I got out of the cab and stood in front of the 'so' called venue where Xavier's birthday party was going to be held.
I was holding onto my heels and handbag in one hand and the bouquet of roses in the other. I wasn't even paying attention to all the fairy lights covering the area as I just went forward.
The party was being organised in the garden. Liya's garden.
As soon as I entered I met with Henry, Max and Brian who were blowing some balloons.
"Oh my god." Max said coming forward, "Here we haven't even completed the decorations and she is coming dressed up."
"She didn't know that we were arranging a party." Henry shook his head, "I gave her a call and called her. Of course, she came dressed up, you idiot."
"Good thing you weren't here, Serene." Brian muttered putting up a balloon, "Liya has been treating us as slaves for a few hours now. Why do we have to be slaves for her fiancé's birthday? Evie should learn something from her though... she just smashes cake on my face on my special day."
"I agree. Evelyn should be a little kinder." Max nodded.
Brian stopped what he was doing and glared at Max, "What are you trying to say? That she isn't kind?"
"I was j-"
"No. How dare you say Evie isn't kind. Come here," he ran after Max as Max kept on telling him that he didn't mean it.
Henry was laughing at the two of them until his eyes settled on me.
"What's wrong?" He asked, "You have been acting strange since I gave you the call. Is everything alright?"
"I need to see Alec," I mumbled.
I need to make sure with my own eyes that he was here. What if... he wasn't? What if he went to the date and doesn't find me? I need to see him.
I walked along the green spiked grass with bare feet. My eyes were straight ahead, without even looking around.
I stopped in my tracks when I saw her coming. Her face lit up as soon as she saw me,
"Serene! I have been trying your phone for a while now! It always went to the voicemail." She said.
I looked up at her through my lashes and didn't even twitch as she continued speaking, "I was about to invite you to Xavier's birthday party."
"Perhaps, I didn't pick up your call on purpose," I stated without any emotions in my voice.
Her mouth opened as she seemed at a loss for words. It hurt, didn't it? Imagine how hurt I was when I realised that you took my boyfriend away from me on my very first date. I sighed through my nose,
"Is Alec here?"
She nodded her head silently before pointing around the corner. I walked in the direction she pointed. Around the corner, as she had promised I saw him.
I sucked in a deep breath as I finally felt my heartbreaking. Until now, I was hoping it wasn't true but now seeing him in front of my eyes... there was no doubt that it was him.
I walked slowly towards him as I watched him adjusting the 'happy birthday' sign. He took a few steps backs to check it out from afar when he stepped on my feet.
He stumbled a little before quickly stepping away and apologising before turning around to face me.
The time had stopped as I watched him look at me without blinking and in confusion. His eyes travelled down to my bare feet and the heels in my hands.
"You are hurt." He stepped forward to inspect my feet where he had stepped on them. Ironically, it didn't hurt at all though. Not as much as it was hurting inside.
I took a step away from him as soon as he tried to approach me. There was a quizzical look on his face as he went back to stand straight.
"Why aren't you letting me? Why are you barefoot? What are you doing here? We have a date." He said firing me with all the questions one after another.
"Perhaps, I should be the one with questions, don't you think?" I said.
We have a date. He said. And yet he was here after getting a call from Liya. He was the one who stood me up and he wants to know what I was doing here when we had a date?
"You are such a douche." I shook my head at him while stepping back when he couldn't deem to figure out what was wrong.
I could see him taken aback, "What did I do?"
My eyes widened as I threw my hands in the air, "What did you do? Do you really have no idea or are you trying to act naive?! I am so done with you, Alec! I am so done with your games!"
I was finally losing it. I knew I was gonna explode but I needed to for my mental stability.
"What games?! I am not playing any games! What are you talking about?" His voice was starting to get loud.
I can get louder. I deserve to. Because I cannot keep it in anymore.
"YOU STOOD ME UP ON OUR FIRST DATE! AND NO..." I shook my head laughing with tears in my eyes, "DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO DENY IT. I WAITED LIKE A FOOL FOR YOU. I BOUGHT YOU ROSES LIKE A FOOL IN LOVE WITH YOU." His eyes slid to the roses in my hands. I threw them on the floor in front of him. I looked at his face as I stepped on the roses and crushed them beneath my barefoot. I could see him begging me not to do it. Asking me, why was I doing it, "I.." I could feel my voice breaking because of all the emotions clenching up in my throat, "I...I WAITED ONLY TO KNOW FROM OTHERS THAT YOU WERE PREPARING FOR A BIRTHDAY PARTY. A party where Liya called you and you went without even second thoughts about your date. DO YOU SEE WHAT THAT MAKES ME? YOU HAVE TURNED ME INTO A JOKE, ALEC. A laughing stock."
