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Mira held Lisa’s hand with fervor as they got out of the cab and walked into Teezers restaurant, which was filled with customers. They earned glares from people as they walked in with their sexy dinner gowns.
Mira rubbed Lisa’s back reassuringly, knowing Lisa was shy walking into the restaurant. If Lisa wouldn’t be bold for them, Mira would. This was what she signed up for. Mira would walk through the process of winning Lisa’s heart, enduring whatever it took until she succeeded.
Lisa
tried to settle in and act normal with Mira like the couple they appeared to be in front of the customers in the restaurant until they settled down at a table opposite a familiar couple.
Rage consumed Lisa when she saw Kate and Alex chatting and laughing without a care in the world. Lisa balled her hands into fists, hating the sight.
Under pressure, Mira pleaded with her eyes for Lisa to let go, but Lisa didn’t understand Mira’s body language. Even when Mira offered to move to another seat, Lisa refused to leave. They ended up sitting beside Kate and Alex, who talked away without minding those around them.
“No! You can’t be serious!” Kate roared playfully, smacking Alex’s forearm.
Smiling profoundly, Alex gushed, “Of course, I am. But not to worry, Aiden and I will be there to hold you.”
“Hell no. I hate heights. I can never ride on a Ferris wheel. Ever!” She emphasized, scooping up some pasta into her fork, closing her lips over it, and chomping down.
“Oh, come on, Kate. It’s part of the things that will make the trip to Ibiza fun. I'd love to hear your screams. Trust me, it'll be melodious,” Alex argued, huffing.
He had told Kate about their plans to fly to Ibiza during the weekend for some fun. But spilling out the places they’d go to had Kate squealing in fear because of her phobia.
Smacking her forehead, Kate sighed. “It’s obvious to me you derive bouts of pleasure from my pains, asshole.”
Her slur had Alex laughing. Since they came here, it had been fun all around. They cracked jokes that almost had Alex rolling.
People around knew without a doubt they were having fun, adding to Alex’s happiness and his love for Kate blooming.
Reflexively, Alex reached over and stole a quick kiss from Kate before dropping back down on his seat.
“You shouldn’t do that!” Kate muttered as her cheeks colored.
“Why? Who doesn’t know what a kiss on the lips means?” He teased as he clamped on his glass of wine and took a swig.
“What does it mean, huh?” She played along.
“Love. From the depth of my heart…” He threw her a wink.
Amidst her fit of giggles, Kate’s eyes roamed around until they landed on the table beside theirs. Instantly, her eyes clashed with Lisa’s raging ones.
For seconds longer, they stared at each other.
“What’s wrong?” Alex asked, his eyes following Kate’s and figuring out what was wrong.
Lisa stared without relenting. The sight of Kate built a wall of raw hatred in her. Kate was happy, enjoying the men she had always wanted, but it wasn’t the same for Lisa. For days, she had locked herself in her apartment, wallowing in depression.
“Babe, here…” Mira called to Lisa, making her cut her eyes away from Kate and Alex. Manageably, Lisa opened her lips and took the cheesecake Mira offered.
She chewed, wiping the corner of her mouth with a napkin.
By now, Kate and Alex had gone back to their business, eating and talking mildly. When Kate’s phone rang, she took the call happily while speaking with her son.
“Of course, baby. Daddy’s here,” she chirped into the phone and handed it to Alex, who responded with vigor.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Lisa watched. Some things slowly kicking into place. Lisa remembered when her brother told her about Kate and what he did to her. That means Kate had a baby.
Hearing Kate call Alex the baby’s daddy gnawed at Lisa. That means the sex gods already know the truth about the child.
Lisa watched as Alex chattered with the so-called baby until the call ended. She felt nothing but rage, anger, and hatred. The sex gods knew all along, she thought.
Kate thanked Alex for the role he played just now. All she had known lately was joy. But it bloomed more knowing her son was happy, even though one day, Gabby would get to know the truth.
Sin City traffic was high tonight, Aiden thought as Mike steered the wheel around, trying to avoid the traffic.
Aiden was still boiling, literally a pot of rage. All that Cheska had told him today lived rent-free in his mind.
He swore to God that Alex would pay. That was the reason Alex suddenly changed. Now, Aiden was trying to piece the whole thing together, and it was becoming more vivid.
Alex knew the reason Cheska disappeared from their lives but decided not to talk.
So, because Cheska loved him, Alex stopped at nothing to possess Kate when she swung into their lives. It’s now making sense.
Those acts of his then regarding Kate were because of their past. Alex totally forgot they shared things. They shared women.
How could he?
Aiden snubbed Mike and buried himself in thought, trying to put together the scattered pieces of what was their life.
He was still swerved away in thought when Mike glided through some rows of restaurants and mistakenly, his eyes landed on the Italian one, Teezers.
Aiden saw his brother and their lover dining and holding hands. Alex was kissing Kate’s knuckles with smiles.
“Man, this traffic is going to take time before it clears…” Mike started, but Aiden’s curses made him stop. “What’s wrong?” He asked and followed Aiden’s gaze until it landed on Alex and Kate.
All Aiden could hear was Cheska’s words.
“He raped him, brutally, Aiden. Alex forced himself on me all through the night until I passed out. No matter how much I called you, you never came to my rescue. Alex made it clear that he drugged you, so you'll never come to my rescue.”
All Aiden could see was Cheska’s broken façade and tears.
Itty-bitty dots of anger lined his gaze as he clashed the door handle and fluttered the door open.
Aiden stepped into the road filled with honking cars and brake lights, heading straight towards his brother.
His veins filled with venom, his mind only wired to vindicate Cheska at the moment.
In one swift movement, Aiden stormed into the restaurant, reached Alex’s seat, and sent a resounding blow across his nose.
Bones snapped, blood gushed, both Alex and Kate shrieked.
“Omigod, Alex!!” Kate stood and rushed to help Alex, but another surprise attack came, this time Alex’s head was smashed against the table filled with crockery.
Screaming alongside the customers in the restaurant, Kate gazed up and saw Aiden, his eyes far from their usual glint.
Tears burning the back of her eyes, she held onto Alex’s shoulders and asked the raging Aiden, “Why?”
With a growl, Aiden let out. “He fucking deserved it!”
And then came another blow that sent Alex flying across the floor, Kate fell aside as she lost her balance.
Commotion clouded the restaurant immediately.