Pretty Girl

Chapter Twenty One - March 16th 2013

Chapter Twenty One

Katrina's Pov - 18 Years Old

He promised me that he would come. So where in the world was he?

It was eleven thirty pm and honestly, he was the only reason I was even looking forward to my birthday. Thirty minutes to go and maybe he would finally stop being so wary about being with me.

I tied my hair back into a high ponytail with a scrunchie on my wrist as I hid near the back of his mansion's gate. I could literally just walk inside but I didn't want to.
I didn't want to talk to Cassie or anyone else right now, just him.

My phone's screen lit up as I checked the time again.

Eleven forty five.

I sighed as I sat down on the grass and waited.

Verona was also supposed to call me and update me on everything. I hoped she was doing okay.

I heard a rustling sound come from near me and I immediately perked up with hope, thinking that Alex had reached already.

I was disappointed to see Veronica Smith, one of the older housekeepers standing right in front of me with a rake.

"Miss Katrina?" Veronica says with shock as she looks at me.

"Oh don't be so formal Veronica." I told her as I rolled my eyes at her polite behaviour.

Whenever I felt lonely I'd always be at Alex's house. He was never there but Veronica was and after a few years she actually became someone I could peacefully sit with.

Atleast she never judged me immediately.

Veronica smiled and took a seat next to me.

"You're waiting for Alex aren't you?"

I sheepishly looked at her. Was I that transparent?

"He isn't home yet. You've always been like this Katrina. Even when you used to come back then, you'd always hop around for one look at him. Even when I was gone, I knew you would be there."

I didn't reply to her statement as I considered what she said.

God I was hopeless.

My curiosity suddenly got the best of me as I asked her a question. "Veronica. Why did you leave for a while afterwards. I remember that you quit but you came back."

Veronica stiffened as an air of uncomfortableness enveloped us.

Her dark eyes were on mine as she spoke as though she was in a trance.

"You know I've always considered Alex to be like a child to me. I've worked here for over twenty years."

"I know that but —"

"I had to leave after what I saw. You can't — no you can never let anyone know about this. I'm tired of keeping this secret to myself but he deserves for someone to know the truth. It isn't fair."

"Uh okay what are you talking about." I awkwardly shuffled away from her due to her erratic behaviour which made me put my guard up.

She suddenly burst into tears as she started hyperventilating while she grabbed my hand.

What was actually going on here?

I knew how to calm her down as I patted her back and simply waited for her breathing pattern to go back to normal.

"You care about him more than anybody here. You deserve to know to protect him. Sometimes we're so blinded by love for people we're supposed to love that we don't see someone for who they really are."

She sniffled as she she looked around quickly. " We had a gardener. His name was Mark Sundown. I know you've probably seen him around. He was a great man. A wonderful friend and a kind soul. He was accused of molestation before he died. Everyone believed it but it wasn't true. I had this habit of keeping my video camera on because I was making a plant growth video for my grandchildren. It always covered the entire garden."

"I swear I didn't know. I hadn't realised. How was I supposed to know that a foolish, educational video would hold the cards to proving a man's innocence?"

"Veronica. Listen. If this has anything to do with Alex directly, don't tell me. I can never ever hurt him like that. I don't want to know, I can't —" I look at her sternly until she interrupts me.

"Don't be a fool Katrina. This isn't just something that would hurt him. It's something you need to know to be able to protect him. He has no idea and he'll never ever suspect it. That boy's like a son to me. I don't have the means to make him understand or help him but you can."

I didn't want to know. Sometimes when you knew something that could ruin everything, I'd rather be ignorant. When it came to him, I wanted to believe that there was nothing that could hurt him but that was not real and I wasn't someone who lets the other side gain any kind of advantage.

I steeled my expression. "I'm not going to ever tell him anything if it can hurt him but tell me. I could never do that but I think I want to know."

She exhaled loudly and blurted out the one truth that I'd never be able to tell him without ruining his life.

"Miss Cassandra lied to Mr. Alex and told him that Mark molested her. I have the whole thing on video. Mark hung himself that night. Everybody knew what had happened and he couldn't bear it."

My expression barely changed as I watched her break down.

"Show me the video."

She took her phone out immediately and played the video that had everything that proved Mark's innocence.

You could clearly hear Cassandra pulling her clothes off and tearing them apart as she beat herself up. Mark, the poor old man is trying to stop her but she hit him twice and scratched him. She stopped after a while and looked up at him.
Her voice was dark and cruel as she spoke, "Nobody will ever believe you. They're all going to call you a pervert and I don't care. I need this to make you leave and get lost!"
Her expression changed as she starts screaming loudly and Mark only stared, ashen faced with complete shock.
The guards immediately came when they heard Cassandra cry and scream. Alex arrived a short while later and took in the scene with rage that  was clearly seen in his features.

He jumped on Mark and pummeled him to the ground.
"What the fuck did you do to her!" He roared.

