Chapter Twenty Seven - Under A Spell
"So I come back from the bathroom and find two more glasses empty?"
Mark gritted his teeth in annoyance while Lily and I giggled in response.
"Come....on," She slurred while holding up a glass infront of him. "Drink it up."
"Screw you, Lily," He snapped.
"In your apartment," She spoke in a high pitched tone while gulping down the contents of the glass while Mark cursed under his breath.
I let out a laugh.
"I thought you were smart, Scarlet," He pointed a finger at me and I opened my mouth to say something but his hand was slapped away by Lily.
"Don't you say anything.....to Scar," She managed to speak.
He rolled his eyes. "Anyway. Let's go, ladies. I'm the douchebag who drives you two home."
"He called himself....a douchebag," I burst out laughing and turned to Lily who was laughing so hard that tears were pooling in her eyes.
"Mark is a douchebag," She sang.
The next thing I knew was me leaning against Mark's one shoulder and Lily on his other as he struggled to drag us out of the club.
Wish Alec was here.
He would just sweep me off my feet and I wouldn't have to walk at all.
Nah. He must be busy with that bitch.
What was her name? Nina?
Nancy?
Oh! Nicole.
The cool air in the parking lot sent shivers down my spine as Mark increased his pace towards the car but a tall figure seemed to be blocking our way.
"Mrs. Sinclair?" He reached for me and looked at Mark. "I'll take it from here."
"Whoa whoa hold up, man. Who are you?" Mark asked, tightening his hold around me.
"I'm her chauffeur," He spoke and I blinked my eyes to clear my vision to have a good look at him.
"Jeremy?" I muttered.
"See? She knows me. I'll take her home safely," He spoke.
"Is he speaking the truth, Scar?" Mark asked and I nodded.
I held Jeremy for support as he helped me get into the backseat.
"Jeremy, it's 10 o'clock. You didn't have.....to wait. I told you....that Mark would drive...me back."
"I had orders from Mr. Sinclair. Either way, I wouldn't leave you like that, Scarlet."
My hand went up to my chest as a gesture of graitude. "T-thank you."
He chuckled. "You're welcome."
Just then, a phone rang and I fished mine out of my bag but it wasn't ringing.
"Hello," Jeremy's voice filled the car.
"Yes. She's with me.....I didn't really see Mr. Williams after 7 p.m. And now, she was coming out with a guy called Mark and another wasted girl........yeah she is a bit wasted........the guy was sober.....we'll be there in about 20, Mr. Sinclair."
Then, there was silence.
After a minute, I called him. "Jeremy?"
"Yes?"
"Was that....Alec?"
"Yes."
"He doesn't....know I'm drunk, does he?"
"I'm afraid I just told him," He spoke.
Sighing, I leaned on the seat. "Oh no."
I seemed to have taken a very short nap as when I woke up, we were nearing the apartment and my head was spinning wildly. It took me a moment to register that I was in a car and Jeremy was driving.
"Jeremy....where are we going?"
"I'm driving you back to the apartment."
"What....time is it?"
"It's quarter past ten."
"Where's Alec?"
"Mr. Sinclair is at the apartment. Waiting for you."
I blinked to clear my vision. What was happening? "Why can't....I speak what I am thinking? Am I....drunk?"
"Yes."
My mouth dropped open in shock. "Does Alec know?"
He looked at me through the rear view mirror, seeming to be in a deep thought.
"No."
"Oh thank God," I shut my eyes and sighed in relief, then opened them again when an idea popped inside my head.
"Can....you please not tell him that I am....drunk?"
He released a breath. "Okay. I won't."
"So.....we have an understanding?"
"Yes. Definitely," He nodded through the mirror and I could see him trying to suppress a laugh.
"What's funny?"
"Nothing," He shook his head and I opened my mouth to speak but was stopped when I noticed that the car was going into the parking lot and a figure was standing right infront of the elevators.
I squinted my eyes as the car neared. It was Alec.
He was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze fixed firmly on the car.....on me.
Shit.
I was planning to sneak into the apartment and lock myself into my room so he wouldn't know I was drunk.
Time to put up an act.
Putting on my best sober face by opening my eyes as wide as I could so I wouldn't seem droopy, I stepped out of the car.
I tried to walk straight but my steps seemed to fumble as I approached him.
"Hello, Alec," I offered him a smile as my eyes urged to roll at the back of my head from exhaustion.
He seemed confused for a moment. "Hello, Scarlet. Did you get something in your eye?"
I blinked furiously and finally opened them to stare at him again. "No. Nothing's wrong with me. Jeremy, tell him," I cut a glance at Jeremy and mouthed. "Understanding."
