Chapter 2: Chapter 2

"Where do you want to go? Can I come with you? I'm a little bored inside," Rainy replied, showing a friendly smile. Her voice was so soft for a grown woman.

"Uhh," Ashton looked confused, then turned to me. Even without him telling me, I knew what I had to do. I didn't get into the car, instead I closed the door.

"Let me guess, you're Rainy, right? Ashton told me about you. By the way, I'm Mabel, his best friend."

Rainy's clear eyes widened after I introduced myself. "You're Mabel?"

I shrugged, confused. Rainy looked excited after knowing my name. Even though my name isn't a big deal, right? Rainy acted as if my name was awesome.

Rainy walked up to me with a sincere smile on her face. "Sarah told me a lot about you!"

"Wait a minute..." I could hardly believe what I was expecting.

"I am Rainy, her daughter!" Rainy exclaimed. "I always didn't get a chance to talk to you, and now we're seeing each other. Isn't this wonderful?"

I couldn't help but glance over at Ashton, and the man was already looking down. I was sure this was the reason he didn't want to talk about Rainy, because he already knew! No wonder I felt Rainy was similar to someone.

"You're so beautiful," Rainy complimented me, making me look back at her. "Your wavy hair is in the same color as mine, blonde!"

My hair was long wavy, while Rainy had long straight hair. And why does it feel so strange to be complimented by a woman who has such an angel face?

"Thank you," I replied simply. I never thought that Rainy would be my half-sister. "Ashton wants to go get some ice cream, and you can come with him."

Hearing his name called, Ashton looked at me. His gaze was strange.

"Oh yeah? I love ice cream," Rainy smiled again. "Ashton, can I come with you?"

I yawned, then gave Ashton a wink. "Since Rainy is here, I think you have a friend to accompany you now. Thank you, Rainy. You helped me to get my sleep now,"

Rainy giggled softly, probably thinking she really had helped me.

I smiled and then left them just like that. I got the feeling that what happened today wouldn't be okay in the future. What have I done? Urging the person I like to be with my future half-sister?

I forced myself to keep smiling as I broke the crowd to my room. But I couldn't, my eyes couldn't hold back the tears they had been keeping.

"Mabel?" A familiar voice called out to me, but my feet refused to stop. I was so embarrassed if someone saw me cry. "Mabel!"

Sarah kept calling me. I tried to outwit her by breaking up a large crowd, so that she would lose track of me, but I forgot that she knew where my room was.

Sarah followed me to the front of my room. The dark front hallway of my room saved me this time. Sarah couldn't see me crying.

"Mabel, what's wrong? You're walking so fast, you're not even answering my calls. Did I do something wrong?"

"No," I replied, trying my best not to let her notice my trembling voice. "I'm just- so exhausted that I don't want to talk to anyone right now,"

Without seeing Sarah's face, I could already tell by this time her expression fell on my explanation. All this time she tried to get my trust, so that I accept her completely as my mother.

"I'm sorry... you can rest now,"

Sarah was about to leave, but then I stopped her. "Sorry if I was rude. I didn't mean it that way,"

"I know, Mabel." replied Sarah gently.

"Ummm- I met Rainy earlier,"

"Really?" Sarah must be smiling by now. "She kept asking about you, even afraid you won't like her. She's so easy to feel insecure,"

"I like her," I replied, holding back the tears that were about to flow again. "Ashton likes her too,"

"Ashton likes her?" Sarah sounded surprised at my statement. "Is he sure? You know, I also know that your best friend is a player."

I just nodded, even Sarah couldn't see it. "Now they're going to buy ice cream,"

"To the park center parlor, where you two used to go?" Sarah asked, sounding worried.

"Yeah, that place." I answered simply.

"But it's your special place with him. Are you okay to let Rainy go with Ashton this time?"

Sarah is really a kind-hearted woman. Since the first time I met her, I made a big mistake not being able to see how big her heart was.

"I'm just his best friend, so that's okay." I lied.

"Oh, Mabel." Sarah grabbed me and held me in her warm embrace. "I don't know what to say, but you're so nice."

I didn't return the hug, but rested my head on her shoulder. My tears were still flowing, but not as much as before. Is this what's called pain, but not being seen?

"I'm going inside now," I quickly ended the chit-chat session with Sarah. I needed some alone time. I thought I would be fine when I got back to my room. But I didn't. I thought about it all, but found no shortcut. I headed for the balcony of my room, just as I sat down, my eyes were again accidentally looking at someone's figure. Adrian, the man was sitting on the bench in my father's garden alone. Several times he smoked the cigarette that his fingers pinched.

Adrian looked frustrated about something. His gaze was blank.

My room was on the second floor, so there was no way Adrian would have noticed somebody was watching him from above. And again my guess was wrong, because a few seconds later, as if called, Adrian looked up; to me to be precise.

The corner of his lips lifted, revealing a smirk that brought his dimple back to his cheek. Adrian got up from his seat, walking towards my way. "I'm sure you're watching me, am I right Mabel?"