I was too angry to cry. But too broken to not shed tears.
On the other hand, Alec seemed too shocked to comprehend what was going on. When the reality finally started to seep into him he started shaking his head at me and taking steps towards me.
"You have got it all wrong, Serene." He pleaded. He looked around hastily, "What is the time? I put an alarm to let me know when it was time. It would have gone off but it didn't! It isn't time yet." He shook his head in denial before searching his pockets for his phone.
He took the phone out hurriedly before checking his phone. He pressed the buttons and tapped his phone a couple of times before cursing out loud.
"IT'S DEAD." He yelled before looking at me. His eyes softened as he tried to hold my face in between his hands but I stepped back.
"Don't even think,"
"Serene, I didn't mean to. Trust me."
"DOESN'T MATTER!" I yelled, "DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT YOU STOOD ME UP."
"I didn't mean to." He kept repeating and looked down on the grass, "I had time so I came to help. I put an alarm on my phone to remind me of the time but it never went off. I thought I still had time. I didn't realise."
He didn't realise. His alarm didn't go off. His phone died. I wanted to laugh at his face. The excuses were just perfect. But was I supposed to feel better with them? If anything... I felt worse.
"It was our first date. You shouldn't have gone anywhere. But you did. You should have told me about it. But you didn't. You know why?" I smiled through the pain, "Because of Liya. We are here because of her. You are here because she called you."
He shook his head rapidly. His eyes getting dark, "It was because of Xavier. He is my best friend and I came to help for his birthday."
"Because Liya called you," I repeated.
"Because it was my best friend's birthday!" I could see him getting frustrated.
"And you could have told me about it. But you didn't. Do you know why? Because Liya called you. And you are still in love with her."
I swear I saw his eyes the darkest blue as he gripped onto my arms, "I am not in love with Liya." He gritted through his teeth.
I tried to free my arms as I held my head up high, "You are. You wouldn't have stood me up otherwise."
"Why don't you get it?! Why are you so insecure?" He shook me agitated. His face was so close that if he wasn't so frustrated, I would have thought he was about to kiss me.
"BECAUSE OF YOU!" I threw his hands away from me and stepped away. Even his touch felt like poison right now, "You have not done anything to make me believe the other way."
"What do I need to do to make you believe that I am in love with you! That you are the only one!" He walked around agitatedly before staring into my soul, "Do you want me to die for you? Will you trust me then?"
I was silent as my eyes ran all over his face. He took in deep breaths as he looked at me with those tired eyes of his. He was sincere. I could see him. I could feel him. And I trusted him.
"Can you?" I said catching him off guard.
He was at a loss for words. A mocking laugh escaped my mouth before I turned around to leave.
"I can!" He yelled walking behind me as I tried to get away from him, "I will!"
But I didn't stop. I continued walking away from him because... I was not the person to hold on to people. When it starts to hurt, I let go.
Does he love me?
I walked away slowly. I could still feel Alec's presence behind me. I dropped the heels on the ground and feeling no strength in my legsâ continued walking until I was on the main road.
He wasn't behind me anymore. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before a hiccup escaped my mouth.
Am I crying? I wiped the tears and shook my head.
I looked up at the sky. Finally, it's over. And this time... it's for the better.
I walked a few blocks without any sense of direction until I stopped and looked around.
Where was I? Why am I walking aimlessly? Why do I want to continue going nowhere?
I took another step when I felt the need to sit around in a corner. It was already dark. Even the moon wasn't out today. It knew exactly what I needed to let out.
I stumbled around to find a corner.
"Where do you think you are going, bitch?" An ear-piercing voice stopped me.
I was pretty sure I had heard this voice before. Pretty sure, didn't like it the first time either.
I turned around and sighed when I saw the girl I met in the mall. The girl who threatened me to stay away from Alec. The ear-piercing, annoying girl. Is she finally here to let me bang her head against the cemented road?
"You didn't forget me, did you?" She said chewing her chewing gum, "I told you I'd be back." She smirked.
It was then that I noticed them. The three guys with bats-- behind her.
Oh shit.
___