Chapter 5

Angelic
Natasha walked in front of me and showed me her newly painted red nails. “What do
you think?” she asked, a smile curled on her lips while looking at her long fingernails.
“It’s nice…” was all I said. I felt like my soul left my body for a moment. I was busy
thinking about the embarrassing thing that I just did to Lacoste’s house.
That was ridiculous!
Was I that desperate?
Why did I thought of meeting up with Owen in his house? And to add that I judged him
too easily. Thinking about baby Emily, I pouted. So that wasn’t his baby, huh? That was
his younger sister. Well, I didn’t know alright! The baby doesn’t look like him.
“Hey!” Natasha snapped me back to reality as she sat on the teacher’s table in front of
me. “What are you thinking?” she asked, her small eyes squinting at me.
I raised an eyebrow. “Nothing.”
Then, I cleared my throat and grab a bottle of water to loosen up myself.
Natasha doesn’t seem convinced. “Did you and Zachary fought?”
“Huh?”
“Angelic Cruella Patterson!”
I jump on my seat and look around when Zachary yelled my full name. My cheeks
flushed because of what he did, and if it was any other boy in class, he would be
disciplined right away. But this is Zachary Herren we were talking about.
“Oh! Speaking of the devil,” Natasha grins ear to ear and nodded at me. “What did you
do to her? She has this face telling me you’re giving her a head ache again!” Natasha
said like Zach is her own son.
“Huh? I didn’t do anything!” Zach mused, but Natasha continues. “Really?”
“Of course! I’ve been very good to my fiancée,” Zach said the last word with a grin in his
face and cupped my chin, planting a small kiss. I push him off and glare.
Owen told me that there was a possibility the participants were now practicing for the
racing. And Zachary wasn’t telling me about it. I knew it the moment there was a
conspiration going on between him and Matthew when they went out every night. I
asked the Herren’s gardener, and he confirmed Zach was sneaking out and join in
Matthew’s car.
I hate that he didn’t tell me.
“Where did you go last night, Zach?” I asked casually. Too casual to think that
Natasha’s high-puckered eyebrow doesn’t raise. She stared at her newly painted
fingernails, smiling.
“Hmm. I sleep at nine, like what you told me.” Zachary smirked and he expects a
reaction from me, but my face is expressionless. I gave him a cold stare. “Good boy,” I
whispered and grab my things, not wanting to throw tantrums in front of them.
“Hey, where are you going!” Zach shouted.
“Leave her alone, Zach. It’s the time of the month.”
“Oh.” I didn’t turn around to see Natasha’s suspicious eyes on me. She may be all too
girly and doesn’t give a fuck about others, but when it comes to me, she knew. She
wanted to, at least.
My phone beeped when I arrived in our mansion. I slid it out from my maroon school
skirt and saw Owen’s number. Well, I put a name Gwen instead of Owen.
Gwen:
I found out new information.
My eyebrows raised. So I typed on my screen.
Me:
What is it?
Gwen:
Come over to know.
I heaved a deep sigh. I don’t think I can go back there after what happened. Really? A
dinner, Angelic? I realized it was too unprofessional and too intimate. He made it clear
to me. He hates me. He doesn’t like me – us. We bullied his best friend that I know his
name now, Jake.
And now he wants me to come over? I couldn’t help but to roll my eyes. Fine. That was
the safest place I knew, though. In the end, I replied a yes and wait for me. My heart
started thrumming on my chest as the scene reiterated in my mine like an alarm clock.
But then I was reminded back with my agenda.
I need to stop my boyfriend from attending this Vaulter.
***
Elias, my chaperone, parked the Jeep Wrangler in the church’s parking lot. He looks at
me weirdly, and I know he’s been dying to ask why the hell do I always go to church.
“Miss, you became too religious. I’m very sure your mom would be proud of you.”
I grin at Elias. He didn’t know what I’m up to.
“Tell her about it, then. Bye!” I shouted when I closed the door. I stand and waited for
him to drive out the parking lot, but he rolled the window down and peeked his head.