"She's not drunk at all, Mr. Sinclair," He spoke with a shrug and I gave him a thumbs up behind my back so Alec wouldn't see.
To my surprise, a look of amusement flashed across Alec's face as he nodded at Jeremy and then turned to me.
"Okay. I believe you."
I held my face up. "So...what are we waiting for? Let's go...up. I'm tired."
My steps faltered before getting into the elevators and Alec quickly held my hand.
"Thank you," I muttered and leaned against the elevator wall.
"You seem oddly tired, Scarlet. Are you sure you're not drunk?"
I faced him and nodded. "I'm sure."
"Okay," He smirked.
I ran my fingers over the elevator buttons and turned to Alec once more.
"You know....I was wondering something."
"What?" He asked.
"We...were in Barbados for.....two weeks," I held two fingers infront of my face. "And we fucked only twice."
"Okay and?" He asked calmly, a smile forming on his lips.
"Just twice," I shrugged. "In two weeks."
"And your point is?"
"I mean.....two weeks is a lot of time. We were next to.....such a beautiful beach in that cozy little cottage," I shrugged and then fidgeted with the hem of my tshirt.
"You liked it there?" He asked.
"I loved it," I spoke with wide eyes to show my excitement.
"We can go again," His lips lifted up into a lopsided smile which made my heart beat faster.
"You got...more meetings there?" I asked.
"No."
"Oh okay," I nodded.
The elevators opened and I headed straight for the stairs but missed the living room step and lost my balance.
A pair of arms wrapped around me as I waited to hit the ground and I opened my eyes to find Alec looking down at me.
"Thank you," I muttered and stood up straight in an attempt to walk further but Alec leaned down and scooped me up in his arms.
"I can...walk," I whispered, leaning into his chest and breathing in his alluring scent.
"Sure you can."
"Hmm," I forced my eyes open to look up at him. "You...don't wanna say anything about....what I just told you?"
"What do you want me to say?"
I shrugged and locked my arms behind his neck. "Anything."
"Hmm. Twice in two weeks. Pretty pathetic, isn't it?" He spoke while opening the door to a room.
I nodded and then focused my gaze around my surroundings.
"This is....your room."
"Yeah," He placed me down on the bed, went somewhere and returned with a large tshirt.
I smiled up at him. "I like being in your room."
"I know," He chuckled and reached for the hem of my tshirt, lifting it above my head in one swift motion.
"Are we about to...?" I trailed off, a blush forming on my cheeks when he helped me get out of my jeans.
"No," He said while slipping the large over sized tshirt on me.
I frowned. "Why not?"
"Because you're drunk. And I don't want to take advantage of you."
"But you're not drunk. Let me......"
"What?" He sat down beside me.
"Take advantage of you," I muttered inaudibly but I was sure he heard it.
The corners of his lips lifted up into a smile which soon broke out into a laugh. "We'll talk in the morning."
I bit my lip and nodded, suddenly feeling rejected. A lump started forming in my throat.
"Is it...because of her?" I muttered.
Alec seemed confused. "Who?"
"Nancy," I felt tears pooling in my eyes.
"Again, who?" Alec frowned.
"Your friend in the office today."
"You mean Nicole."
The tears that had been threatening to fall, finally rolled down my cheeks.
"Yes. Nicole. Do you....love her?" I asked.
A frown was plastered on his face as he leaned forward to wipe the tears away with his thumb.
"No. I don't."
"Y-you're lying," I paused as a sob escaped my lips. "I saw the way you smiled at her.....you never smile at me like that."
He cupped his palm around my cheek and I leaned into his hand.
"Please don't do this to me, Alec."
He traced his thumb across my lower lip and I looked up to find his conflicted demeanour but it was gone as soon as it came and his face relaxed.
"Me and Nicole are just friends, Scarlet," He spoke in all honesty. "Just like you and Luke are," He shrugged.
I blinked at him for a moment and then nodded.
My eyelids became heavy and I felt him grab my shoulders as he slowly laid me down on the mattress, pulling the covers on top of me.
"Alec?" My voice came out as a whisper.
"Yes?"
I stared at him through half open eyes.
"I love you."
****
Why is my head throbbing like crazy?
I groaned into the pillow and opened my eyes to look at my surroundings.
Why was I in Alec's room?
What happened last night?
I looked down at myself. I was in his clothes.
Oh no!
I remember being drunk. How did I get home? Did Alec come to pick me up? Oh God! Did I get into some kind of trouble again?
He didn't beat up anyone again, did he?
