CHAPTER TWO

"Are you going to fire me?" Luay asked with a deep frown.

"Not yet. But I'm suspending you!" His boss, Jokovich had said sternly. And that was indefinite.

The words kept replaying in his head and that's how he found himself taking a mandatory trip to Oklahoma. If someone had told him two nights ago that he'd be visiting his sister at Grady Gulch, he'd laugh and say something like "Sidney is fine without me" but now it happened, he felt stupid to even think of staying back at New York.

His last project was an epic failure. He was the one who constructed the designs for the famous art gallery at New York that had collapsed and claimed a life. His life as an architect was literally over.

At the time of the collapse, he was at a gun practice range trying to get his broken heart fixed again. He was going to find some whore later, pay her good money, have sex with her all night, and when he was done, he'd go back to being single again but the news that reached him broke more than just his heart.

It tore him apart.

He rushed to the hospital and his victim had been a twelve year old boy. How devastating.

Now, he was on a long mandatory vacation to pick himself up.

----------------------------------------------------

Sidney Lauren was so happy when she heard that her baby brother was coming to town but it broke her heart after knowing the reason why.

Her husband, Cole and her son, Matt tried to cheer her by decorating the house to welcome Luay but she knew even Luay wouldn't be pleased. He'd be as broken as ever.

The doorbell finally rang. "Uncle is here!" Matt shouted with glee as he raced to the door and when it opened, he flew into the warm hands of his prodigal uncle who had left him seven years ago when he was just three.

"Omigod, Lu." Sidney rushed to her brother and they hugged for a long time. She kissed him on the forehead and let out an excited laughter. "Matt and Cole decorated the place. I told them you'll hate it"

Luay laughed as he looked at the cute fluttering eyes of his nephew "Don't mind your mommy. I love it" he said barely looking at the design.

"Luay!" Cole came over and he hugged his brother-in-law briefly patting him on the back. "Look at how tall and handsome you've grown" he commented as he ushered him into their large living room.

"Happy to see you Cole. You are not looking bad either. And you too Sid." He said to his sister and she nodded.

After getting him settled in the large guest room she prepared for him, they went to the dining room to eat.

"How is school champ?" Luay asked his happy-jumpy-nephew.

"I won a gold medal at the school race" the little boy said, happily bragging to his uncle who had won nothing but dismissal from work.

"Wonderful!" Luay exclaimed

"Bragging rights" Sidney rolled her eyes "He wears it anytime he is going to bed" she teased.

"It’s not my fault. Bobby always tells me that he'll take it away from me anytime I go to sleep" Matt said innocently, clutching something tight to his chest beneath his vest.

"Omigod. Matt, do you have it on again?" She eyed him.

"I can't help it mom." He clutched it tighter.

"Okay champ, don't fret. Your uncle is here now. If Bobby comes, I'll stop him" Luay said touching Matt's shoulder in assurance.

"I already tried that" Cole said from across the table.

"See..." Luay smiled "you have two strong bodyguards now" and everybody laughed. Matt shook his head and ate happily.

"I'll keep it in my drawer before I go to sleep" he said with a promising tone.

Sidney looked at her brother. She was happy that he was trying to stay cheerful in the presence of her family even though he was tearing up really bad on the inside.

When Matt finished, Cole took him to bed leaving Sidney and her brother to talk.

"I know it’s hard for you to come here. But you can make new friends here, start all over..." She said, her voice filled with empathy.

"I don't want to be any kind of inconvenience..."

"Stop." She halted him "you are family Lu. And family stick together. I know it is hard for you here especially after what you went through last seven years. I'm sorry"

Last seven years, he had come home to find his fiancé, Katherine lying on the bed in the pool of her own blood with a deep slash across her arm. She had killed herself.

That was one of the many disturbing thoughts he had no answers to. She had left him a note saying how messed up she was and how innocent he was and blah, blah, blah.

She overdosed herself with a strong kind of sedative and slashed her wrist. It was a gruesome sight.

He left Grady Gulch to find happiness at New York and maybe, find love which he did.

Three years after Katherine had died, he fell in love with a junior high school teacher, Miss Welch. She was young, positive minded, and was in love with him too but not for long.

She found herself one rich boyfriend from Ohio and broke the news to him the night he was going to propose to her.

