**Stephy**
"Jason"
"Are you okay? Why are you sitting outside?" His forehead creased up the way it always did when he got worried.
"I'm fine. I was just looking for Svante. He got angry and then ran off. I don't even know where to start looking for him" I looked around, out to the open road but still no sign of him.
"Svante De La Vaiga, well what's new. Don't worry yourself about it. He will come back"
"How are you so sure that he will?"
"He left you here. He wouldn't just abandon you here he came with you so he will come back to fetch you. He probably just needs to cool off, let out some steam. I saw the murderous look on his face when his mother called him on stage." He noticed the curious look on my face.
"Svante is a friend of mine, sort of"
"Sort of?" I asked.
"Yea.." he scratched the back of his head, "It's kind of a long story but trust me he will be back for you. And you should probably go back inside it's getting chilly out here."
He was right it was getting chilly but the thought of going back into that stuffy place with the boss lady on my back told me I would rather deal with the cold.
"You don't seem too keen on going back" I shook my head. "Give me a second" he went inside and spoke to the guard then jogged back out.
"Wanna go for a walk?"
~~~~
The night air was pretty chilly, with my back exposed I could feel my skin tingle a little and before my body got the chance to even shiver Jason had placed his blazer on me.
I smiled gently at him and adjusted the blazer so it covered me properly. He still smells delicious I mentally smacked myself for the thought, the guy was now a married man. Even if he got married to that witch he was still taken. The reminder of their marriage brought a dark cloud to my mood. I had no right to feel hurt or upset. I had gotten over their betrayal years ago, but I just couldn't help the feeling.
"You frowning"
I turned to look at him and not completely registering what he had just said, "what?" He slightly dipped his head to the side and gave me a goofy smile. I burst out laughing and smacked him a bit. "At least that still works" he smiled softly. He used that trick on me every time I was mad at him. It was impossible not to laugh, his goofy smile, the way his hair would flop in his face and the dimple that popped out made it impossible to stay mad at him for anything.
"So what got you thinking so hard. It's still not about Svante is it?" I shook my head
"No just thinking that's all" I turned to look at him and smiled. "I haven't seen you in like what three, four years? I'd at least expect you to have changed, grow a mustache."
He laughed, "What, like the old and grey Mr. Carter?"
"No like your neighbour Mr. Stein." He doubled over "remember him?"
He stopped walking and held on to his stomach nodding as he remembered the old man who made our lives hell when we were younger. He was truly the worst old man I'd ever met. He had probably made it his life's mission to get us into trouble, but I guess he did have good reasons to. We did tons of bad stuff to him.
Like that one time Jason creeped into his house to steal his wig. Mr Stein was a rich and single man. He would always dress up and go out of town to trick young ladies into bed and on that specific day we found out that he had a date so we made sure to help him get ready. In his father's lab Jason had concocted a really nasty smelling 'perfume' which I put in place of his cologne. Jason sprinkled itchy powder all over his clothes and put glue in his wig, Mr Stein, though still in his good age at that time, was bold. The results were, for lack of better words, marvellous. His screams could be heard all the way through our neighbourhood as he chased us around, knowing immediately that it was us who did that to him.
"How can I forget him. He was simply the best neighbour anyone could ever ask for." He said slowly recovering from his laughing fit.
"Truly the best."
"Do you go back often?" He cautiously asked me. I felt my heart grow heavy at the mention of home. "Does once every six months count as often?"
A solemn atmosphere clouded us and it was like both our minds went back to the sad memories that were attached to home.
My feet were beginning to ache and I thanked the heavens for the bench close by.
"So you do business with La Vaiga?" I asked him remembering Cassandra's words.
"Yea. Remember my mom's jewellery business?" I nodded. "Well after grad I sort of took over, expanded and innovated it into something bigger and La Vaiga was our biggest investor and later on we built a partnership so we make the jewellery for their designs."
"And how's that going?"
"Spectacular. Momma is over the moon, she never thought we could get this far. The company has already settled into three different countries. She says she is ready to go now that she has left a legacy, though she thinks Cassandra will be her ending." He laughed lightly.
My chest tightened at the mention of Cassandra. We reached the bench and I decided to sit. "And...Uhm...how's-how's that going for you? Being married to Cassandra?" The venom spilt out of my mouth at the mention of her name even though I didn't mean to. I face palmed myself feeling shame, couldn't my body just pretend.
Jason scoffed and stoop up. "You have no right to get angry or harbour any hatred for her or me" his quick temper was flaring up but he was wrong I did have a right.
"I have no right? You cheated on me!"
"I did not cheat on you. You chased me away you did. Do you know what you made me go through. What I had to endure because of you. You were my whole fucking world Estephania but you decided to push me away when you needed me the most. I tried everything I could to fight for you."
"Does sleeping with my best friend count as fighting for me. You slept with her after promising to keep yourself for me. Remember the promise we made to each other to be each others first, did that not mean anything to you. My dad had just died Jason forgive me for not being able to pull myself together quick enough to get back to you and entertain you, but running into the arms of that desperate bitch was a low blow." The tears were threatening to spill but I wouldn't cry. The swelling in my chest continued to grow and the big bolder in my throat choking me, I managed to croak out, "why'd you do it?"
