Camila
“What do you mean you’re dropping the complaint?” Kyland rebukes as soon as the word drop leaves my mouth.
I sit on the couch, ignoring his sharp voice and eyes blazing like a torch. When Pyke told me who Aaron Gray is, I know I’m going to be under public scrutiny. Pyke was not happy though. Nevertheless, he didn’t argue about it. I’ve no doubt when he said he will stand by my side if I’ll change my mind.
“Are you listening to me, Camila? Why are you going to do that? Did Hughes force you to drop it?” He can literally burn this whole apartment with anger. His face turns red, nostrils are flaring, and hands already balled into fists.
“Leave him out of this, Kyland,” Bianca says, cutting the tensions in the room. She takes a seat beside me.
“Oh.” He raises his brow. “Are you on that asshole’s side, too?” he asks with sarcasm.
“No, Kill, but if Cam decided to drop, then we have to respect it. I know it’s hard for her to be in a situation like this, so, please, this is what she wants.”
“Where have you been?” angry Kyland asks and stops in front of me. I know he won’t let it go until he gets the answer, though he knows my answer is going to be obvious.
I lift my gaze up to meet his brown eyes that can slice me in half.
“Don’t tell me you stayed with Megan because I know she’s still out of town with her boss to meet a client.”
That’s what I thought.
My heart thuds as my body quickly tenses, “Why are you asking me if you know the answer? You know I’m not gonna lie to you, don’t you?” I snap at him.
“Yeah, but you never respect my words, Cam. You’ve been secretive since you met that asshole. You change a lot, and I don’t know you anymore.”
“I’m not keeping secrets alone, Kill.” My lips quiver. My words almost come out as a whisper. It hurts to hear from him that I’ve changed in his eyes, where in fact, I’m still the same person who grew up with him.
“She can do whatever she wants, Baby. She’s always been a good girl—”
“And suddenly, she wants to be a bad girl now, that’s it?” Kyland narrows his eyes to Bianca.
“Kyland, will you stop that? Let’s hear why she decides to drop, that’s what you wanted to know, don’t you?”
I stay silent and just listen to my cousin and Bianca as they banter.
“Hughes is an asshole—a manwhore. He will just hurt my cousin. He will throw her like trash and never looks back once he gets what he wants from her,” he responses to Bianca, but his angry stare never misses to throw in my direction.
“You don’t know that. You’ve been his friend and have known him for three years now, Baby. Stop judging him, he may be a playboy, but he never hurt anyone. I mean, he never cheated on them. Those women just wanted to taste a little part of Pyke. Let’s face it, Baby, he’s a walking god.” Bianca giggles, making my cousin growl.
“I can’t believe you’re defending Hughes over me. And you just compliment him in front of your child’s father.” Kyland crosses his arms across his chest, scowling at her.
“Yeah, you’ve said that last week that you haven’t seen him with women lately. You laughed at him that his Apa might get an infection. You even mentioned him turning into a pussy. Now, it answers your suspicions.”
“He might bang somewhere. He can just pick up or call anyone and bring them to the hotel. That doesn’t prove him to be a lesser asshole, you know.”
Pyke hasn’t been with another woman since we slept together? Kyland still doesn’t know about Pyke and Xandry’s bet? He punched Pyke at the hospital for that incident alone.
“Yeah, he did buy Cam a two hundred grand car.”
Kill roll his eyes. “He doesn’t care about money, B, as long as his dick is deep in someone’s pussy!”
I groan. “Did you just tell me I’m a whore, Kill? I can’t believe you think of me that low. FYI, I didn’t take that car. I slept with him because I like him, and I can sleep with any man I want!” I jerk to my feet and stomp to the kitchen. My emotions are swirling inside me with what happened to my life lately.
My eyes sting and start to water. I take a deep breath to stop crying again. My ears perk when I hear footsteps from my back. I don’t have to turn around to know who’s following me judging by the thud alone.
“I didn’t mean like that, Cam. You’re like my sister, and you know how I am overprotective when it comes to you even if it doesn’t involve Hughes.”
“Well, I doubt that now,” I reply with a scathing tone. I open the fridge and take a can of soda. I flip it open and drain the content into my mouth.
“Why him, Cam?” his voice seems in pain and worry.
I shift my stare at him, placing down the soda can on the countertop. His feature softens, but his brows still wrinkling.
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “Just so you know, he hated himself for ignoring Bash’s warning about Aaron Gray. He just wanted to help get me a job. Stop blaming him, Kill, besides, no one sees it coming.”
“Why do you want to drop the complaint?”
“I dropped it already. Do you know what trouble I can get if I will continue this? Besides, who will believe me? He’s the grandson of a former U.S Senator. Gray has a billion-dollar empire. Those women he allegedly abused just vanished without a trace. Nobody knows what happened to them until now. Do you want that to happen to me, too?”
“How did you know all these?” his voice softens and wonders.
