A month later, and still nothing, Liliana decided it was time to move on. She couldn't face Mr. Cavalier again. She didn't want to face him again. Liliana felt she made a fool of herself whenever she allowed herself to be intimate with him. And she would cringe at the thought that once, she believed that he was every attracted to her. Coming to a resolution that she needed a fresh start, Liliana sent in her resignation letter. She had a fair amount of funds in her savings to help her get by for at least six months, which allowed her plenty of time for her to find a new job. Now all she had to do was get out of bed, and pep talk herself into stepping out of her house and finding a new job.
Two days later, and Liliana still hadn't mustered up the courage to step out of her door. For some reason she feared that if she stepped out into the outside world again, everyone and everything would turn and point and laugh at her for thinking she actually had a chance with the hot shot billionaire. She would be the laughing stock of the state. At least that's what Liliana believed. What Liliana didn't expect was for her doorbell to ring one afternoon, and on the other side, was Chamille.
"Wow, you look like you haven't been in the sun for years." Chamille greeted her, then passed her by and entered without an invitation.
"Please, come in." Liliana stated, dryly, then she closed the door, her head already hurting at the thought of having to entertain a guest.
"What is going on with you? I've called and texted, and I got nothing in return." Chamille explained, and Liliana shrugged as she simply passed Chamille by, and sat down on the couch with a tired sigh.
Chamille looked at Liliana, trying to figure out what was going on, but when Liliana sat with a bad posture and sagging shoulders, Chamille shook her head and said, "Liliana, I'm not going anywhere, so you might as well just talk to me."
"What are you doing here Chamille? Huh? We aren't friends. What do you want from me?" Liliana asked, not caring that she sounded bitchy and mean.
"If this is your way of trying to push me away, it's not going to happen. Now," Chamille debated as she looked around then she said, "I know exactly how to get you to talk to me." Then as if on a mission, Chamille began walking around Liliana's home, pulling back the curtains, and opening the blinds, allowing the bright and glowing sunlight into her previously dark home.
Liliana winced and hissed as if the sunlight irritated her. Liliana had spent so much time indoors, she had practically turned into a sun fearing creature.
"Why? Why are you doing this to me?" Liliana groaned, and Chamille simply ignored her whining and continued with her task of lighting up the place.
Once she was done with that, Chamille headed to the kitchen, and whipped up a quick breakfast, while cleaning around the kitchen. When the meal was ready, Chamille marched right up to Liliana and said, "Now you listen to me young lady, you have less than three seconds to move your ass to that kitchen, sit down and eat, and stop sulking, or else I'll drag you there myself." Liliana blinked up at Chamille confused, as if she couldn't comprehend where the assertiveness was coming from, then she was reminded that Chamille had a set of twins back home, and that gave her plenty of practice.
"One." Chamille began counting, and Liliana actually had a moment of defiance, wanting to see just how far Chamille was willing to go.
"Two." Chamille continued, and the glare that began settling in her eyes had Liliana feeling a bit nervous. Chamille raised an eyebrow as if asking Liliana is she really wanted to challenge her, then Chamille opened her mouth to say 'three' but Liliana quickly jumped to her feet as she said, "alright, alright, I'm going."
Shaking her head, Liliana headed to the kitchen table, and chose one of the set places and sat down, and Chamille joined her. They ate in silence, and when both their plates were clear, Chamille turned to Liliana and said, "talk."
Liliana rolled her eyes but decided that it was better to let it out instead of bottling everything in, and since Chamille was lending a penny for her thoughts, Liliana figured that it couldn't hurt.
"Mr. Cavalier and I kissed. We had a few moments on the plane and in Rome, but Mr. Cavalier made it clear that all he wanted from me was a one night stand, all this before my date with Carlos. When I went on my date with Carlos, everything was going well until he drove me home and asked, for a goodnight kiss. He forced the kiss and touched me inappropriately. I had never felt so violated or disgusted in my life. I was so shocked that I became scared of what Carlos would do if I ever said, no again. After I spoke to you in Quebec, when we returned home, Carlos picked me up and drove me home. When we got here, he asked, to come inside. I had a moment of bravery and said, no, then things took a bad turn. He tried to rape me outside on the street. Mr. Cavalier arrived just in time to help me, and he took me back to his place. He asked, me to give him a chance, I asked, him for time, then we shared a moment where I realized that he knew exactly how to read me and how to get me to react, and I panicked. I told him that it was over, then I left, and I haven't seen him since." Liliana blurted out, and Chamille listened attentively without cutting in, until Liliana was done.
