Gross. Aurelia thought as she pushed open the door to her pathetic little 3-bedded apartment. Not only was it a mouldy, peeling block of red building; she had the luck of a toad with her housemates. Foul cigeratte smell practically wafted the living hall on a daily basis.
And today was no different.
Granted, she'd wanted to get the hell out of this place since the day she moved in. But she never really had much of a choice. She'd learned to be independent all her life but nobody ever told her how much rental costs in NYC. It wasn't a problem when she was still in the orphanage.
So despite that scholarship to her dream design school, everything else outside of it was a massive blur to her. She only had to make one mistake, just one; and her life could possibly tumble down right in front of her eyes.
Starting now.
She hadn't made any efforts to check out her face, newly taped with a large white bandage on her right cheek. In fact, it was a relief. It was tiring having to cup it with her hand all night and frankly, she was way too exhausted to think. She'd worry about that later.
Right now, all she could think of was to take that hour nap she had left before she'd report for her 10AM class. Her usual routine consisted of school, her waitressing job down at a diner in Brooklyn and if she was lucky; extra cash as a bottle girl at night.
It wasn't a job she enjoyed that much, but one night of tips and commission from Mythic could easily pay her rent. She figured with a bandage on her face, she'd likely have to take a week off from work but that shouldn't be too much of an issue after she gets the stitches off. Maybe, just maybe, that the scar would fade quickly and a simple concealer would do the trick.
Everything'd be as per normal again.
••
"Is this some kind of a new meditation pose?" Norman commented. He spun Oscar's office chair back to face the desk, seeing as he'd been staring at the blank wall behind him for awhile.
Oscar grunted. "What the hell is your problem?"
He wasn't going to admit he'd been thinking of Aurelia for the past two nights. He, himself, could barely believe it. He assumed it to be guilt at first, but would guilt remind him the smell of her hair? Would guilt replay the part where she was sitting on his lap, kissing him as if he hadn't ever been kissed? Would guilt also make him so out of his mind he hadn't done shit other than to nod and agree on every fucking proposal that was brought to him?
Bloody hell. He'd already paid for her medical expenses. What else did he need to do to get her out of his system?
Ian, who had strolled in without Oscar realizing, plopped down on his leather couch in his office. It was never so much just his own since Ian and Norman constantly came in and made themselves at home in there. Case in point—Ian was lying flat with his foot dangling over the arm rest, his fingers interlocked behind his head.
"You're the one who needs to get his head checked." Ian said. "A bake sale, really?" He shook his head. "That's the one you want to go with for this year's fundraiser?"
"I'd say to fire the one who suggested it." Norman chimed in, sitting across Oscar at his desk. "God, is she twenty? A bake sale!"
Ian and Norman laughed.
Oscar rolled his eyes. "What? Does a car wash sounds anymore appealing?"
"It does, considering the cha-chings we raised three years ago." Norman smirked.
"Yeah, right. A third of which came from our own pockets. Y'know you can shove it if you don't have a better idea." Oscar groaned, leaning back against his seat.
He was so done. He'd love to give himself a break if only he didn't already have his schedule packed to the brim since a week ago. To cancel last minute was much too unprofessional and certainly didn't suit his style. He was always a man of his words.
"What's the matter with you?" Ian asked.
Oscar didn't answer. What was he going to say? That he couldn't think of anything other than one woman? Fucking absurd.
"Well, Ian had a whole damn list of private investigators. If he could find Van without even knowing her name, you know you sure as hell can find her, right?"
"Find who?" Ian asked, confused.
"Have you been living in a cave?" Norman scoffed. "Who the fuck else?"
Oscar squeezed his eyes shut. Was he that transparent?
"Oh. Her?" Ian raised a brow. "I didn't think it was so serious."
"Maybe that's because you weren't here to see him walking around like a corpse." Norman shook his head. "That's it. I'm giving you the address. Do something, anything. Get yourself out of... whatever this is." He sent a location to Oscar's phone.
