Chapter 56: Crying By The Roadside

Eleanor’s Pov

The rest of the day, as being his assistant, was all formal. Though we could feel the heated state, radiate in the atmosphere, neither of us made a move to actually say something to the other.

I was barely keeping up with this, because I knew I needed the money.

Badly.

Without it, I wouldn’t be able to pay up any of my bills.

And I would simply be on the streets.

Which could be scary.

This was why I didn’t make any move to break down.

But the instant the day’s work was over, I found myself following the same trail once more.

Meekly, I walked home specially to punish myself.

As I walked, various flashbacks of the past replayed.

The instances Boss Liam had helped me, in spite of my overbearing behavior towards him.

While we were back at Mexico. Of how his green orb eyes had looked into mine, at the police station I was arrested in.

I remembered how afraid and insecure I had been.

I thought I was never going to come out.

That no one was going to find me, ever again.

But he did.

And when he did, he didn’t even blame me like I expected him to.

Instead…his words…

His words…fixed me.

“I know you didn’t commit any fraud. You’re not that type of woman and I know that. I trust you, red. I promise to get you out of here, I promise.”

Those three brief sentences, made me become really scared.

This was why I reacted on guard, while we were in the car.

Boss Liam made me feel safe, gifting me with things I didn’t even ask for.

While it he said it was for protection, it was more special to me. I mean he didn’t even ask me if I wanted the anklet.

Instead, he did it anyway, wearing it over my ankles possessively. Like he marked his ownership…that I was his. Or perhaps, to him, it was a start of something new.

But foolish me, I had misplaced it.

Making all his fate in me, die down once again.

“Red…” he had trailed out.

“Li-am...?” A squeaky and unsure voice came out of my throat.

Stepping in, inching closer. In panic, I had moved a step back. With an amused expression, he walked closer, only for me to take steps back again. My butts connected with the edge of the bed. The effect made me sit down abruptly.

My hands protectively went around my robe, holding it with insecurity. Since had been unsure of what his intentions were, my body was flowing in a remarkable tidal wave.

He had surprisingly knelt on one knee. I couldn’t ignore how gentlemanly and good he looked that morning.

A certain nobility and eloquence lurked in the air, with his jet-black hair, complimenting his appearance. It was like he meant whatever he had been doing.

I felt this because he didn’t make a joke of this like he always did. Instead, in his luscious green eyes, held a captivating look, which appeared to be surreal.

Liam had come down towards my toes with so much proximity. His hands encamped around my feet, making tingles to spread out. His hands were warm as they brushed against my toes. As I wondered what he was up to, he brought a threaded anklet from his pocket.

Next, he loosened it, placing it around my ankles.

“Here is my gift to you, red. Traditionally, it is said to keep one safe. I don’t want you getting in trouble with cops again.” he let out.

That single gesture, made a burning sensation arouse in me. It was more like an awaking feeling, which made me realize I had fallen for the almighty billionaire, Liam James.

My sworn enemy, the one I swore to hate.

Who saved me from the paparazzi and his desperate fans when they were about to ambush me?

“Li-Liam?” I had called out, in a husky and unsure tune. Didn’t even know if I should be sure that he was really the one that had shown up.

I remembered him covering me with his body, to take all of those beating.

While all these had happened, if I had expected anyone to show up to save me, it’d have been Jackson, not him.

But, him, doing this, I didn’t even know what I was supposed to think.

“Oh my! It’s Liam,”

“It’s really Liam,”

I recalled the fan girls muttering, whispering amongst themselves.

“Why are you saving a scoundrel like her? We thought you were with us your die-hard fans?”

One of the girls had asked.

With gritted teeth, and a hand on my shoulder protectively, Liam had muttered,

“I have nothing to say to you all,”

“Let’s go red,”

He whispered gently in my ear.

The disbelief on their faces, when Liam entangled an arm around my waist.

The next thing, us walking out of the building of Pink Moda. As we did walk, I felt safe. This was because he held me like I was something he treasured so much.

The instant we got outside; he had led me towards the car.

He used the remote to open it. Feeling guilty, I had gotten out of his arms.

Thus, I couldn’t face him. With my eyes directed to the floor of the garage, my lips parted.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked him immediately.

“Doing what, red?” he answered, with a smirk.

“Helping me.”

“After all that I have put you through, why would you choose to help me? Why would you take all of that beating for me?!”

I had yelled out hard at him.

I had felt my eyes giving to tears already. Been so frustrated that I didn’t even know the move to make again.

He had just helped me again.

I knew that instant, that my heart won’t be able to stop now.

I had shivered from the cold breeze that blew past us. With my eye brows arching, as Liam took two noble steps towards me. He removed his suit jacket, before putting it around me.

That warmed me up but I knew I couldn’t go around taking things from him.

I was about to give it back when he stopped me.

“One more time, red.”

I remembered him, breathing out.

“Allow me to help for just for just one more time,”

Thinking of that single statement, made me break into tears, with my legs dragging on the floor of the road.

I ended up sitting on the entrance of a public building, crying profusely, to the extent that the passersby watched.

I knew they all wondered if I was out of my mind, but I didn’t care.

A roaring sound brought me out of my daze, back into reality. I looked ahead of me, only to sight that one person that always helped me.

Whenever my heart rung a bell…seemed like he was always there to help.

“J-Jackson?”

“Is it just me or the sugar plum fairy finally created a new spot to cry in?”

I sniffled, wiping my nose off with my work shirt.

