Eve's POV:
My phone rang, I just finished with a meeting. I looked at the screen to see who's calling. I was stunned to see it was Destiny.
"Hello." I answered
"Hi, Eve. Can we meet today?" she asked me.
"Uhm, yeah we can. I just got out of a meeting." I said.
"Okay, I'll meet you at Starbucks near your building." she said
"Okay, see you in a bit." I said.
I went to my office and I called my secretary. She appeared inside my room.
"Yes, Ms. Jimenez?" she asked me
"Arielle, please cancel all of my meetings for the rest of the afternoon, I have to see my best friend's doctor, have them rescheduled."
I said before reaching for my purse
"Okay Ms. Jimenez." she said
I walked out of my office and into the elevator.
Once I got down from it, I walked out of the building and went to Starbucks across the building, I saw Destiny already sitting by the window, she looks as if she was thinking of something. I stopped walking towards her, as I marvel at her beauty.
Everything about her was adorable, I can clearly remember when we started to hang out, she would always buckle me in the front seat, she would always know when I need to let off some steam, all she did, it made me smile. Those things she did, they made me fall in love with her eventually. I shook the memories off and started to walk at her table. She smiled weakly at me.
"Hi, let me just order my drink, I'll be right back." I said
"No, I already ordered for you. Grande, White Mocha and a slice of their Blueberry Cheesecake?" she answered as if checking if it was still my favorites.
I nodded at her as I take a seat.
She pushed in front of me the plate and cup of coffee.
"You remembered." I smiled softly at her.
"Yeah, I have never forgotten." she said calmly
"So, how are you?" I asked her
"I'm quite good." she answered while taking a sip from her brewed coffee
"I quit from my job at the asylum today, because my girlfriend Kate, wanted me to work for their company."
She added and I took a bite off my cheesecake.
"So, you and her finally together for real."
"Yes. I want to thank you for making me realize about how I felt for her."
I smiled at her weakly.
"I wanted to Thank you too, for faithfully loving me all these years, though I did some stupid things."
I said to her
"That's all right."
She answered and smiled at me, the genuine smile I know of.
"I am happy you are back to your old self. Even if I am not the reason behind those smile of yours."
"Eve, I am sorry if I didn't gave you a chance. But I want you to know that, I am thankful for your patience specially the past few days."
She smiled.
"So, how did we get here?" I asked her
*****Flashback******
Destiny's POV:
I went home that day, still crying Brian had driven me home, once I entered our House. I talked to Mom and Dad about transferring schools. It's a good thing the Psychology College Dean is Dad's best friend, he made a way for me to be accepted the soonest possible time. They asked me about what happened. I told them. They both hugged me. Trying to ease the pain that's inside my chest.
I got a shorter boy's cut and glasses because I needed it, by that time my braces were removed. I was a whole new Destiny Valerio that carried so much love for Eve Jimenez. The sole friend I made was Kate Howell. In a few weeks time, I started to opened up to her about Eve.
"D, I'm sorry you had to relieve it again." She said as I finished telling her of the last memory I had of Eve.
I only smiled at her before drinking from the bottle of beer.
Days and weeks passed, as Kate and I spent the rest of our last semester together in school, she confessed that she was beginning to feel something for me. I smiled and offered her friendship. Not until I was in first year of my doctoral did we become fuck buddies.
By my sixth year in med school, I went home to mom and dad one weekend, telling them about the feelings I am beginning to have for Kate. I promised them to bring her over someday, once I am ready.
*****End of Flashback*****
Eve's POV:
"But why were you not ready then?" I asked Destiny.
"I was not sure of How I would feel if ever I came face to face with you again. If the feelings are still the same after all this time. The first day I saw you outside the asylum, you didn't recognize me, even after telling you my name, I thought there was something wrong with you." She smiled weakly at me.
"So, I invited you for dinner, I buckled you in, in the hopes that you would remember me. After all, that was one of the things I did for you back then."
"Yeah, I started to remember you, I was just not sure if it was indeed you, you wore your hair differently now and you have glasses now." I beamed at her
She smiled at me
"What about you? How did we get here?" she asked me. For a moment, I was not sure how to answer her. I have had bad decisions, I never regret them. I had my own reasons.
*****Flashback*****
Eve's POV:
After I pushed Destiny against the lockers, my friends and I walked away. I pretended to be all right. After school, I decided to talk to her, but her phone was off.
The following day, I tried to drop by her house, but after her parents told me she moved out, I never tried to contact her. But not a day, did I stop thinking of her and the thing that I did. Shane and I attended a party, she saw her boyfriend kissed someone else. After that Shane was never the same person again.
