Chapter 22: Chapter 22

I stare at my phone for what seems like eternity.

Ginger.

Her name is clear as day on the ID of the caller and I put it to voicemail for what seemed like the 20th time this morning.

I take a deep, shuddering breath as I look up at the huge building in front of me with the pronounced, unmistakable name at the top.

Griphen & Griphen

Again, I'm stupid. Why am I here? Why did I decide to actually come here? Its been three days since he told me to come here anytime so he can prove to me that nothing was going on.

And I had refused, because there was nothing to prove...right?

I was already doing good, getting my news report done with Zack,....

So why the hell am I standing in front of this place?

And why is Ginger calling me?

I glare at the name on the screen and put the call to voicemail then switch off my phone.

Maybe I should just leave.

"Excuse me, miss. Looking for someone?" A voice says behind me just as I turn to leave. I bite my lip in anticipation of my answer and turn back to face a man in uniform and a warm smile.

Uh-oh.

Security.

Great. I can't just tell him I'm leaving after standing here for over ten minutes, he'd probably report me as a spy or a criminal.

"Umm, yes. But I'm not sure of his office so I'll just go...."

"You can just walk in and ask the receptionist. The lady sitting to your left, she'll show you the way."

Drats.

I smile at him and nod.

"Okay, thanks." I say and he smiles as he leads me into the big building. The receptionist is seated behind a round, big wooden desk with a Bluetooth phone and speaker attached to her ear and is talking rapidly.

She has brown hair, curled and rolled up to a bun.

She looks like a Katie.

I turn to the man and nod and he smiles again before leaving.

I stare down at the Starbucks Coffee I brought for him and I feel like slapping myself for the hundredth time.

Its not like I'm coming here to apologise, but I was scared if I didn't have an excuse to meet him, I'll look like a jealous freak coming to spy on my.....

Whatever he is.

Which is nothing.

"Okay, okay. This is it." I mutter to myself as I go over to desk.

Ethan's POV

I look up as the door opens and Heather walks in, carrying a bunch of papers in a file and a tab. Her brown her is down and the top three buttons of her white shirt are open, revealing more than they cover and her skirt is thigh high.

"The software for the Fred's project results are in. Here they are." She says and bends too low over my desk.

I sigh, taking the papers.

"Heather, I'm not going to warn you again. Dressing like this completely inappropriate in the company, I will have you fired for this if you don't stop."

I say to her but she lets out a low laugh as she corners round my table.

"Stop."

"Oh, please. Ethan. You talk to much. When we were together, you used to use that mouth for something else."

"We have to talk, I keep telling you. This is important. I need to have this closure with you and get it done with."

She smiles slyly and swiftly swings a leg over me as she sits on my lap, scooting closer.

"How's this for closure?" She purrs and I stare at her, at her brown eyes which I used to feel completely drowned in. Now, staring at them, I know that if I had eloped with her that day, I never would have been happy. They are dull, boring and I always thought I would have been safe with them...but there is nothing there.

They are not green.

They are not feisty.

They are not challenging.

"Why did you leave without me?"  I ask finally, wanting to get this over with so she can leave...so I can finally let her go from the company.

Her eyes are searching mine.

"Is that what you're thinking about right now? You don't miss me?"

"Why?" I insist and she groans.

"Fine. If it'll get you to be quiet. We already had plans that day, remember? We were gonna go to Florida! We were excited to see the beaches, start a new life."

"We?"

"Yes. We. Until you decided to leave."

She mutters and I grit my teeth to stop myself from pushing her against the hard, desk wood.

"I. Lost. My. Parents. That didn't mean anything to you?"

"Of course it did, and I felt bad. But I didn't want your money or tickets to go to waste. I thought your parents were fine."

Anger is surging through me at her words. How did I not see this two years ago? How did I not notice that the trips and wealth were her main focus?

"So the money means more to you than my parents life. Than me. You were concerned with expenses so much you didn't even think of anything else."

She looks up and groans out loud.

"Urgh! Ethan. I'm sorry, okay? I never should have left, I feel bad. But now I came back for you. Life in Florida wasn't the same without you."

"After two years?"

She puckers her lip in a plea which only irritates me the more.

So it's settled then. I was a complete idiot two years ago.

"Heather, you're fired. I dont want you working for me and you have two weeks to clear out your office. Get off me." I say and put my hand on her waist to push her away but she wraps her hands around my neck  and starts planting kisses on my face.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She is muttering, tightening her grip as I begin to lift her off me.

Then the door swings open and April is standing there, coffee in hand.

April's POV

Do I knock?

No...right?

I'm coming for proof anyway, and he said anytime I want.

I stare at the door and ponder.

Its not too late to back out, but then I should just get this over with.

So do I knock?

If he truly wants to prove that he has nothing to hide, then why shouldn't I surprise him?

Taking a deep breath, I grab hold of the knob and swing the door open.

Uh-oh.

Wrong office.

I'm one second away from slamming the door shut when I recognize the long, shiny brown hair of the girl and just as the universe decides to show me more proof, they both turn to me and I can feel the breath leaving my body slowly.

Dont faint...you're not weak.

You are strong.

You will not cry.

Handle it. You're in control of the situation....

Dont. Faint.

Slowly, it's like de-ja-vú standing here at a door as I watch in terrible reality as a truth unfolds in front of me and I'm having options after options raining in my mind.

Run away and cry in the taxi.

Leave and never speak to Ethan again.

Slap him.

Slap her.

Yell at them both.

My dad used to tell me, if someone hurts you, they've put you in charge.

So today, I'm handling it.