I panicked and shook my head reflexively. "I just accidentally saw you down there,"

Adrian chuckled at my answer. "Want to join me down here?"

"My dad didn't teach me to just trust stranger," I retorted.

Adrian chuckled again. "But we've met. I knew your name, and you knew mine too. Are we still strangers?"

I blinked, confused as to what to say. What he said is true! I shouldn't have told him my name in the first place.

"I'm a guest here after all, I'm invited." said Adrian next.

I sighed. I didn't want to spend the night crying either, so I subconsciously nodded. After that I ran downstairs in a hurry.

"I thought you wouldn't come," said Adrian when he saw me emerge from the garden gate.

"But I'm here, so..." I shrugged, not knowing why I'd come other than not wanting to be alone in my room. "Want to look around my father's mansion?"

"I got lost before, and there's no harm in having a look. So let's go," Adrian nodded. I also realized that the cigarette butt that he had been holding was gone. He had already thrown it away before I arrived.

We walked side by side out of the garden area.

"That man, is he your boyfriend?"

I shook my head. "Unfortunately no. He's just my best friend,"

"Ouch, one-sided love?" Adrian gave me a look of condolence. "He's a stupid man who doesn't realize your feelings,"

"He's not stupid, it's just that he has a lot of women around him, so he'll never be able to see me." I said, even though it felt heavy deep down.

Adrian laughed as if what I said was a joke. "But he was acting like a possessive boyfriend towards you,"

I gave Adrian a very irritated look.

"Chill, I was joking around."

"How about you?"

"I don't do girlfriend," Adrian looked straight ahead. His eyes looked sad when he mentioned about a girlfriend. "We're all born alone, so why seek happiness from someone? We've got ourselves, Mabel."

Adrian turned to me, and there, I saw a pain he was hiding.

"And I see, you aren't happy when you like that guy either. You're hurt because of his bad habits. Then why hurt yourself just because of him?"

Adrian completely silenced me.

"Seek your own happiness, even if without him."

I shook off my thoughts, quickly showed him a few rooms as he was about to enter. But I stopped when I saw Ashton was already standing there. He leaned near the entrance, and his eyes pierced mine.

"I could tell he's furious," Adrian whispered to me. I didn't know if it was intentional or not, but he really brought his lips close to my ear. "See you later, Mabel."

I stayed in my spot, and Adrian had disappeared somewhere. I didn't know Ashton would be back so soon. Usually the man was reluctant to go home when he arrived at the ice cream parlor. Why is he back so fast now?

Ashton walked up to me after Adrian really wasn't around. "You purposely told me to go with Rainy, so you can be alone with him?"

"Wait, what?" I flinched at Ashton's statement. Why is it so easy for him to conclude something?

"Just say yes, Mabel." Ashton seemed reluctant to argue with me this time.

Getting no response from me, Ashton laughed humorlessly. He really showed me that he didn't mean to laugh.

"What's your problem, Ash?"

"You're my problem!" Ashton raised his voice now, attracting several people's attention. "Why don't you understand that I don't like him?"

"You mean Adrian? Gosh Ashton, tell me when have you ever liked every guy I've been around?" I gave him a defiant look.

Ashton looked at me with many unknown feelings in his eyes. Have I hit his weak spot?

"You keep saying they're not good for me, they just want to get under my pants, they're not what I thought, and now it's Adrian? What do you want to say about him?" I continued. "That he's a jerk like you and likes to play with girls' hearts?"

"So that's what you think of me?" Ashton asked in a low tone. I couldn't look him in the eyes, because they were hoping for something, maybe hoping my next words wouldn't hurt.

"Everybody knows that you are a player, Ash." I was really frustrated with his change in attitude. "There is no denying the truth,"

Ashton smiled weakly, no longer looking me in the eye. "I should have known you thought so,"

I bit my lower lip.

"But I'm not mad, because you're right. I'm a jerk," Ashton nodded and straightened his tuxedo. "I'm going home now, thanks for the party invitation."

I didn't stop Ashton, I let him go that night. I knew I was really hurt to say that too, but how come with Ashton I never dared to open up and tell the truth?

I was still in my place when Sarah and Rainy approached me.

"Mabel, don't you want to sleep?" Sarah was surprised to see me not in my room.

"My friend came over to congratulate you and dad, so I saw him for a bit." Why do I like to lie now?

"Where's Ashton?" Rainy asked me, looking around for Ashton. "I haven't had time to say thank you because he said he had other important business,"

"His mansion is next door," I told Rainy. "See you later, Rainy." I gave Sarah a short smile, then Rainy.

My head felt dizzy. What a tough day, I thought. Ashton had been acting like a possessive boyfriend lately. And somehow handling him, he got easily offended by what I thought of him. Even though he was never angry before when I called him that. Why now?

Ashton is really weird! I'm mad at him! He's just my best friend, so he doesn't have the right to decide what's good or bad for me!