Cade
Lazily, I checked the time displayed on my watch. It was almost 11PM and Russo's, a cool but unsuspecting restaurant was still filled with chatters, and music. But I could actually care less.
Drinking myself to stupor was the only thing I could think of right now. I felt so horrible, so disgusted with myself, it was just coffee- I shouldn't feel bad. And moreover, what she did to me was worst than a thousand coffee!
So why the hell am I beating myself up over it? Why can't I just feel a slight bit of relief or even, I don't know, triumph? Was that how much I still loved her, how much she still had a grip over my heart?
Why can't I just stop loving her? How hard can it be?
This hard.
She destroyed me, broke me... Yet, here I am, guilt ridden and even more broken.
I shouldn't have done that... I was so foolish, I shouldn't have splashed the coffee on her... If I hadn't, I wouldn't feel like this... No... I wouldn't want to go over to her, and apologize till I eventually pass out.
What has this woman done to me? Why the hell do I love her so freaking much. Why? God why?
"Whatever the problem is, I don't think drinking would solve it." A voice said from opposite me.
I found a guy as tall as me, with a work uniform, and a towel on his grip... His eyes were so extraordinaryly blue, it was scary.
My eyes went over to the side pocket of his uniform. "Didn't your mother ever teach you to mind your business, Jace?"
He scoffed. "My mother ditched my pops for money way before I knew what whiskey was."
"Hmph... Isn't that lovely?" Sarcasm dripped from my words.
He grabbed a glass cup, wiping it with the towel he was holding. "You've been here for hours, and I just had to say something because you actually look like shit... And you're also familiar."
"Wow, you see a lot of shits then."
He rolled his eyes. "A woman right?"
"I'm not interested." I muttered.
"And I'm not gay either... Don't let my feminine eyes deceive you, it was a curse I inherited from my Mom... Do you know how many females I have had to hide from all my fucking life? The girls I dated in the past loved me because, they said and I quote 'your eyes are beautiful Jace'"
I shrugged. "At least they loved you."
"Oh, So that's the case? You love her and she doesn't love you back?"
I furrowed my brows, staring at him. "How come you don't know me?" I asked. "I'm someone you should know."
"Really?"
I nodded.
"Well, this is Russo's different people come in everyday, and I'm not one for the social life." He said, looking up, his eyes widened when they reached a spot behind me.
I looked back to see why his eyes widened so suddenly; three blonde girls rushed towards our direction, I looked back hesitantly, and just like that, Jace was gone.
"Hi handsome." One of them chipped at me. "Have you happened to see a god like guy with an unusual blue baby doe eyes?"
My mouth hung open. "What?"
"He's popular around here... His name's Jace and he's like an incarnate of one of those Greek gods with the oceans in his eyes."
"Again, what?"
"He's name is Jace Hunter, have you seen him?" The last one asked.
"Hold on a minute... I know you!" One chirped up... "I swear I've seen your face before, but I can't really figure out-"
"We don't have time for this... We have to find Jace... Remember the mission." One of them said with a determined look in her eyes, pulling the other two girls away.
"Are they gone?" Jace's voice resounded again, gaining my attention.
He was peeking out from across the bar table.
"Yeah they are."
He stood upright, giving a sigh of relief. "That was a close one." He breath out.
"Wow, this happens often?"
"All the freaking time." He muttured in exhaustion. "So, back to you... The girl you love doesn't return the feeling?"
"The girl I love ditched me at the altar and stole from me, and now she's back after two years. imagine the disaster going on in my brain."
"Yikes. Sorry. That's hard."
I took a swig of my beer. "Hard as a brick."
"Jace! Over here." Someone called him from the back door.
"That's my cue..." He dropped the towel. "Oh, and as for the alter girl... Ever considered asking why she did it?" He said. "Last I checked, there was still a reason for everything, thats why its called reason." With that, he walked away.
_
Mabel
"That should do it. How do you feel now?" Neha asked, covering the ointment she helped me apply to my chest.