And finally, he let go and got involved with an American-Latino and even knowing that her family, were rusty and could be criminals, he still loved her. He didn’t propose to her because he was scared that she might leave him like his two other past love did so, he took it one step at the time only to wake up one morning to find his wallet gone, credit cards gone, even the two hundred dollars wristwatch Sidney had sent to him as a birthday gift was gone and all was left was a note saying

“Dear Luay, Sorry, I need the money not you.

You are very kind and innocent

I pray you find someone good

Yours, Lasha”

INNOCENT? This drove him crazy! Every girl in his life told him he was too kind and innocent and he hated it so he decided to do something guilty. He stormed out of the house to go for gun practice to let off some steam and he promised himself to do something he’d never done before which involved getting wasted at a bar, finding himself down a bottle or finding a whore, pay her what was left on him and take out all his frustrations on her in bed but even at that, he failed.

The very next call he got was from his partner telling him of what a failed architect he was.

Bottom line is, his life was another version of messed up.

"I'll try not to waste away Sid. All I need now is rest" Luay stood to his feet, kissed his sister on the head and headed towards the stairs. When he was on the first stair, he looked back at her "Really? Did I just volunteer to be Matt's medal-guard?" He raised a brow.

Sidney laughed "you did and you are not going to disappoint him"

Luay shrugged and went up the stairs to his room to sleep.

Only if that was easy.

He kept tossing and turning and couldn’t find sleep “You don’t have to be a psych with knife or guns to be a murderer. Even common professional mistakes that took a life makes you a murderer.” He told himself. “What went wrong?” he sat up.

He checked and rechecked, he even supervised to make sure nothing went wrong. What did he leave out? “I bet Brad would be happy now that he has no competition anymore” he shrugged.

Brad was his annoying partner. Though they both worked for the same firm, it felt like they were mortal enemies.

Actually, he didn’t have any problem with Brad, matter of fact, he liked the way Brad handled business and he envied him in a good way. Brad had the best of designs and he took risks which made Jokovich consider him less when it came to national or state constructions. He wouldn’t risk losing his firm to one of Brad’s stupid risks. That’s why he preferred Luay.

Luay on the other hand was cautious and careful. He would check and cross check again to make sure nothing went wrong.

But this time, something was wrong. And it ended his career. He wished he could forget about everything but the media had his name printed on every sheet of the news headline. Who was going to hire him again? And even though he considered starting his own firm, with a reputation like that, he would just end up amounting to nothing and he would starve to death.

He looked at the wall clock and it was already eleven. Grady Gulch would be silent by now; he heaved with nausea.

He should get some rest. Maybe tomorrow, he’ll think of something else.

He didn’t sleep until three in the morning.

******************************************************************************

“Wake up!” Matt jumped on Luay who was still wrapped under the warm sheets of the bed. He could swear he heard his rib crack but who was he to complain? It was almost ten in the morning and he was still snoozing like a baby. Even babies don’t sleep that long anymore.

“Shit!” he rolled in pain and Matt giggled. After figuring out who his attacker was, he tried to take back his swear word but it was too late. The little angel had it stick to his memory. That was how clever he was.

“Oh Matt.” Luay sat up and held the boy in his hands

“Morning Lu.” He punched Luay lightly in the shoulder

“Morning to you to champ” Luay glanced at the clock again “aren’t you supposed to be at school now?”

“I know right? But today, we are going on an excursion to the town library. The school bus picks us up at eleven”

“Is that right?”

“Yes.” Matt smiled gracefully. “Mum said to wake you up. She said you don’t wake up easily and I should do it the hard way. Breakfast is ready”

Luay’s eyes widened in surprise “Your mommy said that?” he touched his chest, the pain was already subtle but the after effect was still ringing in his head.

“Yes she did.”

He remembered how Sidney used to complain of what a terrible sleeper he was and how difficult it was to get him out of bed. This made him laugh a little. His sister was still that crazy town girl he left alone seven years ago. Unlike him, she found positivity in everything even after losing two of her children to a fire accident two years before Matt was conceived.

It had shattered her completely but somehow, she stayed alive and forged on and luckily for her, Cole was a blessing. The two really understood what marriage vows were and they followed it to the core. Asides his parents, they were another good example of true love.

In that subject, he was a failure.

“Okay champ. Tell your mommy I’ll be down in five” But Matt sat unmoved with a sly grin on his face “what now?” Luay was puzzled.

“She said you’ll say ‘I’ll be down in five’ then you’ll go back to sleep. She told me to come down with you and you are to be blamed if I eat a cold breakfast.”

