Chapter 28

~Alistair~

Getting to know someone who could sense when you were upset was a blessing. When Eliana had showed up unexpectedly at my office the other day, I had been surprised, and I was extremely glad that I was lucky to have someone like her in my life.

Not every woman would apologise for doing something which you felt offended by, they’d rather manipulate you into apologising, even when you did nothing wrong, and they were the ones at fault.

Truly, Eliana was the definition of what a rare gem was. She was different, and I felt bad for getting mad at her in the first place, and during this weekend, I was going to make it up to her. I already had several things planned out, and I was going to ensure we both enjoyed the time we were going to spend together all weekend, to make up for the distance we had suffered over the past week.

Presently, I was in my bedroom, folding the clothes I had selected to wear over the weekend, and arranging them neatly in my suitcase, which was placed on my large bed, that could be comfortable for as much as seven people.

“So, you’re truly going?” I heard Jenny ask, in a low tone.

“Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I?” I retorted.

She shrugged, leaving the door where she had been standing at all this while, watching me pack, and walked to where I bent over, folding my clothes.

“It’s just... I thought you were mad at her,” She said.

“I was, but it was all a misunderstanding. We’re good now. Thanks for your concern,” I said, moving over to my closet, to pick a shirt, from the hanger, which I had forgotten.

“Aren’t you packing a lot of clothes for just two days?” She asked.

“I’m hoping she’d agree to stay longer than just two days,” I replied.

“So, that’s it then?” She inquired.

“What’s what? I don’t like how you’re beginning to sound, Jenny,” I told her.

“How am I beginning to sound?” She retorted.

“You’re beginning to sound like you’re not happy about any of this,” I replied, and started zipping up the suitcase, making sure first that I wasn’t leaving anything behind, by looking around the bedroom.

“You’re not far from correct, Alistair. Why should I be happy about this? One minute, you’re angry about what she's been doing. The next, you’re being all excited about spending all weekend with her. I wonder what she said to make you stop feeling so annoyed,” Jenny said.

I rolled my eyes, already so tired of listening to what she had to say. “You should feel great about my happiness,” I said.

“Not if it will eventually destroy you. Eliana has you wrapped her little finger, and as long as you keep believing all she has to say, she will continue to be the one calling the shots in your relationship,” She said.

“Seriously, Jenny? What exactly is your problem? What? All this just sounds like you’re trying to come in between Eliana and me,” I accused.

She scoffed. “And why exactly would I try to do that? You know what the problem is? We’ve grown too apart, and that is the reason you can’t tell what I can do, and what I can not do, even if a gun laced with silver bullet was pointed at my head,” She said, in a firm tone, almost at the top of her voice.

“If we have grown apart, you know very well that it isn’t any of my fault. You are the one who started acting all strange, and being someone I can not even recognise anymore, and if things changed between us, and we’ve fallen apart, it’s on you,” I said, looking her right in the eye.

She heaved a sigh, and slowly, she walked closer to where I stood, pissed as fuck. “If I have done something wrong, and that has caused things to change badly between us, I don’t mind making it up to you,” She said, tracing her fingers seductively on my arm.

“What are you trying to do?” I asked, taken aback.

“You know what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to get things back to the way they used to me,” Jenny responded.

I shoved her hand off my skin, and growled at her, in irritation. “This is not the method you should use if you want things to be the way they used to be,” I said.

“What method do you think I should use, then? Should I lie naked in your bed? Should I get a love potion from a witch?” She asked.

“It’s sickening, and utterly disgusting, that you do not even miss our friendship. All you miss is just the sex we used to have, and I hate to break it to you, but I am not a cheat. I love someone, and I will never do anything to hurt her, do you get that?” I asked, giving her a distasteful look.

“I don’t get it, Alistair. What’s so special about this human that you just changed towards me?” She asked, on the verge of breaking into tears.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I just love her, and I’m sorry, but she’s the only one I want,” I told her.

“You used to want me,” She said.

