I knew from the start where this would lead me. I tried so hard to avoid it, but it proved to be a difficult task. Like stopping a storm that was meant to come in that specific time and day. I wanted it so badly, to freely feel and follow my own desires. But having the trait of selflessness and the constant fear of rejection, it proved to be a very daunting task.
“So, you’re saying that Nathan came uninvited?”
I stared at the doorway, where a lot of passengers were coming out with their own luggage in hand. None of them were the person we were waiting for. The ice-cold air blew past us, reminding me that it was almost winter. I rubbed my gloved hands together. A few more days before November came rolling in.
Looking up, I squinted at the bright lights shining down on us. The sunset had gone and the sky welcomed the night.
Facing the redhead beside me, I sighed. “Yes, he did.”
Francine let out a groan and shook her head. “You should’ve dragged him outside. No, wait, you should’ve let those guards of yours to drag his sorry ass out the door!” Her outburst caught a few people’s attention, which made her clamp a hand on her mouth for being too loud.
The bodyguards that accompanied me today stayed silent, not wanting to goof around during work, which would be unbecoming.
“Sorry.”
“It’s all right, Fran.”
Sighing, she scratched her neck, which was covered by a thick red scarf. “What else happened? You and I were too busy last week to update each other. Tell me!”
“Well…” I trailed off, not knowing what to say to her.
“What? What happened?” Francine questioned eagerly. “He didn’t try and kidnap you, right? I always read in magazines how crazy ex-boyfriends kidnap their past lovers, hoping to get their relationship back.” She then gushed. “Then, they romantically confess their—”
“No, that never happened. And it never will.” I dismissed her thoughts. There is no way on earth that I would reconcile with Nathan again. It would just give me future headaches and the trust that he lost would take forever for him to have again. “He just left after Dad insulted him.”
“I see. Okay, then what happened after he left?”
After he left? The image of Nathan leaving came back and then I went out to clear my head. Chad suddenly came over and handed me a can of beer. Then, we went to the smoking area, and…and…
The image of Chad kissing me went on full-force. The old people clapping and Chad announcing that I accepted his feelings. The kiss, announcing being his girlfriend, the people clapping…
“Rach, are you cold?”
I snapped out of my thoughts and stared at Francine, who looked concerned. “Your cheeks are red. Do you want to stay in the car or something?”
Moving her gaze back to the entrance, she pursed her lips. “My, when is he coming out? We’ve been waiting for him for hours! Is he even going to show up, or not?”
“You said he called you last night to say he’s coming. Are you sure it was him?”
“I’m sure it was him, Rach. There is no other man who would call me at two a.m..”
The very person who she was speaking about came out of the entrance. My lips parted in surprise at the sight of Patton Parkinson, who looked handsome as ever in his neat hairstyle, walking towards us with his suitcase in tow. Wearing a green shirt and jeans, he looked simple. Noticing us, a huge smile spread across his lips.
“Fran—”
“Honestly! He told me that he’d be arriving today and he decides not to show up? He said he would be arriving earlier than November. Is he serious?” Francine rambled. “If that idiot doesn’t show up, I might never want to see his face ever again. He disappeared for a long time and never tried to contact us—”
A slight nudge on her elbow and gesturing to the man who was almost near us didn’t even stop her.
“Francine, he’s here.” I whispered fervently. Unfortunately, my warning fell on deaf ears.
“Rach, is he really coming back? What if it was just a prank? I might never see the loving eyes he gives me every time.”
“Who’s giving you loving looks, Fran?”
Stopping short in her rant, Francine sharply turned around to see Patton already standing there with a small frown on his face. Seeing him was enough to leave her speechless.
“Hey, Pat.” I smiled. “I’m so glad to see you again.”
Patton reached forward and hugged me, pulling away afterwards to look at me. “Me, too. You’re still the beautiful Rachel I know.”
I stared down at my outfit. My blue trench coat over my dress, paired with black stockings and black heels. Looking up, I chuckled at his words and gently slapped his arm.
