Heya! So yeah. I updated again. Clap, clap, clap. Do I get a comment and a vote? :)
So yeah, I so love beautiful comments, please do leave one, don't be shy. Anyway, I have a good news and another good news and then a bad news.
First good news, I am going to update this again within the week! Yey!
Second good news, is that there is A DAMON POV in this chapter! More yey!
Bad news? The Damon POV is short and then it's gonna be a quick transition back to Louise's point of view. I really don't like doing a Damon POV because it ruins all the fun and the mystery but I promised one amazing reader, (Hello WanderingDancer!) so here it is. Don't judge it. It's just a quick sneak peek of what Damon feels so it should feed you jack squat.
Anyhoo, comments comments comments. I love them! Like seriously do. Follow me on twitter: IamThyBoss Instagram: Princessgatmaitan Facebook: (On External Link) Ask.fm: ask.fm/princesssitta
By the most awesome way, who else loves LAWSON? :>
Carry on Geek monsters. Enjoy
x Princess
Chapter Eight: The Sound of Music and Complications.
"What do you mean?"
Somewhere inside me, there was something—something I couldn't even begin to fathom—that had been jolt awakened, jumping around in glee while singing their lungs out and crying, 'Wee! Wee!'.
Eva sighed again, lowering her gaze to the floor. "Well, um… It's the typical company merging shit, you know?"
"Oh." Sam muttered, fairly disappointed. "But you guys look so… real."
"Well, it had been just almost two weeks when we met. I came down here—or rather my parents dragged me here, set me up on a blind date with him and I… I actually liked him. So, it became a little less miserable than it should have been."
"And now you're supposed to marry him."
"I didn't have any say in it." Eva complained. "It was a fresh business partnership so they wanted to keep it that way. Linus Conglomerate is an achieved name in the industry and it's very promising. When my parents figured out that I liked him, they immediately put a check on it. The marriage was actually forty percent I liked him and sixty percent business."
Sam stared at me in disbelief. I think I have an idea what was running in her outlandish mind right now—or rather how much. Probably thousands of possibilities and explanations…
But in mine? There was only one thing.
That there was a colossal possibility that Damon left me because he had an arranged marriage coming.
But it couldn’t be. I mean, he had left me for almost months now, and Eva said it had just been two weeks since she met him.
Doesn’t mean that you’re wrong, my mind bitterly told me.
“And Damon just…” Sam shook her head a bit, trying to find the perfect word to complete her question. “Went on with it?”
Eva nodded. “Basically, yes.”
"Just like the movies." muttered Sam.
"Except he doesn't like me back." Eva complained with a sigh.
Sam frowned, sentient of my presence. "How do you know that?"
"I don't know." Eva shrugged. "He feels like someone who hasn't gone out of a relationship yet. The one who won't ever move on from the past."
“I’m sure he wouldn’t have agreed to this if he doesn’t like you back.” I said, gaining Sam’s unbelieving attention.
But right now, my main intention wasn’t to cheer Eva up. Call it cruel and manipulative, but I had been forcing myself to say all these for answers—answers that could fill in the missing bits and pieces in the tragic story that was Damon and I.
“For Damon, this was all business.” Eva said, in a hushed manner. “But he’s trying. He’s getting to know me too. But mostly it’s the work of me.”
He’s trying. He was trying. He was actually giving time to get to know someone. I knew Damon, if he doesn’t want to do something, at all, he would never give it a chance. Just like those love letters. He didn’t even look at them. He immediately ordered me to just throw them away.
I never wanted to be selfish. Especially now that he was no longer mine. In some stupid sense, I had to be happy for him and let him go… this time completely. No buts. No pulling on his sleeve.
"Do you know anything about him in the past?" asked Sam, eyeing me. She probably figured I was doing a run-over of explanations in my head.
Eva shook her head. "Not much. Just that he teaches high school before deciding to take over the family company… which you guys said earlier."
I bit my lip, trying to process everything that had come and gone. The idea of Damon’s marriage had never blown me like it was blowing me now. I could literally feel myself crumbling down to pieces. Sam was silent too. I could sense, in her expression that she so badly wanted to come and console me, but it was an impossible task to do since Eva was still around.