A few weeks more, I came home from school one time to find out my Dad had already left us for another woman. Since then, I vowed not to fall in love with men.
*****End of Flashback*****
Eve's POV:
"Eve, I have something to ask you. I hope you won't take it against me if I did."
I smiled at her and nodded as a sign of my approval.
"Remember that guy we met at the chinese restaurant?" she asked me
I felt my heart beat faster, does she know?
"What about him?" I answered coolly.
"He was brutally murdered, last Friday," She said.
I feigned surprise at the news.
"I didn't know that." I said to her.
"Eve, there are CCTVs in the area." She stated.
"That's good, did they catch her Killer?" I said
She reached out for my hand.
"No, they haven't yet. They haven't figured out who it is."
"And this concerns me how?" I asked her finally before moving my hand away.
"Because one of the CCTV Videos, shows you getting on the victim's vehicle, although you're not recognizable, I can not be mistaken with the Dress you wore that night." she said
"Tell me, did you kill that man?" She added.
I didn't answer her. I stood up from my seat
"Come with me, Destiny." I said to her.
I walked out of the shop, she opened the door of a new car she had with her.
"Is this your car?" I asked her, because I can remember she had an Audi Q7, While this was a Cadillac Escalade.
"No, it's Kate's." She answered.
"Just Drive." I said to her
"Okay." She said as she pulls out the parking lot.
"He wasn't my first victim, there were others, killed the same way, but was different with the way I left them."
I said to her with out looking at her.
"It started with the first guy I met at work, I was just fresh out of college. I was just starting at Gold Rush Media, he was one of the Senior Managers. He always paid me a compliment. He was sexually harassing me when ever he gets the chance. I let all of that slip. He was married, I figured if I could hold it for some time, it will get better for me. He only looked and touched but never got what he wanted from me. Until, I can't take it anymore. I killed him."
I confessed to her
"I was angry at them, because they think women are inferior to them. That we are just merely made for their pleasure. Like my father and Shane's boyfriend. I didn't have any one to tell about my troubles, the two people I trusted were gone, first you then Shane." I was already crying as I confessed these to her.
"Eve, I can help you. I want to help you." She said to me
"How are you going to help me?"
"You will come clean to Brian, you will plead guilty, because you were mentally unstable."
"I can testify in court for you. I will be your Doctor." She added
"Okay. I will come clean."
"Great. I'm sorry for what you had to go through Eve, but the sooner you cooperate with the authorities the better your chances are."
She said to me reassuringly I nodded at her.
She dropped me off my office building, I unbuckled myself from my seat.
"So, this is me, Thank you. Uhm, can I get one last hug?" I said to her, She smiled at me
and held me in her arms, tightly. I whispered to her ear.
"You always save me from trouble. Even until now, I don't know what I would do with out you. Thank you, I love you."
"Eve, you're welcome. I love you as a friend too, let's forget the past, I am no longer hurting from it, I hope this sets you free. You deserve better things Eve."
"I'll see you and Brian next week?" I said to her finally.
"Yeah, I'll set up a meeting with him."
I alighted from her car and made my way back to my office building.
**********************************************************************
Destiny's POV:
I dropped Eve back to her office building, after an hour of driving around Makati. It was already 4 P.M. when I got back to Kate's Office.
I entered her office, she looked up at me and smiled. She stood from her table to give me a hug, which I returned tightly.
"I missed you, Babe." She chirped up at me
"I missed you too, Babe." I answered her as cheerfully as I could.
"Mr. Valerio, you're not convincing me with that tone." She said to me.
I chuckled at her
"I'm sorry Babe, just an emotionally draining afternoon for me."
"Are you going to tell me?" She asked.
"Yes, I will." I smiled back at her.
"Spill." She said as she straddled me in the couch.
I placed my hands at her waist, steadying her, she was looking at me, studying my face.
"So, this afternoon, I talked to Eve." I started.
"Mhhhmmm... How did that go?"
"It went good, we were calm. I apologized to how I treated her. We talked about how we got to this point. She confessed she didn't try to find me after she found out that I moved and my parents wouldn't tell her. She also confessed that Robert and the Man from the Chinese Restaurant were not her first victim. I convinced her to come clean and bargain with a plea deal."
"She could plea insanity, you could be her Doctor to testify in court." Kate added and I smiled at her.
"I was going to tell you, that I offered to help her. That I would testify in court for her."
"Babe, I know how good your heart is, I loved you for that, you always have a good heart, always considerate of every one around you." She said
"Thank you, Babe. So does that mean, you're allowing me to extend that help to her?"
