It was midnight. Danica couldn��t sleep because her mind was repeatedly driving towards Troy. Was he doing okay? She had no idea.
She knocked on his door several times but Troy didn��t respond; instead, he gave her a small text which said, ��Not now.��
Therefore, she returned to her room and took care of Aziel. Yet, she was feeling uneasy. She really wanted to talk to Troy and wanted to see whether he was okay or not. He lost his childhood friend. What else could be worse than that?
She got up wearing her slippers. She was wearing a comfortable pink tee with blue sweatpants. Danica slowly opened the door of her room to make sure Aziel didn��t get up and knocked on Troy��s room.
After not hearing any response in return, she turned the doorknob and saw the door wasn��t locked, so she went inside. Stepping inside, she saw Troy standing near the window, watching the stars, his arms crossed against his chest. He was wearing the same outfit from earlier.
Danica walked towards him, knowing that he was well aware of her presence. She placed her hand over his shoulder, asking quietly, ��How are you holding up?��
When he didn��t reply, she further spoke, ��Look, it��s okay. Hernan will understand once we show him the proof. We just have to wait for a day or two, until Trevor fixes Tatiana��s phone. Then we will show him the video of Kenji pushing Aziel into the pool and everything will be okay.�� She continued, ��Troy, I know it is hard to lose your fri����
��Oh, so you know?�� Immediately Troy turned to Danica, letting out a humorless chuckle. She involuntarily took a step back as he was clearly letting his anger drive him. ��You know it is hard to lose a friend? How would you know, Danica? I felt this pain twice. Once when you left me and the other time is today when Hernan left. Well, at least, I know the reason behind him leaving the house,�� he taunted.
Danica��s heart stung hearing Troy��s bitter words. She knew it was time to let him know the truth. It was the reason which stopped Troy from confessing his feelings, so she shouldn��t delay it anymore. Even Aziel was attacked today, so Troy deserved to know the truth because danger would come either way.
��Troy, I left because after my parents�� death, my uncl���� she was cut off by Troy.
��Enough, Danica. I don��t want to know about it anymore.��
��But, Troy, you should know tha����
��I said I don��t want to know,�� Troy declared. ��Everything is happening just because of you, Danica. Only because of you.��
Danica furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. ��What did I do?��
��As if you don��t know,�� he spat out bitterly. ��Why did you return in the first place, Danica? If you were intending to return, why did you leave? If you didn��t return, I wouldn��t have gone with the flow and invite you to live here with us. Aziel wouldn��t get hurt. And Kenji? He would never even come here in the first place. Because of you living here, Kenji got the right to move in too because if Troy��s girlfriend can stay, why not Hernan��s boyfriend? Because of you, today, I lost another best friend.��
She shook her head, controlling her tears. ��You know it very well, Troy, that you are saying gibberish. You need someone to blame so you decided to blame it on me. I know you don��t mean it. We will talk when you calm down,�� she told him and was about to leave but Troy stopped her, grabbing her wrist roughly.
��This is the problem. You think you know me too well and I hate that, Danica.��
She tried to wriggle free from his tight grip. ��Hurting me won��t lessen my love for you, Troy,�� she breathed, tears pouring down from her eyes. ��I love you.��
��But I hate you, Danica Waylon. Just go away from my life,�� he told her, raising his voice at her. ��Disappear as you did three years ago. Go back to New Jersey and never return. Go away. Leave me.��
She watched Troy in disbelief. She could feel a stinging pain in her chest, one similar to the pain of leaving Troy behind that day three years ago. She tried to look for any emotion in his eyes, but all she could see was his sharp blue eyes, which were free of any warmth and filled with pent-up anger. ��Do you mean that?�� she asked in a taut voice.
Troy nodded his head. ��I meant each and every word, Danica.��
She pursed her lips and took a sharp breath. She pulled her hand away from Troy��s strong grip and let out, ��You won��t find me ever again, Troy.�� With that, she stormed off Troy��s room, leaving him alone in his thoughts.
Troy sat on the couch, putting his hands over his face. He had no idea what he had done.
Meanwhile, Danica packed her belongings along with Aziel��s. She booked the tickets for New Jersey and changed into her tracksuit to go for a midnight jog. She needed to clear her mind. She needed to catch a breather.
Without informing anyone, Danica got out of the mansion for a midnight jog.
___
Troy was unable to catch a glimpse of sleep that night. He regretted behaving so rudely with Danica. So, he got up and made his way to the terrace, only to find Aziel leaning against the railing, gazing at the stars.
��Feeling better, buddy?�� Troy asked Aziel, who didn��t even look at him. Troy stood next to him, gazing at the same star as Aziel��s. ��Seems like you are feeling better. Otherwise, why would you be standing here? What are you doing here, though?��
��I am looking at my mom and my dad,�� Aziel responded at last.
Troy furrowed his eyebrows. ��Your mom and dad?��
Aziel nodded his head and pointed to two big stars. ��This one is Mom and the one next to it is Dad. Dani said that they became stars, and they are watching us from there. So I am watching them too.��
Troy recalled that Danica��s parents were dead. He knew that they died in a car accident during Danica��s senior year. Her father was a famous chef while her mother was one of the best fashion designers, leading a big fashion industry known as the Waylon��s. Her mother started the business by herself and now, Danica��s uncle was handling the business after her mother��s death.
��You know, people dying in car accidents get blessed by God because their death was sudden,�� Troy told Aziel.
He glanced at Troy and asked, ��What happens to those whose deaths are planned by another person?��
��What do you mean?�� Troy asked him in surprise. Why would a kid say such a thing?
He said, ��Dani said that my uncle and my aunt made our parents bright shining stars because they loved our parents. They wanted our mom and dad to watch us from a higher place.��
Troy��s breath hitched hearing this. He got goosebumps as he started connecting the dots. Danica didn��t leave instantly after her parents�� death. After a few months, she left with Aziel on the prom day. Does that mean Danica��s uncle and aunt killed her parents on purpose? But why? Troy wondered.
��I asked Dani that why didn��t they make us stars as well,�� Aziel continued speaking. ��Do you know what she replied, Troy?��
��What?�� Troy��s heartbeat was fastening with every passing second.
��She said that they are trying to make us stars too, and we must run away because if we also become stars, whom will our parents watch from the sky?��
Troy understood that Danica��s aunt and uncle were trying to kill Aziel and Danica as well. He questioned Aziel, ��Didn��t you ask Dani why your aunt and uncle were trying to make everyone a star?��
Aziel nodded his head in agreement. ��I did.��
��And what did she say?�� Troy was losing patience slowly.
��She said that it was for money. Then I asked Dani why they wanted our money. She replied saying that money can��t buy happiness but our aunt and uncle thought it could. So they are trying to buy happiness with money.��
Hearing Aziel��s reply, Troy understood why Danica left without saying anything. She ran away with Aziel, leaving the property in the hands of her uncle and aunt. Troy knew that returning to California had put Aziel and Danica��s lives in danger. He had to keep them safe at any cost.
Troy was about to go out of the terrace but Aziel stopped him. ��Where are you going, Troy?��
��To Dani,�� he answered, but the next few words that he heard from Aziel clenched his heart.
��Dani is not in the room.��
___
Danica was jogging without taking a break. Her mind drifted to how rudely Troy behaved with her. He really wanted her to go away from his life. Did he have any idea how difficult it would be for Danica to leave him?
Why didn��t this idiot see my love for him even after my confession? she wondered while crossing the empty road.
Suddenly, a light flashed over her eyes as she turned to her left, only to see a black car speeding towards her. Danica ran as fast as she could, but the car had hit her. It was already too late.