“We were friends, and we also did things with each other, but we were never in a relationship. You used to go out on dates, have sex with other guys, and I never for once complained. That’s because I understood that we were just friends, so, I don’t get why you can’t understand me as well. Just be happy for me, and stop trying to sabotage my relationship, please,” I said, pleading with her.

She looked at me with watery eyes, then reached out a hand to my face, leaning closer to me. Slowly, she brought her lips forward, and made an attempt to kiss me, but I flinched, pushing her off balance.

“Alistair,” She called.

“I will never do anything to hurt, Eliana. I’m sorry. Please, just try to move on,” I said, and grabbing my suitcase and my keys, I began to leave my bedroom.

“That’s right. Walk away!” She screamed behind me.

When I didn’t give her any response, she yelled out loud, “You won’t do anything to hurt Eliana, right? I bet she wouldn’t even think twice about running back into the arms of her old lover.”

I stopped right in my tracks, getting really annoyed.

Jenny laughed hysterically. “What do you think? You think she has just been helping her little wolf lover boy to adjust? You think she’s just been helping him settle down? Is that what you think? Maybe she truly does go with him to the hospital, except that she is the doctor, and she’s treating him...treating him of celibacy, since he already has the symptom of being without sex for a very long time. Do you want to know what the remedy is?” She asked rhetorically.

I was literally boiling in anger. “Jenny, watch what you say next!” I screamed, in a loud voice.

“The remedy is giving him sex, which he has been deprived of for so long,” She concluded.

I turned back at her immediately, and grabbed her by the neck, with my eyes glowing red, choking the very life out of her.

“What now? Are you just going to kill me? You know that it’s not my fault that she’d like to start from where they stopped ten years ago, right? They were having sex in the car, that’s what Sam told me. Isn’t it only proper that she continues from where she left off?” She asked, still laughing through the pain.

“I’d kill you right now, but it would be of no use to me. Your life isn’t useful, Jenny. Whatever we had... the friendship we shared... everything is over. You’re good at your job, so, I’ll let you keep it, but if you ever say a word against Eliana in your miserable life, I’ll cut all ties with you, and I’ll make your life a complete living nightmare,” I threatened, and released her from my hold, sending her crashing to the floor.

Even as she lay there, she kept on laughing hysterically, and it was then I came to the conclusion that she was out of her mind, and that there was no remedy for her anymore.

“I don’t want to see you here by the time I get back,” I said, and casting one final glance at her, I walked out of my bedroom, with my suitcase in hand, playing with my car keys, and trying to keep my mind away from thinking about how I had just dissolved a friendship that I thought would last for all eternity.

I was to pick up Eliana from her house, and thanks to Jenny, who had unfortunately decided to delay me with her childish behaviour, I was running late. Eliana was usually the late one, and not me. I always made it a thing to arrive at wherever I was going as early as I could.

When I pulled over in front of Eliana’s gate, one of the security guards came over, asking me to drive in, unlike the time when they hadn’t known who I was, and would just leave me outside.

I declined their kind gesture politely, telling them I was going to leave soon anyway, and didn’t want to stress them out by opening the gates for me, only to reopen them minutes later.

When I was close to her house, I had called Eliana to inform her that I was almost at her place, and she had said she was going to be outside any minute from the time I had given her a call.

I rested slightly against my car, as I waited intently on her to show up, so that we could leave immediately to spend quality time with each other. Ever since she had showed up at my office to talk to me about her plan to visit her family’s lake house with me, all I could think about was how much time I was going to spend with her all through the weekend.

I sensed her presence, and it brought a smile to my face, and soon, she was standing right in front of me, wearing white trousers, and a lilac blouse. She wore white sandals, and carried a black backpack on her shoulders.

“How are you doing?” I asked, wearing a smile.

“As you can see, I’m doing just fine. How about you?” She asked, smiling broadly, looking very happy to see me.

“I’m good. I’m just worried about your backpack,” I said.

“I know, right? Even the maid, Jane, said that the stuff I was carrying was too much for just two days,” She said, scratching her hair mildly.