“When will I pick you up?”
“I’ll text you,” I said while showing him my cellphone. He nodded and beeped before the
Jeep get out of my sight. Heaving a deep sigh, I went inside the church and pray. It’s
not Sunday, the Sabbath day, yet I was here in the middle of a hot afternoon in
Saturday.
After praying and talking to God, I make a sign of the cross and look around to see if
there is someone spying on me. When I feel the coast is clear, I hurried towards the
back gate of the church that leads to the Lacoste’s apartment.
People doesn’t seem to recognize me, and that’s a relief.
When I arrived on the front porch, I walk to the stairs beside the first floor apartment,
leading to the second-floor, then I knocked thrice. Owen will know it was me. And when
I turn the doorknob, I raised an eyebrow.
“Why was it open?”
As if déjà vu, I step back and grab my phone. My brows furrowed while I type a
message.
Me:
Tell me if you have your women again in your house so we’ll resched the meeting!
It took him a minute to reply. This man! He let me waited outside!
Gwen:
Don’t have. Come in.
Rolling my eyes, I slid back my phone in my jeans pocket and push the door a little bit
aggressive. Then, I did my usual routine. I get the pair of slippers on the shoe rack and
slid it on. Put my shoes beside of theirs, and walked towards the living room. Owen’s
house is small. The kitchen is connected to the living room, but you could tell that it’s
not bad.
It’s clean, at least.
I gasped when I saw a shirtless Owen in front of me. “What the hell!” I blurted out
without thinking and turn around so that I won’t see the dashing and model-like body
built.
I heard a sinister laugh. “What’s wrong, Angelic?”
“Put on a damn clothes, Lacoste!”
“Why?” his voice was irritatingly husky, as if he just came out from sleep. Really, husky?
What the hell, Angelic?
“Just do it!”
“You can’t dictate me inside of my house, Patterson.”
I gasped again when he mentioned the last word. “Fine!” I said, and slowly turn around
to see him walking casually. The firm muscles of his back flexes when he put the mug
on the sink, and when he turn around, he leaned on it and gazes on my body.
“You’re five minutes late,” he whispered, locking his eyes with me.
“I talked to God too much. Overtime.” I shrugged, and he laughed as if I just made a
joke in front of him. I’m not!
“So, Lacoste. Are you alone?” I asked, darting my eyes around the house. The door of
his room swung open, but the lights were off so I wouldn’t know if there are women
hiding on his bed sheets. It’s not that I’m jealous – for God’s sake.
What I am feeling is a pang of disrespect and loathe. I hate those women. Hussies. If
Owen would bring women in his house, it doesn’t matter to me as long as I’m not here.
After all, this is his house, which, I don’t have control of.
It felt disrespectful that he wasn’t taking our meeting seriously. I have to admit.
Owen cleared his throat. “Yeah. My mom took baby Emily out for fresh air.”
“Hmmm?” I said, walking towards his room but he took my wrist up above my head. I
saw glint of irritation in his eyes. “What are you doing?”
“I was trying to check your room if there is – “
“When I told you I’m alone, Angelic. I definitely am, not until you came here, of course.”
We shared a look for merely ten seconds, before I heaved a deep sigh and shrugged.
“Good. Let’s start the meeting, then.”
I heard a mocking laugh behind him. So I turn around and cocked my eyebrow. “What?”
“Nothing,” he grins and pull the plastic chair on the kitchen and playfully bow down his
head and said, “my lady,” he whispered but I know it was to make fun of me. Instead, I
pull out the other chair and sat there, giving him a hard look. “I can sit on my own.”
He shrugged and continue to get the chair, only this time he turn it around and sat there,
making the back portion of the chair faced me. And God, why did I find that gesture hot?
I needed to make this meeting fast.
I glanced at Owen when he has this playful smirk on his face. His elbows rested on the
arm of the chair while looking at me annoyingly. What’s so funny with my face?