I knew that it should be easier to accept the marriage now that I knew this was all set up and fake. That I should start trying to win him back and ask him not to push through this. But Eva said he was trying. And that’s what struck me really hard. And it was Eva. Even if we’ve only known each for a short amount of time, she tugs at something inside of me. And she was someone I never wanted to disappoint.
“You know Eva,” Sam broke the silence. “You don’t deserve someone who doesn’t love you back. If you know very well that you’re not going to be happy with him, you should do something about it.”
“Thank you.” mumbled Eva, smiling a little. “Like I said, he’s really trying. And I’m actually glad he’s the one I get to marry. I’ve been in shitloads of dates, and he was the only one who actually had the heart to talk with me… like talk that doesn’t involve business. The others don’t even care if I liked mushrooms or not. But Damon… he makes me feel good.”
“That’s good.” I said with a smile. The scary part? I wasn’t even faking it. “He’s a good man. I mean, as much as I could remember. He was a good kid, so I bet he’s one hell of a man too.”
Sam frowned at me. I was certain she couldn’t honestly believe what just came out from my mouth.
“Yeah, you’re right.” Eva agreed, a small laugh following. “Funny. I’m twenty years old but I only got to know what true friends mean now.”
Sam whined a short ‘aww’ and went in to embrace Eva. I followed lead. Eva needed it more than I do. Marrying someone you don’t know for long was worst than giving someone you love away—in my opinion at least.
I carried the tequila bottles, Sam manning the shot glasses, while Eva had a plate of lemons on one hand and another of salt in another. We settled at the living area in a circle and had voted to play UNO since it was the only thing everyone understood.
Finishing last takes up one body shot to the one who finished first. A pass equates to one shot while cheating equates to three. To put it in short term, we were going to be wasted soon for sure.
“Okay,” said Eva as she distributed the last card to herself. “No cheating, alright? Unless you wanna play three shots—which would be fun.”
We all nodded and agreed.
“Oh and um… we’re doing body shots.”
“Come on Damon.” Eva mused. “I’m not going to get mad.”
My eyes shot wide at the far-fetched woman across me. Was she serious? She was actually selling her fiancée just for fun?
Eva jumped excitedly at her plush seat and sauntered towards me with a sludgy smile. It was until a few seconds that I felt my neck being sprinkled with salt and a slice of lemon being pushed between my lips.
“There you go! Shoot it Damon!” Eva chirped and I noticed she was a little swoony going back to her seat. Oh God. Eva was drunk.
“This is ridiculous Eva!” I complained. “I’ll just take the shot!”
“You can’t lick your own neck, Louise.” Eva said with a laugh.
The stereo switched song and within seconds, Lightning by The Wanted played in the background, the beat of the song carrying my heartbeats along with it but I couldn’t quite grasp the fact that Eva was allowing—or rather shoving Damon to basically lick the salt on my neck and eat the lemon in my lips.
I couldn’t quite admit it to myself but my lips had started numbing and my vision had started to spin in directions—apparently, I was starting to get drunk too.
But not enough to start imagining Damon sauntering towards me with a look that said, ‘Let’s get this over and done with.’.
He shot the tequila and within seconds he was licking the end of my collarbone all the way to the middle and up my neck. I tried to control my shivering.
Yeah, your skin, the touch, the kiss, the rush, too much and here it comes.
And before I know it, his lips were pressed against mine, and the lemon was gone.
When your lips touch mine, it’s the kiss of life. I know, I know that it’s a little bit frightening. We might as well be playing with lightning. We touch like, like it’s our first time, oh oh. I know that it’s a little bit frightening; we might as well be playing with lightning, now.
I knew my expressions looked stupid because there was no way in hell Damon would smirk at me if he didn’t feel satisfied with my reaction.
Slowly, Damon pulled away and impoverished the lemon before pulling it out of his mouth. Eva clapped merrily, enjoying what seemed to be delicious torture for me.
“I need a dip.” I unconsciously muttered, my feet instantly standing up while fanning myself with my hand.
