ETHAN CARTER
I made way to my room, taking my shoes off and seating on the bed.
Was I that harsh that I actually made her cry?
Someone had to do something. I couldn't just stay mute after what she had done and yet here I was sleeping on my bed feeling guilty.
I told her you get out of my sight and like a mouse she had ran without looking back.
I wasn't a bad person, God knew I wasn't a bad person but Aliya Torres always managed to pin me as the bad guy.
Somehow she always evoked the bad side of me. Let's start with the first day we met, I assumed she was one of those ladies after me and after I warned her to back off from me, she called me arrogant.
The wasabi incident, she thought I got her fired. With her mom's hospital bills, she made me hire her because she couldn't accept the fact I helped her.
And now, with what she had done, I had snapped at her badly like a kid that needed spanking.
Technically she was like a kid, she did things that only kids would do and everytime I would always emerge as the bad father.
I heard my door creak open and I didn't have the strength to wake up from the bed and see who it was.
'Ethan",Mila called out.
I groaned,"I'm in no mood for a lecture, Mila. I did what I had to do"
I heard her footsteps around my room and I sat resting my back on the headboard.
Mila was seated at the edge of my bed on the white lounge seat eyeing me with a scowl on her face.
'Who said am here to lecture you? Am I disappointed? Yes, yes I am but am not here to lecture you",she said.
'Then why are you here? Surely not to make jokes with me", I humored.
'How was the trip?"
'Good. I got what I wanted only to come home and find out that my girlfriend was assaulted"
She stretched out her hand to touch my foot,"Did you ask Aliya what happened?"
What more was there to ask?
'Crystal told me what happened"
'And you believed her?" She asked questioningly and eyed her with a curious brow.
'Was there any reason to doubt her? She is my girlfriend, I believe her"
'I know but as they say there are two sides to a story"
Just like Jai said. It seemed like Mila and Jai had been talking and I was in no mood to listen to that again.
'Where exactly are you going with this?"
'I want to tell Aliya's side of the story because you didn't give the girl the chance to speak"
'I thought you weren't there when the fight happened"
'As I said dos lados de la historia"
She repeated the words ‘two sides to a story'.
'Fine. Go ahead"
'Crystal came looking for you. Aliya welcomed her in while I went to whip up something for her. I forgot to ask her what she wanted and when I came back to the living room, Crystal had her hands in Aliya's hair.
She was pulling on her hair threatening to stay away from you. Aliya pushed her off her and accidentally Crystal fell on the coffee table"
What?
'Is this true?"
'Why would I lie? This old bag has seen a lot of things and it's crystal clear that the only one lying to your face is your girlfriend"
'Then why didn't Aliya say anything?"
'Goodness gracious, how was she supposed to say anything when you barked at her like a wild animal. She was scared!" Mila said holding onto her chest.
As if this day couldn't get any worse. I felt bad and maybe guilty but had Aliya said anything, she wouldn't be in this mess would she?
And Crystal? I didn't know where to start or finish. She started the fight? And worse of all she lied to my face about the accident.
I could feel a migraine coming in after all these mess of ‘who did what' and ‘who didn't do what'.
'Where is she now?"
'I don't know. You told her to leave and I guess she took your advice and left because I haven't seen her since you reprimanded her"
Now, I did feel guilty. A lot actually.
She couldn't have left, though. Where would she even gone in the middle of the night?
'Thank you, Mila. For telling me", I got off from bed following Mila downstairs.
Mila looked for her in her room while I called the security guard at the gate to ask whether he had seen Aliya walking out.
She hadn't left so she was still in the house, question was, where exactly?
I thought of calling Jai, maybe he had seen her around his bungalow or something.
'Ali? I haven't seen her, why? You yelled at her didn't you?"
'It doesn't matter because she's missing. Get a flashlight, we have to look for her", I instructed Jai over the phone.
Mila got me a hoodie and I walked out of the house to the garden that stretched from the pool.
She wasn't this crazy to come out of here alone. It was dark and cold.
I used my phone as a flashlight walking down a muddy path.
The phone that was in my hands buzzed and I picked it up having seen Jai's name on the screen.
'She's not at the workshop. Any sign of her?"
'No. Not yet. Keep searching", I said walking down further.
I was almost going back to the house to search her there when not far from where I was standing, I saw a figure leaning against the tree.
She was cooped up down a tree, the light of the full moon falling on her porcelain skin. She looked…
Was she asleep?
I called Jai telling him that I had found her and that she was okay.
I neared where she sat, seeing her porcelain skin all pale and numerous goosebumps on her legs. She was shivering.
She looked peaceful and the tears on her cheeks had already dried forming white patches.
She must have cried herself to sleep and somehow that did not sit well with me. I was a bastard.
I leaned down to her, placing one of my hands behind her thighs and the other behind her neck.
Once I was done, I picked her up feeling her face collide with my chest. Was she even eating well because she weighed like a feather?
I had only take a couple of steps when I heard her stir in her sleep as she placed her hand on my chest, my heart beat all over sudden accelerating.
I felt her move her head against my chest and that's when I knew she was awake.
'Let me go",she gasped struggling in my arms.
'Wow sleeping beauty is finally awake", I joked.
'Put me down! I said put me down this instant",she grunted making a tantrum.
'This is not the time to be stubborn. Am tired and believe me I'm carrying you out of necessity otherwise I would have left you to freeze out there",I growled.
The thing about Aliya was that she felt like she didn't need anyone's help. Like she could do anything all by herself.
'Then let me freeze. Just put me down for God's sake",she cried and I let her go only for her to be clumsy and sprain her ankle.
'See, your stubbornness will be death of you",I scolded hoisting her leg up and asking her where it hurt.
I touched her ankle and she winced in pain. I touched her below the ankle and she winced and when I asked her where she felt pain she pointed to the area above her ankle which was amusing because it seemed the area around her ankle hurt and she didn't know it.
'Why didn't you tell me what happened?"
I asked. We had to confront the subject sooner or later, right?
'About what?"
She acted dumb.
'You know very well what am talking about. Mila told me everything", I replied.
'You were mad. I-I thought if I said something you would lose it and hit me"
Hit her? I would never hit a woman? Is that how she viewed me? That I could stoop so low?
'Hit you? I might have been angry but that doesn't mean I hit women"
I said loud and clear.
'It doesn't matter. I was guilty irregardless"
'Crystal was guilty too. Now, you are going to have to accept my help because there's no way you can walk. I think you sprained your ankle, Aliya"
Our eyes rested on her foot. I don't think it was something serious, she needed to ice it to bring down the swelling and it would be as good as new.
I lifted her off the ground, taking her in my arms as we both walked back in the house.
Mila was already standing by the door.
'W-what happened?"Mila asked as I placed Aliya on the floor gently.
She hopped a bit before I got her a chair to sit on.
'She sprained her ankle, I think. She needs ice to tone down the swelling and I think that should do it", I suggested and Mila nodded.
'Now if you'll excuse me, I really need some rest", I said eyeing both ladies.
Mila replied with a simple ‘ofcourse' and as for Aliya I couldn't tell what she was thinking even as her big languid eyes stared at me.
I was about to leave the dining room when I turned back and said,
'And Aliya, am sorry"
