Chapter 39

Chapter 39 Liam's POV Finding time to be alone with Crystal was hard. She was surrounded by her family the whole time. I needed to talk to her before they leave the island in the afternoon. I felt like I had not explained my side to her fully. The whole morning, she was swimming in the beach with the kids. My eyes popped out the moment I saw her. She was so smoking hot in her skimpy bikini. Perfect in every sense of the word. She was slender with jutting breasts and narrow waist. Her fine hips tapered into shapely thighs and long legs. I felt like a breathless boy of eighteen. I could not take my eyes off her. My gazed was riveted on her face, then moved over her body slowly. Knowing the truth totally changed my opinion of her. I totally messed up, and I badly needed to make amends for what I did to her. As a teenager, I was so stubborn, hard-headed, and close-minded. I believed what I saw and that was it. A complete fact and evidence. Explanations would only twist the whole story. It was used as an excuse to escape the sin. I did not know where I got that logic. I guessed from reading too much. Too bad, I used it against Crystal. She noticed me watching her intently, then she smiled and waved at me. I waved back then I settled on one of the two empty lounge chairs hoping that she would come and join me. But after an hour, she left the beach with the kids. Lunch took too long to finish. It was three in the afternoon when I finally got a chance to be alone with her. "Would you like a tour of the island?" She looked up at the sun. "Isn't it too hot?" I looked at my watch, then said. "The sun will go down in an hour." "But we're leaving soon, and I haven't packed my things yet." I could see the hesitation on her face. "I promise, we won't be long." When she was about to protest, I added, "please... I need to talk to you now." I let out a sigh of relief when she nodded. We rode an ATV quad bike around the island. There were a few people already living on the island. It was like a small village. They were mostly the families of my staff. It was my objective to develop the island into a great living environment for everyone. "I never thought this is so huge. It's beautiful in here." Crystal said, behind me. I liked the feel of her riding the ATV on my back with her arms around my waist. "And very peaceful. Too different from the noise in the city." I answered. We reached the top part of the island. A small rocky hill with a cliff. Down below were big waves lapping against the big rocks. I stopped the ATV then turned off the engine. "How often do you come here?" She asked, when she climbed out of the ATV. "More often, if I don't have any scheduled operation." I dismounted and followed her at the cliff side. "I have an apartment in the city, but I consider this as my home." "That's cool. It's like always having a vacation. I'm sure you have brought many of your friends here." I chuckled. "Friends, yes. If you mean girlfriends, nope. I haven't brought any girlfriend here." "I don't mean that. It's none of my business anyway. You're a bachelor, naturally..." I shook my head earnestly. "I was too busy building my dreams." It was the truth anyway. I did not have to tell her yet that I lied about the long relationships I mentioned. There was none really, except for flings and shallow affairs. "I see." She removed strands of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "What do you want to talk about?" I took a deep breath then faced her. "I would like to apologize for not hearing your explanation before. I was so wrong to believe Alice's lies. I did not know what came over me, I was blinded by my hate for you. I became jealous, bitter, and stubborn." The frustration and regrets building inside me, making my heart feel so heavy. "I shouldn't have believed Alice, basing on her behavior before with Josh. She was a bitch to him." Disappointment showed on her face instantly. "Too bad, it took us thirteen years to sort it out. What she did was really bad." She twisted her lips. "I'm sure you know that she likes you?" I nodded. "I was aware of her big crush on me but I ignored it. I did not want to hurt Josh." "I was shocked to know that Josh died. And I want you to know that I don't feel responsible for his death. I did not do anything to him, in fact it was the other way around. He forced himself on me, by kissing me against my will." "I believe you. I got so mad and disappointed in him when you told me that, but I realized there was no point of hating him. He was so wrong, and I'm sure he died guilty of his sins. I hope you'll find it in your heart to forgive him, so his soul will rest in peace." "I already did. I'm actually so sad for him. Either he took his life or it was just an accident, he didn't deserve to die too young." "Yeah. It was a total shock for us." My eyes held hers, then gently, I took her hand. "I want you to know that I did not blame you for Josh's death. The police report said that it was due to reckless driving. That's what I chose to believe." "Thank you for telling me this. Honestly, that had me worried, being blamed for something that I felt innocent about." She smiled a little. "At least, we can put that behind us now and we can really move on." "Of course." I smiled back at her. Grateful for her forgiving personality. She was also a kind, loving, and caring woman but when provoked, she could be so wild, fierce, and very angry. When I pulled her in my arms and hugged her, she did not resist. I felt so happy and alive at that moment. All the heaviness in my heart was suddenly lifted. The hate was gone, and it was replaced by a warm feeling of eternal joy. It was the start of a new beginning for us. **Two months later** I modelled for Crystal's company, Happy Heart. The feedback was awesome, the demands in the market of every product escalated too fast, leaving the pioneer company behind. "Thanks to you, the company is growing. We're considering inviting investors. Are you interested?" Crystal asked me when we had a meeting with the Marketing team. "Count me in. I'll put all my payouts in the investment." I answered. Since I was their company model. I had special treatment in their office and could come and go anytime I pleased. It was a big advantage on my part. The way I wanted it to be. I accepted the offer not because I was after the popularity or the money that the company paid me. I was only after being close to Crystal. To see her and be with her anytime of the day. I was not in a position to date her. Not yet. I was giving her time to recover. She just broke up with her fiancé, and I knew it was not easy for her. She was still in the process of mending her broken heart. Forcing her into another relationship would not end well. I learned it from my Filipino colleague, Dr. John Mark (JM) Cruz. "Ever heard of a 3-month rule?" JM asked. "I haven't heard of that." "Come on, it's everywhere on Facebook." He exhaled heavily, giving me a frustrated look. "It means you have to wait for three months before you make your first move." "Should I?" "Of course! You don't want to be a rebound guy, right? She needs time to recover and heal her heart first. Be patient." JM advised. He had a point though so I took his advice and waited for three months. ___ But after two months, I realized I made a mistake of listening to JM One afternoon, after I performed a heart transplant surgery, I went to Crystal's office to hang out with her. I could do another photoshoot or a video ad. Whatever they wanted. All that mattered to me was to be with her. And as much as possible, to spend my free time with her. As what the saying said, beggars cannot be choosers. I was happy with whatever she could offer to me at the moment. If it was friendship, then I would take it. But I was determined to pursue her when she was ready for another committed relationship. Her secretary let me inside her office. I was surprised to see her dad, Eros Petrakis, with a younger man, probably my age. "Good, you're here, Liam." Mr. Petrakis stood up, smiling and tapped my shoulder. "I want you to meet Fabio." "Hello," I smiled and greeted the younger man, offering a handshake. "I'm Dr. Liam Brooks." He shook my hand briefly, then said, "Fabio Castro. I don't have any title, but I own a pineapple plantation in Brazil."