Mark! Oh God! Mark.
I frantically reached for my phone on the night stand and unlocked it. There was a text from Lily from about five minutes ago. I quickly opened it.
Mark told me some Jeremy guy drove you home. Text me whenever you get this.
Jeremy drove me home?
But I told him that he could leave.
I read Lily's text again. She would have told me if something would have happened to Mark. So he was okay.
And Alec didn't come and pick me up.
But he must have been home when I arrived, right? Who else would have changed me?
Sighing, I decided to text Lily back.
I'm okay. See you in college.
Her reply came within a minute.
Me and Mark are skipping the first class. See you in second.
Guess what. I'm skipping the first one too now.
Yawning, I stepped out of the bed and dragged my lazy form to my room. I almost picked up a random outfit but suddenly, the image of Nicole dressed in a short black dress flashed infront of my eyes.
Huffing, I picked out a white crop top and a thigh length plaid skirt, matching them with my long knee length boots.
Once I was showered and had dressed, I applied some mascara and concealor while humming a random tune.
Throwing my leather jacket over my shoulder, I grabbed my backpack and went downstairs, waiting to see Alec's reaction.
As I stepped into the dining room, Martha let out a whistle. "Somebody call the fire department."
I chuckled. "Good morning to you too, Martha."
"Morning, Scarlet. You look amazing."
"Thank you," I smiled and then looked around the living room. "Where's Alec?"
"He left early today."
My jaw dropped. "What?"
She smirked. "Too bad you put in so much effort-"
"Oh no no no. It's not like that. These clothes weren't going to wear themselves, now were they?"
"Absolutely," She raised up her hands in surrender and I let out a laugh before I started serving breakfast in my plate.
"I should get going now. Mary's babysitter has got classes," She looked down at her watch.
"Have a good day, Martha and say hi to Mary."
"You have a good day too and an amazing date with Mr. Sinclair," She winked while walking towards the elevators.
I blinked in confusion. "What date?"
"Stop pretending," She chuckled. "First Mr. Sinclair leaves in casual clothes and now you're all dressed up. Young love," She sighed dreamily and before I could say anything, she had left.
Casual clothes?
He doesn't go to office in casual clothes!
Oh My God!
Where did Alec go so early in the morning? In casual clothes?
Before I could process, I had reached for my phone and was dialling his number already.
The ring kept going and I almost cut the call but he finally picked up.
"Scarlet?"
Too surprised, asshole?
"Hey, Alec. Where are you?"
Then, there was a voice behind him. "Alec, tell me. Which one looks better? Red one or black one?"
My heartbeat picked up as I instantly recognized the voice.
It was the bitch!
"I'm out. Is there a problem?" He asked, a little impatient.
"Yeah I-uh I need to go to college," I spoke.
"Okay....then go," He said back.
My jaw dropped for a moment. "You...you haven't returned my car keys."
"I placed them on the kitchen counter this morning," He replied.
"I don't wanna drive."
"Oh okay I'll ask Jeremy to drop-"
"Where are you and....who was that?"
There was a pause.
"That was Nicole. We're out shopping."
"S-shopping? Since when did you start shopping?"
"I'm not the one shopping. Nicole needed my help choosing some stuff."
"What? But you never shop with-"
"Alec? You coming or not?" Her bitchy voice interrupted.
Coming, bitch. I am coming.
"Just a random question and then I'll hang up," I spoke.
"Yeah?" Alec said back.
"Where is she shopping from?"
"Westfield. But why-"
"Alright. Bye," I hung up.
I ran to the kitchen, picked my car keys and stormed towards the parking lot.
The Westfield shopping complex wasn't too far from the apartment as I quickly drove towards it. After twenty minutes, I was parking the car into the parking lot and as I took the elevators, I dialled Alec's number again.
"Hello," He answered.
"Are you still at Westfield?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"What are you guys shopping for now?"
"We're not shopping anymore. We're eating."
"Okay," I hung up and went to the food court. I spotted them on a table, talking while Nicole was sipping on coke and Alec was just eating some fries.
Martha was right. He was in his casuals.
A white tshirt that hugged his muscular torso, black denims and do I need to mention the sexy black leather jacket?
He looked young and carefree and.....happy. Something he never looks around me.
For some reason, I couldn't find it in myself to walk up to them and I found myself retracing my steps back but just then, Nicole's eyes locked with mine.
I blinked, realizing that I was staring at them.
Her lips pulled up into a smile as she waved at me.
I swallowed my anxiety and waved back, slowly making my way over to them, all the while feeling Alec's gaze on me.
