Chapter 42 Lawyer

Chapter 42 Lawyer

Before the shooting incident

"But Levi, I'm still studying. I want to get my license first. You know that this is my dream. That's my promise to mom and dad."

He smiled faintly. This sounds so crazy, I seem to be making fun of him joking with me. I never thought in this situation he would do that. I'm naked in his couch, we just finished, no one else, no ring and whatever.

He groaned. "I'm sorry, I'm just trying my luck, baby."

He seemed embarrassed to bury his face in my neck and I giggled because of that. He was like a child embarrassed by what he had done.

"Before marrying, I want to build my house. My family's dream house. Because that's what dad they fought for before. They spent a lot of time for that." I felt him stiffened.

"The one you drew years ago?"

I turned my neck away from him so that the path of our eyes met.

"Oh, you remember it?"

"Of course, I remember every single thing about you." I narrowed my eyes because of his line.

"Every. Single. Thing."

He looked at my eyes so differently, each time he uttered words seemed to have an even deeper meaning. He licked his lips and his eyes went down to my lips looking at it like some sort of a candy.

"And you always work on that while I'm busy, while you're waiting for me."

He touch the point of my noise with the tip of his index finger.

"Hmmm." I nodded and nodded. He tilted his head and I focused on him because he was about to say something.

"So if that house was built, you'll gonna marry me?"

I looked at him and estimated if he was fooling me.

"Are you serious Levi?"

He avoided the strands of hair that covered my face.

"When was I kidding?"

I was stunned and laughed out loud at what he said. But the truth is that my heart is pounding in my chest.

"If you didn't leave years ago we could have been married."

The emotions in my heart went away and they seemed to be fearlessly kicking my chest just to show what they wanted to happen. Now I realize that he was serious about what he said.

"Maybe if I had a building named after me?"

I laughed and I joked about it, I laughed awkwardly because I didn't know what to answer to him. Because I know that's an impossible thing. I'm not like him who is good in business, smart ... like a very committed CEO of VREC.

So just putting my name in the name of a company or establishment is like a blow to the moon.

"Well, that's easy."

"Huh?"

"VREC was named after you." My forehead furrowed.

This one is just making up stories just to get what he wants.

"VREC? You mean Vida Real Estate Corporation? That doesn't even rang a bell of my name, Levi." I laughed sarcastically.

He bit his lips before answering.

"Mom was so convinced that I'll marry someone to just get the title of VGH. I didn't want that obviously. So I built my own. And it was just months after you left. I just want something that will always remind me of you that's why VREC happened. "

I just looked at him blankly. I still can't get what he means. What's the connection of my name in his story? Is he tired or what?

"Vida in Latin word means life. And your name Ava was derived from the name Eve means source of life or a living one in the Bible."

My eyes turned OO and my mouth went agape, can't even function what he just said. My palm covered my opened mouth. Still can't believe what he said. How can he know that thing when I, the owner of the name, don't know that?

"That's crazy." I said with amusement.

"Unless you want me to change it literally, with your name." I slapped his arm and he laughed at what I did. He returned the sinking of his face to my neck.

"Please baby, let me do the rest. I want to marry you ... I want you here everyday."

He murmured on my neck. It was as if something warm caressed my heart. Little did he know that all my life that's all I wanted too. That he's all I needed in my life.

Me:

Green belt. With Olivia, we're waiting for Justine.

I stared at the screen but he didn't reply. I just hid my cellphone in my bag.

"Gosh, I've never waited for a guy in my entire life! Like what the fvck?"

Olivia's nth time of ranting. We had been waiting for Justine for a while because she said she wanted to come with Olivia and me. He said he has some errands to do in the next few days so he won't have some time to be with me so he took this chance. Olivia goes to the Salon and of course, shopping. I don't have any poetry, I just really want to be with Olivia because she "seems" to contribute to me.

"I'm sorry Olivia, you know he doesn't have a car." They know each other because obviously, we are the same company which is under her mom's provision. Everyone seems to know Olivia and because Olivia is so friendly, she knows everyone. Minutes later Justine arrived. He was just doing car service.

Olivia was kind of different, before she was very angry and irritable but when Justine came she seemed okay. Our first stop was the salon. I find this a good idea since my hair have been through a lot due to my shoots. I just had treatment while Olivia did the same. He also painted but I didn't. I want it to stay black, any color doesn't suit me I just want it natural.

"Girl, I almost thought that was you." Olivia said once sipping her lemon juice, she's from the bathroom and there are foils in her hair.

"Huh?"

She pointed the door. There was a woman standing and turning her back outside. She was blonde, very similar to my hair color these past few weeks. Her complexion is same as mine as well as the posture of my body. I just shrugged and looked back at my cellphone.

I'm texting Lucy, their flight here to the Philippines is open. I'm nervous about what could happen but Levi and I planned it out already. We have already discussed what needs to be done. I'm glad Levi was there to fill all my worries and confusions. Neither of them all, I don't want to hurt anyone. He's right, there's no other way to do all this without getting hurt. Wounds are not healed if there's still a pain to it. No one will heal if everyone remains in the pain of the past.

