Here's another chapter. I think Invisible only have 2 more chapters before it ends. So after I publish the ending. Chapted 1 of Piece of Cake will be updated.
Abangan...
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Chapter Nineteen
Rhian felt awkward. Sitting in a posh Italian restaurant was awkward. Sitting there for lunch with Lovi was awkward. She often looked outside the glass wall to distract herself, but it was impossible to ignore the elephant in the room.
The younger girl was busy flipping her menu, smiling and pointing at the dishes that she wanted to eat. Her expression was bright and cheerful like nothing happened for the past month. Since they sat there 5 minutes ago, she hasn’t once asked Rhian about where she’d been or if she was doing well. She sat there and smiled coyly like it was just another one of their dates.
But Rhian can’t do this. A lot had happened, and things are different now.
“Hmm, do you think I should order pasta or lasagna? I’m quite hungry I might even order both,” Lovi grinned.
“You love their Carbonara, right? Do you want to order that?” she asked.
But the older girl looked at her with an incredulous look on her face.
“What are you doing?” she asked, annoyed.
“I’m trying to order us lunch."
“You don’t have to. I’m not hungry anymore,” Rhian said.
She slammed one hand on the table as she gets up to leave.
“Sit down,” ordered Lovi, firm. Her tone had changed drastically.
“What?”
“I said, sit down.”
Rhian scoffed, “Who do you think you are to order me around?!”
“We’re not alone,” replied Lovi.
“What do you mean-
Rhian paused when she understood what she meant. She gulped and glanced out of the window. She saw a dark tinted van parked just across the road. Photographers.
“Look, I’m trying to help you,” said Lovi suddenly.
Rhian cleared her throat and get back to her seat. The two looked at each other.
“What the hell is going on? Did someone purposely called the paparazzi?” asked Rhian, angry.
“This is all for your own good. If you’re seen with me, maybe the rumors will die down by itself. But if you leave right now, you’re going to make things worse. It’s like you’re confirming it.”
“What rumors? What is this rumor about me that everyone has been saying?”
Lovi sighed.
“Rhi, I don’t know what happened to you during the past month, or… who you were with. But that’s not important! I don’t mind the rumors, and I’m willing to look past all that for us…”
“What rumors?!” Rhian bursts.
“That you’re cheating on me.”
Rhian gulped.
“Someone posted the photo of you and this… plain looking girl holding hands in a motel. It’s ridiculous right?” asked Lovi with a nervous laugh.
There was silence.
Suddenly Rhian looked away, “It wasn’t a motel. It’s a guesthouse.”
Lovi’s eyes widen.
“And there’s nothing wrong about plain looking. She’s not used to makeup, that’s all. She looks just nice to me though,” added Rhian.
“Wh-What are you talking about?”
Rhian stood up from her chair.
“You said that if I leave the table, I’ll be confirming the rumors, right?”
“Rhi…”
“I’m leaving. I’m sorry we have to end it this way.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying! Sit down! Do you know how this will affect your public image?!”
“You can make me the bad guy, and play the victim card to the media. I don’t mind.”
Lovi slammed the table and got up, “Hey Rhian Howell!”
“You have the right to be angry at me for cheating but we’re even now.”
“How is that getting even? I never cheated on you!”
“Ah, then does Bianca King ring any bell to you?”
Lovi gulped.
“Think about it, she is like a sister to me and… what were you guys doing behind my back? That’s like ten times worse than me hanging out with pale face behind your back. The most intimate thing we ever did was hugging and holding hands. I don’t know about you two.”
“Ho-How did-
Lovi was speechless.
“Yeap, we’re even.”
And with that Rhian turned around and leaves Lovi alone at the table, flustered.
**
Rhian was sent back to her house by the agency’s driver later that evening after a meeting with the drama PD. She went straight into her room and for some reason it feels empty. It felt too spacious, too quiet. It’s been a while since she’d been in her own house and ironically it doesn’t feels like home. Too tired of the things that’d been playing in her head; she lay down on her bed, trying to sleep without even changing her clothes.
Minutes passes.
She tossed.
She pulled the blanket over her body.
She decreased the temperature of the room.
And she turned under the blanket.
But she still can’t sleep.
Soon she found herself staring at the ceiling.