Would he be mad at me for ruining their good time?
Am I coming in between something?
NO!
He is my husband.
If there's anyone coming between us, it's Nicole.
Faking a smile, I walked over to them with more confidence than I could ever muster as Nicole got up to greet me.
"Hey, Scarlet. It's so nice to see you," She gave me a brief hug.
"It's nice to see you too, Nicole," I spoke through gritted teeth.
"I didn't know you were joining us. Why didn't you tell me, Alec?" She turned to him.
"He didn't know it either. Guess I just wanted to surprise you two," I shrugged with a fake smile.
"I thought you had classes today," Alec interrupted.
I faced him. "I'm skipping. Is there a problem?"
His subtle eye twitch did not go unnoticed by me and I realized that we were staring at each other unless Nicole cleared her throat.
"I should get going now. Thanks for your time, Alec," She smiled at him and then turned in my direction. "I was wondering if we both could have lunch sometime."
"Oh...yeah. That would be great," I nodded.
"Tomorrow? Is that okay with you?"
"Tomorrow. Done."
"Great. I'll see you," She gave me a smile before leaving us alone.
I turned to Alec.
"What the hell was all that?" I snapped.
"What?"
"You went shopping with her? What about the time I asked you to come shopping with me in Barbados? You went all meetings on me. Didn't you have any of your fucked up meetings today?"
He scowled at me. "She's my friend."
"And I am your wife," I spat.
"So?" He raised a brow.
I blinked at him in disbelief. "Are you under a spell or something, Alec Sinclair? Is she a witch?"
"Don't talk about her like that," He frowned.
My jaw dropped and I opened my mouth to say something but shut it again when I had no words. Without saying anything, I turned around and started going towards the elevators to get to the parking lot.
If cartoons were real, people would see steam coming out of my ears.
I felt him following me but I paid no attention. Getting to my car as soon as I could, I almost got in but the door was shut firmly by a hand.
"Did the spell finally break, asshole?" I was breathing heavily in anger because of the way he defended her.
Turning around, I found him looking down at me with the most neutral expression I'd ever seen on him. He wasn't angry like I was expecting him to be or conflicted or anything else.
"You seem mad about something," He spoke.
I let out a laugh. "Well congratulations. You finally decoded it, dummy."
His eyes narrowed for a moment and he opened his mouth to speak but I beat him to it.
"I'm getting late for my classes."
"I thought you were skipping classes today," He raised a brow.
"I changed my mind," I attempted to push him away and open the door but it only got worse as he placed his arms beside me, caging me between the car and his body.
I frowned at him. "What are you doing-"
"I would never let you set foot out of the apartment in that," He eyes ran across my body and lingered near my legs.
"W-what?"
His gaze locked with mine. "You're not going to college dressed like that. You'll go home and change. Is that clear?"
I inhaled. "I-I don't think so."
My breath hitched when he leaned forward, his breath mingling with mine as his intoxicated scent sent my senses in overdrive.
I gasped when his fingers brushed against my thigh and I found myself leaning against the car, afraid that my legs might give way.
"Come home with me, Scarlet."
I don't know what it was but it was definitely not an order.
It seemed more like a.....plea.
I gulped when his fingers started rubbing circles against my thigh.
Then, it all came back to me as I suddenly remembered how just a few minutes ago, he was defending Nicole infront of me.
And just like that, I put my hands on his chest and pushed him away from me.
He seemed surprised. I pressed my lips into a thin line. I was so mad at him. Mad for treating me like a second choice, mad for always being so oblivious of my feelings, mad for always pushing me away and lastly, mad for giving me these mixed emotions.
"Make up your fucking mind, Sinclair."
With that, I got into my car and drove away.
I could see him standing fixed in his spot through the rear view mirror but I didn't care.
There was something he was doing to me and I didn't know how to feel about it.
Shaking my head to clear the thoughts, I focused on the road and drove towards the college. As I was parking the car, I suddenly got a very eerie feeling, the feeling of being watched.
Just before I could turn around, something hard hit my forehead and fell to the ground.
I hissed out in pain, my hand reaching up to cover the aching spot and I looked around to see who did that but couldn't find anyone in the empty parking space.
My gaze fell on the object.
It was a stone.
Son of a bitch. Who would throw a stone on me?
What really caught my attention was the crumpled paper that the stone was wrapped in. I slowly bent down and retrieved the paper.
There was a message on it.
Let go of him.
What the hell?
Hey guys!
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And I just realized that Stranger Things Season 3 will be out in 2019. What am I gonna do in 2018? 😭😭😭😭