Luay looked at the honest kid with wide eyes. He burst out laughing and quickly jumped out of bed. He washed himself quickly, dressed into something comfortable. Well Sidney can put up with him for now, but not for too long for he wasn’t planning on living in her house for too long. He promised to stay one week and find himself an apartment. He really needed alone time.

“Morning Cole” Luay said as he descended the stairs.

“My man!” Cole said gleefully as Luay approached him.

They shook hands and he turned to Sidney who was grinning up at him. “You know Sid, I should reverse our lives and delete some things from your memory”

“You can do that?” Matt looked up at him with wide eyes.

“He can’t even get out of bed quickly. How could he possibly do that?” everybody laughed and Luay settled at the table to eat. “How was your night?” she whispered to him and he nodded.

“Good” he said. But that was a lie.

They ate quietly for a while before Cole cracked the stretched silence “What do you plan on doing today?” he asked Luay

“I was going to check out the apartment few blocks away. I plan on moving there for the time being”

“You did what?” Sidney’s voice trembled.

“Sid. It’s about me moving on. Moving on is finding a new apartment, a new job, keeping myself busy.”

“You just got here yesterday” her voice rose “you left seven…” her voice broke and she felt tears rose to her eyes. All she wanted was for her family to be complete again. She wanted him close, didn’t he get that? Considering Matt at the table, she chose to steady her voice “You can stay here Lu. and be a part of the family again.”

“I am always part of the family. I just can’t stay here forever”

“Are you leaving again?” Matt’s eyes was glassy with tears as well.

“No champ. I’ll always be around the block”

“You can stay in my room. We can play Pac-man together and other cool video games. There is a lot of space there for the both of us” he could hear plea in Matt’s voice. He missed his little nephew so much and it would be cruel to leave again but it was inevitable. “Mom, he can stay in my room right? I’ll do the dishes, I’ll won’t call Mr. Keven, the Postman a bald-head anymore” his voice trembled as well.

“There is enough room here Luay” Cole’s voice was firm as the man of the house but he could still feel the empathy beneath it.

“Guys…” he croaked

“Okay, take the cabin at the back of the house. Cole and I were going to sell it anyway but you can have it”

“Sid…”

“I’m not going to lose you again Lu. And I mean it” her voice was evidently teary “The cabin is large, it has three bedrooms, a living space, a verandah, a small garden at the back. I did my honey moon in that place!”

This made Luay laugh. “Everybody slept in that cabin on the night of your wedding” he said and that teary eyes of hers soon turned to a light chuckle. Luay had a way of making her laugh. Someone had said it ran in the blood but she had a history of making horrible jokes that made people cry. She had told one to Matt when he was three and he cried for a whole day. Since then, she promised to only sing for him till he understood what ‘Froggy eyes will hug you’ meant.

“I remember when we sent you off, and the moment you left, we took the very next bus here to be with you again” he stopped laughing “it was crazy”

The silence ensued for many seconds when Sidney asked again “So, what do you say?”

Luay rolled his eyes. He could see everyone at the table waiting for the words to roll out of his mouth. ‘This was emotional blackmail’ he thought to himself.

These people loved him, there was no way he could say NO to them.

“Fine. I’ll take the cabin”

“Yes!” Matt jumped out of his seat and gave his father a high five. He could also see that glee in Sidney’s eyes.

“Punk” he heard her say beneath her breath.

“And of course, I’ll play Pac-man with you Matt.”

“Cool” Matt danced happily in his seat.

Sidney smiled within herself. There was no way she was letting anyone ever hurt her Luay again. He had been exposed to the world to quickly that he let himself get hurt by just being too kind.

Wait… “Matt, when did you ever start calling Mr. Keven, the Postman a bald-head?” she turned to her son.

“Oops” he covered his mouth. Just then, the school bus began to hoot from outside. Saved by the bell. “Bye dad, bye mum, bye Lu. School bus is here” she picked his backpack and lunch box then hurried out the door.

It was only a matter of time before Cole stood to his feet too. He was a salesman man who worked for a toy company and he had some toys to sell. “See you guys later” he went over to kiss his wife and he tapped Luay on the shoulder. “We’ll talk later” he said and scurried off.

***

"Eden!" Sara exclaimed as she rushed to the boy who was unloading his art work from the truck.

