?” She snapped and grabbed her purse. “I don’t talk to strangers. Let’s go.”

“I’m not a stranger!” He grabbed her forearm and made her look at him. “I’m your boyfriend.”

I interrupted. “Um, guys, whatever between you two, please figure it out because you two are entertaining the customers,” I said pointing to the people in the cafe. All heads were looking towards us. “And we should leave now.”

“Stop, Alice!” Sarah growled from behind. “You can’t leave me alone.”

I turned around to see her. “I’m not leaving you alone. You have your boyfriend, Sarah.” I laughed and looked at his boyfriend. He was still in his sunglasses. I couldn’t figure out his face properly. I didn’t want to leave her, but I could see the love in her eyes. She loved him. It was the better choice. I hoped they would figure out their problems.

“I’m done with you.” I heard Sarah growling.

*****

‘Alice.’

I sat up panting. The beads of sweat dripped down through my forehead. I dreamed of that stalker again; I hadn’t seen his face yet but his green eyes and his sharp knife had been haunting me. I looked for a glass of water but unluckily the jug was empty. I checked the time it was 1:30 A.M.

I got out of bed and grabbed the jug and made my way toward the kitchen. I crossed Henry’s room but stopped in mid when I heard him groan. His room’s door was half-open. I stepped in with a hint of hesitation and walked to his bed. He was clutching the blankets tight enough to make his knuckles white. There was a slight scowl on his face as his lips tightened to a thin line and his forehead wrinkled. I could see the lines of worry on his face. The dots of sweat glistered over his forehead.

“Henry,” I whispered and approached him and sat down on his bed and touched his cheek gently. “Henry.”

He groaned again and gripped my arm. “Henry, open your eyes,” I shouted. “You are alright.”

“Don’t,” he screamed and opened his eyes immediately. For a moment we both froze at our place as he stared at me for several seconds with confusion on his face, but finally, he realized. “Alice.”

“Nightmare? Right?” I said. He turned his head away because he didn't want me to see his weak side. “What have you seen?”

“My mom,” he replied. I could feel the pain in his voice. He turned back at me and faced me. “And my sister’s dead body.”

My heart sank. “I’m sorry, Henry.”

“Why would you be sorry?”

“Because I can’t help you with this nightmare. Your father told me this nightmare has been hunting you.”

“You can help me, Alice,” he said and pulled me over his rock-hard body. “Only if you sleep on my bed beside me.”

I stared into his eyes, searching for something pure, and true. “If you feel better this way, I have no problem.” I smiled and lay down beside him.