Cassandra tried to pull him back but he only stopped when he heard her cries get louder. He hugged her to him tightly and gave the guards a look. "Deal with him."

Cassandra and Alex both left after that as the guards dragged Mark away from the scene.

"Veronica. You can't tell anyone."

"I know but I wish I could. Mark was —"

My eyes snapped to hers instantly.

"Veronica. You cannot fúcking tell anyone. I don't care. Mark didn't deserve that but you can't. Not yet. He loves her Veronica. She's his family and until he starts realising certain things himself I'm not pulling the blindfold off. I barely have him, I can't lose more of him before anything even starts."

I was so selfish it was sick but I'd do anything to make sure he was happy.

I would take her down without hurting him.

Cassandra loved her brother so I knew that she would never do anything to actually hurt him but  I was conflicted. If I didn't tell him, would he hate me for hiding it? If I did tell him, would he hate me for making him lose his sister?

I'd seen their bond. I hated everything I'd just seen and I couldn't explain the hatred I currently felt for Cassie but hurting her would hurt him and I couldn't.

I was fúcking weak. I wouldn't want to know if it was Mia. I didn't care. I wouldn't.

"Am I interrupting?" Alex's voice was heard over the dark silence that had complicated everything.

I was so startled for the first time that I gasped out loud like an idiot.

He laughed from behind me at my reaction.

Calm down Katrina.

Veronica got up immediately and nodded at both of us as she turned to leave.

Alex sat down next to me and looked at me inquisitively. "What was that about." He indicates to the conversation that I and Veronica were having.

"Nothing. We were just talking about her grandchildren."

He scoffed. "Happy birthday little liar."

My birthday? Oh! My birthday.

My cheeks heated up as he caught my lie but I was so giddy on the inside because he remembered and he came.

Last year he told me that he would meet me here on my eighteenth. He didn't forget.

"So are you ready to confess your undying love for me or are you gonna make another excuse?" I haughtily snapped back at him.

He looked down at me with a deep, hidden look in his eyes.

"Come here."

He pulled me towards him with one tug and I was sprawled across his lap.

"Wha —"

His lips descended on mine quickly as he grabbed my ponytail to pull my head back and meet his.

Tingles spread across my fingers all the way to my toes and I stopped breathing.

All I could feel was him, the way his stubbly jaw brushed my cheek as I slid my fingers through his hair and somehow brought him even closer.

His tongue caressed mine and we lost ourselves until we broke apart.

Tears filled my eyes as I sniffled and looked up at him.

He was stunned as he took in my tears with confusion.

I hugged him hard without any space left between our bodies as I cried my heart out.

All I wanted to ever feel was him.

I was actually going crazy.

He simply held me to him as I stayed seated on his lap and he slid his hand along my back, comforting me as I broke down after years.

I could barely breathe after everything that had happened today.

"I hate how long you made me wait for that Alex."

There was a moment of silence.

"I hate myself for that too Katrina. Trust me I do."

I peeked a glance at him from underneath my lashes as he stared down at me.

He laughed as he caught me shyly looking at him every other second. His fingers squeezed my nose and wiggled slightly as I scrunched up my face.

I softly kissed his jaw as he let go and hugged me to his bulky frame.

He started speaking with a pinched expression that seemed out of place on his usually blank, chiseled face.
"My mother left us. She was addicted to drugs and men. She was fucking sick. She almost killed Cassie because of it." He clears his throat. "She made me take them when I four. I had an overdose. I hated her Katrina. She almost killed me and then she almost killed my little sister. She did so much shit to us but that's a different story." He cupped my jaw and slid the rough pad of his thumb across my cheek and took me in.

"I was going to run away. I hated my family. They didn't seem to care or even want me. She got pregnant with me when she was seventeen. It was the end of her life for her. She always used to say that if she hadn't had me she could've been so much more. It was all because she was with my father when she was young. She ruined me and made me hate myself until Cassie came. I swear to god that little girl saved my life. She really did."

My mind immediately headed to think about the video I just saw. Would he ever believe me even with proof? I couldn't do it. The light in his eyes wasn't just because of me. It was because of her. She was the only family he had left.

"You both mean so much to me in very different ways. This is why I could never actually look at you before now Katrina. It would've killed everything. For some reason it mattered to me. I needed you to be sure and I know you are but I just — "

I stopped him from continuing as I smiled and messed up his dark hair.

"I get it now. I really do."

I wouldn't ever tell him. I knew it would've broken my heart if someone ever told me something about Mia that could change the way I was supposed to feel about her. How could I do it to him when I knew it would only ruin everything?

I wanted to be selfish. Maybe I was being stupid but it was not my secret and I cared about him.

I could fúcking hate her but he couldn't. He would try to but it would break him.

It was her fault but I'd hide it. Not for her. For him.

I bit my lip and hid another secret as I wrapped my arms around his neck until he bent and brushed his mouth across my forehead.