Before I could even take three steps, I sensed that I needed something tremendously colossal before I get on swimming.
I snatched the bottle of tequila from the center table and filled three shot glasses, taking them all in, in less than a minute. Hell, I winged it.
“Anyone coming?” I offered. Honestly, I didn’t want anyone to join me, but I figured it would fairly seem strange to Eva.
“Actually, I need to freshen up a bit too.” said Adam, standing up and leading the way.
“Then let’s continue the party outside!” cried Eva, carrying the bottles she had ordered up earlier since we basically chugged the two bottles easily.
Oh jeez.
I danced my way outside the garden. And by dance, I meant cheerfully swaying right and left and down and up, but still trying to avoid anything breakable.
As soon as my feet hit the cool water, my whole body felt immediately refreshed. I heard the music spiked, playing Learn to Love Again by Lawson, and my body sensed the wanted freedom it has been asking ever since.
“It’s your favorite song.” said Adam when he plopped beside me.
I smiled. “Actually, all Lawson songs are my favorite.”
“Yes, I do know that.” He giggled. Oh God. Adam, giggling? It sounded so foreign. Yet so adorable.
“You just giggled.”I stated. “You should giggle more often.”
He chuckled. “I think our roles may have been reversed.”
I heard a small giggle from afar and as I looked over to the source of the mighty sound, I saw a completely wasted Eva barely inches away from a grinning, half wasted Damon.
My heart was halfway breaking when I heard Sam cried and we all turned our heads to her. She was holding her head like it had been hit with a baseball bat.
“I didn’t know there were hanging pots here!” she complained, making us all laugh.
She started walking towards the pool until her foot got caught with my flip flops and she fell into the pool.
We all laughed. Seeing Sam on her knees, face flat in water, wasn’t something you see on a daily basis. Honestly, it was an accident more inevitable to happen to me than to Sam, which was extremely hilarious. Seconds later, she swam over to the edge and got out of the pool.
"Don't make that a hobby Sam!" chirped Eva. "It's not healthy."
“Yeah right.” replied Sam, holding her head once again.
She sat at one edge of the pool and tried to regain her proper eye sight.
“I think I’m having triple visions.” Sam said.
Eva chuckled. “You think?”
When someone threw a joke, it's always been almost inevitable and necessary to look back to the person who did. That was what I did. I laughed as I glanced over to Eva. Then I froze.
She was sitting on his lap. Eva on Damon.
I've long known they were engaged—probably haven't accepted but I had digested it. I was there, at the engagement party. But hearing it was different than actually seeing it. And no matter how much I remind myself that it was all fake, I still couldn’t get over the fact that Damon was trying… trying to get to know Eva. Trying to like her. Trying to love her.
Adam held my hands and squeezed them gently.
"Hey, you alright?" He asked, his eyes weary.
I tore my gaze off of Damon and Eva and laughed slightly. "Never better."
Adam's face lit up a little, slightly amused, as he pulled his face closer to my ear, the water creating a small wave as he inched closer.
"You know Louise," he whispered. I got the feeling that he wasn't going to say something encouraging. "You're good at this. Masquerading your emotions, that is. It took me a while to figure it out, and now I have. But you know, someone's been doing a whole lot better job of it than you are."
What? Was I hurting Adam? Was he just faking his emotions of being fine with this whole thing? When in reality, he was hurting more than I was? Couldn't be.
Then Adam placed his lips on mine.
I froze.
But it felt good. Something like safe, brotherly love.
He peeled off, not mere inches away, before continuing what he was saying before. "And it isn't me Louise."
Adam's eyes fluttered over to Damon's direction and I found myself breathing in hard before following suit.
Like always, his face was blank… emotionless. But his eyes, they weren't lying anymore. They were in complete utter shock.
Eva, on the other hand, was clueless as always. She cooed a quick but loud 'aww' and giggled. As her head slowly turned to see Damon, he cupped her head and slowly, passionately placed his lips over hers.
Damon’s Point of View.
I wanted to be the better guy. But when I try to do so, somehow, in some ridiculously unknown way, I always end up hurting her.
I thought the worst has happened, seeing her with that kid in this beautifully tragic paradise, but no. I was damn wrong.
