The Unsaid Dreams . Truth . Desires

36

The dress was revealing, but with Jeanne's pep talk, Alina felt bold enough to carry it. Instead of her straight, she was carrying a curled hair look and it actually looked nice, maybe because it made her appear and feel different, a welcoming change? Instead of her usual heels, she wore block heels, a flashy one. Her accessories went well with her all-party look and she enjoyed being pampered, feeling like a completely different person, far away from worries and about work or life, living just in the moment.

All her friends, Shelby, Alan, Michael, Zach, Shiv, Greg, along with their roommates were at Playhouse Hollywood, dancing and shouting their hearts out. The place was crowded but nobody cared. They danced like mad people and all except Alina were completely drunk, soon they were out of their senses, but none of them were ready to leave. It was way past midnight and Alina's leg started hurting though she didn't dance much but continued to sway to the music. Her head started hurting because of the loud music and she decided to call it a night. She had to literally drag everyone out of the cub, nobody was ready to leave just yet. Around 2 am, they left for their homes. Too tired from the party, she jumped on her bed and fell asleep almost instantly. 

Her head still felt heavy the next morning and she was too lazy to get out of the bed. She completely ignored her alarm. Finally, when she watched the time, it was 10:40 am, she overslept and was extremely late for work. She sat straight on her bed, rubbing her eyes. When she finally managed to open her eyes properly, she scanned the room, Rob was sitting on the chair next to the bed, engrossed in his phone.

She was baffled but was pretty sure of it to be her imagination.

'You are up,' finally, Rob noticed her.

'Huh?' this sudden voice bemused her even more.

Neglecting his presence, she left the bed and marched towards the washroom. She was still dressed in her last night look, wearing her earrings and accessories, rubbing her temples continuously as if trying to get rid of the headache.

'Ooh, you look different, your dress is...kind of sexy. And your hair looks...super curled? Looks like you had fun last night.'

She continued moving nonchalantly, as if she was alone in the room, looking through the drawers for medicine. 'Aah!', the first word left her mouth that morning.

'Were you drinking last night?'

This triggered her, she snapped around, 'I don't drink' and instead of freshening up, she switched on her laptop and marched towards her study. Rob follows her at once.

'Alina, you are not answering me. Shouldn't we be talking?'

'I don't think we should. Please leave me alone.'

'Sweetie please, it's not funny. Don't mess with me.'

'Look, you, I have lots of work to do. I need to freshen up, clean the place. Please let me work. I don't want any distraction.'

Rob stayed in Alina's room for the whole day, he didn't come out for meals, and Alina was also least bothered to check upon him. But by the night, she wanted to at least as him for dinner. She peeked in her room where Rob was sitting on the bed with one of her novels in his hand. 

'You should be eating something, dinner is on the table.'

Without waiting for a reply, she twirled around and left. Rob emerged and stood next to the dining table waiting for Alina. But when she didn't come, he served a plate and took it to the garden where Alina was strolling with light music playing on her phone.

'You should eat as well.'

She didn't respond but now, Rob has had enough.

'Alina, I have been patient the entire day, but now, let's talk, please. It's killing me seeing you like this,' and pulled her.

'Happy Happy Happy Birthday Love, I know I am late but better late than sorry. The moment I got to know, I tried to come back to you immediately.'

'Who told you?'

'Jeanne had shared some pictures with Aaron.'

'What?'

'Yeah, the place looked beautiful and your eyes were twinkling, just like the sparkling candles.'

'Hmm, you didn't contact me and you were gone like...vanished. You abandoned me,' her voice was cracking, she was on the verge of breaking down.

Rob held her close to him with a concerned look on his face. When Alina locked her eyes with him, a sense of calmness spread across her body, her muscles started to relax and pain started to shed away. For the first time that week, her mind stopped wandering.

'I am sorry, I freaked out. And when I freak out, it's my tendency to escape, escape from everything,' his voice was distant as if he was trying to fight his inner demons.

'I am trying to understand you. If you want me here, you have to at least let me know what's going on with you. If I am troubling you in any form, all you have to do is ask and I will be gone forever, for good.'

He pulled her into a tight hug, 'that's the last thing I want. I love being around you. You give me happy jitters, I want you around me forever.'

She pulled away from him, it was breaking her heart seeing Rob like this, so vulnerable, but she had to get things straight, she cannot continue doing this to herself every time.

'Rob,' she said cupping his face with her palm, 'please tell me what happened, why did you disappear?'

'Things between me and Zoe didn't end very well. She was, umm... not the one for me I guess. We started arguing on almost everything and we didn't want to hang out together anymore.'

'Okay?'

'When you told me that you and Zoe talked and that she wanted you to stay away from me, and the look on your face, you were devastated. And I somehow believed that you are going to leave me, I will be left alone. I had to leave because I cannot see you leave.'

'I am right here with you, and I am not going anywhere.'

He took her palm and planted a soft kiss on the back of it. 'Alina, I don't know how to say it, but will you...do you want to be with me? Not just as friends you know?'

'Not as friends, then what?' she asked slyly.

'I think I am falling for you, and I want us to be exclusive to each other.'

'Woah! Exclusive and all Mr. Connor?'

'I mean it, love, I want to be with you every day.'

'Let's not officially say that we are "dating". I love spending time with you but how do I know that things between us won't end up like your past relationships? I want to be around, to get to know you more, I want us to be comfortable around each other so that we don't hesitate to share anything.'

'So you will be seeing other guys?'

'Do you want me to?'

'Hell no, never. I am your guy and I intend to keep it this way and I won't ever think about dating anyone else.'

'Do you promise to open up with me?'

'I do, I will not keep things away from you, but please give it time. I have a dark past which I have kept locked for so many years, it's not easy to let things go.'

'I get it, we will see through it together, okay?'

Rob's lips landed on hers and he kissed her passionately, claiming her. He wanted to stay like that forever, under the stars with his girl in his embrace.

'I am really really sorry, I didn't know your birthday, but it won't happen again. And sweetie, clear up your schedule for tomorrow evening, we have a party to attend.'