Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

CAIDEN

I arrived at three in the morning. I pass the key to the valet and made my way to the elevator. I can feel my eyes slowly shutting and I am glad when I arrived at my floor. I opened the door and was surprised because there's a wet shoe beside it.

"Alex?"

Why is it that there's no light here? That girl, she's always irresponsible. She even left the dishes and her shoes at the living room. I made my way to my room and almost slipped "God, Alex! What have you done here? The floor is wet and my whole house was dirty!" I headed towards our room and found it clean. Well, at least not our room.

I headed down to the spare room and found her sleeping on the couch. Piles of brushes were scattered, canvases destroyed and different color of paints splattered the floor.

I was so angry and worried at the sight of it. First is that, it's very unlikely for her to act this way. Her canvases are treasure for her. She doesn't even want to show me what it was and another things is that the floor has paint at it. It will take me an hour or two to scrub it.

Oh, this stupid girl.

The dishes are piled in the sink. Dust is gathered in every corner. There's a puddle of water which was like a step from the door to our room. Her paintings scattered.

I will need to clean that up befo-

Never mind.

I headed in my room and took a long hot shower. Three weeks is too short for me to think of my decision. Not to mention I've got a lot to work on and the projects that are needed to be finished. The new restaurant branch here in Connecticut should be check this morning. A groaned escapes my lips as I remembered the trash out of my room.

I will make her clean that up. With that thought, I decided to catch some sleep before sunrise.

•••

"Caiden!" am I dreaming?

"Caiden!" Someone shook me but my eyes won't open.

"CAIDEN!" Oh oh. I looked up and there standing at the foot of my bed was no other than, my mom.

"Mom," I groaned "What are you doing here this early?"

"Well mister, as you could see there's a lot of trash out there and your whole house is dirty! As I remember I taught you how to clean right?" I know that she's glaring at me right now. I snuggled in my pillows and grunted in response."Fine, if you don't get your as* out of bed in 10 seconds, I will tell Alex all your deepest secret"

"Okay, One." I put the pillows around my head and sigh."Two"

"Three" My eyes fluttered and I look around to see my mom grinning like a Cheshire cat."Four"

"You won't right?" I looked at her with my puppy dog eyes but she shook her head and grinned widely. "Please mom, I'm tire-"

"Five"

"Mom, please. Pretty please?"

"Six"

"Mom the housekeepers will be the one to cle-"

"No, there's no excuses mister. Seven"

"Eight"

"Please mom, please just a minute" She shook her head and continue

"Nine"

"Okay,okay-"

"You haven't stood up here beside me. And oh, don't forget to wear a shirt and pants. Nine and a half"

I pulled my shirt and arranged my blanket " Nine and a quarter"

"Finish" I said out of breath. I'm dress with a white shirt and sweatpants. I glance at the clock and saw that it was only six in the morning. Shizz, I should have two more hours left before I go to our new branch but now my bed was made and I'm bound to clean early in the morning because of that stupid girl.

My mother handed me a mop and a vacuum" Mom the housekeep-"

"No, c'mon clean it up and I'll do the other rooms.”

"Okay"

I started to mop the puddles of water and put her shoes on the rack. I was about to go in the kitchen when I heard my mother shriek.

I ran towards the direction of where her voice had been and found her in the bathroom "Mom, why are y-" I looked down to see Alex.

"No! Caiden, Her-her"

"Hand her to me" My mother pass her limp body to me. Her lips are blue and her body was shaking furiously. I brought her in my room and covered her with blanket.

"She's burning. She had a very high fever" I check her pulse and got a faint one." Mom fill a basin with ice water!" My mother scrambled her way to the kitchen while I get fresh towels.

I dipped it in the basin and put it in her burning forehead "Oh Alex, why do you always need to be sick?" I remove it on her forehead and put it on her stomach. The water was cold enough to cool her down and to stop her temperature from getting high. I should have checked on her last night. I just knew it. When she have spread all her precious things like that, that means that something is wrong. Blame it all to my hectic schedule.

My mother offered to clean and she told me that I got lucky for it. Before she went home she told me that if I didn't took care of Alex, she's going to let me clean our house in Malibu.

"Cade?" A sound escape from her purple lips.

"Yes?" I look at her hoping that she's finally awake but she's still sleeping like a baby.

"Cade-"

"Shh, I'm here"

"Th-the man" Her hand gripped the sheets and I heard a blood-curdling scream.

"No! no," More tears poured down her cheeks.

"No!"

"I hate you!" I held her hands and found myself in a hopeless situation. I don't know how to calm her. If she's going to act like this I won't have to think for a second time in bringing her to the hospital. I don't know what to do. She's shaking violently in the bed. I'm watching her body as it convulsed from the high temperature.