Not until he kissed her.
Again.
The first time, I knew of. The second time, I've witnessed with my own eyes. Hopefully, and I mean it, this had only been the third. But it terribly pained to see it again.
Because this time, she wasn't mine. I wasn't beside her to keep her. And there was a big possibility that I'd lose her. This time, completely.
The worst part was, she didn't pull away. She didn't block it. Deflect. The one word, one thing that might've pulled me from my shell and made me go back.
I was afraid that if I look any longer, I'd break. That I'd jeopardize everything. That I'd go there and claim Louise back. I never planned on hurting Eva, she was a nice, sweet, innocent young lady but even that wasn't enough to level with what Louise was.
I had no other choice. I ran out of compassionate options that I had resulted to an unacceptable, vindictive method.
I kissed Eva.
The cruel part was, I imagined her to be Louise.
Louise’s Point of View
“See?” asked Adam. “I’ll help Sam to her bed.”
Adam made his way over to Sam and helped her get up from her swoony state. When I saw them vanished into living area, I sighed and swam over to the bottles of tequila near where Eva and Damon were. I chucked open the bottle and smiled at the couple who just broke their kiss.
“L’chaim.” I toasted to them before chugging the dour liquid and shoving it down my throat.
I guzzled it down like it was water, except that it was rapidly burning my throat like I had swallowed fire. But as I gulped more down, the more my lips felt numb and the less I felt anything… anything.
Suddenly, the bottle was yanked away from my lips and when I looked up, I only didn’t start to question my soberness and my sight, but also my sanity.
“Stop it.” Damon said, holding the bottle away from me.
I looked behind him and saw Eva snoozed off at the recliner, tightly balled for warmth.
“Give it back.” I ordered, glowering at him. “Now.”
He chuckled bitterly. “You don’t know jack what this is gonna cause you tomorrow.”
I copied his chuckle. “You’re right. I don’t. But it helps me so much right now. So I don’t give a jack about tomorrow.”
He shook his head a little, smiling wickedly at me. His eyes had that wicked gleam in them and I could only hope for something that wouldn’t embarrass me.
After a few seconds of stare-a-thon, he opened another bottle and handed it to me, while holding my bottle earlier to himself.
“Would you dare?” he asked.
Would I? What result would come out of this? Shitloads probably.
After glowering at him for minutes, I sighed and rolled my eyes, swimming away and coming out of the pool and headed out the villa.
I didn’t need to be his bitch and accept everything he dared me with. After the thing with dinner, I figured I was more than willing to stop being someone who would follow his every lead and challenge him if I could do better. Because I could.
Before I even reached the blustery, dark outside, I heard a loud deafening breaking of glass and I almost went back to check. But I retaliated. Frankly, I don’t trust myself around with anyone right now. What I needed, wasn’t something any friend could offer. Alone time.
I ran out to the woods, and put my feet after the other and the next thing I know I was almost running, down and down the flight of soil staircase that led to the shore.
The white sand was glowing, and the waves resonated like music to my ears. It calmed me after a moment and I didn’t realize I was already, slowly snoozing off.
With another audible sigh, I gently sat down at the glistening crystals of white soil and pulled my legs closer to my chest, just like how I’d done when I missed my parents.
I rested my head on my knees and breathed in heavily, repelling all uninvited putrid thoughts away.
Suddenly, there a slight tap on my shoulder and I so badly wanted to scream at whomever it was.
“Excuse me?” A girl’s voice said. “Louise right?”
That didn’t sound like Eva. Or Sam. Definitely not Adam or Damon. I looked up and saw a blonde girl around mid-twenties handing me a red envelope.
“For me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow and accepting the envelope.
She nodded and smiled softly before walking away. I glanced around, searching for someone watching or someone even strange looking but I failed miserably.
My heart started to pound as I opened the envelope. Because after all the drama that had occurred in that villa, there was this. This stupid mystery buyer that so wanted to twist my brain out in figuring out who he was with his stupid puzzles and riddles and roses. And the worst part? He was succeeding.
Gazebo, 7pm
Wear something nice.