"Much better." I said, feeling much better indeed, I had asked her for help, earlier, and fortunately for me, she had the perfect ointment... Although, it didn't hurt as much as this morning, but my chest had grown a shade redder, and I hated it.
Hopefully, Neha's ointment would work wonders.
"I can't believe he'd do that... It doesn't sound like him, at all. Cade is the nicest guy." Neha said.
I sighed, letting my head fall back on the couch, staring absentmindedly at the ceiling. "Yeah... He was, but people change."
I wonder if Cole found a place to hide yet? Was he okay? Why hasn't he returned any of my calls since this morning? What could have happened to him? Did Laross find him?
"Maybe he was in a bad place? He wouldn't do that on purpose... He might be somewhere feeling so bad at what he did to you. Poor guy is probably somewhere sulking." I heard Neha say.
"Yeah, probably."
I should have looked for a more secluded spot for him to hide, I should have known Laross wouldn't take this issue lightly like the others. I should be with Cole now... I should be protecting him.
"Are you sure you can continue with this? Going back to Cade might not be your best idea yet. Have you even talked to him? Like about why you left?"
"No."
But I just have to stop running, I have to permanently pay him off... I have to make him leave us the hell alone.
"Why?"
I felt myself shrug. "Because its better that way?"
Thats the only reason why I'm here right? To create a better life for Cole and I.
But how was that possible... All this was my fault, I picked the wrong line of work for the both of us.
Conning people was easy. It was the easiest way for us to make money, that was the reason why I went into the business, nothing else.
I wanted the grand side of life. But then again, who doesn't?
"Are you even here with me?"
I blinked, coming back to reality. "I'm sorry Neha. There's just a lot I have on my mind right now. Cade, my brother... And my life."
She nodded.
"I understand, Mabel." She squeezed my hand reasurringly. "But you have to relax, overthinking would do you no good. Just have it in mind that your situation wouldn't last forever."
I nodded.
We talked for a bit more, before she finally left in exactly an hour later.
I tried reaching Cole again, but it still wasn't going through
"Where are you Cole." I said, pacing back and forth in my living room.
I tried his number again, but it went straight into voice mail.
I repeated the action three times more, and at the third ring, he picked up. "Can you tone it down already? I'm fine... Bye."
"Wait!" I yelled before he could hang up. My heart rate relaxed at the sound of his groggy voice.
"What, Bel?" He asked, disinterest in his voice.
"Why weren't you picking up? I told you to let me know when you're safe. I've tried calling you a thousand times. Do you know how worried I was? I had different thoughts pushing through to my head, thinking about your whereabouts-"
"Relax mi joya. I'm fine. I'm safe now." He said.
"Next time pick up the phone. I'm not too young to have a heart attack, Cole."
"Yes yes..." He yawned. "I was sleeping, its late. And I didn't answer before because I was busy charging my phone and I saw your missed calls and promised to call, but I guess I forgot. I'm sorry mi joya, didn't mean to scare you."
I smiled. "Its okay."
"How are you though? Do you need anything? Did you eat today? How's Miami?" He asked.
I sighed. "Miami is...fine. And yes, I had something to eat, thanks to Neha. And I'm fine."
"Are you sure? I still have some change left with me, I can send you something."
"Its fine, Cole. I've got this. I just want to make sure you're okay." I said.
He made a shivering sound from the other end of the line. "Yup, I'm totally fine."
There was something unbelieving about his voice. "Cole, are you sure? Because if you're lying to me-"
"Mi joya, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, please. I'll send you some money to sustain yourself for now."
"Wait no, I'm fine Cole, I don't-"
"Yeah, bye."
"Don't-" the dull beep at the other end of the line stopped me midway from my sentence.
I groaned, throwing my phone on the couch.
Bam bam bam.
I jumped due to the loud pounding on my door.
Who the hell could that be?
The loud knocks resounded again.
Probably Neha.
"Coming Neha!" I yelled, rushing to the door and pulling it open.
The sight in front of me, made me freeze on the spot. My eyes widened, my heart skipped beats by each second, and I was dumb strucked, but still, I felt my mouth utter the one name I had actually missed calling or hearing.
"Cade?"
___
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