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CHAPTER 34
"Are you deaf? I said let go of her.” Liam’s voice isn't harsh, but the threatening vibes it exudes is quite alarming.
"Easy there, bro." Jeremy releases me from his grip. "We're just talking,” he says and my eyes are on my wrist, faint finger marks accented on the skin.
"Don't call me bro, kid!" Liam snaps, his fists clenched as he glares at Jeremy with blazing eyes while pacing closer. "Are you okay, Kira?" He glances at me . . . at my wrist, too, and I nod like a little girl would.
His jaw ticks. He pulls me to his side and I'm worried whether he has heard the rest of our conversation or not. I hope he hasn't. He then glares back at Jeremy, eyes dark.
"She told you to leave her alone, didn't she? Why were you forcing your hands on her?" He places himself between Jeremy and I, making me stay behind him. He’s tense.
Jeremy roams around, like a tamed dog, holding his head and waist with either hand. I know he usually acts macho and all, in front of ladies, but deep within he's nothing but a big soft marshmallow. I'm sure he didn't see this coming, and it's a bit exciting. I’m totally fangirling.
"I said we were just talking, bro! So calm down," Jeremy says, and his temer slowly rises.
"And I told you not to call me bro!" Liam lashes, and I can feel him getting more explosive.
They glare at one another like beasts, their chests almost touching. Even if this bastard, Jeremy, doesn't deserve a pinch of consideration, I still don't want any fist fight at my expense. I decide to intervene.
"Liam . . ." I clutch his arm. His muscles loosen a bit, but he doesn't look at me.
"Get out of here," he tells Jeremy, whose gaze has turned into a disturbing glare at the sight of me in close contact with Liam
"Jeremy, go," I also tell him, and his jaw clenches with anger, disapproval, or whatever it is that he’s currently feeling.
I can't tell how this male ego works but it's a very terrible thing in my opinion. Liam's hand slips behind my waist, protectively, pulling me to his side. Again he doesn't look my way, but I can still feel the anger running in his blood.
"Look, young man," Liam says, moving quite closer to Jeremy while scratching his chin arrogantly. He is contumelious. What a sight! "I'm really trying to be civil here. Get the fuck out of here! Right now! Unless you really want me to lose it," he orders this time, his voice authoritative.
"And who the fuck do you think you are?” Jeremy clenches his fists, angrily, ready to pounce on Mr. Intense.
"I dare you," Liam utters, his voice calm and emotionless, eyes on Jeremy’s bloody gaze instead of his fist. "Go ahead and try it, kid." He smirks and I swallow a bile in my throat.
Jeremy stills himself, panting.
No, this shouldn’t happen. Not my Liam in a fistfight with this brainsick jerk. I instinctively move over and firm my grip around Liam's tight waist. Jeremy takes a hint; he backs off while frowning incredulously at the gesture.
"Fine," he agrees reluctantly. "As you wish, I'll leave you two alone, lovebirds." He throws me a spiteful look as he starts moving.
"What's going on here?" Sam asks suddenly, startling the three of us.
That's all I needed.
I look at her over my shoulder and I can see her eyes resting on Liam's possessive hand around my waist, and I his. She gulps tightly. I slowly pull away while turning around wholly.
My skepticism doesn't help at all as Sam's face tells exactly how disturbed she feels about the little gesture. And I feel like she knows something, or feels something about us.
"Nothing," Liam articulates. His voice betrays his words, for he cannot hide his anger even at this moment. "You're fine, right?" He faces me, his eyes worried, and I nod.
"Jeremy was just leaving, right?" I glare coldly at him, and for once we seem to speak the same language.
"Yeah," he prompts with a nod. "I was just on my way out.” He is pissed.
He disappears through the front door as I peek a glance back at Liam. I truly appreciate his intervention but there's no way I'd say so, considering how awkward the atmosphere has become.
Sam is eyeing me suspiciously without saying a word, and it's so evident that she doesn't buy whatever the story we've just sold her. She's with Veronica, apparently, and they are both looking at us bemusedly.
"Excuse me," Liam says and slowly walks back to his room.
"I'll be in my room." I also force my way out, leaving Sam and Veronica, who'd been glaring at me as though I have been pole-dancing for her boyfriend.
What the hell has just happened? I drop heavily on the bed, sighing.
My mind drifts away immediately as I think of my immediate future. What will happen next? It feels like I'm slowly losing something, and it's a bit scary. I get too engrossed to even realize that Sam is here now.
"I told them to leave," she tells me.
"Hmm," I answer curtly, facing the ceiling above.
Sighing, Sam walks towards the window. She says nothing, but stares at the ocean streaming into view from a distance, and I wonder what's up.
"Do you remember the first time you arrived at the orphanage?" she suddenly asks. I gaze at her as she turns around to collide our eyes.
"Yeah, why?" I utter, my mind in refusal to think of anything behind this so unexpected speech.
"You didn't want to talk to anyone. You zipped your mouth for an entire week," she says with a little laughter. "It's crazy I still remember even though I was just eight." She shifts to the wall and leans against it, facing me.
"What are you trying to say?" I rise up to take a seat.
"Even though you refused to speak to anyone I still forced my way, over and over again, until you talked. But when you did talk, I wished you didn't, because what you said broke my heart." She now moves towards me, sniffling.
My eyes well up with tears at the memory of those days. It was just a month after my parents' death, and I felt like a part of me died along. I couldn't remember much, but the pain was unforgotten.