“Stop giving me compliments and give them to her instead.” I gestured to the redhead.
When his gaze landed on Francine, Patton gave her a warm greeting smile and was about to hug her. Francine jolted up and, instead of greeting him, she slapped him in the face.
My jaw dropped in shock at the sight of it—Francine slapping him, which didn’t even make his head budge. He was only staring at her with his cool blue eyes, face not resembling anger, nor shock. A few bystanders saw the whole thing and were staring at Francine as if she had grown a second head while they sympathized with Patton. Others stared at him as if he deserved it.
Once again, there are people who are quick to judge even if they don’t know the whole story.
“Miss Maxwell, do you want us to—?”
I dismissed the bodyguard’s thoughts with a shake of my head. “There’s no need. I’ll deal with this myself.” With that said, they went silent. Now, to find out what’s going on with these two. Did Patton do something behind her back while he was gone? No, he’s not the type of guy to do that. And if he did, Francine wouldn’t act this much. She’s never slapped Patton.
Unless she has feelings for him, and he did something to upset her…
“Francine.” Even hearing me say her name, the redhead remained still. Both were in their own little world. “Uh, guys?”
Francine was the first one to crack a smile, followed by Patton, who smirked down at her.
“Long time no see, boy.”
He laughed at her choice of words and crossed his arms over his chest. “I believe that ‘boy’ is older than you, Winstel.”
“Well, act like it, then, Parkinson. How can I not regard you as a boy if your immaturity is still intact?”
Patton feigned hurt and placed a hand over his heart. “Ouch. That really hurts, you know?”
Francine only snickered and turned Patton around before head-locking him. The soldier only laughed as Francine muttered under her breath while ruffling his head. Patton, who was obviously stronger than her, didn’t even bother releasing himself from her head lock.
I let out a laugh in joy and relief. For a second, I thought they were going to start slitting each other’s throats.
After releasing Patton, Francine frowned at him. “I thought you weren’t coming. I was about to leave. You surprised us by calling to say you’d be arriving today! We thought you’d be here by November, just like you said last time.”
“Well, I thought that spending my three-month vacation earlier with you guys sounded fun. I didn’t want to wait for November,” he replied.
Rolling her eyes, Francine pointed to the Range Rover waiting for us. “How about we discuss things on the way? We can also continue it over dinner? I can tell you’re starving.”
Patton grinned and refused to have the driver assist him with his bag. “You read my mind, Winstel.” After setting his bag in the trunk, we got inside the car.
“To the restaurant, please.”
“Yes, Miss Maxwell.”
Patton comfortably leaned back on his seat and stared out the window. “It’s good to be back.”
I turned my head around to see the black vehicle that the two bodyguards followed in behind us. Even if there was traffic, they managed to stick around us.
Taking my phone out of my bag, I dialed the restaurant’s number. They picked up on the second ring.
“Hello, this is Rachel Maxwell. I’m calling to ask if it’s ready.”
“Ah, yes. Hello, Ma’am! The restaurant is ready and the two guests have arrived. The food is also finished and we will start serving once you have arrived.”
“Okay, we will be there shortly. Thank you.”
Once I’d hung up, I mentally praised that the preparations were finished. After receiving a call from Francine early in the morning, I’d hurriedly rented the restaurant we always took a liking to ever since our first visit, and put our plans into action. Francine oversaw inviting Patton’s Mother and his uncle, who was like a second father to him.
I didn’t even bother finishing my paperwork back in the office, just let Arianne do her job in arranging my schedule and pushing my appointments back. Even my meetings were cancelled. I didn’t want anyone disturbing us as we celebrated his homecoming.
Leaning back on my chair, I gazed at the bright lights of the City. Billboards of the favorite basketball team and the usual advertisements flashed by. The people walking on the sidewalks were all wearing something to warm them. There were others carrying a cup of coffee.
Patton let out a breath and smiled. “Same old Cleveland.”