“Not the rooftop anymore, is it?”

I nodded a no. Watching him carefully as he dipped his hands in his pockets.

“Here you go,”

A colorful thread intertwined with each other, dangled in front of me. At first, I was confused at what it was.

But when I recognized it, I immediately begun to cry out so loud. I let out all my frustration, with lots of tears dashing out from my eyes.

As each second passed, and I remembered that amount of hurt, it got even louder.

Louder and louder.

“W-What…Miss Nikki,”

He let out in an apologetic voice.

As people passed, they watched both of us, with the thoughts he was the one making me cry. Giving him sly and disapproving faces.

“It’s not me,” he told one of them.

“I’m not the cause, I promise,”

Jackson had told another.

But I continued crying anyway. I mean, why wouldn’t I? He had just brought out one of the things that caused the problem, in the first place.

The anklet Liam had given me.

….

“Where did you even find it, Jackson?”

I asked him, when I was finally able to settle down, and stop crying.

“That day at Pink Moda’s dressing room, it slipped from your leg while you angrily walked out,”

He stated, explaining.

“Oh…” I blinked in realization.

It looked like we were very much cool, cause we never did speak of it again.

It made me wonder if we ever had something real?

Or was it just an illusion of my heart?

“About that day…” I started off.

“Oh no, Eleanor…you absolutely don’t have to. It was entirely my fault and I should be the one to apologize,”

Jackson stated, running his hands over his hair.

I noticed he was clothed in white as usual, but this time it was a calmer tone. And, he mixed it with a darker color. For some reason, I felt a part of him had changed. I knew it must be due to someone or something.

“But you already did, and moreover, that was in the past, Jackson. Let’s just move on as friends, like we always were,”

I gushed out.

“That’s um, a splendid idea, Eleanor.” he stated, with a grin.

Deep down, I knew Jackson was more like my soulmate. A friend, a twin who understood most parts of me.

It was like he was able to read me. Cause he knew exactly the places to find me, where I would go in states of distress.

In all, that liking was more like a misunderstanding, since I had been inexperienced in the issues of love.

He was more like a brother, than a lover.

Far from the attraction I felt towards Liam James.

“So, friends?”

I outstretched my hands, with a weak smile.

Knowing beneath the depths of my heart, was a heartbreak from that infuriating billionaire.

“Best friends,” he took my hands, nudging it and saying.

“Really? Chloe’s going to kill you,”

I playfully, warned.

“We’ll see about that,”

Jackson constructed with a wink, before walking across to get some coffee. With both cups in his hands, he handed one over to me.

I sighed in relief, sipping from it.

There were lots of cream in it. And he got it, without even having to ask, once more.

“Why did you do it again?”

Jackson asked me, while we talked.

I sighed, looking at him, with confusion written all over my features.

“Do what?”

“Liam told me all that happened, Eleanor. So…why did you do it?”

He declared, asking.

“H-He d-did?”

I clarified, a little surprised, that he told Jackson in that short amount of time.

“Well, um, I…I don’t know. Maybe it has something to do with him helping me every time I hurt him, or not fitting into his luxury billionaire lifestyle.”

“I really don’t know,”

I stated, truthfully.

“I certainly have no idea why you won’t let him help you, if he wants too.”

Jackson muttered.

“It has always been Liam’s nature to do that, especially to people he cares about,” he added.

“I mean, he would always take the blame for mistakes I made, while we were little.”

“I never did know the reason, but he taught me for people you love, you never feel indebted when you help in anyway, Eleanor,”

As he said those words, it made me wonder what type of person, the almighty Liam James was, as a kid.

If he was that kind of person, was he really bad as people thought of him to be?

“Even if I allow him to help, there is still a barrier, Jackson. It’s more like I don’t fit into his glamorous world,”

“Would that be as a friend or a lover?”

Jackson asked.

I sipped some coffee, swallowing it, before replying him.

“W-What are you talking about?”

“Chloe lives a glamorous lifestyle, so do I. And we are both your friends, aren’t we, Eleanor?”

I nodded.

“Where are you heading at, Jackson?”

“I mean there isn’t such thing as a billionaire’s world, or a pauper’s world, Eleanor.”

“There is only one, and it’s the same. We breathe the same oxygen and we are entitled to one air. So why would assets make your love unapproachable?”

…

I thought of those words Jackson had told me, carefully, holding my phone as soon as I got home.

I couldn’t even summon courage to call Liam.

I mean, what was I going to say?

Nothing much happened till the next morning. I was on my way to work, knowing I have to face him, once more as his personal assistant.

“Morning bus, here I go,”

I said, in a slight disguise.

Didn’t want anyone interfering in my every day life anymore. This was the reason why.

Unexpectedly, a car roughly pulled over by my side, almost tilting me. Not hitting, but frightening enough for me to actually fall down.

“The hell?!”

Suddenly, an elderly man came out, directing his steps towards me. He was clothed in an expensive cloth, with dignity and pride in his movements.

“Not another rich man, crazily driving,”

I muttered, under my breath.

I sighed, looking the other way, expecting him to do the usual—flaunt his money on my face. And perhaps, show me what I was missing.

But a hand outstretched towards me.

“Eleanor Reyes,”

“W-What? Who are y-you? How do you even know my name?”

“Cause I’m a significant figure in your life.”

“A significant figure? How’s that even possible? I just met you now, you know.”

“That last name, was from me you know. I’m your father, Eleanor,”