To distract myself, I grab my iPad on my tote bag and skim around the details that he
told me when I went here the first time. If he expects a dinner of me, I’m sorry but I have
to decline him.
The air is thick, and I had to do this fast. “What information did you get?”
“Oh, I told you that?” he asked, and I saw him pressing a thin line on his lips when I
glared. “You told me you have new infos, and that I have to come over. You think this is
a joke, Owen?”
“Chill. I was trying to relax you out. You look stiff.”
I look away. He noticed that?
I heard him sigh beside me, still in that sitting position. “Well, what do you want to know
first? The bad news or the good news?”
“Good news,” I answered.
He leaned on the table and looks at me intently, like he was searching for my soul. “The
good news…” he trailed off and I saw how his eyes darted on my lips in a split second
before bringing it back to my eyes. “is that your boyfriend got injured during the practice
–“
“What?!” I shrieked, jumping on my seat and he hold my arm to put me back on my
place. “How does that make a good news, Owen!”
He shut his eyes because my voice was too loud. “He got injured so he won’t be in the
practice session, alright! Isn’t that good?”
My jaw fell open. He has a point, but that doesn’t make it a good news. “I have to go
now!” I need to check him up. If what Owen said is true, then Zach might have got the
injury yesterday night. And I haven’t talked to him last night because I was too busy
studying all day!
Owen’s smile wept off and replaced with a grim look. His face is cold, and I wouldn’t
know the expression he was telling me. “You just got here…” he whispered.
I ignored him, but he insisted. “Let’s have dinner first,” he said.
“Thanks, but this is more important.”
“Why don’t you call him and check him up right now?”
“I want it in person, Owen. How about we’ll just talk in call? Or you can just text me the
new information you got – “
“I want it in person, too, Angelic.” If I didn’t know him, I would say that he’s pouting and
needed to be petted, that he was giving me affection, or worse, he is jealous. But I know
him, and he is certainly not the type of guy who would do such things.
“I can’t,” I said. Slipping on my converse sneakers back, I smiled at Owen. “How about I
make dinner to you to our next meeting?”
His jaw clenched when I saw him looked away. He is still in that sitting position, but I
saw his shoulders squared. His whole body tensed, and I almost forgot that he’s still
shirtless.
“Fine,” he said and sighed. “Wait for me. I’ll take you home.”
“No, it’s okay – “ But he doesn’t need to be dictated, especially when I’m in his house. I
saw Owen going in to his room and turn on the lights. I could clearly see that there is no
women inside, just like what he had told me a while ago, and saw him slipping on a
white t-shirt.
He closed the door and jiggle the keys on his hand. “Let’s go,” he said but I clutch his
arm and sighed. “I’m serious. It’s okay. You don’t have to – “
“What did I tell you, Angelic?” He doesn’t want to get dictated, but I was stubborn, too.
“Owen, m-my parents doesn’t know about this. Did you forgot?” I saw how his face
turned sour. Great. I insulted him again. For all I know, he’s going to judge me. He will
tell me not to come back in his house if he is not welcome in my property. But he
doesn’t say anything aside from, “I’ll take you home.”
He is eager to take me home with his motorbike. “Oh, no, no, you’ve got to be kidding
me,” I whispered, biting my lower lip while looking at him extending his arm to give me
the helmet. It was color pink, and I loved pink. Wait – what?
“Come on. What if Zach’s in a critical situation?” They would’ve call me if that’s the
case, I thought. But I don’t want to ruin his mood. So I sighed and hopped on the bike.
When I jump on his bike, I tighten my grip on the side handle. “Just take me to the
church, Owen.”
He nodded and do what I’ve said. Days passed by after that, and I couldn’t stop thinking
about how he got tamed when it involves with my family and my boyfriend. That’s when
I realized he was being professional with me. He doesn’t want to touch my private life,
and he offered help when I needed him. He respects that I have a boyfriend. It amused
me. To think that if it would be any other boys, they would’ve flirted me and took
advantage, especially we were alone inside a house.
