Never Ending

Chapter Four

Kaitlyn and I are already walking towards our 3rd class of the day and I still can't shake the thought of that dress in the painting. I'm really sure I've seen it before. Ugh why can't my brain cooperate!

"Oh Mr. Gray." Kaitlyn said, pulling me back from my reverie. I looked at her and saw her gawking. "How lovely it is to grace us with your presence."

Confused, I followed where she's looking at and saw Callum. He is sitting on the grass, scribbling something on his notebook, completely oblivious of the women swooning over him. "Oh, Callum." I said.

"You know him?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, I mean I practically bumped into him a few days ago."

She looked at me with her mouth open. "Callum talked to you?!" She said, amazed.

I furrow my eyebrows, perplexed as to why she's behaving like this. "Uh, yeah. But not until this morning did we introduced ourselves to one another."

"What!" She said, raising her voice.

"What's going on Kaitlyn?" I finally managed to ask.

"You have bumped into him, met him and talk to him yet you have no idea about who he is and his reputation?!"

"Does it look like I do?"

She pursed her lips, totally not liking my sarcasm right now. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Anyways, he is just the hottest guy in this university that can actually can be compared to Leonardo Da Vinci."

"Why?" Then my eyes went back to Callum still scribbling on his notebook, attention undivided. "Is he Multitalented?"

"Yes! He writes, he paints, he's academically excellent and he can play with almost any sport! I don't think he doesn't know how to do anything." He said, looking oh-so-sweetly at Callum.

"Is he an inventor too?" I said. Kaitlyn looked at me with a confusing look. "Cause, you know Da Vinci is an inventor and a scientist and a mathematician."

She groaned. "Oh come on Nerd, you know what I mean!"

I laughed. "I'm just messing with you."

We continue to walk pass Callum when I realize how much I admire his attention to one thing. It's unusual for guys not to notice women swooning over them. Callum surprises me even more every time I see him and he doesn't even know it or even try.

I was in the library, trying to research about people theoretically depicted on a painting. I was In the middle of my first book when a chair beside me suddenly moves and someone sat on it.

"Hey."

Perfect. I rolled my eyes. "What the hell are you doing here, Karl." I hissed.

"Vita, we please just let me explain." He pleads.

"I don't want to hear your explanation and I wasn't asking it. Wasn't that clear 2 months ago?" I said, focusing back on the book I'm reading.

"I'm not going to leave you alone till you let me explain" With brows furrowed, I looked sternly at him trying to show a don't-you-dare kind of look. "I'm serious." He said without any hint of humor on his face.

I was silent for a few second, studying him if he's not kidding about it. I sighed when I saw how serious he was. "Go on then."

"What you saw or what you think you saw isn't exactly what it seems." He pauses as he saw me raising an eyebrow at him. "Yes, I was talking to Federal Ch-"

"Just address him as a regular person." I interrupted.

"I can't do that he's not just a-"

"Just do it." I insisted.

He sighed. "Fine. Herr Von Schiller. We were talking only because our families are friends for a long time Vita. You can't just assume that we're conspiring something-"

'Did you even pursue me because you liked me or was it because our families have long been 'friends'?" I emphasizes on the latter.

"You know better than to ask me that." He said, looking intently to my eyes. Ha, that doesn't work for me anymore. "And will you please try to not interrupt me?"

I roll my eyes. "Karl, please just stop. Whatever we had was over." I packed up my things and prepare to leave. "And don't think for a second that I didn't know that this whole thing that we had was a set up and how much you will gain if I will end up marrying you."

Walking away, I can feel my tears welling up in my eyes. I tried swallowing that lump in my throat, not wanting anyone to see me like this. My mind suddenly brought me back to how I found out the set up my parents and Karl's made.

3 months ago...

I was planning my surprise gift to Karl as I walk around the house when I heard voices in the living room downstairs. Curiosity took a better of me so I found myself leaning a little bit over the staircase overseeing the people that are on the living room.

I saw my parents sitting on the couch facing me and the Van Goethe's sitting on the opposite side. If I wasn't being vigilant, my father would have seen me so I ducked down and listen intently in their conversations.

"We have been planning this for years." Herr Van Goethe began. "I'm pleased that things are progressing as time goes by."

"Is Vita aware of this plan?" Frau Van Goethe asked with genuine concern in her voice.

What plan is it?!

"No, and I prefer it that way." My mother said nonchalantly. I felt a pang in my chest. My mom and I are more estranged to one another than my father and I ever was. What hurts me most is that even when she talks about me to the others, she is as if I didn't matter to her at all.

"Do you think it would be wise?" Asked Frau Van Goethe again, addressing to my father.

"It won't hurt Vita what she does not know of." My father simply put.

They proceed about how things are going to happen. My father is a business tycoon and so as his friend Herr Van Goethe and marriage was an advantageous thing to the companies. It didn't really bother me that they have planned this behind my back. I am all too blinded by my feelings for Karl that I don't think it matters. I was just glad that we may have a strong chance that I'd be spending the rest of my life so someone I'm really fond of. Until I heard that Karl would be receiving a great deal of inheritance they once pulled out on him because of the things he have done in the past. That's when I realized that I was just his ticket to his great fortune.

I was unable to keep my tears from falling when I reach the dorm. I ran towards my room, ignoring Morgan worrying about me outside of my room. I cried hard. I thought I was okay, but seeing Karl always brings back memories I preferred to forget.