"Of course, Babe. I mean, she knows you and I are together now right? I have a feeling she won't do anything to break my trust right?"
"Mhmmm. She knows about us and I trust her not to break our trust." I smiled at her.
She kisses me on the lips, full of love and warmth.
"Then, I'm okay with it." She smiled
"Thank you." I answered her
"No, Thank you for letting me know. For finding Robert's Killer. That was fast you know?" She chuckled at me
"I'm smart, you know?" I teased her
"You are definitely the smartest person I know." She kissed me again, this time a soft peck before she stood up from straddling me
"I need to finish work." She added as she walked over her desk.
"Okay, I'll set up a meeting with Brian, for Eve." I informed her.
I opened my laptop and pulled up my email, I sent Brian a message regarding the confession I got from Eve, that she is willing to cooperate. I also informed him that we need to meet next week. Once I typed out the message, I sent it over to him. I went back to reading my emails, there was one from my former Boss. I read it and I was happy to know that Shane will finally get proper treatment based on my recommendations. I responded to thank him.
It was already 4:30 P.M. when Kate finished signing all of the proposals that were submitted to her for approval. After we decided to go to Robert's wake.
I went in front of his casket with Kate clinging to my left arm, I steadied her as she cried once more.
She whispered her apology and said we have found the killer.
I wiped her tears as she hugs me tight. I caressed her hair, to soothe her before kissing the top of her head.
After quite some time, she bid him goodbye and went to sit at the benches. We were greeted by Robert's parents, they warmly accepted our condolences. They talked and after some time, we bid our farewell as well.
The drive home was silent. We both had a long day. I heard Kate speak as she breaks the silence.
"Babe, thank you again for being there for me, I wouldn't know what I would do with out you."
"Babe, I promised to be there for you, no matter what the situation is. I would come through."
I stopped the car near our condo
I unbuckled my seat belt to give her a warm hug, to which she allowed me to.
"Babe, I don't want you to feel alone anymore, I want you to remember that I will be here for you, loving you faithfully and giving you all the understanding and support you need. I want you to know that. We will be fine, we'll handle things together okay?"
"I appreciate your honesty by the way and this. All of what you're doing for me so far. I appreciate it. I love you babe." She smiled at me.
"I love you too, babe. Now, let's go home and have dinner."
I buckled myself and continued to drive, I parked her car at her parking space. I held her hand in mine as we walk to the elevator. We alighted the elevator and pressed the number 17 to our floor. After we got to our floor, we walked towards her unit. I opened the door to her unit.
I placed our computer bags at her couch. She proceeded to her Fridge, looking for food to cook. I looked in the fridge with her.
"Hmm, you have fish and other seafood, you also have a ready made marinara sauce, we can make seafood marinara." I smiled at her
"Hmmmm... with pan seared fish fillets?" She asked me
"Yep." I answered. She took out some garlic and onions, while I got the chopping board, she placed the garlic and onions in the chopping board. I started to chop them, while she removes the shell of the shrimps, she chops them up to bite size pieces, while she lets the fish fillet sit with the marinate on a bowl. She continues to chop into bite sized pieces the shrimps, squid, and some pre-cooked crabs.
I heated the pan and put in some olive oil. I heated the pan, as I help her with the crabs.
Once the pan was heated, I put in the chopped onions and garlic, I sautéd them, next was the raw squid and shrimps. I turned them when they were ready and dump in a pre-made marinara sauce before adding the crab meat. I seasoned with pepper and some spices as I let them simmer.
She seared the marinated fish fillets in another pan. While the pasta is being cooked in a separate pot. Once the marinara has simmered, I turned the heat off. Once the pasta was cooked, I drained the water and mixed it in the pan where I cooked the sauce. I mixed the pasta in well.
I washed the pot and pans I used to make the pasta after plating it. I also washed the pan she used to sear the fish fillets after she had plated the fish over to our plates. Once I was done washing, we sat at the living room, we turned on the TV, as we are huddled at the floor, our backs against the couch. We watched Cartoons on Nickelodeon. We laughed at the misadventures of Po the Panda, while we ate our dinner. After quite some time, I broke the silence.
"Babe, are you excited for the weekend?" I asked her
"Of course, Babe. I get to meet your parents." Her eyes were lit up
"You're not tensed or anything?"
"I am a little bit tensed, but more of giddy and excited. You told me a lot of stories about them."
"You will be great, I'm sure they'll like you."
I smiled at her, I thought of all the sacrifices she made just for me, I am really thankful for her patience.
"Can't wait to meet them finally." She beamed at me.
"You know I love it when you smile, when your eyes are shining like the galaxies."
