Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

CAIDEN

3 years after

"Signor,"

"Signor?".

"Signor!" I was startled out of my trance by no other than Lilia.

"S-si?” I look at her questioningly and watch her pass the phone, "It's Signor Jake. He’s been meaning to talk to you, signor" She walks off hiding her smile to herself.

I glared at the phone and answered it, "Hey bro," he giggled like a school girl and I can imagine my own eyes bulging out of their socket.

Hmmm… there's something weird going on here. I've never heard him sound so ridiculous like he is right now. I look up to see Lilia looking at me behind the cupboards.

I shook my head and made my way out to the patio. I listen to Jake babbling about me not spending time with them and so on. I never bothered to speak and interrupt. I just lay down here, relaxing on the wooden benches as the wind blew. The wide vineyard I have acquired 2 years ago was now fully operational. In a few months time, I could easily create a new concoction. I waited for my chance to speak and blew a breath of relief for my ear was hot when Jake finally made a pause.

"Listen bro, I'm happy here in Malibu....I don't wanna go to Italy again just to visit you. If you want to, I can schedule a flight for you and Nate?"

I sigh saying, “No thanks. I have to finish my study for my proposal. Jake I’m close to finishing, I don’t want to extend any longer and besides, there’s not much to see there.”

"Seriously, it's been 3 years and two months Cade!"

"Are you counting tabs on it? What are you-A girl waiting for your favorite boy band to come in your country?" I say, trying to distract him as I laugh at my silly joke.

"What? No, stupid.” He pauses before finally saying the reason why he called. “Look, well Alex—She's been dear to us and you two were perfect. If you would only listen to us for one last time, Cade, then we could fix this. We will help you. Please, I'm telling y-"

"Shut up, Jake. Is she telling you to do this? This is crazy!" I stand up and pace around the wooden platform, transfering the phone from my left to my right ear, "Why can't you just leave me alone and move on, huh? "

There's a deafening silence on the other line, I heard him took a shaky breath and sigh, "Bro, we're just stating the truth. You are the one who cannot move on. You've lived like a zombie; you're back to that monster you fear. You do not smile nor laugh genuinely. I can see through the mask, you are just that plain cold shell." He took another breath and continued, "Please go back here, Cade, because we don't know if you're still the same person we all knew." The other line went dead but his voice lingers on my mind. Like an old recording repeating itself all over.

Over and over…

•••

I sat on my office chair, twirling my pen on my hand, repeating my conversation with Jake.

'Please go back here, Cade, because we don't know if you're still the same person we all knew'

That phrase alone made me think about my actions. I left her alone, why? Because she deserve it! She deserve a chance with him because she loves him, my brother, not me.

Well, what do I expect?

He is her best friend. The one she wants to be with, rather than me. Maybe that kidnapping incident was just a prank. To made me fall all over again. To make me look like a fool.

Yes, I did not wait and stick around to know her answer but I am just protecting myself. I never wanted heartache again. I know it could be possible that I am wrong but it is only the one percent of the one hundred.

'She loves you, Cade! She chose you rather than me.' That voice alone made me rethink it all again.

"What is the truth?!" I demanded to no one in particular. I realized that I am now trembling with my fist balled up on my side. The pen I was twirling in my hands a while ago is now broken in pieces.

I close my eyes as a single tear fall from my eyes. I was confuse as hell. I do not know what to believe. I don't know what to do. Do I really need to go back and what? What would I do there? Be jealous again because I'll see my brother and her together?

Like Romeo and Juliet? Perhaps like peanut butter and jelly. Psshhhhh....

I just want to live a normal life but every time I think of what they are all doing, happily living together…I couldn’t help but flinch like I have just been slapped.

I grab my jacket and keys and stormed out of my room. I need a drink. I need one or else I'll go crazy, thinking about all of this things again and again.

•••

After my seventh glass, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and answered the call.

"H-hey" I slurred, downing my eight glass.

"Cade, we need to talk" he demanded. I just answered him with a chuckle and shook my head, "Oh, Caine. Long time I haven't heard from you, miss me already?"

"What! No stupid. I would never miss you it's just---“

"Oouch?" I laugh again and heard him sigh. "Stop it, Cade! I'm serious here. I want you to go back to New York tomorrow night. I don-"

I just listen to him blubber about it and felt myself dozing off....

•••

"Sir?" My personal secretary, Annie, Pop her head at my door. I look at the door and signaled her to go in. She went in and push her eyeglasses higher which kept on slipping on her nose.

"Mr. Caine called awhile ago. He told me that you needed to check on our newest branch at Brooklyn. He scheduled a flight for you and he told me that you have agreed" My eyes bulge as the words sink in, making my head hurt more as my hangover still push its way in my head.

Stupid hangovers....

"WHAT?! How can that be? I---" I took a deep breath and made a replay of the events last night, I talk to him on my phone, laughing at him as I listen and the way he demanded me that I'll go back to that place...

I stormed my way out of my office and to my car. I punched my steering wheel a couple of times before I realize the blue and green bruise appearing on my left hand. I sigh in frustration as I let myself wander at the situation I'm at.

Why does it have to be like this? Why do I need to return just to be hurt all over again?

I bang my head down and groaned as the pain in my head return making my vision doubled.

No, I need to settle this, right now. I shouldn't postpone it or else things will end up in a wild mess and I'll found myself all broken and lost again; which is a very tough task to handle when you have fifty restaurants to manage all over Europe.

I should return back again to settle things up, do a closure and bam! I'm finally free. All of this is my past-A happening that should’ve been done three years ago. Nothing can change it and only I can end it. I know that it still made me confuse on what I truly feel, that sometimes it made me think. Why do I need to fall in love with a wrong person? Why does it have to be like this? And the main question is-do I still love her?

A million questions run inside my head a thousand miles per hour. It felt so right, yet it was so wrong; Feeling happy and contented, though I know that it isn't enough. I'm not the HIM. I'm not the one she wanted, but him, my twin brother.

She loves him, she hates me. She's fond of him, she despise me. She miss him she would never care if I'm lost. I know that she loves my brother but the thing is that my brother told me that she chose me over him.

Now I will take a risk. I just need to know why I was needed all of a sudden.

With that thought in my mind. I prepared my things and got ready for my flight which is five hours from now.

•••

© A.G_2018