Alita hated herself for keeping the truth from Sarah but she had no choice. It dawned on her that she hadn't told Sarah right from the onset. Things were complicated now. She kept telling herself that she didn't lie. After all, withholding the truth is not exactly lying, is it?
She was in tears of different pain than the shallow tale she told Sarah. Yes, she wanted to know if he truly liked her, and yes she was falling for him too but the circumstance had taken a thicker hide. She wanted to ride the waves like she naturally does but it all happened suddenly.
She wore her headphone and played her favorite playlist of sad songs until she fell asleep.
Sarah came back and met her fast asleep. She checked around and found that Alita hadn't had anything to eat but morning coffee. She went to the kitchen to prepare something for them to eat. She was confused about which fry dish to make and it took a while before deciding to prepare Badmaash.
Afterward, she woke Alita up so they could eat.
Alita was utterly dismayed. She looked pained even while she slept. Her creased brows and tightened jaw, how she coiled herself putting her hands in between her legs and arched her back. You would think she was having a nightmare.
Sarah tucked her into the blanket and left her be.
Sarah had a gut feeling that things were more critical than it seemed and Alita didn't her in on everything but kept it to herself because Alita was already going through so much.
"C'mon quite stretching like a haggard and let's eat," Sarah blurted and Alita screwed her face and pouted her lips.
Alita's face loosened at the sight of the meal in front of her. She moaned as said, "I am haggard," her eyes glued to her plate. "Awn, thank you so much. what would I do without you?"
"Starve yourself to death," Sarah said pale-faced. "And go deaf," she added.
Alita's eyes darted around the bed for her headphone. Her face contorted when she didn't find it. She turned to Sarah and stared into her eyes expectantly.
"What?" Sarah's brows lifted as she pressed her lips together. She looked away. "You didn't even know when I removed it," Sarah scoffed.
"Yeah," Alita massages the back of her neck. "I was asleep," she whimpered while batting her lashes at Sarah. "Where'd you keep it," she pouted.
"I keep telling you, you going to need a hearing aid when you're thirty the way you are going at this rate with that thing," Sarah rolled her eyes and sipped the soda she had poured into a glass.
"Live, Sarah, music is life," Alita said picking up her plate and keeping it on her lap. "Besides I have been using headphones forever and I'm not deaf yet so…"
"You're half dead, telling me to live," Sarah jerked her head backward. "Yes, music is life but not loud music that is hazardous to your hearing. Nope, pass. I do listen to music responsibly and that's okay and normal."
"You listen to music? Did I hear you right?" Anita chuckled. "How many songs do you have on your phone?" She pursed her lips and lifted a brow at Sarah.
Sarah pressed her lips together and looked heavenward. "A couple...," she snickered and moaned the rest of her words.
Alita coughed a laugh, saying, "Yeah, that's what I thought... probably just your ring tone that I choose for you and... um," she added then paused and plopped her finger on her face -below her lips. "The songs on Luke's phone. God help me he is not like you," she hung her head and stared into space, flickering her lashes.
"Ouch... wow," Sarah exclaimed.
Alita swallowed air and raised her face to Sarah's, "Please, you are missing out on life-giving so much to work like this," she twisted her face and continued, "You even got a husband from work…" she pressed her lips together as Sarah glared at her.
"You do not want to mess with me now, trust me," Sarah shook her head, staring into her plate, confused about which fry to pick and eat.
"Mess with you? Of course not. Thank God the rest of the words didn't come out," Alita simpered before covering her mouth with her hand.
Sarah raised a brow at her.
"Hey... now you're the one shooting threatening looks," Alita let out an exaggerated giggle. Sarah rolled her eyes at her. "Stop it, you know I live to make sure you are living," she whined.
"I don't even want to put a thought to that," Sarah jerked her head sideways.
"What are you talking about? You know if it weren't for me you would have not even met Luke," Alita said and looked sideways.
"Really, Alita, you spilled a drink on him at that party and I almost didn't get my job because of that. We didn't even know he was Mr. Astor's PA until later," Sarah's eyes grew bigger. "And you disappeared when someone pointed to him as the PA we were looking for," Sarah blinked numerous times at Alita.
"Well…you have to travel some parts of your journey alone. I can't be there with you all the time," Alita pressed her lips together to hold in the surge of laughter that gradually built up in her gut.
Sarah cocked her head and then bit her lower lip. "You are a stupid ass bitch, you know that," she exclaimed.
"Come on," Alita splayed her hand in the air. "I was in the middle of that anger that morphed into the crazy love you have for Luke now, so indeed, am living so you can live..." She raised her chin and nodded. "Because of me, you got the man of your dreams that is gradually replacing me in your life."
"Wait," Sarah paused as if giving serious thought to what Alita said and then scoffed, saying, "you call losing your job living?" Sarah smacked her palms against her lap. "You are have gone mental, totally, I see it now…"
"Wow," Alita drawled. "That's where we are going with this?" Her face warped as she tightened her jaw.
"No, don't look at me with that face because you started it," Sarah extended her hand and wiggled a finger in the air. She brought her hands down to her glass and picked it up to speak when Alita spoke.
"Right, I started it and now I am ending it," Alita let her eyes droop. "Just know you owe your wedding to me…"
Sarah sipped her drink and Alita's eyes followed her glass up to her mouth and back on the table, she then looked at the glass of water Sarah pushed to her side of the table. "Why do I have water, Sarah?" Alita pursed her lips and batted her lashes at Sarah, staring at her expecting an explanation to justify why she had water and not juice in her glass.
"You ask that question when it's you who made the food and brought it down here for me," Sarah pushed her glass farther away from Alita's reach.
"Alright, Sarah Harshman," Alita grabbed her glass and gulped half the water, and dropped it on the ground next to her feet so she wouldn't have to stretch for it again.
"Girl, you will mop the whole room if you pour that water on the ground."
"I won't, Harshman," Alita squinted. "I am that careful," she muttered.
"Don't call me that. I've told you a zillion times but your bug head won't stop," Sarah whined.
"Sorry," Alita said sarcastically.
Sarah's face dulled as she shook her head sideways. "Whatever," she mumbled. She looked straight ahead at nothing and then jerked her head towards Alita. "You know, I have been thinking about the whole drama,"
"What about it," sadness overtook Alita's face.
"I think he has feelings for you," Sarah muttered.
"He does?" Alita's face lit up.
"I might be wrong so don't get excited. I am not the person to trust about opinions concerning men as I have had my fair share of heartbreaks. But I do know Mr. Astor," she said looking lost in her thoughts. "The way he left the office in such a hurry... he wouldn't do that if you do not interest him. It might as well truly be because of Julie, as I said anything I say can't be trusted, don't take it to heart," she chuckled. "He's changed though, ever since Julie, he's been a different person, better if I am allowed to say," she squinted as she stared into Alita's eyes and said, "you can't say a word of this to him, but really, he says more than usual these days and don't laugh... I think he is less of a grump…" she looked her face to the side and turned back to Alita. "There's a great chance I am saying things just to make you feel better…" she covered her mouth with her hand.
"I do feel better," Alita smiled weekly. "At least he is only half the grump he was."
"Although, Alita, I won't lie to you, he is not the kind of man you want to mess with. There's just too much attention and competition and then there are his late-night affairs which I know you already know about," Sarah peered into Alita's eyes.
Alita placed her palm across her forehead and leaned forward until her elbow touched her lap as she wrapped her other hand over her stomach. " I know," she muttered to herself.
She was silent for a moment before joking off the bed and carrying her plate. As she took a step forward she kicked the glass she had kept on the ground and the water spilled.
"Oops, turns out I not as full of care as I thought."