She can’t ignore the feeling.
She misses Glaiza.
So much.
And no matter how hard she tried to get her off her mind, she can’t. She wondered what Glaiza was doing at the time. Was she sleeping? Or working? Why did she left? Why didn’t she pick up her calls?
She glances at the time on her phone, it was 10.20pm. She gasped.
There’s still time!
She got up from bed and rushed to her closet room. She opened all the doors and searched for the plainest looking jacket from her huge collection. A gray long jacket caught her attention, as it was plain and looked common. Hopefully no one will notice that it was from Burberry fall collection last year. She took a blue cap and a pair of glasses with large frames.
She stood in front of the mirror, checking her new look.
Perfect.
I look common.
With her newfound confidence, she headed out of the house with a few thousand in her pocket.
She walked past the residence guards, but they weren’t suspicious of her. The two guard were busy chatting amongst themselves about the recent football match. She continued to walk until she reached the bus stop across the road. There were others waiting at the bus stop as well, a middle aged couple and a few school girls. Rhian stood in the middle of them, but they weren’t looking at her. A few minutes later, she was still there, unnoticed.
She smiled.
Her disguise was working.
A bus came, and she hopped on immediately.
Towards Han street.
**
It was almost midnight.
Glaiza was sitting at the front desk, checking the bookings made for tomorrow. The house was fully booked until next week, something that had never happened before. There was a sudden surge of guests after the fiasco that morning.
Glaiza glanced out the glass door and frowned.
The black car was still there. The guesthouse had suddenly become a camping site for paparazzi.
She was also questioned by them when she first came back. She almost never made it into the house. Luckily Chynna and other staff helped her. Glaiza explained everything to her best friend, but the truth was too hard for her to digest, especially the invisible part. She had since passed out in her room.
All the sudden attention made Glaiza cautious all the time, even when she was inside the guesthouse. There could be reporters who disguised as guests and try to get the scoop from the inside. Like the two guests who were chatting at the lounge at the moment. They’ve been here since Glaiza came for her shift, and still there. It can’t be a coincidence.
Suddenly the front door beeped.
Someone entered the right password, and the door was opened. It could be a guest who came back late. The house provided guests with a special password if they came back after 11pm. A woman entered, she was wearing a long gray jacket, and half of her face was covered by her cap. It was hard to see her face.
Glaiza smiled, “Welcome back.”
But the woman didn’t answer; instead she walked straight to the counter.
She looked at Glaiza.
The girl behind the counter gulped.
It wasn’t a guest, it was Rhian.
“What are you doing here?” asked Glaiza, almost whispering.
“I have a lot of things I want to talk to you about. So many questions to ask, I can’t sleep unless I got them answered,” she replied, firm.
“I told you to wait for me today. Why did you left?” she continued.
She reached forward to take her hand. But the latter pulled it away.
Rhian was startled, “Wh-What’s wrong?”
“There are people here,” said Glaiza, glancing at the two guests.
“So?”
“I think they’re reporters in disguise. If you are caught here again with me, it will only make things worse. I don’t want to take any chances.”
Rhian sighed.
“Okay, fine. I’ll wait until they leave.”
**
The guests only left around 3am. By that time, Rhian who was waiting on a sofa had already fallen asleep. She slept with the cap covering her face.
Glaiza left the counter and walked towards the sleeping girl. She took a blanket that was kept under the counter with her. Slowly she approached Rhian, with careful steps and minimal sounds. She didn’t want to wake her up. The blonde girl was sleeping soundly, like she hadn’t slept in days. Glaiza sat next to her and examine her face.
Though she was sleeping, suddenly her eyebrows were creased.
“Bad dreams? Don’t be,” she whispered.
She took her right hand, and then rubbed it gently.
“I hope you will only have sweet dreams from now on. You’re now visible, so stop worrying about things that don’t matter, okay?”
She put one hand on Rhian’s cheek and caressed it softly. Rhian’s expression slowly changed, and she became calmer.
“Like me. Stop… worrying about me, or think about me,” she added.
She bit her lip, hesitant to continue.
“Just… forget about me and move on.”
Tears were brimming in her eyes.
“Rhian, I really like you too but…
…we’re just not meant for each other.”
She leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on the sleeping girl’s forehead. It was brief, and Glaiza quickly pulled herself away before she changed her mind.
“I’m doing this for you. Because I never care about someone… like I care about you,” she whispered.
With that she took her cell phone and dialed someone.
“Hello, Ms. Bianca? Yes, this is Glaiza.”
**
When Rhian opened her eyes, she had a blanket on. She sat up straight and looked at the counter, panicked if Glaiza had disappeared. But she was still there.
A smile plastered across her face as she saw her, “Glai…”
“Rhian, you have to leave,” Glaiza cuts in.
“Wh-What?”
“It’s almost 5am and the other guests will wake up soon. They’ll know that you’re here. So leave before then.”
Rhian shook her head and got up from the sofa. She stood and looked at Glaiza, confused.
“What is wrong with you? Did something happen? Why are you treating me like I’m a disease or something?”
Glaiza kept mum.
“You left me yesterday. I told you to wait for me but you left. And you didn’t answer my calls and texts. What is going on?”
“Things are different now. You’re no longer invisible, thus you don’t need me anymore. You have a lot of people by your side that are willing to do anything for you.”
Rhian shook her head, “Those people don’t really care about me!”
“And it doesn’t matter if I’m invisible or not. I don’t want anyone else; I just… want you by my side.”
Glaiza bit her lip. She looked away.
“I don’t want to say anything to you before because it might hurt your feelings. But I think I should be clear with you now.”
“You’re suffocating me,” said Glaiza.
Rhian gasped, “Wh-What?”
“I can’t accept your feelings for me. Because… I don’t feel the same way,” Glaiza added.
Rhian stared at Glaiza, dumbstruck.
“You-You’re lying, it was mutual I can tell…”
“I was confused. I thought I like you, but it was just sympathy,” replied Glaiza, nonchalant.
Rhian was speechless.
“I only helped you because you were invisible and had no one to turn to. You’re back to normal now, so there’s no more reason for us to meet.”
The blonde shook her head, “There’s a reason!”
“Glaiza, I really like you. Isn’t that reason alone is enough?” she asked.
Her eyes were brimming with tears.
Glaiza held back her emotions and gritted her teeth, “But I don’t like you.”
“St-Stop lying. This is so unlike you. At least it won’t hurt me so much if you’re a good liar. But you suck at it and I know you’re pretending. Why are you doing this?”
Glaiza glared at her before looking away.
“Think whatever you want.”
Rhian was speechless. This time, her tone sounded real. Her glare was filled with hate.
“Do you still hate me for what I did to you 9 years ago? Are you trying to punish me?”
Glaiza ignored her and acted busy behind the counter.
“If this is a punishment, I’ll accept it,” Rhian said suddenly.
Glaiza stopped and glanced at Rhian. She looked calmer.
“You must felt a hundred times worse when I humiliate you at school. The pain that I’m feeling right now is probably nothing compared to what you went through,” she added.
“If that is the reason for you to push me away, I understand.”
“If you don’t want to see me anymore, I… will leave. I’ll try.”
“I know I don’t deserve you.”
No.
Glaiza gasped as she heard Rhian said those words.
Her heart shattered she didn’t show it. But the blonde looked calm even though her eyes were glistening. They continue to gaze at each other, like the world stops for them. Even when Bianca came through the door to take Rhian back to the agency, they continue to stare at each other with no words spoken. Rhian didn’t resist when Bianca escorted her to leave.
Glaiza froze.
She didn’t even say goodbye.
But as soon as Rhian left through the door, Glaiza fell on her knees.
And she cried.
Tears were running down her cheeks so much that her shirt was wet. She was sobbing so bad that it was hard to breathe normally.
Chynna came to her side a few minutes later, after hearing her loud cry.
“Hey Cha, what’s wrong? You’re going to wake everyone! Calm down!”
“Chynn…”
“Please tell me that I did the right thing…”
“What?Cha!”
“Because, if I did the right thing… why am I feeling like this?”
“My heart…. hurts so much.”
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Tadaaaa! I can't help it.My heart hurts so much too ya know.hahahaha.
The Ending is fast approaching. I'm working on the next 2 chapters.
Invisible will end but Piece of Cake will begin.ho ho ho.😁
Have a nice day everyone! ❤