"Alright, and how have you been since you left?" Chamille asked, as if she was a therapist, trying to get her patient to open up.
"I've been just dandy. My bed is comfortable, and so is my couch. My bills are still paid, and I'm fine." Liliana replied, trying to make her misery appear more presentable, but she knew that she wasn't fooling anyone.
"Right. Alright, well I have to head home now, whenever you're ready to dig yourself out of that sorry hole, and start living again, give me a call. Good talk." Chamille stated, as she stood up and grabbed her purse heading out.
Liliana looked at the closed door where Chamille had exited, and she blinked and shook her head in confusion. That had to be by far, the weirdest visit she'd ever have from anyone. Not even her parents could top that weird visit. After laughing and shaking her head, Liliana realized that she could suddenly breathe easier. Liliana stood to her feet and decided to clean up the kitchen, as well as her home. As she did so, she turned on her music to the loudest volume, and began to feel her spirits lift up. Without realizing it, Liliana had gone five minutes without thinking about Mr. Cavalier, and that five minutes turned to ten, and ten to thirty, and then more. Liliana was silently grateful for Chamille's unexpected visit, because it somehow managed to wake her up from her sad trance. Even if it was just for a little while.
Meanwhile across town, Mariella was once again fussing at her son for lazing around the house for too long.
"When are you going back to work? I need you out of my house." Mariella complained as she slapped Frantz's arm with her magazine, while they both lounged by the pool.
"Ma, you say that now, but as soon as I walk out that door, you're going to miss me and want me to come back." Frantz pointed and Mariella made a show of sighing out loud as she said, "Frantz, I am tired of seeing your face. You need to put your big boy pants on and go find that girl, since she's the only one that can get out of this mood."
"Mamma..." Frantz groaned, he didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about her. She had lured him in with her innocence, and spunk, and feisty attitude, and tempting lips, just to leave him broken and abandoned on the side of the road.
"Frantz, unlike Christina, this girl hasn't betrayed you. Don't you see? She needs you to confirm that if she allows herself to fall in love with you, you will not break her heart. That's all she wants. Commitment, and a promise that she can trust you with her heart." Mariella revealed, and Frantz sent her side glance as he said, "you're just saying that to get me to leave."
"Is it working?" Mariella asked, and Frantz shook his head and laughed, and eventually his mom joined him.
"Come on Frantz, stop sulking, either you get up and decide to make that woman yours, or just get up and get out of my house, either way, I just want you to do something and leave my house." Mariella pushed after their laughter had died down,
"Nice pep talk mamma." Frantz pointed, and Mariella simply stood to her feet and kiss his head as she said, "ti amo figlio mio." Then she walked away, hoping her son would recover from this as soon as possible.
After his mom departed, Frantz found his mind drifting, for the hundredth time that day, to Liliana. He didn't think a woman could ever be on his mind for so long. It had been a month since he last seen her, and the more days that went by, the more Frantz feared that Liliana was easily moving on and forgetting about him. But what could he do? Liliana confused him. At first Frantz wanted to believe that she enjoyed the chase, but after telling him no countless of times, he began to wonder whether he had been the one forcing her to deal with him. And though that was his original plan, he wanted Liliana falling for him to be her own choice. And in the end, it wasn't her choice, or else she wouldn't have left... right?
Shaking his head and groaning, Frantz felt his brain become heavy as he tried to decipher every sign that Liliana ever sent his way. Frantz was so caught up in his mind that he didn't realize Armagio had approached him with a phone call.
"This is Cavalier." Frantz greeted as he took the phone from Armagio and brought it to his ear.
"Hello Mr. Cavalier, this is deputy Charles, I am calling you to inform you that the prisoner Carlos Gonzalez has escaped police custody while in transit to the state prison." The deputy replied, and in that moment, Frantz felt his blood run cold. Liliana.
Liliana sighed as she plopped down on her couch, proud of her accomplishments for the day, when her phone rang. Realizing that it was her parents, Liliana answered "hey mom!"
"Liliana! Liliana help! Lilia-" She heard her mother's panicked screams, before her words cut away with a painful cry.
"Mom? Mom what's going on?" Liliana sat up quickly, her stress levels spiking up as quick as her heartbeat and the heat that suddenly enveloped her head, but that heat would soon fizzle out, when her skin crawled, her blood instantly freezing in her veins when she heard his voice, "Hello Liliana. I'm sorry but your parents are a little... busy at the moment, and can't come to the phone, but I can take a message."