"Sara. I'm glad you came" he hugged her tightly and kissed her lightly on the cheeks.

"See what I brought you" she showed him the contents of the little blue box she was carrying as she squealed in excitement.

"Oh man!" Eden hugged her again "cookies for me?"

"All for you honey" she was glad to bring them. Eden's eyes shifted from the box to over Sara's shoulder and around.

"She didn't come" Sara said before he uttered them himself.

"I know" he had a disappointed look in his eyes "I just wanted her to see I'm not all that useless"

"She knows." Sara said to cheer him "she is fully aware that you are hardworking. She is just a bitter lady. You know her..." She was trying to make up excuses for Alex but Eden knew that it was a punishment for the last trouble he caused.

He had gone out with some friends, gotten high and they hijacked one of Simon's car and ram it into a street pole. He was lucky to have been caught by Simon himself and not the police.

"Let's get you settled and let's sell these beautiful stuffs" she helped him wheel some of his works to a suitable place and they began to display the paintings.

He had barely displayed one when a man in a well tailored black suit approached him.

"Are you the artist?"

"Yes" Eden stood upright.

"That's him" Sara squealed as she rushed to Eden's side.

The man who seemed like a foreigner and his accent seemed like he was someone from Paris was wowed by the painting of a rare kind of flower. He adjusted his glasses that sat gracefully on his nose and took a closer look.

"It's beautiful. What is the flower name?" His gaze shifted to Eden.

"Humm..." He stuttered "I don't know. It's uh... It’s ah, a flower my mother showed to me when I was really young. She said it belonged to my garden. Whatever that meant" Eden nodded with a chuckle.

The man looked at Eden for quite a while before he snapped his fingers and two of his bodyguard rushed to him. "I'll give you a fifty thousand dollars for the portrait." He said.

Eden froze.

"What do you say?" The man pressed, noticing the sudden freeze.

"Huh... I say, huh great!" Eden shrugged as tears made his eyes glassy. Sara jumped excitedly beside him.

"Very well then," the foreigner said and stretched his complementary card "Call me after the exhibition" he said and quickly, Eden took it.

Sara wrapped it up for him and his men took it away.

Still awe-stricken, Eden stood frozen on the spot with a cheque of fifty thousand dollars in his hands.

"See," Sara told him "you are wonderful" she patted him on the back.

The foreigner was a good luck charm.

Ever since he bought the flower portrait, customers flooded their place and some people even asked for his autograph.

He half cried, half rejoiced and after the exhibition, he had a cheque of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to take back home.

It was such a shame that Alex wasn't there to witness it all.

He had future plans too which entailed him saving enough money for college.

With a wide grin on his face, he ate Sara's cookies and after a while, he went home.

*******

Alex was making herself coffee when Sara walked in. She looked up from the counter to meet the angry glare of her house mate. "What?" Alex asked even fully knowing why Sara had such an off look on her face.

"What?" Sara scoffed. "Oh. Sara, how did the exhibition go? Did Eden sell his art works? You know, those questions aren't too much to ask"

"What do you want from me Sara?"

"Nothing! Its never about what I want but if you could just show a little emotions to Eden. He looks up to you a lot." But Alex went mute. She knew better than to argue.

Sara was always on the defensive, always complaining about what a bitter and cold person she was but little did she knew what made her like that. Little did anyone know about how she ended up at Sun city.

Little did anyone know her real mission.

Sara fumed and after seeing the unfeeling expression, she stood upright, shoulders high and chin slightly tilting up in a defiant look, she said "I and Eden made a decision. I can't keep staying here with you. I'm moving over to his place" she thought it won't move a hair on Alex as usual but this surprised Alex.

Even many years after Donnavich's death, Sara had remained glued to the house and had put up with her cold attitude. Sara had even told her that she would never leave the house for no reason but why the sudden change?

Sara had survived that long at the house by working as a waitress at the Cowboy's cafe not far from Simon's car wash and had been doing quite well.

Though Alex would never say it to her face but, Sara was one of the most enterprising person she had ever met.

Alex looked at her with a raised brow "I plan on working longer shift at the cafe to pay the rent and we might not be needing your money again. And so you know, Eden sold all his art works but one because he was going to give it to you and he made so much today that would cover up for his college fees..."

Alex shot to her feet. She didn't need this from anyone. She had a long day at her computer, trying to put words together to finish the second chapter of the book she was working on. The last thing she needed was scolding from her housemate.