She looked at me with full of love and tenderness she smiled at me once more
"Mr. Valerio, why are you flattering me?"
"I'm only telling you the truth Mrs. Valerio."
I gave her a lopsided smile, before taking another bite from the fish fillet.
"Mmmmmm... You really are a great cook." I added.
She laughed at the comment and shook her head.
*****************************************************
Eve's POV:
After I got back to work, I finished all of my tasks that I left. It was already 10 P.M. When I was able to finish my tasks. I sat at my swivel chair, overlooking the city lights. I thought about what Destiny had told me earlier. It reminded me of this time she saved me from trouble in school.
*****Flashback*****
"Miss Jimenez, care to explain to me why you submitted the report online and not personally?" Our Professor, Mrs. Santiago had asked me. I looked at her for a while, I didn't know how to answer her, Destiny knew that we spent the time finishing the report yesterday, I would have submitted it personally, but I got tied up, this was one of our partner reports we did at school, I was partnered with Destiny.
"Ma'am, with all due respect, it was not Eve's fault, it was mine, she advised me that we needed to submit it at a certain time, between us two, I was the one to blame because I was supposed to submit it to you personally, I was not able to because I got tied up with editing something for the school paper, she advised me that they had a practice for cheering out of campus. She already handed me the report yesterday Ma'am."
"Miss Valerio and Miss Jimenez, please be mindful of your schedules next time, I will let you both off the hook, given that your report were done quite intricately, Good Job to the both of you by the way. You both got perfect grades for this report."
I smiled at Destiny.
*****Flashback #2*****
I was so busy with preparing for the College's Cheer Dance Battle, that I have yet again, forgotten to submit our report, as expected, I was already rushing to beat the deadline, I went to the Faculty Room and looked for Mrs. Santiago. I was waiting there for about a minute when she stepped out of the Faculty Room.
"Yes, Miss Jimenez?"
"Ma'am, I know I'm 5 minutes late, submitting this report, but can you please accept it?" I begged her
"What?" She laughed at me
"Miss Jimenez, you don't need to submit your report, your partner Destiny already submitted the report to me, she submitted it this morning, were you not aware?"
"I, uhm.. I was hallucinating I guess, because of the preparations for the college's Cheer Dance Battle."
"Right, you must have not remembered. Anyway, I wish you and your Team luck in the upcoming Dance Battle. I know you guys can do it." She said as she goes back to the Faculty Room.
I was walking back to the field, trying to catch my breath from panicking and rushing I did earlier. When I saw Destiny, about to head to the School Paper's Office. I ran towards her.
"Destiny!" I shouted, she stopped walking and looked behind her, she smiled
"Hey, Eve. How's cheer dance practice?" She asked me
"Oh, uhm, we're good."
"So, what's up? You look flushed, have you been running around?"
"Yeah, I was running from the field to the Faculty, to submit our report, I didn't know you made a copy and have already submitted it to Mrs. Santiago."
She smiled at me and said
"Oh that's nothing, I mean, I know you're busy with other things. So, I made it a point to make myself a copy of the report, to ensure that I will submit them on time."
"Oh God, Destiny, Thank you for doing that. I promise to make it up to you this weekend after the battle. You're going to watch right?"
"Uhmm, uh... Y-Yeah, sure." She stammered
"Great! So, See you this weekend?"
"Yeah, see you." she answered
I kissed her on the cheek before making a mad dash back to the field where my Team was waiting for my return.
*****Flashback #3*****
The day before the Dance Battle was busy, we rehearsed all day long. We skipped lunch to practice even more, we only had water breaks.
After our practice has ended, I was walking towards the school gate, Shane went ahead because her dad was waiting, I was about to hail a cab, when Destiny's car appeared in front of me.
"Hey, Eve. Hop in."
"Hey, Destiny. Uhm, I'm on my way to get something to eat, I mean it's late, shouldn't you be home by now?"
"Nah, it's cool, I already told my parents that I'd be home late."
"Okay." I opened the door, she reaches over the backseat and handed me a tupperware.
"Here, you must be hungry, I cooked pasta for you." She smiled and then handed me a fork.
"Wow, you cooked this?"
"Mhmmm.. Yeah." she smiled
"Wait, how did you know I like shrimps?"
"Uhm, I didn't. Lucky guess maybe?"
"Oh and, there's steak too." she smiled
While she grabbed another tupperware from the back seat
"I know you're famished. Go on dig in." she smiled at me.
Then she started to drive
"Hey, Thank you for cooking for me. You shouldn't have though."
I said shyly while I took a bite of pasta.
"Mmmm... This tastes good! Did you make this from scratch?"