But, is it to me? It’s been a while since the people who harassed us tried something. Dad, who wouldn’t take chances, still wanted us to take precautions. I’m surprised that Patton didn’t sense that something was odd the moment he saw the bodyguards. Usually, he’d be surprised that I had them around. I never wanted someone to have me under surveillance. I wished those criminals would be caught soon.
Are they waiting for the right time to strike? If so, when is it?
“So, when?”
My eyes widened at the images that flashed in my mind, the words entering my ears once again as if they hadn’t left. Even the feeling of cold air touching where my gown didn’t cover still lingered.
“What do you mean, ‘when’?” I questioned. Chad grinned and shook his head. The old people were once again quiet but I could still see the smiles they threw in our way. When he didn’t answer, I sighed. “All right. If you have nothing else to say, bye.”
“H-hey! Where are you going?” Chad reached out and grabbed my arm. The heat he was emitting alone was enough to warm me on this cold night. “You don’t have to act this way!”
Turning to face him, I raised an eyebrow at him. “Why? I thought you didn’t have—”
He lifted a hand, gesturing for me to stop. Feeling ticked, I bit my lip to keep from muttering my irritation towards him. Chad ran a hand through his hair and exhaled.
“Fine. You know what? I’m tired of testing the waters with you.”
“What?”
Just then, his phone rang. He sighed and took it from his jacket. Once he saw who it was, Chad remained silent for a moment.
“Chad.”
He looked up and stared at me with those blue eyes that reminded me of the bright sky when sunny. But, right now, they resembled a storm. We merely stood like that for seconds. His phone continued to ring but he didn’t bother answering it. The atmosphere was slowly fogged by awkwardness as he only stared down at me. But, instead of the usual happiness or cockiness that I saw in those eyes…
I only saw pain and anger.
“Uh, Chad?”
“Hey, you all right? Rachel?”
“Huh?” I averted my gaze away from the window and faced Patton. The images of Chad evaporated and, suddenly, it was all clear once again. I blinked, the two of them staring at me in concern. “What is it?”
“You were spacing out for a moment,” Francine answered. Hearing this, I leaned back on my chair once again.
“Oh.”
Out of all times, I remember this now? Don’t try and remember. Just erase it.
“Is everything okay?”
I nodded and threw them a reassuring grin. “Don’t worry. Everything’s all right.”
Probably convinced, or not, the two of them continued their conversation. I mentally shouted in satisfaction that they didn’t ask me further. But, it was unlikely of them to do so. This only made me worried. The last thing I wanted was for them to get involved and get hurt. If those people who harassed us came back and they included them, I would never forgive myself.
It took around fifteen minutes for us to arrive at the restaurant. The red brick building and its homey features reminded me of our summer house in Italy. The car came to a stop and the driver got out to open the door. Behind us, the bodyguards parked their car and joined us.
“We’re here,” Francine breathed in enthusiasm. Patton was much more ecstatic.
“Wow! This is open?” The restaurant’s specialty was their pizzas and pastas. But what made them memorable to us is that this was where we held our every celebration.
“Miss Maxwell, we’ll stay on guard here,” one of the bodyguards mumbled, and positioned themselves at the entrance.
Patton inhaled the delicious scent of pizzas being cooked. “I can smell the food already.”
The usher greeted us at the door and welcomed us in.
“Is the table set?” I whispered to the man. He nodded and smiled.
“All set.”
“Table for five.”
The first thing that Patton saw was his mother and uncle sitting on the table. His mother’s eyes were welling with tears as she stood up and hurriedly walked up to her son. Soon enough, they were embracing each other.
“Oh, it’s so good to see you again.” Mrs. Parkinson cried. Pressing kisses to his face, she smiled. Even if her dark hair was already peppered with gray, she still looked beautiful. “It’s good to see you home and safe.”
“Mother,” Patton whispered. We gave the two of them some time before his mother laughed, wiping her tears.
“Well, come on. We can’t let the food grow cold.”