A scream escape her mouth again and I was too terrified to move."Caiden, help.”

"How could you do this, Cade?" I look at her once more. I thought she was awake. The words has meaning like she was really talking to me.

"Alex?"

"Caiden, Why?" Huh, what do I do now?

"CAIDEN!" I can't help it. I capture her on my arms and muttered sweet words on her ears. My mind can't register what my body did and my heart was beating rapidly."Where are y-"

"I'm here Alex, always."

"No, no. You are not. You left." I look down to see her eyes, wide open, “you left without saying good bye,” she said with her voice full of emotions.

Pain, anger and longing.

"No. I left you because I needed to. I have to fix something and it is really important. I’m sorry I left you all alone."

"Don't lie to me. I know you're with her. You are with Tiffany." She gritted her teeth and glared at me not bothering with her tears which are falling freely at the side of her face.

"Look, I didn't , I'm not with her."

"Don't make excuses."She wipe her tears with her sleeve "Just, just save it. I'm not going to hear any lies from you anymore."She tried to run off but I gripped her wrist and hugged her "Listen to me Alex, please," She struggled but soon her body collapsed on me.

"I went on a business trip, we have to prepare everything for the launch of our new restaurant. I have to make sure that there will be no problem. Please, listen” I looked down at her to see her gray eyes glaring "If I could, I would go now and check on the new branch here in Connecticut but my heart stays with you, and my mind can't help but obliged."

She stared at me with her blank eyes. I can't help it but sighed in frustration. I huffed as she just stared at me, like I wasn’t even there.

"Really?" She said with a mocking voice.

"Alex, I am trying hard, can't you see? I'm trying to protecting you!"

"You are not. You just keep on hurting me!"

"No, I'm not. I didn't mean to"

"Stop it, I don't care anymore." She push me and stood, her legs shaking wildly beneath her.

"No. You should care" I tried to reason out as I pulled at her hand. "I don’t want to."

"Listen to me! Just for now, I don't know how to tell you this but I really- I lo—“

"Stop it, Cade. Stop it" She rushed off to the door and ran.

•••

ALEX

"Caiden?" I look around me but there's nothing but thin air. “Caiden, how could you?" I look around me with a hurt expression. My body collapsed on the floor while shaking furiously. I curled myself in a ball and continue to cry.

"Caiden, Why?" Why did he do that to me? Why did he left without even saying goodbye to me. I felt someone hugging me. Is he here? Caiden, here? I look around me and scream his name. Where is he?

"Where are y-"

"I'm here Alex, always." I heard him saying. I struggled and tried to remove his hands.

As I was doing that a light absorbed my form and made me open my eyes.

"No, no. You are not. You left me" I look at his deep blue orbs. " No. I left you because I needed to. I have to fix something and it is really important. I’m sorry I left you all alone."

"Don't lie to me. I know you're with her. With Tiffany." I gritted my teeth and glared him. I can feel my tears falling freely at the side of my face. I didn't bother to wipe it.

Oh Alex, stop crying. You know that he's not worth it. The little voice in my mind said.

"Look, I didn't , I'm not with her."

"Don't make excuses."I wipe my tears with my sleeve "Just, just save it, I'm not going to hear any lies from you anymore."

I tried to run off but he just gripped my wrist and hugged me "Listen to me Alex, please" I struggled but soon my body collapsed on him. I'm too weak to fight him! I stared at him for a long time until he spoke up.

"I went on a business trip, we have to prepare everything for the launch of our new restaurant. I have to make sure that there will be no problem. Please, listen " He looked down at me but I am busy glaring at him that I don't care about his explanation He sighed, "If I could, I would go now and check on the new branch here in Connecticut but my heart stays with you, and my mind can't help it but obliged."

He stared at me trying to figure out what am I thinking. After a while, I heard him sighed in frustration. He shook my form and huffed as I just sat there staring into nothing.

I got tired of him looking at me and so I gave him a piece of my mind, "Really?" I said with a mocking voice.

" Alex, I am trying hard, can't you see? I'm trying to protecting you!" Protect me? Funny.

"You are not. You just keep on hurting me!" I snapped

"No, I'm not. I didn't mean to" Aww, c'mon why pretend? Just say it asshole, you do not.

"Stop it, I don't care!"

"No. You should care" He snapped back. I glared at him and said, “ I don’t want to”

"Listen to me! Just for now, I don't know how to tell you this but I really- I lo—“ I push him off and said "Stop it, Cade. Stop it" I rushed off to the door and ran.

I ran off the door thinking about all of it. Why does he care all of the sudden? Did he regret all the things he did to me? Does he finally see where I am coming from? Why can’t he tell me wjhat he really feels so he won’t confuse me anymore?

The wind blew and I shivered. I ran out the hotel and bump into someone.

•••

© A.G_2018