The chapter is going to be finished soon, just a few more days, at the least. That's what Sian felt. Staring at the monitor of her laptop, she sighed and slammed her hands on the keyboard, pressing several keys that showed up on her word document. She needed some air but consoled herself that soon, it will be over.
She was still bothered by her guilt crawling up onto her heart and nerves. How could she do it? She wanted to slap herself straight in the face, if she could only could. Her mind was in a daze even though it happened almost a week ago. Her mind couldn't wipe off Duke's reaction with what she revealed to him.
"Oh..." she recalled were the first sound that came off of Duke, "Well, he didn't tell me about it..."
"M-Mom..." Sian gasped when she heard Tyler suddenly spoke from behind her. The little one was rubbing his eyes with his free hand. He blinked his eyes open to see an unknown man sitting at the other side of the room. His little voice was hoarse from the longevity of his sleep.
"B-Baby... oh you're awake. Do you want anything? Does anything hurt?" she was quick to gulp down the knot on her throat and trying her best not to stutter any further. She stood up and squatted beside the bed and started stroking her son's soft brown hair.
Tyler just shook his head and smiled a bit. His temperature was already down but it wasn't back to normal, yet. Sian saw his little eyes darted to the stranger sitting on one of the sofas in the ward. She just gulped as his son continued to observe Duke from afar.
Without a word, Duke stood and went to the door and opened it. She could see his shoulder moving up and then slowly going down. His back arched a bit forward, his confident stance wasn't there. Unlike the moment he stepped inside the ward... she sighed. He must've still processing the information.
He then slammed the door behind him making her jerk and Tyler wince from the volume. "Who was that, mom?" her son managed to ask but her eyes didn't leave the ward's door. She could still see him heaving a huge sigh, his hand shaking at it held the doorknob. Oh, what have she done.
"Just someone... special..."
She was quite thankful that Tyler didn't hear about what she said to Duke earlier... or maybe the child just decided not to ask about it.
"What have you done?!" Jennie shrieked with her hands in the air making big gestures. Some of their co-workers were already glaring at her but her friend seemed too dense to feel their intense scowls. Sian tried to calm Jennie down but her lilac-haired friend wasn't backing down from her decision.
"That was quite idiotic of you, Ms. Maddy Elysian," her friend added before settling back into her. Sian just puffed out a breathe before resting her elbows on the table and her hands holding up her forehead. Her mind was still in a whirl, "I know, it was stupid but I've already said it."
From the side of her vision, she could see Jennie shaking her head while lifting the mug of coffee to her lips. She just finished telling her the story of what had happened in the hospital. Jennie bugged her about it because she's been looking like a mess since she came back to work. In the end, she dragged her friend into their office's little cafeteria and told her all about it.
It was a slap in the face to her when her friend just said that it was an idiot move from her. She agrees. She was an idiot. She had the guts to say such things but not being able to stand up for what really happened. For what really is the truth. In the end, she will be the only one in trouble.
Sian sighed, "I can't take it back anymore. I already said it."
"You can always take it back. Maybe not the pain those words that hit him, but somehow, to replace that evident pain with relief and joy when he found out that it's you and he's his," Jennie implied still sipping her coffee.
Grabbing her phone from the pocket of her skirt, she opened a message notification. She looked at the contact I.D. She sighed. This was also one of the main reason why she just can't drop everything like a bomb. She had a deal with Chelsea and there was no backing out from it. A deal made years ago...
"Oh, if it only was that easy," she whispered to herself as she read the text Chelsea sent to her. After reading each and every word, she deleted the message and stood up from her chair. She strode over to the doorway. Her friend managed to ask her where she was going but she already had left the room.
Jennie sighed and slightly pouted. If only she could help her friend out, why not but she doesn't know how or who to find help from. She couldn't just go to their vice president and say everything her friend was telling her. She knows that Sian would just slap the back of her head and shake her real hard if she did that. She sighed.
The atmosphere was almost chilling, it was colder than the previous days. Sian felt the chills growing on her skin. She hugged her thick jacket tighter over her torso. She sighed before tracing her steps towards a place where Chelsea said to meet her. It was a good five minute walk from the office and she convinced herself to take the time she wanted.
She wouldn't mind if Chelsea would rant about how late she was on their decided meeting place.
Her phone rang. She bit her lip and sighed before answering the phone call, not minding to look at the caller I.D. "Yes, yes, Chelsea. I'm on my way there, just hang on for a bit."
"I'm not going to hang on for a bit," the voice said on the other line.
Sian stopped on her tracks. Her throat became dry and her chest pounded rapidly, loudly at the moment that familiar, deep voice hit her ears. Why did he call her all of a sudden? It wasn't like he was interested in her after hearing what she had to say. She just hopes his and her cousin's friendship isn't tainted.
Because she was sure Zero and her relationship is.
"I-I'm sorry, Sir," she managed to find her voice. She gulped and pulled down the collar of her turtle neck for she felt that she was suffocating slowly. "I should've looked at the caller I.D. first. I'm sorry..."
Duke sighed on the other line. He could hear his breathes against the device and it made her chew the lower part of her lips, waiting for the reason why he suddenly called. She opened her mouth to ask him why he suddenly called but she immediately held the inquiry back. She doesn't want to make a fool of herself once more.
She was there, on the sidewalk, phone pressed against her ear, staring out into the gray, cemented pavement as her free hand plays with the cloth of her jacket, her teeth chewing her lower lip, her insides anticipating what has to come.