Oscar sighed. "What am I even supposed to say?"
"Dear God. I never thought I'd live to see this day." Ian commented sarcastically.
"Shut the fuck up."
Ian chuckled. "Remember when you used to call me crazy for buying a club for Vanessa? I see now you're about close to taking over the hospital."
He didn't want to deny; that was a pretty good one. There was an immense urge to protect Aurelia. It wasn't just the incident, he was sure. It was her. What exactly about her?
"In all seriousness, Van once told me to get out of her life yet look at us now. You can fix it only if you try."
"It's not that easy." Oscar stared at the ceiling, willing a sign to come to him. What the hell should he do?
••
It was easier said than done. Driving down to her address hoping she wouldn't answer the door with a chopper? Death wish. But that didn't stop Oscar. He knew his friends were right. He'd been sitting around restlessly for the past few days and it was about to drive him insane. He had to see her. Even if she was going to yell at him, scream or even bawl her eyes out—he had to see her again. He needed to.
He didn't even know if he should be worried that it was so easy to acquire her information. Could you believe it? Just one phone call with her name and he found out which unit she lived in. Christ. Anyone could find her and stalk her if they wanted to. And if Sabrina was crazy enough to hunt her down? He shuddered at the thought. He wasn't going to let that happen, not even close.
Knock. Knock.
Oscar didn't grow up privileged like everyone thought he did. His parents worked their asses off to send him to university and if it weren't for the partnership he had with Ian and Norman, he'd likely be slogging his guts out as an executive at the age of 33.
Even then, this rundown building still sent shivers down his spine. Forget the graffiti, rusty steels and stains that resembled dried blood on the walls; it was the 21st century for god's sake—why were there still buildings in NYC that didn't have elevators?
The door to the apartment opened and instead of Aurelia greeting him, it was the sight of a scrawny teen who was obviously high on drugs—his eyes were red, his nose runny. The strong stench of smoke didn't escape Oscar's nose either.
What in the hell kind of people did Aurelia live with?
Oscar didn't bother hiding his face of disgust. There were a few things he wouldn't ever touch, and drugs were on top of the list. He simply had no respect for it since knowing what it did to his own blood brother.
"Eh, who're you looking for?" The kid asked, sniffing loudly with his nose. He was so sweaty you'd think they couldn't afford AC in there. And God, that awful smell that came out of the apartment.
"Aurelia. Is she home?" Oscar scrunched his nose in disdain.
"Oh, I don't know." Kid shook his head wildly. "I don't think so. Wanna come in?" He stepped aside to reveal a living room filled with empty pizza boxes, crushed up beer cans and a tattered maroon couch. Now, if there was a word to call this place, it was going to be a slum. Oscar was certain there must be at least one cockroach and its babies residing underneath those pizza crumbs on the floor.
How could Aurelia even stand to live in there?
"Nah, I'm good." Oscar waved him off.
What was this black hole doing in his chest again? Surely it was just bad timing. Then again, was he going to simply wait for the right time? Knowing now that she lived in a place like that only made him even more determined to find her and get her out of there. She'd probably reject his help, but he wasn't going to give her a choice. He was familiar with 'stubborn' like they were best friends.
"Send me the contact of the guy who found Van. Stat."
••
"An orphanage?" Oscar raised a brow at Vanessa's suggestion. He'd went back and realized a bake sale for a multi-national company was truly a pathetic excuse of a fundraiser.
Every year, EzRide would organize events to raise funds for the needy. Last year, it was a Hands-On-Car contest. The previous year, a Lamborghini ride experience for ill kids in a children's hospital. Three years ago, a charity car wash.
They were no doubt beginning to lose inspirations for it and that was why they hired Ian's girlfriend—Vanessa—who worked as an Events Director in a company called Free.
