Childhood Crush II [Part 2 - Complete]

Chapter 43 (Grand Gestures)

        Grand gestures; that was always what Seo's father drilled into his mind. Treat the girl you love like a queen even when you already have her. He made it grand alright. Seo rented the whole Kuwait tower for their date. It was situated in-front of the sea side, giving them the view of the whole city; the best of both world.

          For that night, Anne wore a simple black dress, and yet she still looked elegant. She could see that Marco Seo was drinking her all in, as if he was engraving her on his mind. With Seo, just a simple gaze, her always made her feel so adored.

         She was still shaken from her encounter with Alexander that afternoon. The guy could really get under her skin, and she loathed it. She shook her head, determined to forget that sorry episode. Anne looked at Marco Seo.

          In just a year, he really has grown up. His coffee brown eyes that holds so much warmth and innocence, made her unsteady. His red hair was cropped shorter, his baby fats replaced with a leaner look. Her heart fidgeted. For the first time in knowing Marco Seo, he made her nervous. She knew that even when Alexander would always have a strange effect on her, this boy would always be the one she can lean on to.

        She smiled because who would have thought that she would eventually like him so much? It might not be love yet, but he kept it up, she knew that she could love him as passionately as he loved her.

        "I have to tell you something..." they both said together. They burst out laughing. "Okay, lady's first." Marco insisted. Anne shook her head, "No, you first my little troublemaker." She made his insides turn into a gelatin.

        He sighed. This was it. He prayed for strength. Goodbye Anna banana he mourned. He just wished she would not hate him as much after this confession. For a moment of weakness, he wished that Serra was there. Strangely enough, she gave him strength.

         He stared at the ocean view, anything just not to look at Anastasia in the eyes. If he did, he might become a coward and would never be able to tell the truth. "Anna... I love you. You know that right?"

      She frowned, nodding her head. That was a fact that he was stating which everybody already knew, why was he suddenly so tensed? Still she admired the kid for having guts enough for saying those words. She drank her wine and waited.

      Marco looked so lost. He had to continue, he sighed, and he hated how Anne eagerly looked at him with full trust in her beautiful eyes. "I love you so much that you broke my heart."

       She frowned. What was all this about? He proceeded. "That time at the café, I heard you and Alexander arguing. I knew Anne, I knew it all along and it broke me. Not only did you preferred him over me, but because I did not knew that Alexander liked you as well."

        She felt bad for him. Anne could only imagine what he felt that night, she listened to him completely. "You broke my heart so much Anna, to the extent that I hated you at some point...." He looked up at her guiltily, imploring with his eyes to understand what he had to say.

      "And that's when I tried calling your number. The one you gave me when I was injured. I was so drunk that night, I wanted to lash out! I wanted to scream at you!" his eyes become blurry with unshed tears. "But it was Serra who answered. I realized then that you didn't gave me your number but Serra's instead!" his face darkened. Now it was she who could not look him in the eye.

        "Starting from that time, we started texting and calling during the summer..." he continued. She felt a cold jealousy gripping her. She tried to shake it off since she was with Alexander during that summer too, she did not have the rights.

          "I was desperate to have my revenge. At the same time I was going insane! I tried to replay scenes in my mind to get back at you, to hurt you as you had hurt me." He was now so dangerously close to the edge. "And that's when Serra suggested me to use her."

          Anne was surprised. What the? He blushed. "I-I mean not physically but you know, to pretend that we were really so close, to exclude you to make you feel jealous. Since she said it was the only way I can ever get your attention."

       The warmth of the atmosphere suddenly felt so cold. He shivered by Anne's penetrating gaze. "I see, so you're telling me this because?" even her voice was devoid of emotion.

       He closed his eyes, here was the hardest part. "I'm telling you this because I don't want to lose you. I don't want to start a relationship that was made out lies. I-I never thought that you would actually like me! Not even in my wildest dreams Anna!" he sighed. "It all started out as a stupid immature plan to getting back at you, so that when you finally fall so madly in-love with me, I'll leave you. But when I found out from Serra that you really liked me now, I knew... you didn't deserve this."

       Can he die now please? This was harder than he though. Forgive me; forgive me for this my dearest. "Before the school begun, in our family reunion in Paris, Alexander cornered me. He confessed that he likes you. I don't know what his other reasons are for being such a jerk to you. But one thing was for sure; during that time he really said he liked you. But I was mad and jealous and told him to bug off. And he did."

        Tears started to threaten. No, she had to see this through, keep it together Anastasia. She reminded herself. Oh my poor Alexander. Even though Alexander did not deserve her pity for the other mistakes that he did, still... it was there; raw with care and hurt. She just wished if Alexander really liked her before, he could at least have fought for her. Well apparently, she was not worth it for him.

          He did not know if he could still go on. And yet Marco still hoped for her to find forgiveness in he heart. "I love you Anna. I really do. Please my sweet Anna..." he sobbed. He tried to get a grip on himself, he cleared his throat. "I'm so sorry, truly I am. Umm, what were you going to say?"

       "I was going to say yes..." her voice trailed off, not trusting herself not to cry. What had she ever done to the Monroe cousins to deserve this so much pain? Marco Seo looked at her hopefully, she tried to find it in her to forgive, but what he did... it was just unforgivable.

       With Alexander, he was right. He was just a weak man who was enslaved by lust and of course wit her desperation for him, she could not really entirely blame him if he tricked himself into loving her. Only to find out that it was just really infatuation. At least he did not want to hurt her on purpose, but with Marco. It was just a different story.

        She could understand and sympathized with his pain, but how could he? How could any human being deliberately plan to hurt someone regardless of their reasons? How dare them both to make her fall for them only to break it with unsolicited truth? And in the deepest part of her soul, she knew why she really could not forgive him; how dare him to interfere with her relationship with Alexander. Curse them both! And worst of all betrayals was that; her own best friend lied and betrayed to her too.

      "And now?" Marco asked softly, afraid of what she had to say. She felt so drained, so decapitated from feeling anymore. She sighed. "And now we're over before we even begun."

       No no no! This was just not happening. Please please please like me again please? He panicked. And just when he finally had her, she slipped right out of his fingers. He wanted to scream.

       Alexander called Marco's cell as Anne's father called her too at the same time. They had to go to the hospital immediately. Cassandra Monroe was in trouble.

***

Well, did you expected that to happen? I bet you didn't Crushers! :)

Vote, comment and tell me what you think? :)