"April." Ethan gasps, standing up in a rush and abruptly pushing Heather off the desk.

They are both staring at me and I'm silently praying that he doesn't come near me so I don't pour the hot coffee in his face....or down his pants.

"Wow. Sorry to interrupt. I just came to drop this. Carry on." I say as I walk to the desk, staring Ethan dead in the eye as I drop the coffee.

"Is it mocha?"

Heathers voice rings in my ear and I look up at her, past situations of her actions echoing in my head.

Can I get some water?

'I lost my parents because of a girl...'

I'm trying to calculate the degree of anger surging in me but it boils over the top and I lose control of the situation.

Everything happens almost immediately. In a blurr, I open the lid and throw the hot liquid at her face and she jumps back, screaming. Ethan makes his way towards me and I smack him hard in the face.

I take a deep breath now, knowing two things.

1. Heather would probably sue me for second degree burns on her face.

2. I've lost my mind...and self control.

Ethan reaches for me again and I pull away, staring him dead in the eye.

"This is what you wanted to show me?" I yell at him.

"April--"

"How could you, Ethan?!"

"I swear this isn't what it looks like." He says and tries to step closer to me but I hold up my hands.

"Just stay away from me. You will never hurt me again, Ethan. You've proven your point." I say and leave the office. I don't stop walking as I get into a taxi and that's when I realise that I burned a girl in the face because of a guy.

But the girl is Heather.

Good.

***

I didn't cry.

I'm standing in front of my room door now and I realize that the last time something like this happened to me, I was right here on this floor having an asthma attack and I had even fainted.

But now...I'm too riled up in anger to even feel anything or let it soak in.

I open the door, fuming with rage when I spot a familiar auburn haired girl standing at the window.

She turns to me immediately and I freeze.

Okay.

Agreed.

Today is not a good day.

"April." Ginger says to me in the most sorrowful voice I've ever heard from her and I don't know why that did it, but all my anger dissolves into sorrow and I burst into tears.

"Oh, April." She says softly and makes her way towards me.

"Don't you dare come near me!" I yell at her in tears, angry that Gretchen isn't here to help me chase her out because I'm too weak and vulnerable to face her.

Ginger freezes at the spot at my outburst, staring at me.

My thoughts are in a jumbled mess now and I can't reason them all at once.

Why is she here?

What is going on?

Why am I crying?

"Aren't you satisfied enough with taking Jay? Do you enjoy ruining my life so badly? We're sisters."

She opens her mouth to talk but I beat her to it,

"Well its too late. Because, guess what? He is screwing someone else! I'm sick and tired of you, of all these situations. So just get out of my room." I say to her, swinging the door open.

"April, please--"

"Get out! Get out now!"

"I'm sorry!!" She yells and for some reason, I don't have anything to say to her apology.

Ginger takes my silence as an opportunity and starts spilling,

"I'm so sorry, April. I've hurt you, I've been terrible to you and I've done unspeakable things to you. After the incident with Jay mum said you weren't picking her calls and I felt so bad...I still do. I shouldn't have done it, I shouldn't have slept with Jay and ever since that day, I have felt so guilty. I miss you. I miss my big sister." She says in tears but I'm not convinced.

"You miss me. You're just realising that after all these years, Ginger. You did the same hurtful thing over and over and over and now it's dawning on you that you were wrong?!" I say to her, still holding the door open.

"But I never slept with them!" She wails in more tears,

"It was just Jay and after that I was disgusted with myself. I hate myself more and more everyday. I've just been so jealous, April please." She is talking and crying at the same time and I can't go to her.

Won't go to her.

I have never heard Ginger apologize or admit she was jealous. This was all new.

"I was jealous, April. After mum and dad had the divorce, dad picked you over me and we both know he was a better parent than mum. I kept wondering why not me? Was I terrible? Repulsive?"

"He always visited you, Ginger. He made time for you."

"But it's not the same as picking you over me. I thought he didn't love me and you were so perfect with your good grades and all the guys falling for you. I was so jealous, I wanted the attention and it's all my fault. I would convince them one after the other that I was more preferable just because I wanted someone to at least pick me first."

Staring at my sister in tears, I never believed she would admit or that she was jealous.

"But Jay, I didn't have to convince him he just gave in and I realised that all this while I've been hurting you just so I could be picked first. And here is someone choosing me without my effort and I felt disgusted with myself.  That I had stooped so low that any boy's preference was good enough. Then you left and I had gone back to school feeling like a complete idiot. I tried to call you but whenever I dialed your number, I felt so ashamed and I was positive you would never forgive me but I can't keep living like that. I needed to let you know. Thanksgiving is in two days away, and how can I be thankful when the one person that was always there for me hates my guts?"

She says and her face is completely tear streaked with her nose red. I stare at her, unsure of my reaction.

I want to tell her that I don't hate her.

She is my sister.

But I've been forgiving too easily and it just makes me weak.

"Go." I say, staring her in the eye and her hurt expression tears at me.

"April please."

"I've had a bad day as it is, I can't handle all this and you just expect me to forget about what you did?" I say to her.

My tears start spilling now and I walk over to my bed and sit down, hugging my knees to my chest.

"Just leave me alone." I whimper as I bury my head in my knees. I hear the sound of the door shutting and I suddenly want to call her back. I look up to search for my phone when I see Ginger standing there.

"I know you despise me, but let me make a deal with you. I won't say anything but let me just hold you and be here for you. Please. Let me start making it up to you."

I nod, knowing I miss her too and I need someone now.

She crawls into bed next to me and pulls me close, holding me in the warmth that I didn't know I missed.

"I miss you too, Ginger. So much."