Chapter Five

FIVE YEARS AGO…

SHE knew she was stressed out, for she could no longer write her novel’s next scene. Her brain was like a not responding app on a slow computer.

Avon needed to unwind, so she went to her friend’s shop.

She waved at Linea when she entered the shop. Her friend did not say a thing and just watched her walk until she sat behind the drum set. She picked up the drumsticks and started hitting the drums.

“You’re stressed again, aren’t you?” Linea asked afterward. “You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t.”

“Yes!” she yelled so that her friend could hear her.

Avon was in the middle of having fun from what she was doing when her eyes caught a glimpse of familiar faces heading towards Line’s shop. After a few seconds, the door opened, and Daevid came in with Roeden tailing him. She already had an idea what was Daevid’s agenda.

His girlfriend Janina was missing since yesterday. But in truth, she was hiding from him, mending her broken heart.

“Will you please stop making noise, Avon,” Roeden said when he walked past her.

She did what she was told. If the order came from Roeden, she always followed as if she was under his spell.

“Linea, we are friends too. Please tell me where I can find Jaja.” Daevid sounded so desperate.

Linea turned in her direction. When their eyes met, she already got her friend’s message.

“Linea, please, I’m begging you.”

Avon was waiting for their friend to beg on his knees, but it did not happen.

Linea turned her back on Daevid. “You’re asking the wrong person. Why don’t you ask Avon?”

She stood up and was about to run away when Roeden suddenly grabbed her by the wrist. Her heart somersaulted immediately without warning.

“Avon…” Daevid called her. “One more time?”

“No!” she said firmly as she tried to free herself from Roeden’s grip.

Both Daevid and Janina were friends with her, and it what made the situation worst because she had to choose a side. And this time, she decided to side with Janina. She saw her cry, and she was hurt so bad. Avon did not like that.

“I need to find her. I need to talk to her to set things right.”

“Isn’t it clear to you yet, Daevid? She already left.” She narrowed her eyes on him.

“Damn it! I can feel that she loves me. I don’t understand why she had to leave me without a word!”

“Really?” Avon cocked her head to the side. She knew what he was feeling at the moment.

“Avon, I’m begging you… Tell me where Jaja is, and I will do anything for you—”

“I already helped you back then, Daevid. We’re now even. I’m sorry.” She scowled at Roeden when she turned her gaze on him. “Let me go, or else I’ll kick your balls.”

But he acted as if he did not hear anything. Perhaps he knew that she was just bluffing because she could not do that. How could she ever hurt the man that she loves the most? Never in her life would she think of hurting him. All she ever wanted was to hold him and cherish him forever. But Roeden friend-zoned her a long time ago. All she could do was to love him in silence.

“I’ll kiss you if you tell Daevid where she is,” Roeden said in a low tone.

Her mouth dropped open. She did not expect that he will do such a bargain. The offer was so tempting. Should Avon betray her friend for that kiss? But then, she was having second thoughts about it. What if he was just tricking her? She had to be sure first.

“Will you kiss me on my lips?”

“Yes.” His lips pressed together.

“For how long?”

“Five seconds.”

Five seconds? Would she even feel his lips in five seconds? Ah, no. That was too fast.

“Make it fifteen seconds, hmm?” She wagged her brows.

“Five,” Roeden said through gritted teeth.

She knew he was starting to get annoyed.

“Ten seconds or I won’t tell Daevid where Janina is.” Let’s see how far you can go. You already jumped off the cliff.

“Okay, ten seconds.”

“How will I know you’re not tricking me?”

“You have my word!”

“It’s just a word!” A word was a mere promise that is meant to be broken. She could not trust Roeden’s words because he had broken his promise to her one time. When she confessed her feelings, he said nothing will change between them. But then, in just a few days, he started avoiding her.

Avon gasped when Roeden suddenly pulled her nape and claimed her lips. She heard Linea slowly counting in the background, but soon her voice seemed to fade, and there was nothing but the sound of her heart thumping like crazy. It felt like her world stopped spinning for ten seconds. And for some reason, that ten seconds seemed so long. It was ten seconds, but it definitely felt like forever.

Ah… it only took a ten-second kiss to betray a friend. She hoped Janina could forgive her for that.

She licked her lips after Roeden distanced himself from her. She knew she looked like an idiot, but she could not help but savor the after-taste of that moment.

“Speak now,” said Roeden.

“Well.” She turned to Daevid, who was waiting patiently. “You can find Jaja in Cinderella Island. Your princess is waiting for you there, Daevid.”

Roeden threw his key to Daevid.

“Thanks, Roeden. I’ll make it up to you one day.” Daevid stormed out of the shop.

Avon heaved a sigh and sat again. No matter how tough it was, two hearts that were meant to be together would always find their way back to each other.

“They deserve a happy ending, don’t they?” She turned to Roeden and found him staring at her. She wondered the two of them would have a happy ending too.

“Hmm. They do…”

She cleared her throat and picked the drumsticks that fell on the floor, then she stood up.

“Linea, I’ll go home now. `Bye!” Avon waved a hand to her friend, who was watching them as she stood behind the counter.

She walked out of the shop and headed to her car parked across the street.

“Avon!”

She halted from opening the door when she heard Roeden’s voice just behind her.

“What?” Avon asked without looking at him.

“Can I—”

“Where’s Daevid’s car, anyway?” She turned to face him.

“It won’t start, so I took him here.” He put his hands inside the pockets of his jeans.

She sneered. “What a—”

“I’m sorry, Avon,” Roeden said, cutting her off. “I did that because I really want to help Daevid. I know you understand what I feel because that’s the same feeling that you felt when you helped Jaja.”

The sun’s heat was too hot outside, but she felt cold all over. Avon was not dumb not to know that it was not his car Roeden was referring to. He was sorry because he kissed her. Yeah, he did not like that in the first place. But why say sorry? He just ruined her fantasy once again.

She grabbed his hand and handed him her key. Then, she hailed a cab and hopped in.

AVON’S fingers stopped from typing on the keyboard when she noticed that the characters’ names on her novel were suddenly changed into hers and Roeden. She knocked her with her fists and deleted the entire chapter that she had written. What was happening to her?

Lately, she had been thinking about Roeden again. And the thoughts about him would not leave her mind. If only she could ask them to pay rent.

She stared at the now blank word document on her laptop. Avon groaned out of frustration. She wrote that seen for hours only to be deleted—what a waste of brain cells, energy, and electricity. In the end, she decided to turn off her laptop and went out of the room to check her companions. They must be hungry from playing for hours.

“This is where the cab is,” Ariane yelled as she stood beside the chairs in a line.

“We are here. Therefore, this is the cab,” Pierro, her godson, said firmly. He was sitting on a chair beside Thirdy.

And their cute argument went on and on. She shook her head while grinning and headed to the kitchen, leaving the kids.

“They won’t hurt each other, though.”

Avon started to prepare their snack.