TRINITY
I sit in my seat and touch Alex's arm that's holding the phone. "Let me talk to him, Alex."
"No." He huffs a breath. "He's furious because you came with me. I mean, I invited you without telling him first."
My brow raises. "It's not that I need his permission when I want to go out with someone, Alex, and besides, he walked out on me while we were having dinner."
"As if he will listen to that. I know him, and he'll never accept his own mistakes," Alex points out.
"I know, arsehole!" He's still berating Bash over the phone. "We're on our way. Bye." Alex tosses his phone to the backseat. Then he laughs.
I give him a disapproving glare.
"He's gonna break or worse, burn the entire hotel if he won't see you in, like, ten minutes." He's still laughing even though he has foreseen the worse scenario.
"What's wrong with him? He walked out from me, and I went out without you, and now, he went mad?"
"He's Bash and will always be Bash."
"So, you know Dana, right?" I ask cautiously.
"Yeah. They dated for a year, and I really don't approve of their relationship. Not that Bash needed my approval, but I found that woman difficult. She wanted Bash alone to herself. Thank God he never listened, and I knew they wouldn't last. I couldn't see why Bash dated her in the first place if his heart has always belonged to someone else." He then looks at me. The way Alex looks at me makes my heart flutter in my chest.
Does his heart belong to someone else? To whom?
Alex presses his lips into a thin line. He doesn't say anything anymore.
The effect of alcohol on my system suddenly vanish. I swallow the acid that is burning in my throat. I wonder to whom his heart belongs. I doubt it's me, and I will never hope for that.
Lizzy's words are like a slap on my face. I don't think Bash's heart belongs to me because if it's true, he should have made a move years ago. Bash just stopped visiting every year- he stopped calling, sending me a birthday card, or even emailing me. He cut anything out of the blue.
I guess he really belongs to someone else now. I breathe deeply to hold the tears from falling.
"Kiara, you've been silent. What's wrong?" Alex's hand and voice jar me out of my thoughts. Now he's calling me Kiara.
"I'm good." I manage to smile even if my heart is bleeding. "Thanks for taking me out tonight, Alex."
He nods and then parks his car in front of the King Hotel. The concierge catches the car key that Alex tosses. I walk with him to the lift silently.
"Don't mind him even if he's pissed. I know you can handle him and know him well, Kiara. He's still the same Bash you used to know," he reminds me while we ride the lift.
"Why are you calling me Kiara now and not Trinity?" I ask, and he grins sheepishly.
"What?" I ask, demanding an answer.
"He warned me not to call you Trinity."
I roll my eyes. "That's my name, and he has no right to warn everyone not to call me by many names."
The elevator door slides open. My eyes widen, and I freeze in my place. The pissed Bash is narrowing his eyes on us in front of the elevator door. He clenches his jaw hard, and his hands shoved into his pocket jeans.
"Get inside our penthouse, Trinity," he commands.
Our? I blink and raise my brow. "You're a jerk. You can't just ask me what to do. I'm not your slave. I can do whatever I want during my free time."
His face turns red with anger. So do I.
The tension thickens in the air, but I don't care. He's being rude in front of his friend.
"Kiara, just go. It's okay, and we'll just talk. Thanks for coming with me tonight. I had a great time," Alex says with a small smile on his lips.
I can feel the tension between him and Bash. I am afraid that they will exchange blows. I move closer to Alex to hug him.
Alex stiffens, but he hugs me back immediately. I hear a groan beside me, and I know it's Bash, but I don't give a damn right now, and I can hug whoever I want.
"I had a great time, Alex." I smile sincerely. "We can do it again, yeah? Before I'll fly back."
"Stop copying my accent," he chuckles, making my smile widen.
"Are you two done flirting in front of me?" Bash's angrier voice startles me a bit.
I shoot him a glare and walk away, waving at Alex.
I stand in front of the door watching the two bicker. Thank God, they look calm. I walk inside when I notice they seem far from punching one another's face.
I change into a simple Pj after taking a shower. Bash still doesn't show up in our room. Maybe he's busy calling his family. I already left messages to Lizzy and Saph and sent voice messages to Mom and Dad.
I look at the empty king-size bed covered with a white cotton blanket. How will I sleep with all these tensions between us when he's with me, by my side? This is going to be the longest week of my life.
I shrug helplessly as I shut my eyes close. Hands wrap around my waist from my back, making me stiffen. I smell Bash's cologne and aftershave. I guess he takes a shower down.
He plants his chin on my shoulder, pressing his face on my exposed neck, then inhaling my scent. I shiver with the slight touch of his nose against my skin.
I squeeze my eyes to control my erratic heartbeat, but I fail miserably when he starts kissing the side of my jaw to the length of my neck and nibbling my earlobe.
I moan helplessly.
My legs wobble, and I can't help but grip his arm that wraps around my waist for support. I bite my lips harder than I can draw blood.
"Bash," I hear my voice plead.
For a split second, I'm now facing him.
How did it happen? I have no idea. The last thing I know, his lips are already pressed against mine.