Second Chances (ON HOLD)

Chapter 8: The Inevitable

You know that moment when you make an entrance and everyone just snaps his or her heads towards you and suddenly there’s silence? Complete, pin-drop silence?

Yeah that’s what Marco was witnessing right now. Even then he didn’t really care. He ran his fingers through his hair, in frustration and took a seat at his usual booth. He could still feel the gazes boring at him, but living all of his life in the spotlight, not having privacy at all, had made him grown accustomed to it.

Today he didn’t even run his eyes in the place to look for the one woman he had been coming here specifically for. No, today he just kept his eyes lowered and his fingers in tight fists, as they drummed onto the wooden table in front of him.

“What can I get you Sir?” The achingly familiar voice spoke next to where he sat, and betrayed the underlying nervousness in it that was palpable then.

He whipped his head to meet her fiery blue eyes, which seemed a little worried by the looks of it. He almost wanted to punch a hole into the table before him then. Nobody really did give a shit. It was all a farce. But somehow, he managed to rein in his emotions that were in a wild frenzy inside him.

“Nothing,” he bit out in a flat monotone. He made sure his voice betrayed no emotion. He noticed as a tiny little frown formed on Vanessa’s face. It was as if she was trying to work out an extremely difficult problem in her head.

“Are you done? Now leave.” His voice came out a lot more coldly than he expected it to, and he saw as Vanessa visibly flinched and her features slashed with hurt. But as soon as it had appeared, her face was the perfect mask of nothingness again.

“Okay.” It was all she said as she turned around to leave him. He realized what an asshole he was being to her then. At that point he hadn’t even registered the fact that his hand had flown out from by his side and was now gently gripping Vanessa’s wrist, stopping her in mid-step.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

It was the only word that kept on swirling in his head at his stupidity. By now, Vanessa had turned around and was now looking at him with inquiring eyes. Her eyes slowly left his, and lowered, her gaze pausing at his hand still holding onto her.

“I’m sorry.” He muttered under his breath, watching as her face lifted and her eyes widened with shock. It was as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Then again, he should have known what her reaction would have been.

Obviously she was going to get shocked if a guy who filled out a suit as well as he did, was apologizing to her for being an ass.

Yes. Completely justifiable.

“Sit here for a while?” Marco gently asked her. He was surprised his voice had come out so soft despite of his mood. Hell, it was the first time he was talking to someone like this if he didn’t count his family.

Vanessa stared at him, dumbfounded before turning around and looking into the direction of –now that Marco noticed- a group of gaping women, some of which were dressed exactly as Vanessa was. He tugged her hand again; withdrawing her attention from the group of women she was now glaring at.

“No I don’t think that’s going to be the best idea sir.” Vanessa replied uneasily.

He didn’t know why but a pang of disappointment rushed through him. Nobody really cared, did they? No matter how rich he was, or how successful, or how good looking, at the end of the day, that’s exactly what he was.