Half Full

CEDRICK'S POV

"Eleanor can you please clear my schedule for today, don't take any calls or tell anyone where I am," I called my secretary.

"Ok Mr. Quinn. Is there anything else I can do for you?" asked Eleanor.

"No, Miss Eleanor, that will be all. You can get off work early as well, if you want," I said.

"Ok Mr. Quinn, thank you very much," replied Eleanor.

I have been getting calls and texts from my favourite cousin Mitch about her wanting meet up and talk. She sometimes works in Berlin, so I figured she wanted to complain on the fact that I didn't visit her when I was there, or about the news on the incident that happened last week at the Dinner.

I've been getting phone calls from different magazines and reporters, about the headlines and I quote;

"Trouble in Paradise. Cedrick Quinn's Slut cheats on him with Bestfriend."

Who even gave them this photo? It was on my phone, maybe it was the person who sent it to me that sent it to them.

Another text from Mitchelle popped up on my new phone, I bought two days ago, the SIM card stayed the same, my secretary had the other one cancelled, but I had all my contacts revived.

The text said;
I got engaged, you jerkass.

Then another one from her again;
You have no time for your favourite cousin?

So I texted her back, to come to my penthouse, I'll be there as well in 5 minutes.
I was happy for her that she finally found the love she deserves, she's such a good soul.

Reaching at my drive way, I see a familiar car, AARON'S.
He has the nerve to show up to my house, after what he did.

He was out of his car, so I got out of mine, hurrying to punch him in the face, only for Mitchelle to pop out of nowhere.

"Oh no no no, that's not, going to happen", she jumped inbetween Aaron and I. Why is she protecting this jerk.
"Let's settle this as grown, refined, gentlemen and a lady, shall we? CEDRICK?" She said.

"This is all his doing, not mine," I shouted.

Mitchelle interrupted. "This is no one's fault but that little devil Katherine, and I have proof. So you are going to calm down, let us in and find a way to get your woman back, because cous I have to say you screwed up real bad, and you are going to hate yourself after hearing what I found out."

I let them into the house. "So what have you allegedly found that could make me stop wanting to punch Him in the face." I asked.

"My sources say that Katherine was at that dinner in Berlin, she had a professional paparazzi take that photo which was sent to you on a private number. Am I correct?" She explained

"Yeah, yeah, come to think of it, I had no idea who sent the picture," I murmured.

"Moving on," she continued. "So that paparazzi filmed everything and Katherine told him what headline he should put. So Aaron, tell him what really happened"

"After you left for the meeting, I asked Samantha to dance with me, just keep her mind off the people who were staring at her, but she couldn't calm down, so she took a couple of...drinks,"

"You let her drink? She doesn't drink, she can't handle it especially if it's her first time," I interrupted

"If only I knew that, I wouldn't have let her drink, but she was really uncomfortable," Aaron continued. "But then after, she felt unwell, so she stood up to go to the ladies' room, just to slip, that is when I caught her before she fell. Unfortunately she twisted her ankle."

"That's why she was leaping," I added.

"I offered to carry her to the car so that I take her to the hospital, that's when you came," Aaron explained.

"So this was all my fault, I overreacted, I shouldn't have left her, I should have trusted her, I should believed you. Oh my God, I pushed her away, she was in pain, I should have picked her up, believed HER, not that photo. I screw up, I..."

"I told you so," Mitchelle interrupted.

"Mitch, this isn't the time," Aaron advised.

"Wait and why are both of you here? I texted Mitch to come, not You," gesturing to Aaron.

"We are getting married," Mitch yelled, splashing her ring in my face.

That's when it hit me, "so that's what you wanted to tell me," turning to Aaron.

"Yeah man, I popped the question, she's the ONE," Aaron said emphasising the One.

"Congratulations guys, you deserve it, both of you, now me on the other hand...I screwed my chance with Sam. I don't know if she'll ever forgive me. I. LEFT. HER. I left her in that place, ALONE," my voice cracked.
"She was my responsibility, and what did I do? God, I've lost her," I sinked in the chair, helpless.

"Hey, hey, don't do that. What WE need to do is clear the air, get that little shit, Katherine to apologise publicly, I'll make sure of it" said Mitch.
"God, I hated her from day one," she continued. "She said we should return that suitcase to you."

I turned to see the suitcase. It's the clothes I bought her for Berlin.

"Excuse me Mr. Quinn, I found these in one of your coats while I was doing laundry," said my house help, Rose.

It is the black card I had given Sam for shopping and a small gift.

"Thank you, Rose," I said.

I opened the gift. It was a small house-key holder with mine and Sam's initials engraved on it.

"You know, I checked the account, she never used a penny," I said to Mitch and Aaron, still looking at the keyholder, gesturing to the card.

"I love this girl already, go get your woman, cousin" said Mitch.