ETHAN CARTER
Fuck!
I shouldn't have lashed out like that but with everything going on, I thought that I would atleast come back home and find less drama.
When I went back to the office to fix an issue with the Chinese investors I hadn't anticipated that Crystal would barge right into the office demanding to talk. It made me wonder what type of security guards I was hiring in nowadays.
I was embarrassed to say the least and I had to drag her out of the board room and into my office so that we could have that talk she rightfully demanded.
The drama hadn't there, she tried to steal a kiss from me telling me she loved me, telling me that the thing with Landon was a one time mistake but I didn't buy it. And when she claimed she would even kneel down before me if that meant I would forgive her, I hushed her with just a wave of my hand telling her there was no need for that.
'You forgive me?" She had asked.
'As if I have a choice", I said angrily remembering that her father hadn't given me much of a choice.
'Thank you. I'm sorry, I-I promise I'll never see him again, Ethan. I love you, Ethan. I got caught up in the moment and the next thing-'
I cut her off, reaching for the velvet box in my coat,
'Will you marry me?"
And ooh she had been surprised. It took a lot of convincing to make her understand that I wasn't affected with her relationship with Landon and that I wanted the past behind us and our eyes set for the future. She had said yes and even as I put the ring on her finger trembling, I thought of Aliya again and again.
I was engaged. To a woman I didn't have feelings for.
Crystal had been more than happy, kissing me telling me how much she loved me and I all stood stark still like a monumental stone contemplating my life choices. And when she did leave my office, I had tried to occupy myself with so much work so that I couldn't go back home and find a grinning Aliya busy waiting for me.
I couldn't handle it, seeing so much love for me in her eyes and knowing that we could nurture that love or be together.
When I arrived home expecting to find everyone else, she was there waiting for me. She immediately brought up the issue about my dad and I lashed out tired of problem after problem hitting me from all sides. I was stressed and I took out the stress on her.
Damn! I was a jerk which is why I huffed walking towards the direction of the kitchen. She had ran to the kitchen or maybe to her old room. The kitchen was empty, not a single soul in sight and when I tiptoed to her room afraid to wake Mila who was sleeping in the next room, I found it empty too.
Where had she run off to? I thought of two places, the pool or the garden. Ofcourse she would go outside right after I had commanded her never to go out without someone. What if someone attacked her again? Was she not afraid for her life?
I sauntered towards the back door, going to the pool to find it empty, I walked down the path leading to the garden feeling the harsh wind slap my arms without mercy. To think she had no more than a hoodie and a pair of shorts. She must have been freezing out here?
I looked around the garden but she wasn't there and when I was about to turn back and go to the house to look for her there, I saw her figure calmly standing in the darkness. She was standing infront of my workshop clutching her forearms no doubt from the cold.
I approached her calmly. When I stood beside her taking a look at her face, my heart lunged when I saw fresh tears on her cheeks.
'Ali", I called softly,"I didn't mean to-I'm just stressed from work that's all"
'You were right though",,she said her voice so bold.
'Right about what?" I asked.
'I have to know my place. I'm not your girlfriend, I'm nothing to you but the servant you hooked up with. I shouldn't have pushed to discuss something you didn't want and I certainly shouldn't have meddled in your family affairs",she said timidly, her voice loud and clear.
I touched her shoulders turning her so that we could both stare at each other.
'You had every right to meddle because you were concerned about me. You are not just some servant I hooked up with, Aliya. You are the woman I love, you are the woman in my dreams, the woman didn't know I needed, you are the woman that I think about day in day out, the one woman you who makes my heart beat like this", I paused placing her hand on my chest,"I love you Maria Fernanda"
She sobbed falling into my arms as I hugged her tightly taking in her scent.
'I love you too",she said her face buried in my chest and my heart beat the more.
I wish she didn't love me because I didn't deserve her. She deserved someone like Ray, someone who would be willing to fight for at all costs.
'Let's get you warmed up", I commented parting from her but she nodded her head in denial.
'Not now, I want to see what's in there",she pointed and I followed her gaze.
My workshop? I hadn't shown anyone what was in there for a long time because I preferred to forget about my little hobby with everything going on in my life.
I cupped her cheek saying,
'It's already late. I can show you what's in there tomorrow. How about we get some sleep?"
'It's not late, Ethan. I want to see",she insisted and I knew once she had made up her mind there was no going back.
Sighing, I turned around kneeling on the ground and taking a key down the flower pot.
'Wow. I should have guessed the key was down there the whole time",she chuckled behind me.
I grasped the rusty metallic padlock, putting the key inside and opening it. The door creaked open and I entered first flipping the switch on.
I hadn't been here for long because everything was coated with dust. The canvases were covered with white covers that had now become a different shade of grey due to the dust and my paint brushes looked worn out.
'What is this place?" She asked in amazement.
I looked around the room, looking at my paintings, some old boxes filled with no doubt documents from work.
'My workshop", I commented going to remove the covers.
The last painting I had been working for was a portrait for my late father based on the pictures my mother used to show me.
'You paint? I thought it was a panic room or something",she squealed walking around and assessing everything.
'Well I used to paint", I said glancing at my old paintings. Some finished, others not.
My mind rather drifted to the one I had been working on last. A picture of Jack Carter, my supposed dad. Why hadn't I noticed it before? We had no similarities, that is… physically. Unlike my blue eyes, his were a simple brown and his smile was nothing like mine neither was his jaw or his hair.
I always told myself, I looked more like my mother but why hadn't I questioned why I didn't look anything like him?
'Who is Julian Perez?" I heard Aliya lash behind me and I turned around seeing her reading some documents that were supposed to be burnt or buried deep somewhere.
Rather it wasn't curiosity written on her face, it was something entirely different. Like she needed a score to settle?