I finished faster than Olivia, cause I only got some treatment while she had what else to do with her hair. She suggested me to have some hair care but I'm okay. I just greeted Justine in the parlor lounge. He focused on the screen of his cellphone, I immediately grabbed his attention and he hid and immediately turned off his screen.g cellphone.

"Done?" I just nodded.

"I'm sorry Justine if you had to keep up with this. I told you I can just re-schedule."

I told him that I was going for a walk with Olivia today. He insisted that Olivia and I accompany him on our walk today. I glanced again at the door of the salon where we were. To see if the woman you had seen before was still there.

"It's fine. I'm having fun anyway."

I smiled at what he said. Having fun? He almost waited for 3 hours and he's saying he's having fun? Jumping through another store, nothing else happened but Olivia's simple harassment of Justine. Seems like he's got another friend.

"Ugh, you suck Justine! Why can't you just-"

I was shaken by the wrestling of the two. I can't tell if Olivia is angry at the sweetness of her voice and simply making her friend cute. At the last shop I went to, I decided to just wait for them outside. There was a bench in front of that shop so I rested first. Reading the message of Levi, I replied.

Levi: Ava, where are you again?

Me: We've talked about this. I'm in the mall with Olivia and Justine.

"Cy,"

I raised my gaze to the voice coming from. Startled and a little bit nervous, I stood up to match him.

"Mariel?" She's the woman I've seen before. She's stalking me?

"W-why are you ..." He held my hands and his actions became aggressive.

"Cy, it's good that you're alone. I'm afraid they'll drive me away from you again. Cy, help me."

Her eyes were teary looking so desperate and miserable. We would be almost the same if my hair wasn't just black.

"W-why- What happened?"

"They want to kill me Cy, help me."

She repeated and repeated. I held her shoulders and tried to calm her down.

"Calm down, calm down." my condolences.

"They want to kill me, they don't want you to know because-"

A loud bang from somewhere was heard and cutting her from whatever she's saying. She fell into my arms, I saw blood rushing from her body. Somebody shot her, in front of me. Seeing her eyes opened wide and left with unsaid words, full of hope but now in full devastation. He slowly weakened in my hands.

Like the whole world turned slow-mo even people are in a full chaos because of the loud bang. While Mariel and I both wanted to hear her and say what she wanted to say.

Mirage. That's all I think it is. I just saw people fussing as I looked at Mariel in my arms, seemingly alive and sound in her sleep but lifeless. I didn't even notice Olivia and Justine in the crowd surrounding and authorities approaching us.

My eyes are fixed to her. My mind is full of horror and questions, guiltiness and all such. I can no longer compare the cold I feel to her cold body. I just found myself in an ambulance while the authorities demanded my statements.

Out of my mind, I answered their few questions. But apart from personal knowledge I know nothing else. Even though I felt like I was going to fall into a trance, I tried to answer their questions even though my eyes were spinning with the amount that was happening. I can't take it all at once. I am no longer on my own. I excused my self into the man's question athold on to where. I closed my eyes and squeezed the sinus.

"Ma'am, are you all right? Please check ma'am here!"

The man who was interviewing me shouted. I shrugged and convinced him I'm okay. Whenever I close my eyes only the face and only Mariel's eyes I see. The last words he uttered and his pleas for me to help him because someone wanted to kill him. It bothered me all along but I just listened to them Tita Matilda that she was not in the right frame of mind and I ignored her.

She followed me like a scared cat waiting for me to be alone and to notice her. If only I had listened to him first ... I continued to provide answers to their questions. I can't even function the questions on my mind because of dizziness. My whole body was shaking along with the commotion around me.

They closed the mall, Olivia and Justine is nowhere to be found. My phone is on my bag and I can't even bother to check it. In the distant tumultuous cluster a familiar car stopped.

My hopes came up seeing that car, even more so when a man came out of there even though I couldn't see his face very well. But with its posture and posture, wearing it obviously from work, my heart immediately weakened and all the stability I had accumulated before seemed to melt away.

His brooding eyes met mine, his face is obviously showing great anger and worry but it squinted when he saw my eyes. My tears formed in my eyes in just looking at him and waiting for him to reach me. He quickly walked the space between the two of us, the next thing I felt was his warm embrace. He towered over me and his body covered me from all of the worries and scary thoughts of mine. My whole system weakened and I only felt calm because he was already here. I pursed my lips trying not to escape a sob.

His embrace was so tight that I can't even almost breath. My face is buried into his chest and his kisses on the side of my head are endless. Crispy and cheap he released, I could feel the fear in his hug and the anger in his voice. His embrace loosened and his hands made it's way into my face and cupped it. His expression was dark and his eyes were glowing. His jaw was tensed making him look more dangerous, his lips parted as if he wanted to say something but he just buried me back in his chest.

"Her statement is up to that. You'll talk to my lawyer."