"I saw you left the building," her boss finally said on the other line that made her heave a long sigh. So that was why... "Is something wrong?"
Sian shook her head, even though she knew that Duke might not be able to see it. "No... It's just that I'm going to meet somebody..." she trailed off.
"Yeah, Chelsea, right?" he answered, she hummed. There was silence once more and Sian could feel the awkward tension rising from the phone call. She couldn't find the right words to say to him after that incident on the hospital, after she blew everything off.
"I... got to go," she muttered before hanging up the phone call. She realized that she held her breathe from the anticipation of what Duke might have said afterwards. Her hand found it's way on her chest. Against her trembling hand was her heart beating so ever-loudly for that one person.
Duke gulped, letting his hand that is holding his phone fall on his side. He heaved his thousandth sigh for the day and proceeded to stare out the huge window in his office. One of his hands inside the pocket of his pants, he leaned against the window pane and contemplated about what he heard and had done afterwards when he heard Sian's revelation to him.
He couldn't stop thinking about it. Her voice were echoing from every corner of his mind and it almost made him go crazy over the weekend. Another long sigh for him. He needs to keep his mind straight. If his speculations are right, then maybe there's still a chance.
If his hitch was right, could Sian be Madelein? Some things are already adding up: her also being a graduate from Colton, the fact that she hid her wrist from him because if it was just make up why bother hide it, and the feeling that he gets whenever she's around. The familiarity.
He ran his hands through his hair and shook it. He slammed his closed fist against the window glass from the frustration that he was getting from all of this. If she really was Madelein, did she fall out of love, then? He remembered what he said to himself before, that he would respect Madelein's decision if he still wants him in her life or not.
Duke wanted to retract to that statement and gulp down that promise he made for himself. He might not be able to take it so lightly if that happens. He thought that he kind of moved on from Madelein but he realized that he hadn't. That he wasn't just missing the memories that they had, but also he missed the person behind those memories.
And he hopes he has his guts right, that Sian and Madelein are one.
Before he goes crazy, he approached his desk and grabbed the telephone, pressed it against his ear. He pressed the number one and waited for the other line to answer. When Stella picked up the call, Duke, without hesitation, ordered, "Get Ms. Avenido's information from the HR. If they asked why, tell them that I need them."
"You should have done that a long time ago, if I were you," Duke turned to see a figure by the doorway of his office, leaning on the wall and casually closing the door. He smirked and placed the phone back down on its usual place.
"Well, you might have said something to me yesterday that got my gears rolling," he admitted while raising an eyebrow at the person at the doorway. He noted that the sides of his friend's hair were starting to grow already and the black roots started to emerge.
The visitor chuckled slightly and went for the leather couch. He sat there, knees slightly apart and his elbows resting on it. His long slender fingers clasped against each other as his sharp eyes were looking at Duke, who was still standing by the desk and staring at the telephone.
He tried to ease the pain of his friend but he knew that his advice are only for worthwhile. It wouldn't last for a very long time. He knew Duke, what troubles him will trouble him. No excuses. He sighs as he could feel his friend's pain and confusion from all of this.
"By the way, Zero said that he wanted to let you cool down first," he informed Duke, who got out of trance when he said their friend's name. His eyes turned darker on the mention and he noticed how his clenched fists turned tighter. "I assure you, what she said to you isn't true."
He saw Duke sigh. "Do you know everything..." he heard his friend trailed off before shaking his head and sat on the similar couch across from him. Almost everything, he wanted to tell his friend but he decided to hold it back for it was not his business to say such things.
"Is he okay?" Duke asked, raising his eyes towards Titus who was staring right back at him. His eyes weren't filled with anger anymore. It was full of concern for his other friend that he knew didn't deserve the treatment he had shown. Duke should've asked for clarifications first before acting hastily.
Titus sighed and leaned back on the back of the sofa. "He's okay. Just a small bruise on his lower lip but nothing big. He's just worried at how long it will take to heal but other than that, nope."
Duke sighed and ran his hand over his face. His insides feel so heavy now. Not only did he felt so tired from this search, but now, he have also hurt one of his best friend for he acted hastily. He felt so bad about the issue that he wanted to take a break for a while and leave all of this behind, temporarily. He wanted some time for himself somewhere else other than that town.
"Tell him that I'm very sorry," it didn't sound like a request. It was more of a plead. Titus tapped his shoulder, before assuring him that Zero was cool with it and understood his situation which confuses Duke a little. Then again, his mind was still in a whirl.
"Anyways, what are you going to do with that information?" Titus tried to change the subject. It might not be the lighter end of the stick but he'll take it. He just doesn't want to see the guilt in his friend's eyes.
"Check on it. To make sure that some of my guts are right... Not a big assurance but..." Duke trailed off, looking at the door just behind Titus' shoulder, waiting for it to open to reveal Stella, "I hope that it will lead me somewhere."
Just as there was a knock on the door, his phone lit up and had a message notification.
"I'll get it," Titus offered and hopped to the door. It was Stella, with a folder against her chest. She handed the folder to Titus before backing up back to her desk and returning to her previous task. He turned to his friend who was staring blankly at his phone.
As he unlocked his phone, Duke had a glimpse of who sent the message. It was Sian. The messaging app took a while to load and when it did, he found himself dumbfounded with the message that was encrypted on it.
She's here. She wants to meet you.