"Let Eden tell that to my face" Alex steadied her breath before as she stood to her feet. She reached for her jacket on the counter and left the louse, leaving Sara standing at the middle of the room and her coffee to grow cold on the table.

************************

The door slid open and she walked in. She was holding a bag in her hand and her other hand was buried in the depth of her pocket.

"What do you want here?" Eden's voice reached her

She stared at him for a long time before she spoke.

"Do you want to eat something?" She asked.  He scoffed at the question and strolled to the other side of the room. He would rather starve to death than collect another dime from her for she was nothing but a controller who thought more of herself.

He was vibrating with emotional pain and she saw it. He was her responsibility and even though she wasn't at his apartment because Sara had scolded her about it, she had to admit that Sara was right. Eden was her responsibility and even though she blamed Mr Donnavich for spoiling him, she also blamed herself for his current acute distress.

"I don't want your money" he said through clenched teeth "I don't want your food, I don't want anything from you"

"I know. You are paying." She came over and stretched the bag to him.

He stared at it for a long time before he took it from her.

"What's that?" He asked as he unwrapped the carton box in the bag. He froze on-seeing the content.

"I couldn't let you sell that one off to someone who wouldn't value it." She tucked her both hands in the depth of her pockets.

In the box contained the painting of a beautiful flower, a rare kind of flower.

"The french man..." Eden raised a brow

"Edward." Alex heaved a sigh

"You came?" His green eyes shone with hope

Alex shrugged "I told you that you'll be fine without me" she looked around and it seemed tidied, well not so tidied. Unlike him, Sara had called her an organized-freak. She was so obsessed with neatness and organizing  that she had a regular way of hanging her clothes, dropping her bag and even sleeping so, the sight bothered her. "Sara is really going to do a lot of work here" she said in a muffled tone.

"We plan on living together..."

"Whose idea?" Alex raised a brow

"Sara's. She is sick of you and I agree with her. You make people sick" he said honestly putting the portrait away.

"And you guys better find means of surviving because she made it clear that you wouldn't be receiving a dime from me" must she have to sound like a bitch every time she spoke? Eden thought. Her words were so cold. Sara was dammed right when she said Alex was a bitter lady. If he hadn't known her earlier, he'd have said she was a wicked witch but thank God he had seen the part of her that cared before the got to know her other part. When he said he didn't need her money, that was before she surprised him by buying his portrait. But maybe it was time for him to be a man and stopped relying on her all the time.

He cleared his throat "Yes" .

"Good" she nodded "you are still paying for dinner"

Once they were out in the open, the cold stung her skin and it  sent chills up her spine. She would have worn something thicker but she was trying to get away from Sara as quickly as possible.

She pressed the remote on her key and her car doors blinked open. It was a black Audi with full rims. Eden had always loved the car and he hoped to get one but it was just stupid fantasies.

He just saved enough money for college, an Audi shouldn't be his next priority. How to pass the next entrance exams should be. The last thing he wanted was for Alex to tell him to his face what a punk-ass failure he was.

He sat at the front seat beside her, she ignited the vehicle and drove out of the parking lot.

Silence stretched between them before Eden cracked "I would have appreciated your presence" he blinked and pressed the radio button in front of him and a slow cool music began to play. Another silence stretched between them again and soon, they arrived at an exquisite restaurant in the heart of Sun city.

Alex found a suitable parking space and she stepped out of the vehicle. Eden did the same.

He was happy that Alex was taking him out for dinner, that's something you don't see everyday. Only that he was the one paying.

Wait, he was the one paying? He touched his pockets and growled in frustration.

Alex stopped to look at him with a raised brow. What the hell is wrong with this kid? She blinked.

"I forgot my wallet" he broke the news. He noticed the dark look in her eyes and he felt a cold metal drop to the bottom of his belly "damn! Shit Anni, I swear I didn't forget it on purpose" he was still searching himself.

"Stupid prick" she mumbled in a suppressed tone and walked into the restaurant. As soon as she walked in, the doorman took her jacket and keys.

They sat at a table at a very indistinct corner of the restaurant. The last thing she wanted was to have her face on the dailies the next day that she was on a date with a young-handsome-tall-slender-black-haired guy. That would be god for business considering the fact that she doesn't look any older than Eden and she was just as pretty as barbie in her sweet sixteen summer make-up even though she never wore make up but it would be bad for her.