"Yeah. Wouldn't that be nice? You've done something similar for the kids in hospital before. Perhaps we could do an open house, get people to come take a tour and most importantly, make the kids happy!" Vanessa's grin grew wider as she continued convincing the co-founders of the idea.
"That's nice and all, but what has it got to do with EzRide?" He leaned back against his seat.
"It could be a Ride-a-Limo sort of thing. I think the main focus should be on the kids, not the cars. People generally have a soft spot for needy children, not flashy Lamborghinis."
They took a while to discuss the details of the event. This time, Oscar allowed Vanessa to organize it fully so he had time to deal with his own issues. For starters, coming up with a perfect plan to meet Aurelia again.
He already had her details on-hand. Where she studied, where she worked. Even things like her social media accounts, her phone number, her e-mail. Yet with all those information, he still hadn't made the move to initiate contact. He didn't want to admit that he was terrified of ruining whatever chances he had to begin with.
Each time he picked up his phone, he was sorely reminded of how that girl now had a bandage over her face because of him.
Would she ever really forgive him for it? Just because he paid for the medical expenses, he scoffed. He was a coward.
"...and that's about it." Vanessa clapped her hands together, satisfied. Ian only stared at his girlfriend with a lovestruck expression that would have sickened Oscar to death, if only he wasn't feeling the same way about another woman himself.
Aurelia. Aurelia. Aurelia.
••
Only after getting her stitches removed did Aurelia realize the extent of her new scar. It was terrible. She cried the moment a mirror was handed to her. The long, thick, red line was nearly the length of a ruler; measuring from under her earlobe to her chin. She could barely believe it. It was supposed to be a small, small scar that she could hide. What happened to it?
That was when her world fell apart. With a hideous slash mark on her face, she knew she couldn't possibly go back to work anymore. Who would want someone disfigured to serve them, mingle with them and to look at? She wanted to barf seeing her own reflection. She'd never really been insecure about her looks—it was probably the only good thing that came from her birth parents' genes. But now? Now she wanted nothing more than to die.
Her face. Her fucking face. Tears welled up in her eyes again. She couldn't help it. Was her life a goddamn joke?
"Aurelia...?" a voice she recognized called out from behind her. She froze. How, in a city of eight million people did they cross paths again?
Aurelia gulped, hurriedly packing her belongings into her backpack. She was at the orphanage she volunteered regularly and was out bringing Timmy, one of the kids she was closest to, for an ice-cream treat.
This can't be happening. This absolutely cannot happen. She muttered to herself under her breath.
"Are we heading back already?" Timmy, who was savouring his mint chocolate chip ice cream, questioned.
"Yes, Tim." She hooked her backpack over her shoulder with shaky hands. Her own scoop of ice cream was melted solely because she'd forgotten that eating meant having to remove the mask she wore. "Let's go, okay?"
Timmy stood up. "But—"
Oscar managed to reach her in a few large strides. He knew right then that she'd heard him. She was going to take the running route; like hell he'd let her leave.
"Don't." He gripped onto her forearm a little too tightly. If he needed a rope, he'd use it. She wasn't escaping him this time.
A spark of anger boiled within Aurelia. "What do you want?" She clenched her fist, clutching Timmy to her other side. She refused to turn around. She refused to look at him, to remind herself of that face she tried so hard to forget.
"You, Aurelia. Just you." Oscar softened. He took a step forward to stand in front of her.
"Stop." She let out a breath. She missed the feel of his hands on her, his touch, the way he gazed at her that night as if she was the only one he saw. But the memories of what came after wouldn't stop haunting her.
The cut. The burn. The blood.
His lies.
"Please."
She mustered all her courage to glance up at him. God, he towered over her like a skyscraper. It should intimidate her, except all she could feel was betrayal. Deception. Cheated.
"You're a lying piece of shit." She said, with venom lacing her every word. "You know what I detest the most?" He didn't say a word. He waited, his eyes never leaving hers. "Filthy cheating dirtbag. Men who think they can screw around. Just because you're tall, dark, handsome; you think you can fuck with people's feelings?" She spat. "I utterly despise you, you disgusting asshat."
