My Happily Ever After

Chapter 18

"Leave, Anika" he orders, his voice authoritative.

I contemplate whether to leave him alone with this weird man or not. Then I look at my best friend who is crying in my arms and decide to listen to him.

I take one glance at Christian and make a disgusted face and then look at the crowd around me. The heck they staring at now? They didn't help when it was needed!

When we arrive home, my parents go on a full panic mode, worried about Aria. The way she is shaking worries me too. I take her to my room and she instantly rushes to the bathroom and locks herself. I can hear the tap running and water splashing. I sit on the bed, waiting for her to come out and text Bryce to come and meet me as soon as he's done with that asshole.

How can he just grab some random girl on the street? How does it not bother anyone there? I am now realizing how unsafe this place is.

Aria comes out, her eyes swollen red and my heart hurts for my best friend. I stand up and rush towards her and hug her tight. She returns the embrace and I rub her back in comfort as I can still feel her shaking slightly.

My mother comes to our room with some snacks and tea and we all sit down. I know he's worried sick but is not joining us because Aria might feel uncomfortable sharing her problem in his presence.

My mother pats Aria's head and asks her what happened and she barely manages to tell that some creep grabbed her in the street. She says she thought something bad will happen to her. She was scared out of her mind.

I decided against telling my parents that the creep was none other than Christian McMahon because he's really a powerful man and I got a glimpse of that today. No one in the whole ass market stood up for us. Things would've been bad if it weren't for Bryce. I am worried for him. He works for Alexander Wilhem and just manhandled his best friend. I hope he doesn't get fired.

"Why would he do that?" I ask and plop down on my bed, beside Aria. Bryce didn't respond to any of my texts and I don't know what to think about it. Is he in trouble?

"Maybe he's busy handling the situation with that creep." Aria tries to ease my mind.

"What if he gets fired?" I pout and she laughs. She is back to her bubbly self and I just observe her laugh with a small smile on my face. I am so happy seeing her be her usual self. I hate when she gets sad.

"Nah. I think he'll get promoted for saving us."

"I'll break Christian's face if I ever see him again." I promise and it's not all just talk. I will end him!

"I'll break his family jewels."

We both look at each other and burst out laughing. My worry about Bryce sits at the back of my mind as I get busy in chitchat with my best friend.

***~ ~ ~***

"Where the hell is he?!" I yell as I pace in my bedroom. Bryce hasn't contacted me since that incident. It's been three freaking days! Is he in any kind of trouble? Oh god, please don't tell me something bad happened to him.

"Maybe he's really busy. Don't worry, Nika, I'm sure he has his reasons."

"Reasons, my ass!" I throw my phone on the bed and sit cross legged on the floor. I am just so irritated. I want Bryce to at least text me and tell me here the hell he is, I get texts from my friends... no, former friends' texts instead. All full of their fake ass apology and saying that they'll explain everything to me soon. 'when the time is right'. Well, they can keep their explanation to themselves now.

Well, Aria thinks I should talk to them but I'm not gonna talk to these liars.

***~ ~ ~***

It's been two weeks and Bryce still hasn't contacted me. Was I just a joke to him? A time pass?

"Nika, I know you're worried and disturbed. Please, talk to me." Aria pleads.

Yeah, I didn't tell her what I'm feeling about my boyfriend disappearing from the face of the Earth. I didn't shed a single tear, nor am I planning to. I won't cry for a man who just used and left me. I texted him like crazy, sent him tons of voice messages but he didn't contact me back.

What important work it could've been that he didn't even bother telling his girlfriend that he'll be back in a few days?

I get up and walk towards the door. "I need some alone time." I walk out, leaving Aria behind. I really don't have the energy to talk to anyone about how I feel.

My so called college friends? They stopped contacting me after three days. So loyal, right?

I walk to my backyard and stare at the empty swing which is moving lightly because of the wind. It looks so lonely, just like me. It's also calling him, just like my heart. I realize, no matter how much I want to make myself believe that I hate him now, I can't. I can't lie to myself. I want him back with me, on this swing, encasing me in his strong arms, smiling at me happily and staring at my soul with his beautiful eyes. Oh, those piercing blue pools of love in which I want to drown.

I stand next to the swing and close my eyes, wanting to surrender to my heart's voice but out of nowhere, my brain speaks up.

He's gone, Anika. He just wanted to have some fun and you were a fool that was readily available for him. You don't even know if he lives here. Maybe he went back to some other city or country or even moved to another continent. It was your fault. You made it too easy for him. You made the mistake of giving your heart to a stranger.

My throat constricts as the harsh reality strikes me.

So, this is it huh? He's really gone.

I got played. My heart was just ripped out and stomped upon. I was just a conquest for him.

No matter how much I try, one traitor tear slides down my cheek as I get slapped by the truth which I was so naïve to understand before.

Anika Greene, you just got played by some stranger and your heart still aches for him. Can you get anymore pathetic?