I didn't want to know in all honestly I really didn't want to know why when I was breaking down and tearing apart, the man I had declared the best man in the world and the only love of my life would go and sleep with a desperate bitch who called herself my best friend. But the question was out there and my heart was left raw ready to take another blow.
"I didn't cheat on you. I went to her for answers, Tasha, your mom nobody would tell me anything about you she was your best friend I thought she would at least know more or anything for that matter but eventually I would go to her for comfort, to escape the reality of losing you." He ran a hand through his hair and bit his lips, he was struggling too battling his feelings and maybe even fighting back any physical show of emotion. "I only slept with her once that year, the day you threw me out. Remember that day?"
I did. He had previously spent two days outside my house just waiting for me to come meet him, but I couldn't I couldn't stand the sight of any man, it was just too soon. I couldn't blame him because he didn't know. He didn't know how filthy I felt every single time I looked into the mirror every single time someone tried to touch me. I couldn't face him, but Jason wouldn't stop coming he wouldn't stop trying to get to me and when he finally found a way to get into my room, he climbed the high walls of our old Victorian house and entered my room. The memories rushed in and broke my heart, washing me cold as I remembered the way I lashed out at him. Screaming for him to leave me, telling him how much I hated him. I wished him dead.
I nodded, "your mother threw me out. She told me never to come back. The guards lifted me off the ground and threw me out. I was reduced to nothing." Hate burned in his eyes, pure venom spilled out with every word as he stared right into my eyes making me feel every single word and emotion. "I didn't cheat on you. I didn't forget our promise and I have every right to be angry with you. Me! not you"
"And yes I know Cassandra posted pictures of us on the net. I know she made up that story about us sleeping together and me cheating on you. I went along with it to make you pay. To hurt and make you feel even a fraction of what I felt, so I decided to actually sleep with her." His shoulders deflated. The veins sticking out on his face were slowly going down. He threw himself on the bench next to me exhausted, "I'm sorry. Honestly I'm so sorry, but you really did hurt me Estephania I just, I-"
"I'm sorry too I didn't realise, I couldn't see past my own pain. I was too broken too torn apart to see anything else. I'm sorry" I said quietly. A small tear slid down my face betraying my facade.
We stayed quite for a while, both probably thinking about the past. I couldn't stop thinking about how our lives would've been different if I hadn't kicked him out of my life. If we had sorted things out, if things were different. Would he had loved me if he knew the whole truth? Would we have gotten past it? Would it have been me that he married?
"We should be heading back now" he said leaving his reverie, "we've been away for too long." He stood up but I held on to his arm. "Do you love her her?" He looked at me and I shook my head,"I just want to know,I promise"
He sighed straghtening up, "She got pregnant. I couldn't just abandon her in that condition. I did that to her I had to take care of her. That's why I married her that's why I'm still by her side. Love? I don't know, I may not ever love anybody the way I loved you and perhaps we only got closer because she lost the baby but I guess in some way I do, I've learnt to love her." I swallowed and nodded getting up.
~~~
When we arrived at the function hall most of the people were gone. I searched frantically for Svante but there was no sign of him. I turned back to Jason, " I don't see him-"
"Estephania"
Before I could fully turn around I was engulfed into big burly arms and sandlewood. Svante hugged me tightly, he spoke frantically I could only catch a few words "you okay....you were lost....Carlos would've killed me....mom knew....everybody...nobody...you" he then pulled away and slowly the anger came through. "Everywhere Estephania I searched everywhere for you. Didn't you think of leaving a message with someone that you were going to leave. I went nuts searching for you. Carlos would've killed me if I lost you."
"Hold up, you left running off to where ever it is that you ran off to. Leaving me here in this foreign place alone Svante! How would I have known where to begin searching for you?"
I huffed out a breath and pushed his hands away from me. Jason was not so discretely laughing at us. I glared at him to shut up. "Was she with you?" Svante asked hotly. "Yes and you welcome. Haven't you ever heard you never keep a beautiful lady waiting." He teased.
Svante rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Let's go. I booked us a flight I want to leave this damned place already." He tried steering us away but I still had something to do.
"I want to talk to Jason for a minute I'll meet you outside" he nodded then left us alone. "I see what you meant by kinda"
He scratched the back of his head laughing nervously, "yea" he cleared his throat. "So..I guess this is goodbye?" I handed him his blazer back.
"Yea, but I'm sure it's not goodbye forever" he smiled and I followed. "I'll see you around Jason and I'm sorry for everything." He pulled me in for a hug. To simply put it, it was awkward.
"Get your hands off my man Stephy." I sighed, "I still hate her" I whispered to him. "She is my wife" I rolled my eyes. Cassandra stood impatiently tapping her foot. She had on a short pink dress and her blond hair was up in a messy up-do. I couldn't spend another minute in her presence even if she was the one giving me the death glare. Pulling Jason to her side she latched on to his arm. "Take care of your self Cassandra" I genuinely smiled at her "try pulling your pouty lips upwards you once had a beautiful smile." I waved at them and rushed out.
I didn't feel high and mighty the shallow feeling was still harbouring inside of me but I knew this chapter was closed. I just needed my big pillow and my fluffy blanket, but I first had to survive another flight with Svante.
~~~~
To my impatient friend here is an update for you...sorry about the grammatical errors and wrong everything..
Love Lee
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