ETHAN CARTER
Staying in the house was a bad idea. I couldn't watch Spanish telenovelas with Mila all day and then again I couldn't stay in my own house without thinking about Aliya.
I was at the pool earlier and it reminded me of how clumsy she was that she fell in. I was amused by the fact that she screamed for help not knowing that the pool was a few inches deeper.
And when I went back to my room, it only reminded me of the fact that there was a time she was hiding behind my curtains without me knowing.
When I did decide to take a walk in the garden, it reminded me of how I had found her perched up against a tree looking so helpless and innocent.
Simply, Aliya marked everywhere with her presence. Her scent was still on my watch. The memories of her being in my house were so fresh and it scared me of how just by one single kiss I was starting to miss her.
It had been four hours to be exact since she left but I already felt her absence in the house. Or maybe it was her shenanigans I missed?
She always did have bad luck or something up her sleeve that would make me mad, surprised or just annoyed for no reason.
Hours of boredom and I decided it was time to pay my girlfriend a visit. I called her only for it to land straight to voicemail. I visited her at her apartment only to find her not there.
My only resort was to call her bestfriend, Shreya Khan…or should I have called her nosy Shreya?
‘Hey Shreya. It's Ethan'
‘I know. I have your number remember' Shreya spoke from the other end of the line. Her voice annoyed to hear that I considered her dumb.
‘Is Crystal with you? Or do you know where she is?' I asked trying to sound genuine.
Of which, I was genuine. I was genuinely concerned about Crystal.
‘Why? What do you want to do to her now? Break her heart more?'she asked acidly.
Ofcourse Crystal told her bestfriend about the fight we had a couple of days ago. I wasn't surprised to hear Shreya's cold tone with me…I mean she did dislike him straight from day one.
But that's how bestfriends were, they pretended to know best about your love life more than yourself.
‘So I'm guessing she is with you, huh? Can I atleast talk to her, she is not answering my calls'
‘Can't you take a hint, Ethan? You hurt her, what more do you want from her?'
‘To talk, nothing else. I just need to talk to her'
I was already getting pissed off by Shreya's persistence not to give Crystal's location up.
‘Fine but if you say or do something that will hurt, I promise Ethan. I will find you and I will kill you',she tried sounding intimidating to which I hung up the phone waiting for her to send me Crystal's location.
It only took seconds for my phone to buzz with a notification.
She was at Gulling Hotel? What in the world was she doing there?
'Crystal Perez?" I asked inquiring from the receptionist on Crystal's hotel room number.
Shreya was quick to tell me about where she was staying but she failed to mention which hotel room number she was in. I had a feeling she did that just to spite me.
The receptionist took her time before raising her head to meet my eyes.
'Room 425, Sir. Fourth floor",she said trying to make her voice more likeable but she failed at it since she sounded like a high pitched wood pecker.
'Thanks", I said thanking her with a wink and going to the elevator.
I never did like elevator songs because they always sounded creepy. The ride on the elevator was long and especially frustrating since the guy standing next to me couldn't stop humming to the song of the elevator.
Once the elevator doors parted, I got off on the fourth floor searching door by door until I found room 425.
For some reason, I straightened my jacket checking my breath to know whether it stunk or not. I knocked on the door and in mere minutes someone opened the door.
'Ethan, my boy",the old man chuckled pulling me into the room.
'Look who decided to visit",he boomed and I waved my hand in mid air noticing not only Crystal but Luke and their mother and ofcourse Shreya at the corner of the room sipping a red cocktail.
'Ethan? What are you doing here?" Crystal asked surprised coming over to hug me and giving me a peck on the kiss.
It was obviously a family gathering or something of the sort because the four members of the Perez family were already here.
I felt underdressed and the odd one out in all this.
'Shreya invited me", I lied and all heads turned to Shreya who threw daggers at me.
Luke stood with his mother Brenda Perez. He is the only guy that didn't seemed interested in what I was doing there. From the scowl on his face, I could tell he wanted me to vanish and at the moment I really did want to vanish.
The last thing I wanted was to see Julian Perez. Not after I had spent an entire month trying not to see him.
He had his arm on my shoulder the whole time and for a sixty years old man, I had to admit he still had the strength like that of an ox.
Julian Perez, Crystal's father, was a renowned business man. You could tell from the look on his face just how much he meant business.
More importantly, he was the guy that helped me build Mecha Builders. The guy who took pity on a twenty one year old boy and made his name great which came at a price.
'Do you want anything? I could get you food or a drink?" Crystal offered.
'No. It's okay. Am fine really", I dismissed.
'Leave the guy alone, princess. He just got here. Why don't I have a talk with him and you can pamper him as much as you want?" Julian nudged.
'Don't do anything stupid, dad",Crystal scrutinizing him under her gaze.
Julian and I went out to the balcony, far from everyone's ears.
'I've always liked you, Ethan. Straight from the time I met you",he patted my shoulder chuckling heartily.
'I wish I could say the same about you", I joked and he chuckled.
'I suppose my daughter saw the same thing I saw in you",he said with a straight face.
'And what is that?"
'Commitment",he mentioned and I knew straightforwardly where the conversation was headed.
'I've been waiting for so long to walk my daughter down the aisle but instead all I get these days is her complaints about you. Is everything going smoothly between you two?"
'Yes I suppose"
'You suppose?" He chuckled nastily,"I warned you that when it came to my daughter, I would kill to make her happy… without hesitation",he added gripping my shoulder hard,"whatever shit is going on with you, fix it because the next time I see her crying because of you, believe me your company won't be the only thing going down"
It was a threat. A threat on my life and anyone associated with me.
'Is everything okay?" Brenda, Crystal's mom asked glancing between the both of us.
Julian gave me a pat on the back chuckling pretentiously like he always did.
'It's better than okay, right Ethan?"
With gritted teeth, I muttered,
'Right"
