51. The Dauntless

“You keep doing this, red. Whenever I try to take a step to getting close to you, you push me away.”

Remembering those words, made me have a void and empty feeling.

I questioned everything around me, wondering how the anklet managed to leave my ankles.

I mean, did he even know how hurtful those words were?

I found it hard to put myself together.

I ended up going back to where we horse rode and also back to the golf center.

“Excuse me, did you see a silver anklet around here?” I asked the people around.

“No, nothing,”

I didn’t stop at that, and searched thoroughly. A couple of spots we went to, I even went as far as requesting for the horse we rode. I checked the stables, and the dung, but found nothing.

That made my hands really dirty. But I knew it didn’t matter. What did matter was finding the bracelet, and wiping off that look of displeasure on Liam’s face.

“I’m looking for an anklet, did you happen to stumble on one today?” I asked another person.

She nodded a “no” before walking away.

I went back to the golf center, trailing the field and the spots I remembered us playing on.

Still nothing.

A loud thunder rumbled and a heavy rain begun to fall that instant.

I screamed in frustration, wondering why bad things always seemed to overshadow the few good things in my life.

“I didn’t mean to…Liam. I didn’t mean to misplace your gift,”

I texted mum, that I won’t be home tonight, under a shade.

My mental state was really bad and I looked like I was having an emotional breakdown.

I ended up, punishing myself, walking inside the rain to Chloe’s house.

It took so long, as I got there in the night.

Like a soaked and hopeless puppy, I rung her doorbell.

“Chloe…” I trailed out at her the instant she opened the door.

I was presently at the verge of tears.

“Eleanor? What are you doing here soaked and wet?” she asked with a confused look on her face.

She gasped.

“Did you walk all the way down here?” she asked.

I nodded a ‘yes’.

“T-The anklet Liam gave me. I-It’s gone and now h-he think I did it deliberately. H-he—”

My chest heaved with so much hurt.

It was one thing if I did it knowingly, but it was another thing if he accused me.

“Oh dear, come here,”

She said, pulling me in a tight hug. I walked in slowly, with her hands entangled in mine. I gently sat on her white sofa. I sunk more into her arms, trying to keep myself from crying more.

But remembering the disappointed look he had on his face, wasn’t helping at all.

I didn’t even know when I burst into loud tears, crying so much.

“It would be okay, bestie. I promise it would,”

My crying only got louder.

“Stop now…you’re going to make me cry too,” she sighed, with a pat on my back.

I cried endlessly, throughout the night, putting my whole lot of makeup and mascara on her settee’s little pillow.

…

The next day, after a lot of persuasion from Chloe, I found myself being driven to Liam’s mansion.

“But Clo, who’s gonna check on mum?”

“Leave that to me,” she replied, dropping me off.

“From your house, I’d go back to look for that guy I told you about,” she added.

“Wait, really?”

An unbelievable expression formed on my face. I mean, she didn’t even know this guy. They only had drinks, a couple of times.

“Yup, it’s all about chasing your true love, you know!” she said crazily before zooming off.

I realized I was alone, right in front of Boss Liam’s house.

Okay, Eleanor…calm down.

You’ll do this just fine, if you relax.

The door to his mansion suddenly opened. Getting in was all thanks to my details, being in his security system as his employee.

Just as he stepped out, I glanced at him from afar, waiting for him to at least acknowledge that I was standing there.

Surprisingly, he didn’t.

I had to chase after him, in a rushed stance.

“Liam,” I called out to him.

In his neat Armani suit and polished oxford shoes, he didn’t make a move to answer me. Instead, he glanced at me stoically, before entering his red sports car and zooming off.

I placed my hands on my chest, looking at the car zoom, at the verge of tears.

Suddenly, a car pulled right in front of me.

I widened my eyes at who it was.

She had a picture-perfect aura which reminded me of a first lady’s vibe. Her character was dauntless and resolute. Stature was a sophisticated kind; chin elegant.

“L-Lady Rachael.”

I said, unbelievably.

“Get in, Eleanor.”

Out of surprise, I got in. I was so unsure of everything.

“Who told you about this?” I asked her timidly.

