Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17**

**"We sure bought a lot of stuff today,"** said Brent as he placed all the shopping bags on the table. Allison looked at him momentarily with weary eyes, he didn't seem to be tired after almost an entire day of shopping.

"Yeah," she said with a sigh. "I'm exhausted," she muttered as she lounged her butt on the sofa. Her feet had been aching because of their long time of walking. Good thing she wasn't wearing heels, her feet would've ached two times more than what she's currently experiencing.

"Do you want something to eat?" he asked while walking to the kitchen. 'You're still hungry after we ate lunch minutes ago? God,' she thought before answering, "A glass of orange juice would be nice."

"Okay," she heard him reply. She heaved another sigh before covering her eyes with an arm, and suddenly, she felt like sleeping. Her lids were getting heavy and her mind was becoming blank. She was trying to fight the urge to doze off when her phone suddenly rang. In a surprise, she sprang from the sofa and fished out her phone from her new Michael Kors clutch, she read the caller's ID and realized it was from her parents. Without hesitation, Allison slid the answer button.

"Mom, Dad!" she greeted gleefully. She missed them so much. It had been weeks and days since they last talked, the feeling of missing them was eating her alive. It had been months ever since she has seen them, and it was her three-month vacation from college. Aside from her parents, she also missed her home. She missed the fresh scent of the clean-cut grass and flowers in the garden, the assortment of flowers that surrounded the whole area with diverse magnificent colors that gave beauty and life to the entire garden, the prickling heat of the hot sun, and the smell of the gardener's sweat as he did his job every day. She missed the mansion's gigantic library, the books that gave her knowledge that had lived in the shelves for many years, the odor of obsolesce, and the coffee that butler, Mr. Marshall offered to her whenever she entered the chamber of knowledge. And most of all, the delicious taste of Mrs. Brown's freshly-baked brownies during snack time.

"Allison," her father's voice said coldly that rendered her to unconsciously quiver. Her father hadn't talked to her coldly like this. He sounded angry and disappointed at the same time. She already heard this low, demanding voice of his that he only used whenever he was extremely furious to the bone. She had heard that voice a few times as she prospered in their home when something went wrong in the company or he and her mother had a fight.

"Daddy?" she asked.

"I want you to come home, right now," her father's voice

commanded, his voice remained menacing and uptight.

"Why? Is there somethi..." she wasn't able to finish what she was about to say because he already hung up. The gesture broke her heart and it was clear as it was clear that he was furious at her. What had she done to make him like that?

"Here's y... hey... what's with the face?" asked the newly-arrived Brent when he noticed her face. She looked apprehensive and pale like she could almost piss on her shorts. Allison gripped her phone as her fear started devouring her. Did her father know that she slept with a man that she barely knew? But how did he know? Her heart squeezed when she thought of her father feeling disappointed in her.

"Hey... Drew..."

No, her parents mustn't find out. What would happen if they do? What would ha...

"Drew!" she was taken aback when she felt her friend shaking her, calling for her attention.

"Dawson..." she trailed off, stopping herself from crying. She didn't know what to think or feel. She felt so scared, so confused.

"What's wrong?" he asked, worry and confusion evident on his face. He wiped her cheek, and that was when she noticed that she was already crying. Brent held her cold and shaking hands, sharing the warmth of his hand into hers. He gave her solace in just a small gesture.

"I...I need to go home," she said as she grabbed her clutch and hastily walked to the elevator. She needed to go home. She needed to know the reason why her father sounded angry and disappointed in her. She needed and wanted answers to remove her fearsome assumptions.

"Hold on a sec," Brent grasped her arm, stopping her from walking to the

elevator. He turned her around and held her by the shoulders so she could face him. Allison looked into his ocean blue eyes that were filled with concern and false impressions. She knew he wanted answers as well but she's too anxious and perplexed that she didn't know what to do first but to go home and face her parents' wrath.

"Listen, Allison. I'm not letting you out of this penthouse unless you tell me what happened that got you this nervous. Look at yourself, you look like a beautified corpse that is ready to be brought to the morgue!" he said, shaking her by her shoulders.

"D...Dad called..." she stammered, her fear began crawling back again. He nodded, nonverbally telling her to go on. "H...He sounded angry, he said he wants me home. Dawson, I don't know what to do. I don't know what made him angry but I'm sure he knows that I slept with a man I barely met... God, remembering how angry his voice was killing me..." she murmured as tears started falling from her emerald green eyes once again. She felt his warm arms wrapped around her shoulders, enclosing her into a hug.

"Don't worry, I'm going with you," he told her, his hand gently patting her small back. She felt the tenderness of his voice. She remembered when they were still in grade school, how he got his first black eye because he fought her bullies.

He told her with the same tender voice, "Hey, it's okay now. No more bullies," in an affectionate, brotherly voice reminded her that she was not alone and he was always by her side.

"Thank you, Dawson..."