If Only

C H A P T E R 7

JUST MARRIED

MIRANDA

"Yep, I am doing great. No need to check up on me every other day of the week, Rue."

Leaning on the side of the glass wall, I was looking at the night sky and its reflection on the pool's surface. Raven's place was at the penthouse of the Vasquez Empire's rival. I knew Rue's not hung up on anything related to her mother's family business but I made a safe bet on not telling her anyway.

I could still fix this.

Raven's house was an irregular shaped two-story structure. Most of its walls were solid concrete apart from one side facing the swimming pool. This wall was made of thick glass and sliding glass doors. Two meters across this glass wall was a pool whose length was half the short side of the house and runs along the length of the long span.

The only bedroom available was the loft with a single staircase leading up to it. There were curtains for a sense of privacy given its glass walls. That was where I slept for days now after Raven deposited me here right after I signed the papers. She then forbade me to leave.

As if!

I still went to work every day since. Not that she knew.

She has not been here and if I really wasn't allowed to go out, she should have locked all the exits.

And how does she expect me to eat when the place isn't even stocked with food?

All the other rooms below were locked save from the toilet and bath. The kitchen was open and located close to the dining room. From across the dining was the living area surrounded by overstuffed chairs and ottomans. A large widescreen television and audio sets were lined against the wall.

Even with all this, I'd be bored stiff if I stayed here all day wasting.

"I am enjoying my work... Nope, I don't miss computers and definitely not the monotonous office grind... I am not overworked." She could be such a dear pain sometimes. Her questions are giving me headaches but I rather have her calling than not hear from her at all.

I listened to her tell me all about the places she and her wife went to. They were enjoying their time together. Never had I heard Ruen this happy and animated before. So, I'd give her this and not embroil her in the mess that has caught up to me.

I made the problem so I'd don my big girl panties on right at this moment and set things right or suffer the consequences.

Either way...

"Go and give yourselves a wonderful time and stop hauling Amelia back to bed, damn it!" I heard her wife laughing in the background.

"I'll have you know I have been the one who was consistently being manhandled to bed and not the other way around." I heard them scuffling, with my friend mostly laughing and begging off the fight. The ruckus ended with a loud smooch.

Way too sweet and rated for my liking.

"That's it. I'm out." Laughing, I ended the call and turned to head in my room but my eyes were still stuck on my phone. I whispered, "Love you, Ru–" but the word died in my mouth as I saw Raven, wearing a black pinstripe suit, fuming.

What did I do?

With Raven, I could never tell. For all I know, she just woke up at the wrong side of the bed and decided that it's 'pick on Miranda' day again.

"Who was that?" If she could shoot lasers with her eyes, the phone in my hand could have been destroyed. She came at me with such anger that I had to take an involuntary step back.