Eden cleared his throat as he picked up the menu on the table and scanned through it. It was almost immediately that a waiter walked up to them. His eyes fell on the stunning ebony woman that sat graceful in her seat and a wide grin grew on his lips. He took their orders, offered them wine and left with a smirk on his face.

"I think he is jealous" Eden looked at her keenly. She was wearing a brown vest with jean and even in that, she looked like a hot model. "Not many men is privileged to be on a dinner date with a beautiful woman" his eyes were fixed on hers. Alex raised her eyes from the menu and caught him staring. She had that unfeeling look that snapped him back to reality.

He cleared his throat and sat back from the table. Stupid kid was fantasizing about what a beautiful woman she was forgetting that she was someone who definitely kicked his ass more than once and left him sprawling on the floor like a girl.

Her beautiful face was quickly replaced by the face of a life-threatening ninja in his mind and he looked back down at the menu.

Her glare softened and she spoke "I am the lucky one to be in the company of a moron who forgot to bring his fat wallet"

"I'll pay you back, don't just ruin the night"

After their meal, she took him to the bridge where she spent most of her night planning on her next move. It was a beautiful scenery and mostly isolated at night. She would sit at the edge and reminisce then draw out her phone to plan for the next day. She barely slept and it had become a part of her for if she closed her eyes, she saw the man that ravished her for years.

She sat at the edge with Eden and they talked mostly about how he sold his artwork and how he planned to further his career at college. Though Alex would never admit it, but there was a part of her that loved him as a son or a younger brother. He deserved better but pampering him would make him even more of a rotten child.

"You had a long day today. You should head back" he stood to his feet and offered her a hand like a gentleman but she stood herself, adjusted her jacket and looked him straight in the eye. "Anni," he called her softly "today is the best day of my life. I am grateful you came..."

She rolled her eyes "you still owe me fifty three dollars and fifty cents" she turned to her Audi sounding like a prick again. Eden was used to this.

*******************

Luay had finished putting out the trash. He had cleaned the cabin and rearranged it to his taste when a soft knock came on the door. That must be Matt here to play Pac-Man he thought. He pushed the chair aside and rushed to the door.

"Suprise!" Sidney, Cole and Matt were the ones at the door and in Sidney's hands was a big tray of apple pie.

A smile formed on his lips subconsciously and he thought he felt tears raise to his eyes. These people are so amazing and he was a lucky bastard to have them. He didn't deserve them.

"So, can we come in?" Matt voice shook him and he nodded.

"Please come in" he opened the door widely so they could come in at once.

"Whoa! This place is cool" Matt saw the transformation and his mouth fell agape.

"I told you he would transform this place into a kingdom." She teased and set the pie on the table.

"Guys, you didn't have to" Luay said

"Nonsense!" Cole cut him short "it was Matt's idea."

They sat at the big table in the middle of the room, laughed and talked mostly about Matt's school, Cole's work at the Toy factory and Luay told them some old jokes his mother used to tell him when he was a kid. Unfortunately, she wasn't around anymore to tell him more jokes to make him happy for somewhere in his heart was totally unhappy.

When it was late in the evening, they returned to the house and left Luay to freshen up and rest.

Luay laid on his back and let Sidney's words replay in his head "Grady Gulch is a big family. Go out and make new friends." But new friends wasn't what he needed.

He was thirty four, he needed a job, he needed a woman to fill his bed and he needed to give Matt a wonderful cousin.

He always dreamed about having a simple happy life, he pictured a pretty slender woman with soft silky skin lying close to him, whispering into his ears that they were going to have another baby and the joy that would rush into his heart but that was all fantasies. He was jobless, woman-less and childless. That was real life.

Women should be the last thing on his mind and with a great deal of effort, he pushed it to the rear of his scale of preference. He needed to find job fast; he couldn't afford to live off his sister at his age. Though she wouldn't complain because she never did but it wouldn't be fair for him to burden her with his responsibility.

Maybe there was a mistake somewhere, maybe it wasn't his design that carried the disaster. Maybe it was something else. This made him look at his phone. Jokovich had told him he was suspended.

He almost picked the phone from where it laid to call his boss when something stopped him and tied a knot in his belly. What am I going to say? Jokovich, give me my job back? I will do other designs that won't collapse? He eyed his stupidity and lay back down. Maybe Sidney was right. He needed to get out there to clear his head.