“Love!” Zachary kissed my cheek one time when we were in our usual place. I leaned
on his car door when his lips touch my ears, to my neck, to my collarbone, and when he
started kneading my chest, I chuckled and push him. “Stop it!”
He laugh and draped his arm possessively on the small back of my waist. Looking
around, I saw a familiar face. It was Jake. And it only take two seconds for Owen to
appear in my sight.
They were lucky Matthew wasn’t here. That guy is a living alarm clock because he will
start whistling and playing his handkerchief when he radars the outsiders – the students
of Thornhill High.
Damn it. What are they doing here? I thought they already learned their lesson? I
tensed, and Zachary noticed where I was looking at and followed my gaze. Natasha
was busy telling me about this transferee model who has the latest and exclusive bag
she was been eyeing a month ago, yet the transferee has it!
Luckily, Zachary didn’t notice Owen and his friend, Jake, isn’t here because they
disappeared on the crowd.
“Zach,” my voice utter coldness.
I stomped his feet and he screamed in pain.
“Angelic!” Natasha said because of what I did.
I saw Zach’s heavy breathing when I stomped his feet the second time. “Does it hurt?” I
asked him, raising an eyebrow. He got his feet injured because my boyfriend was too
much of an actor that even Taylor Swift thinks he deserves an Oscar award. I had to
text Owen what part of Zach’s body got injured because Zach wouldn’t tell me.
I was angry, alright!
“What did you do to him?” Natasha was worried because Zach keep on muttering
curses as he keep on jumping like a motherfucking kangaroo. People were eyeing him
and laughing behind his back.
Crossing my arms on my chest, I cocked an eyebrow at Natasha. “He deserves it.”
“What? I don’t get it!”
“Zach, explain what’s happening!” Zach was too stunned to speak when he saw the
flicker of annoyance in my face. He knows that I knew. “I’m sorry, Angelic,” he
whispered.
“Why didn’t you tell me you’re practicing for the Vaulter?”
“Vaulter? The racing contest? You really signed up to that trashy contest, Zach?”
Natasha asked. It irks my skin because the way she said it seems like she was the
concerned girlfriend here! Or was I too delusional?
“Of course, he does,” I answered Natasha. “He is too stubborn and hungry for
recognition. He thinks he can win.” Owen told me there’s no chance Zachary will win. I
never doubted his calculations.
“How did you know I joined the contest?” Zach asked, and I just raised an eyebrow. For
a moment, when he cursed, I thought he knew about my set-up with Owen, but when he
mentioned Matthew’s name, I sighed in relief.
“Damn it, Matthew! That bastard couldn’t keep his mouth shut!”
“That’s not the problem here, Zach! You fooled me! Lied to me!” I yelled and it garners
too much attention. It took me a minute to walk out from the scene. I keep on walking
wherever my feet would take me until I stop when I felt chills spreading on my back.
In a familiar dark blue school uniform, I saw Owen leaning on the wall beside our
building. He was looking at me intently, and the look on his face was dark. So dark I’m
afraid I will get lost once I let myself dive in there.
His biceps protruded when he crossed his arms on his chest while he looks at me. I
made it clear to him that we’re not going to see each other in person, let alone interact
like we know each other when we bump ourselves. He understands my assignment, but
I don’t think I am…
“Owe – “ I stop myself when he looks away and stand straight and tall when his
girlfriend arrives. A blonde? A girl with the same polo shirt and skirt with me appears in
front of him, and he nodded at me dismissively.
He heard me? I wanted to laugh. Fine, then! I don’t expect him to greet me, either! What
am I even doing here? The blonde smiled at him and the way she tuck her hair irritates
me. That’s when I saw her bag – the one Natasha was dying to tell me she wanted to
get a new one, too.
It’s his girlfriend.
He grab the few things the girl was holding and I saw how the girl giggles when Owen
put it on the trunk of an Aston Martin.
The scene made my stomach twisted in knots.