"Yes." she answered
"Where did you learn this?"
"My Dad's Family, they're part Italian, My Nonna thought me."
She answered me nonchalantly
"Ooohh, nice. I wanted to learn how to speak in Italian."
"Really? I never learned the language. Apart from basic words. Like, Nonna translates to Grandma."
"What else?" I asked her as I took a bite off the sliced steak.
"I know one sentence." she smiled at me
"C'mon what is it?"
"Ti amo piu ti quanto, ti ho amato ieri."
"Which means?" I asked her again
"I love you, more than I have yesterday."
"Aww.. That's sweet." I said, while blushing, it's a good thing it's dark, she couldn't see my face turning red.
"I learned it for an ex-girlfriend." she said
"What was her reaction?"
"She left me that day for good."
She answered with a mixture of pain.
"I'm sorry I asked." I told her guiltily.
"No, you don't have to, I mean it happened for the better, it lead me to you." she smiled again.
That night, As I ate and she drove, I started to feel weird feelings for her, I admonished myself so many times, but my heart is stubborn.
*****End of Flashback*****
Kate's POV:
After dinner, we went back to the kitchen to wash the dishes. After washing the dishes, we went straight to my room, it was somehow similar to Destiny's room, only mine had a bigger bathroom, plus no framed photos or paintings.
Save from two frames beside my bedside table, one is a photo of me and my family, I was 11 at the time. The other was a collage of photos of Me and Destiny, some where taken candidly. Mostly, the rare tender moments we shared back in college.
Destiny's room was full of framed paintings from her friends, they were birthday gifts to her, I also made her one, it sits at the center of her bed's headboard, according to her, it's her most favorite painting. Her bedside table had several frames of her and her family, she also has the same collage of photos of us.
Destiny, went to my closet to get our clothes out, like what Destiny made me do, she has some of her clothes in here too, so she didn't need to go back to her unit whenever we spent time together.
She puts it out in my bed, while I head inside the bathroom, I started to undress, a few moments later, Destiny was inside the bathroom. She folds my clothes neatly and puts it inside the hamper, she undresses herself, and folds her clothes neatly and puts it inside the hamper.
We stepped into the shower and turned the shower on.
"Babe, can I sing you a song?" She asks me
"Go ahead, you may." I chuckled at her
Let me sleep even just for tonight
'Cause I can't keep you from wandering 'round my mind
And even if I can't have you
Even if I can't make you mine
I'll be standing waiting till it's time
She smiled at me as she puts her arms around me.
But I can't let you ask me why
'Cause words will never be able to define
The happiness I feel when you're around
Can't let you look into my eyes
'Cause I'm afraid I might just give in
When it seems we're not ready to try
She smiles at me, I can feel she was teasing.
How could I possibly go on
When all I have in my mind's "together we belong"
I stopped believing till you came along
What a chance of a lifetime
That I'm giving this for
But I can't let you ask me why
'Cause words will never be able to define
The happiness I feel when you're around
Can't let you look into my eyes
'Cause I'm afraid I might just give in
When it seems we're not ready to try
No
But I can't let you ask me why
'Cause words will never be able to define
The happiness I feel when you're around
Can't let you look into my eyes
'Cause I'm afraid I might just give in
When it seems we're not ready to try
But I love you
But I love you
I'm afraid this can't go on
No, it can't go on
Moment for moment I'll cherish all my life
We'll hold it forever
Even in the end it says "goodbye"
"Babe?" I looked at her with a frown
"No, no babe. I was just wanting to sing this song, this is GDC's song. But I don't mean to say Goodbye." she laughed at herself
"Valerio, that is not funny!"
I pouted at her
She scratched her nape.
"Babe, I'm sorry. Just suddenly remembered that song."
I swatted her arm out of annoyance
"Ugh! You're so inappropriate!"
I said to her in exasparation
"Babe, please?" she kissed my neck, I moaned at what she just did.
"No."
After we washed ourselves, we dried each other up. I was stunned when she carried me into her shoulder, I shrieked.
"Put me down Valerio, This isn't funny."
"Nope, not the magic word Howell."
She teased me as she started to walk
"Babe, please put me down. This isn't funny."
"No, Howell. Do you forgive me for singing the song?"
"Yes, yes." I whispered while I was hanging upside down.
"Sorry, can't hear you Howell."
"Yes, I forgive you Valerio."
I said a little louder, she puts me down in my bed.
She hovered on top of me, staring at me, she smiled.
She kissed my lips, wet and torrid. It went on for about two minutes before she pulls away, she helped me up.
We put on our shirts and panties, she kissed the top of my head. As we laid down to sleep.