************

Alex looked at her wristwatch and heaved a deep sigh. She had followed him here; the man who set her life into a spinning turmoil, the man who had killed her father and she knew he was still lurking around but, where?

Years had passed and he'll probably look older perhaps washed like an old rag. The image of what he looked like thirteen years ago drummed in her mind and she had set out to hunt him down. She will hunt him down.

Sara moved out of the house early in the morning after breakfast and Eden had come to pick her up. Now, the house felt empty. She felt the walls close in on her gradually, choking her and making her remember all the horrible things in her past. She wished Sara was somewhere in one of those rooms making a little bit of noise, singing or perhaps practicing on the piano, Mr Donnavich's piano.

Sara was good at it and it reminded her of her father so, anytime Sara played, she froze and listened.

But what she needed was privacy and alone-time and she got it. She got the big house to herself.

For the first time, she crossed the big living space to the leopard skin sofa that sat in the middle and she lay on it, her face facing the ceiling.

Jackie, your fingers are tripping off again dear, let's do it again. Her father's voice played in her head and tears rose to her eyes. She played the keyboard wrong many times and like an angel that he was, he would correct her with loving words. He was a good man and that good man had been framed and murdered.

Not now! She shot to her feet, wiped her eyes. Don't you dare cry bitch! She scolded herself. She hated it when tears came to her eyes, she hated to cry. She had to be strong. But it only forced even more tears to her eyes so, she decided to take a walk in the cold.

*******

She buried her hands in the depth of her pocket and strode down the long blocks of the street. Lights still shone from the windows of the buildings and pedestrians walked freely on the road and some goofy kids were running about, throwing boomerangs. She checked her wrist watch and headed for the bridge. It was a long bridge that cut Sun City in two, well, almost accurately.  

At the bridge, she walked all the way up until she drove deeper into the cold. Beneath the bridge was the large river that separated the city. This was the only place she could reflect. The only place she could think of the next person on her list. The next person that would lead her to her main man.

The bones in her laps vibrated as she made to sit on one of the concrete benches and it only registered that her phone was ringing when she touched the pocket of her jacket.

She pressed it to her ear and waited for the person to speak first, habit. It was a strange number, even more reason to hear what the person had to say first.

"Jackie" the voice was husky. A chill ran up her spine and she shot to her feet. Jackie? Nobody knows I'm Jackie anymore. Did he follow me here?" She looked around wearily, searching for a peering eyes that might be looking at her. "I know you are there Jackie and I can hear your breathing"

She opened her mouth to speak but the words wouldn't come out, they got stuck in her throat; and when she finally got them out, she sounded

"How did you get this number?"

"You know me Jackie, I get everything I want" she could hear mockery in his voice "Brandon knows where you are and he is coming to get you" No! Its not possible. She thought as her hands vibrated against her phone. She made to press the off button but the voice stopped her "Give him the ass he wants and he promise to let you go"

Ass? I will never let anyone take advantage of me again. She swallowed hard, her heartbeat reaching a crescendo. With a little bit of evident fraught in her voice, she gathered up enough courage and said "tell Brandon to go to fuckin' hell" she pressed the off button and with all the energy she had left in her, she threw her phone into the river below as far as she could.

Her heart beat pounded as she looked around No, No, Brandon couldn't have found me. Tears was raising to her eyes again. Snugging her jacket tighter, she raced back to the house.

As soon as she was inside, she raced to her room, pulled a huge traveling luggage beneath her bed, threw open the doors of her wardrobe and started shoving things inside. Top, trousers, panties, bra, books, anything she laid her hands on. She was running again.

She would go to Grady Gulch. That place was remote and quiet; her mind was doing another calculation. She would call Eden in the morning and tell him to take care of the house until she was settled to think of what to do with it. I will call Edward and tell him to stop publication for now. She zipped the large bag then paused. Fuck! I threw my phone away. She shrugged. Well, I'll get another one.

She dragged her huge luggage across the room, heading towards the door when the phone in the house began to ring.

Her heart jumped in fright and she rushed towards the door but paused; there was no way Brandon could have gotten the number of the house. She looked around then pushed the lump in her throat aside to pick up the phone.

She waited till the caller spoke first. She heard silent sobs over the line then she heard Sara's voice. "Alex, its Eden"Alex ears pricked. What about Eden? She listened keenly and Sara broke. "Eden was in an accident.

He is in a coma."

The phone fell.

***