And suddenly I was in a place where kids had no homes, no parents, I was one of them. I felt lost, I wanted to die, and I believed it was the only ticket to see mom and dad again. I always stayed at the corner, my mind blank.
They tried talking to me, the girls, the boys, but none succeeded to open my mouth. The world had lost its colors in my eyes, but some brunette kid named Samantha didn't give up. She tried until I opened my mouth.
"It hurts," I utter, tears streaming down. "That's what I said." I lift my eyes at Sam. "Why are you reminding me?"
"Nothing," Sam says softly. "I just want to say that you're the person I love and trust the most in my life. I know you'd never hurt or betray me, because you're my best friend. I want to be that person to you too, Kira. I know I can be bitchy . . . but I never intend to hurt you. If I did, by any chance, please forgive me." She sits next to me, and my heart shatters.
Guilt. Pain. Loss. I feel them all at once.
"No, you haven't done anything to apologize for," I breathe and I know I'm the one who should apologize to her.
But I don't have the guts to.
"Did Jay do anything to offend you earlier? I know how crazy he gets when drunk but he didn't drink at all today," Sam asks, her voice laced with concerns.
"Why did you bring him here? He's your ex, Sam, so why the fuck did you invite him here?” The mention of Jeremy stirs me all over again. “Did you do it to make him jealous?" I can't help the anger.
"I's none of your concerns, Kira!" Sam snaps, getting up.
"Right. None of my business.” I sigh, staring into space.
"We're talking about Jeremy. Did you fight with him? Did he offend you?" she continues.
"He always offends me, in case you haven't noticed," I tell her, and she swallows with confusion.
"Kira, if you don't like them just tell me so. They are my friends; no matter how weird they are, so it hurts me seeing you so hostile towards them."
"Oh, I'm very sorry that I'm not as hospitable with your friends as you want me to," I say sternly, annoyed. "Do I have to force myself into liking them?"
"You're being harsh," Sam mutters.
Harsh? I mentally scoff.
"Seriously, Sam? Do I have to say everything with words for you to understand? Okay, you're no psychic so let me tell you clearly. Yes, keep them away from me. I don't like them."
Maybe I'm stupid by thinking she would understand my feelings even when I don't say it out loud. We're different, right? What a terrible combination we make! I can't speak, and she can't hear.
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yes. And just to be clear, they're your friends, not mine, so stop associating me with them. I'd rather die alone and bored that being around those two dimwits!"
"Okay," Sam answers and she's hurt by my words, I can tell.
"Okay." I lie down, feeling spent.
"Sure, I'll be outside," Sam mutters. I don't even bother to respond as she leaves instantly.
Perhaps we've been wrong from the very beginning. Maybe something was never right even before stepping out of California. Where have we gone wrong, though? Is there a way to fix my personality? Or hers? Are we really friends?
I exhale audibly at everything that's going on. I don't even know what I'm doing with my life anymore. I lie down for a while and my head goes jumbled at the recollection of all the events since the moment I boarded a plane at LAX.
Just a week or so and I’m this beat?
Feeling myself going insane, I decide to finish arranging my suitcase before changing into a green mini jumpsuit. I put on the same slippers I've been wearing around and make a quick call to Malik. Luckily he picks right away.
"Professor, everything alright?" He sounds a bit worried, and some laughter from the background.
I restlessly walk over towards the window. "Yeah, everything is fine," I assure him, which is a total lie. "Um, can I please use your car?" I can clearly imagine his startled look.
"Are you going somewhere?" he asks.
"Yes, please," I urge. "I need a little escape, and maybe sightseeing while at it."
"Well, sure." Malik relents.
"So . . . can I have the keys now?"
"If you want to, I've got them with me."
With that I just grab my handbag, camera, and sunglasses. It's decided, I need to get away for a second; anywhere but this house. I fix my curls quickly and slip outside.
Malik hands me the Aston Martin's keys and I can't thank him enough. He even offers to take me to wherever I'm intending to go, but I kindly refuse. It's important I stay alone for a while and I'm glad the Prince understands.
After all he is already busy with his tablet on the lap, which usually indicates business. With Sam and Natasha busy talking, I manage to tell them that I need some air without any annoying reproaching.
Well, other than Sam's skeptical look that I deliberately choose to turn a blind eye at.
Liam and Jamal are in the middle of a serious discussion over some beers, and I barely look at the former. I don't bother to say a thing more, other that leaving. I walk over the parking area to finally slip into the fancy dark-grey car.
I'm not really sure where I'm heading, sometime later, so I just follow my instincts and slide the straight asphalt.
My head is on thick clouds that I fail to pay attention towards anything I pass by. I'm usually careful on the road but today I seem so out of it, handling the wheel with one hand while digging in my hair with the other.
At least I get to see the red light on time before I make any trouble with the cops, if not causing an accident. Jeez! What I'm feeling is beyond misery, I don't understand how I got myself into such a mess.
"Damn it!" I groan aloud.
The vexation makes me pang the center of the steering and the honking sound startles me like crazy. I exhale deeply and for once I try to look around. I still have no idea on where I am, but it doesn't matter. I'll thank later whoever invented the navigation and Google maps.
I take a left turn and go on with my ride. At least the fresh air rebuilds my homeostasis little by little. When I stop the car, I find myself along the greenish garden square with palm trees. Glancing further, I see a beach volleyball ground and few people playing happily.
Well, this is exactly what I need to calm my anxiety. Putting off my glasses, I get a chance to watch the beauty of this area nakedly. I exit the car, with my camera on, and began roaming around. I go deep into the street, taking pictures, smiling from time to time, and at least I'm feeling better.