“Jackson did, Liam has always been far too stubborn since he was little.” she stated.

“Put on your seatbelts,”

She immediately began to speed so fast. My heart immediately begun to thud rapidly. I thought we were actually going to crash.

My mouth let a blood curling scream that instant.

“Do not be scared, dear. You don’t have to be,”

She said, in an assured tone, gripping the steering wheel like a pro.

I looked ahead of us. She was pretty good, almost outrunning Liam who was right ahead of us.

In a pig’s eye, she was able to overtake him, totally blocking him from driving past us.

The car immediately screeched in front of Liam, blocking him from carrying on with driving.

“Come with me,” she said.

My mouth opened in surprise, as I watched her come down gracefully from her car. Her hands removed the band that put her hair together, removing her shades.

“What do you want, Lady Rachael? I thought we were passed this,”

Liam straightened his suit, saying.

“You unforgiving child, this was no way I raised you,”

“Why do you care? And why is she with you?” he said, pointing to me like I was some…okay, I’d rather not think of that.

Object perhaps?

Urghh…these James men.

Liam looked really pissed at me, and damn, I really wished to change that.

“Lena, give me your purse,” she said.

“M-My purse?” I replied with a gulp.

“Yeah,”

I did as she said.

“Your shoes too,” she added.

Unsure of why she was asking for these, I removed my shoes after figuring she was trying to help me.

“I’ll pass it to Jackson,” she said in a whisper, with a wink.

“W-Where do you think you’re going with those items, mum? She needs them!” Liam yelled after Lady Rachael.

But she didn’t bulge. Instead she entered her car.

“I’ll raised you to be a gentleman to all women, especially the one you love,”

Those were her last words before she zoomed off.

I was left to staring at Liam awkwardly.

“I’ll get going then,” I said, in my barefooted state.

“Don’t move,”

Liam ordered, with a stern look.

“Huh? Why, it’s no big dea— ah!”

I shouted, when a couple sharp stones pressed my legs.

“Eleanorrr!”

He rushed to me immediately.

“Are you okay? I told you not to move, why won’t you listen to me, most times?!!” he scolded.

I really felt like a timid fool.

“Come here,”

He surprisingly said, lifting me up in his arms.

“Really? Not accepting my apology and carrying me? Put me down this instant!”

No reply.

He ended up driving us to his private suite.

I was so surprised that Chloe was already there, with Leah. Jackson was with them too, and they were drinking at the other side of the suite.

“Hey Eleanor!” Chloe called out, so did Leah.

I greeted them back, totally ignoring Jackson.

I couldn’t let go of what he did so easily, you know.

Just as I sat with Liam, I snarled, staring at him unbelievably.

“Idiot,”

I said, out of the blue.

“Stupid,” I added.

“Double digit IQ dummy,”

He gave me an astonished look. That earned a laugh from Jackson and Chloe who were just at the end of the table.

“Do you really think I’d just throw a piece of gift away, like it didn’t matter?”

“What are you talking about, red?”

“I mean, even if I hated you, I’d never throw your gift to me away. Just look at this, is it economical to throw it?”

“If this is what you have to say, then I’m leaving,”

He said with a tight-lipped frown.

My hands hastily grabbed his.

“Wait,”

“I’m sorry,”

“I should have been more careful. Especially with handling the gift given to me by the almighty Liam James,”

This earned another laugh from Chloe, Leah and Jackson.

It took some time for him to answer, but when he did reply, it was with a smirk.

“I will accept your apology on one condition, red”

“And what is it?”

“Kiss me,”

“Huh?”

“Yeah,”

“Like right here, right now, in front of them?” I asked, pointing to Chloe, Leah and Jackson.

“Yep,”

“You crazy, infuriating son-of-a -bitch. Placing perverting conditions, in place of an apology. Forget it, then!” I said with a scoff.

I’d just have to go barefooted!

“Tried my best at least,” I added, under my breath.

“Hey, where you going? You’re not done with your apology yet,” he called after me.

“You should have simply accepted her heartwarming apology,” I heard Chloe say.

Another set of laughter echoed the suite, once more.