Patton moved to his uncle and greeted him as well. Even if they didn’t share loving words, Francine and I knew that he loved his uncle like a father. His mother approached me and took my hand.
“Thank you so much, Rachel. Thank you for organizing this dinner and everything.” She smiled.
A bit embarrassed, I laughed and patted Francine on the shoulder. “Don’t thank me, Mrs. Parkinson. It’s all on Francine.” The redhead gaped at my words.
Patton’s Mother grinned at her. “Thank you, Francine.”
Laughing sheepishly, Francine shook her head vigorously. “Um, it isn’t me. It’s Rachel who—”
“Dinner is served!” The usher announced, and in came the food we ordered. Everyone stared at the food with huge smiles. I stood up and grabbed my wine glass, lifting it.
“Before we eat, I would like to make a toast to Patton. For being a great friend, a brave soldier, and for arriving home safely.”
“Cheers!”
Once the food was served, we said grace before everyone dug in. The pizza smothered with flavorful cheese made my mouth water even as I bit into it. The mango shake was even better than the ones I’d had before.
“So, do you have a boyfriend, Francine?”
Francine almost choked on her food when asked by Patton’s mom. Wiping her mouth, Francine sat up straight and cleared her throat.
“U-um. No, I’m not interested in having one yet. I still have to help my parents and I’ve got a lot of things taking up my time.” She smiled. “Having a boyfriend would only slow me down.”
“Huh? That’s a bit unfair. You’re so pretty. I’ll even trade my flower garden for that hair.”
“Mom, your flower garden means a lot to you,” Patton interceded. “And you’re right, Francine is beautiful.”
Hearing those words, Francine waited for his Mom to look away, before rolling her eyes and sticking her tongue out at him. I stifled a giggle at her antics. Patton merely winked at Francine, before returning to his meal.
“And, what about you, Rachel? Ever considered having a boyfriend?”
I was in the middle of slicing a piece of steak that arrived when I stopped short at her question. Noticing this, Patton laughed.
“Mom, would you like wine? How about salad?”
“What’s wrong?” I asked. I couldn’t help but feel alarmed at Chad’s sudden silence. He was usually the kind of person who wouldn’t be still if he couldn’t say his piece.
“Um…” He was at loss for words. His lips would move but not a word would come out. Then, with a shake of his head, he chuckled. It was not filled with humor. He pocketed his still-ringing phone and shrugged.
“Never mind. Forget I said anything.”
I frowned slightly but grabbed on his retreating hand. It felt cold. “What’s wrong?”
He looked down at my hand. I let out a small gasp, seeing my hand grabbing onto the jacket of his tuxedo. Slowly, I let go of him. Chad straightened out the wrinkled cloth.
“Sorry,” I mumbled.
“It’s all right.” And just like that, he walked away.
I stared at his disappearing back. It was once again a cold world. And just like the world, so was Chad.
“Pat, I’m fine. I just want to hear her answer. Dear, I’m sure I can find you one—”
“I’m not looking for a boyfriend.” I smiled sweetly. “I don’t have the time and I have a company to run. I hope you understand.”
The older woman nodded in acceptance. “Ah, I see. My, I forgot you will soon take over your family’s business. Sorry for—”
“No, no. It’s all right. You don’t have to apologize.” I gave the woman a reassuring grin and gestured to the menu sitting on the side. “Please, order anything you’d like to eat.”
Overjoyed by this, Patton had to scold his mother, who took the menu and began choosing. “Seriously, Mom! Calm down and don’t eat so much. I’m worried about your health.”
Seeing movement outside, I looked out the window to see people passing by the restaurant, continuing their busy lives. My eyes widened, however, when I saw a woman running quickly. I didn’t see her face and she soon disappeared. Soon enough, a man followed. He was obviously chasing the woman.
But what shocked me even more was to see the familiar blond hair and face as he went after the woman. I didn’t have to think twice to know it was Chad Montgomery.