Love Deception

Angela- Chapter 10

I step out of the room, slowly closing the door. My eyes set on him. Alex isn't a man you can dismiss easily. His broad shoulders and dark demeanor demands attention.

He's sitting on the couch, typing away like a wood pecker pecking furiously at a tree. Tension lines his jaw.

"Something wrong?" I step to the kitchen, intending to make some lemon water. I needed something to do if I was also going to have to flirt with Alex.

"Nope." He exhales, before running a hand across his face. "Just the fact that we may have the biggest deals in our history but that won't happen if they don't stop having cold feet."

I take a sip of my lemon water, my throat feels like the Sahara desert. I remember taking lessons on how to flirt. Yes, my parents were so hellbent on getting me to seduce Alex they gave me flirting lessons.

"It's about body language, be relaxed around them, make eye contact and make it seem like you're lost in their eyes." Marissa taught me.

"Would you like anything to drink?" My voice almost like a screech.

Finally, the apartment isn't full of clacking keys. "Do you like me, Angela?"

I stare at the back of his head. What do I say to that? "What do you mean?"

He fully turns around, flashing his sea green eyes and a not so friendly smile. "I mean are you trying to get with me?"

"Um," something extremely sharp is choking my neck and I feel like even if I take a thousand breaths, it wouldn't suffice. "O-of coarse" That's the only word I can force out, I would rather get slapped in the face rather than say that again, I have dignity.

"Really?"

I nod, firm and full of confidence.

"And you're not doing it because your parents want you to marry me for the company?"

It takes me everything to not break down at that very moment. How could he know? God what are my parents gonna think? From my reaction that I didn't do as well as I thought in hiding my disarray, he exhales a low chuckle and leaves to his room. And of which I'm left with an open mouth staring of in the distance with utter shock.

***

A sharp pang hits my ears and I stumble back, holding my reddening cheek.

"All we ask is for you to marry Alex!" My mother steps threateningly closer to me. "It isn't all that hard! But you keep disappointing us, no matter what, you fail at it. Why can't you be like your sister? Abigail." 

I want to cry, to scream my lungs out, but all I can muster up is. "Well I'm not Abi."

"And why can't you just follow her steps then?"

"Mom." Under my sea of brewing emotions, some of which consist of anger, sadness, pity and disgust, my tone is even and calm. Concerningly calm. "I'm going to leave for a few days." 

"No you're not." My mothers eyes aren't familiar to me. They're cold, callous, and resentful. If you set one foot out the door, I'm disowning you."

I take a step back, I don't want to, but I force my feet to take one step after another. I turn my back towards her, wanting to stay for one more minute, for one more second. To relish the last moments we'll have together, but I turn my back, and leave.

***

"I can't believe your mother did that." Sarah soothes a hand over my arm.

I've been lying on her lap, sobbing my heart out for atleast a few hours now. Since I'm no longer apart of the family, by extension I wasn't allowed to stay at their house, so I've opted to stay at Sarah's instead.

"You're not mad are you?" I look up at her.

She looks down at me, unimpressed. "Mad? Hell no, we both know what it's like to have crazy ass parents. I'm legit engaged to someone else too."

We both laugh, and after what just happened, I really needed it. "Thanks. For everything."

"It's fine, just one thing." She says as I get up from her lap. "No more secrets."

"Promise. Except I have another secret." She looks at me, waiting expectantly. "Remember when I went to the nurses office for a really long time?"

She nods, not knowing where I'm taking her. "I kissed Charlene."

Her eyes go wide and her mouth fully hangs. "No way."

"Yea"

The next few hours we spent chatting about Charlene to our- sorry, hers and my past ones'- families to what we should do when we hangout with our friends this weekend to anything that came to mind.

"Hey, it's time for bed." Sarah checked her watch.

"Oh, I still have to wash up. Good night." I turn to leave, with Sarah walking in the direction of her room.

I wash up and do my normal skincare routine, and while I'm drifting off to sleep, I hear a click coming from the entrance. Am I being paranoid? I have to check just incase, but as I do that, I loom out of consciousness.