“Let’s face it, Kill, he’s untouchable. I don’t want to see my face on every page of the tabloids and flashes in every goddamn TV screen because I was harassed by the business tycoon’s son.”
“I’m so sorry, Cam.” Kyland walks closer to me and pulls me into a hug.
“I’m so sorry, too, Kill. I made you worry a lot lately.”
“I’m still not in favor of you and Hughes seeing each other. He will just break your heart. He’s a notorious playboy, Cam.” He kisses my forehead.
I know he won’t agree with Pyke and me dating, that’s why I didn’t accept Pyke’s offer. But the thought of me and Pyke together makes my heart beats faster.
“You were too, Kill, but look at you now, you knocked-up my best friend.”
“I heard that,” B yells from the living room.
“Because I love, B.” Kyland smiles at me, eyes flash with gaiety.
“He asks me for a dinner date,” I mumble.
“What?” Kyland shoots up his brow in surprise.
***
I arrived at Aunt Carissa’s home thirty minutes earlier, perhaps because I’m driving a beast? It’s unbelievably fast and just gorgeous on the road.
I unplug my phone that I charge before I drive here and plan to text my cousin where I am. Pyke and Kyland don’t know that I’m visiting Auntie. I thought I want to stay here for a while before I can start searching for another job.
What happened to me was terrible. Luckily, I have people who care about me. I have enough reasons to focus on the positive sides and move forward. I can’t just sulk at the corner and blame myself for being so careless while that asshole is living his life to the fullest.
My phone rings on my hand. It’s Pyke.
“Babe, where the hell are you? I’ve been calling you like a thousand times. I was tempted to call Wright because you promised to call me as soon as you get home.” My eardrum pierces with Pyke’s furious and worried voice.
“Are you done?”
“Done with what? For fuck’s sake, woman, don’t do that again. I’ll pay a visit to your apartment If you didn’t answer my call right now. You’re not gonna like it if you see me and Wright exchanging blows if he won’t allow me to see you, Camila. And neither Megan did answer me.”
I hear him huffs. My brows knit in confusion. How did he have Megan’s number?
“Babe, are you still there? Answer me or I will track your car and be there before you can blink!”
“Whoa! That’s very stalkerish!”
“Now, tell me where are you?”
“How did you get Meg’s number?” Crap! My tone sounds like a jealous girlfriend.
“I did not sleep with Meg before you question my fidelity. I’m all yours, Babe. She called me that rainy night. That’s how I found you on that road. She said you needed help.”
“You mean, that was not an accident? You’re not gonna help me if Meg didn’t ask you a favor?”
“Babe, I was with Kyland and I left him to come and rescue you before someone else will. Get the point? I came that night because of you and not because of Meg’s favor. Still, If I see you that night I will help you in a heartbeat. Now, tell me where are you?”
I notice a black Mercedes and black SUV parked in front of Aunt Carissa’s two-story grey house. By the look of them, they ooze power and money.
“Babe?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Pyke. I’m here in front of Auntie’s house. I’ll call you back, okay?”
“What the hell are you doing there, Camila?” He sounds alarmed and angry.
“Pyke, I’m visiting my aunt. Got to go. Talk to you later.”
I hang up the phone before he can nag me of driving here alone.
Taking a deep breath, I walk to the front porch of my aunt’s house. I swing the door screen open with a Christmas stocking hanging at my eye level. She decorated with glittering letter W on the white band. I twist the doorknob of the main door, but to my surprise, it’s unlocked.
The memories of my childhood and highs school days make my emotions tender. I remember everything that happened in this very living room. Photographs of the Wright family and my photographs are proudly hanging on the wall. Auntie must have bought new sets of couches which are now a cranberry red from the old weathered wood brown.
Oddly, the living room is empty, but there are muffled voices from the kitchen. I cautiously saunter towards them to let them acknowledge my presence.
“I swear to God, this is not how I wanted to end and you know that. I’ve been trying hard to keep this away from her, but it seemed the fate is playing on us right now, and she’s close to finding out by herself.” Her voice is shaky. I recognize immediately that it’s Auntie’s.
Her? Who’s her?
“I know, Issa. I’m sorry if I put you in this situation. This is all my fault, I’m the one who told you to keep the truth from her. Now, surely, we are going to break her heart,” says a deep, husky, and controlled voice.
No one calls her Issa unless they’ve known each other so much.
“I know. I don’t know what to do,” Auntie Carissa says with a sigh.
“I wanted to gain her trust first before I’m going to tell her and she reaches the age to have everything she deserves. How can we convince her when she already thinks her father didn’t want to do anything with her?” The man tsks like in disappointment.
“I didn’t see this coming. We can’t just drop everything to her like that when she’s already with Pyke right now,” he adds.
My heart aches for how faster it beats. My jaw drops, and suddenly, my world spins. Why do I feel that I know who are they talking about?