“What? Too much? I meant that it looked too small. I mean, you’re not really thinking of spending just two days with me, are you?” I asked, gazing deep into her eyes.

I heard her heart flutter. “Um... I... that’s why I packed so much, hoping that we’ll get to spend more than two days with each other,” She said.

“Again, what you packed isn’t much at all. You should see mine,” I said.

“Why? Did you bring a whole suitcase?” She asked.

I swallowed hard, wondering how she had perfectly guessed it. “Well, I guess you’ll have to see for yourself,” I told her, clearing my throat.

“I don’t see your driver,” She noted, looking around.

“This weekend, it’s just going to be me and you, there’ll be no third party,” I said.

She arched her brows, frowning for the very first time since I had known her. “It will be just both of us, and we’ll be far from home. Let’s say you want to drive, what is the reason for you not coming along with a security guard? You’d have, at least, brought along just one security guard. I guess I’d have to bring along one of my own,” She said.

“Trust me, Eliana. I could beat up ten hefty men if I wanted to. We don’t need any security guard. I’ll protect you, okay?” I told her, reassuringly, with my hands placed on her shoulders.

“Okay, then,” She said.

“Now, put on a smile. I’m not used to seeing you frown, plus it doesn’t suit you,” I said.

A broad smile became plastered on her face, as soon as I had uttered this words.

“Good girl. Now, are you fully awake?” I asked.

“Yeah, sure,” She replied.

“Good, because you’d be driving us to the lake house. I don’t know my way there, and I’m also feeling a little bit dizzy,” I said, and threw the car keys in her direction, which she caught, making me impressed by her actions once again.

“Ali...Alistair,” She stuttered, and I could see that she was visibly shivering.

“What is it? Are you not feeling well? Is something wrong?” I asked, touching her neck, to ascertain if she was coming down with a fever.

“I... Alistair, I can’t... I can’t drive,” She explained, with a shaky voice, as her lips quaked, with her entire body trembling.

“Weren’t you the one driving on the day of the accident ten years ago?” I asked, shocked to the bone, on seeing the state she was in.

“Yes, I was the one, but...but since...since then, I’ve not been able to...to drive,” She stuttered.

“Oh my goodness. I had no idea,” I said.

“If I just get into the car, once...once my hands touch that steering wheel...all... all I see, Alistair is this giant man-beast standing in front of the car, and tossing us up in the air, and throwing us back down. Alistair...I...,” She couldn’t speak anymore, and began to hyperventilate.

“Hey, try to breathe slowly, okay?”

She nodded her head, gently, and slowly, she began to inhale and exhale, till her breathing became normal.

I took her in my arms, hugging her tightly. “That beast is dead now and will never show up in front of you ever again. You’re safe now, there’s nothing to worry about,” I said, patting her hair.

She nodded gently, still shaking a little, and snuggling closer to me.

When I had first met her, she had behaved this exact way after her driver had left her stranded, and she had just sat in front of her steering wheel, looking clueless. I had never imagined that it was because she had a phobia for driving, and had thought she was only unable to drive after just visiting the cemetery. The accident from ten years ago had broken Eliana in more ways than one, and it was up to me to fix her again.

“I’ll never ask you to drive again. I’ll even be your personal driver if you want me to,” I said, trying to be of comfort to her.

She chuckled lightly. “Who are you trying to deceive?” She asked.

“I’m serious, you know,” I said, giving her a small peck on her forehead.

“Thank you,” She said, seconds later.

“For?”

“For making me feel better,” She replied.

It was surprising how anyone could possibly think that Eliana was capable of hurting a fly. Someone who still held on to the guilt that tugged at her heart for a whole decade, even though she obviously had nothing to do with what had befallen her friends, could never think of doing anything to cause me harm.

For the fact that I had even once thought deeply about the accusations Jenny laid against her, I owed her every apology, and it was now my duty to make it up to her. Silently in my heart, I vowed to make it up to Eliana during the time we spent in her family’s lake house.