Taken aback was an understatement. It took Oscar awhile to figure out what exactly she was getting to. He'd thought she'd be mad, devastated even; but all that she'd expressed so far was that she thought he lied. That Sabrina was his girlfriend and that he was a motherfucker who cheated on her. What's the worst part? She even sounded guilty. She'd somehow turned Sabrina into the victim when it should be Aurelia herself.
He sucked in a deep breath. This wasn't an ordinary woman he was dealing with, he knew that now. It certainly wasn't as easy as he thought it'd be for her to fall back into his arms. But he wasn't gonna give up.
"Aurelia."
"Stop saying my name!" She all but yelled. Timmy was startled. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to calm the heck down.
Go. Just walk the hell away.
"Aure—" she glared at him. "Fuck, hear me out." He pleaded, refusing to release her arm in his tight hold.
She struggled to release herself. "You're hurting me!"
In an instant, Oscar released her. No, he wasn't planning to hurt her anymore. He couldn't.
Just like he expected, Aurelia swiftly turned to walk away.
"I am not a liar." He followed behind her, but careful to keep a few centimetres distance.
"That's exactly what a liar would say." She kept up her pace.
"I swear to God, that woman wasn't my girlfriend. If you'd just stop and listen, dammit!" Don't flare up. Don't flare up.
Aurelia came to a halt, breathing heavily. Was he saying the truth? Hell, how would she even know? She didn't know this man! All she knew was the scar that was now permanently imprinted on her face.
Oscar let out a sigh. At least it worked. She stopped, that's a good thing right? He warily took a step forward, careful not to trigger any mine that was surrounding her.
"She really wasn't my girlfriend." He began. "We were... well," how should he put it? "fucking." Aurelia narrowed her eyes, vaguely recalling Timmy was still next to her. "Sorry." Oscar muttered. "I called things off with her about a week ago before that night I met you. I swear she's just crazy. She trashed my home when I told her it was over, and apparently thought she had some kind of hold over me. I'm only incredibly sorry you got involved in this, Aurelia." He raised his hand slowly, cupping the left side of her face.
She wanted to believe him despite outrightly accusing him just moments ago. Damn this, she thought. Just a couple sentences and he was screwing with her head. How weak could she be? She opened her mouth to say something, but a brief glance behind Oscar gave her dejá vu.
Yet another woman coming up to him with an obvious scowl on her face. No, just no. She wasn't going to stay around for this one. He was nothing but a manipulative cheater, and even though that sucks; she was glad to see his true colours early on.
"Oscar!" The female voice called out, causing him to spin around. Aurelia took that opportunity to scurry away alongside Timmy. That's it. She was officially done associating with him.
As if sensing her presence gone, Oscar ignored Vanessa and turned back only to see the now empty spot Aurelia once stood. Fuck!
"Van!" He grunted, scouting around the vicinity but failing to catch any sight of Aurelia. Who did he had to thank for this?
"Where were you? We were waiting—"
"You scared her off, fucking hell." Oscar hollered.
"Who—oh, shit. Her?" Vanessa's eyes widened. He had no doubt Ian told his girlfriend every single detail of what transpired at the club. Lately, it seems telling Ian something meant his girlfriend knowing. Fuck did Oscar ever want to let him in on anymore secrets.
"Yes." He raised his chin to stare up at the sky. God, couldn't you lend a bloody hand?
"I'm sorry!" Vanessa held up her hands. "I had no idea. I just thought you were flirting around and—hell, I'm so sorry Os."
Oscar sighed, knowing it wasn't exactly her fault. If there was anyone to blame, it was himself. She didn't trust him one bit, how could she? And the fact that she was now going out with a mask on her face; something gnawed at him inside.
He was so close to holding her again. He sure as hell wasn't going to give up now.
You can run, Aurelia. But I'll always catch up to you.