[24] The Real Unwanted Visitor

I fell in the depths of—

I was awake?

I opened my eyes and saw the familiar windshield in front of me. There were little water droplets on my window and my left side was slightly damp from the open window. I threw a quick glance at the house. The light was still on, but the night was darker than I remembered it to be, quieter even. My eyes adjusted manically as I checked my phone for the time. 1 AM. Did I sleep at all?

I checked my clothes, and nothing was scratched or changed, except for the few dark spots that had been damp with rainwater.

It had rained? Was I so far gone that I didn't notice anything else?

My car didn't move from where it was parked earlier this afternoon. The garage was still empty and Justin's car was not there.

I felt relief wash over me.

It didn't happen.

It didn't happen.

I found myself muttering as if thinking it wasn't enough; I had to say it to believe it. I felt the resolve creeping beneath my skin. I knew what I had to do in the morning. I have to convince her, beg if necessary. If I didn't, even if I let a day go by without fixing this, Justin will have her.

And I will lose her forever.

I didn't get another minute of sleep that night.

I saw her parents ease in the garage. It was late, and their facial expressions and body language told me that they were dead-tired. As if by auto-pilot, the lights in Felice's room turned off and the air conditioning growled as soon as her parents were walking from the driveway and into the house.

By 3 am when every light in the house was already off, one suddenly clicked open.

The crying started again a little after 3. It wasn't as loud but I imagined the sound in my mind. It was as heartbreaking to me as it was to anyone who could hear her—if they were awake that is. It was good then that she had a large yard, garden, huge trees and a garage that would provide ample distance toprevent the neighbors to hear her. Or else they might think someone was breaking-in or something.

I had a stakeout from 6 in the evening up to 7 in the morning—falling asleep between 10 PM to 1 AM. Her parents might have been too tired to notice me there across their driveway. As drained as I was, I waited forever for her to peek through the window, but she never did.

And at 7 am the next day, I receive a phone call.

"Hello?" My voice cracked like sand and rocks under a 10-wheeler truck.

"Tony?" Antoinette whispered through the receiver. "Hello? Where are you?!" She hissed.

"I'm at Felice's," I answered sleepily.

"You didn't... oh no, Tony. Tony, Tony... what did you do? Her father will murder you!" She gasped as her rough voice went a little shrill. "I'm keeping it down since Mom and Dad didn't actually notice that you weren't home. If I were you, I'd come home now."

"Antoinette, we fought, okay? I'm not coming home until this gets settled." I answered blindly, blinking at the intense sunlight. "Besides, I'm in no shape to go home."

"Of course you're going to fight. You can't expect to take her virginity and leave it at that! Felice is a virtuous woman, you mongrel!" She hissed again and with a gasp, I heard her tiny footsteps echoing in her room. "Speaking of bitches...  Here's one in our garden." She sighed. "Clean up your act Anthony. This is quite a mess."

I was confused. "What the fuck are you talking about?" Virginity? She thought I... "Antoinette, hold up. I didn't sleep with Felice. Weren't you listening to anything I've said? We fought and I didn't come home. I'm in my car, waiting for her to wake up."

What was the bitch in the garden about?

"Anthony, I think..." She stopped mid-sentence. "What did you fight about?" I can hear her skepticism loud and clear.

"The bet with Karen." I sighed. "She was talking about something about me having both of them. Being selfish and not being able to give me what I need. I am confused as hell, okay? We have to talk this out. I am not coming home without settling this."

Felice's parents were out on the front porch. They were both busy talking into their phones. I haven't rolled the window down since I closed them last night, and I could only read from their expressions that they were stressed about something at work, and that they both left in a hurry—still not noticing me and my ostentatious car across their house.

This was it, this was my chance.

Antoinette was quiet for a while. "I think I might know what's going on here." She said as if she was already annoyed, irritated and angry all at the same time that early in the morning. "You said you are at Felice's house right?"

"Yes," I answered as I spied the window. I cringed upon remembering that night's nightmare.

There was a slight shuffle and her silhouette appeared beneath the thin curtains. With a slow movement, she opened them wide and wiped her eyes. And at that moment I made a vow never to hurt her like that again. I didn't notice when Antoinette turned off the call. I flipped my phone off and went out of the car, bringing that paper bag again.

The maid let me in after eyeing my clothes—that I suspected looked every bit as rumpled as my hair. Even when she didn't say anything, I knew that this maid knew everything that was happening. I mean, they are usually the ones in the know.

When she disappeared turning in the hallway, I boldly climbed the stairs bringing the paper bag with me and found her door. Not bothering with knocking, I entered and saw her standing still in the window with a completely disheveled and disturbed look. She was startled by my presence, but I closed the door gently behind me and locked it securely.

"What are—

She stopped as she looked at me. She glanced out the window—to what I guessed—was my car parked in the same spot as where it was parked yesterday afternoon. She looked back at me warily.

"I love you," I said and her eyes widened in surprise. "I love you!" I repeated as I walked closer. I threw the paper bag on her bed telling her I had no intention of bringing her there. She was in white pyjamas and her face was pure as the morning had been, but her eyes that drooped lazily from crying had purple shadows beneath them.

"I've hurt you so much, but I didn't mean to. I'm sorry. I did so many things that I regret but if I let you walk away from me, it will be my biggest mistake." I took another step forward as she didn't move, her eyes breathtakingly staring at me. "I love you." It bears repeating.

"I want you to choose me over Justin."

She jolted from the name; I guess she wasn't expecting that.

"I know he has been good to you when I haven't, but I'll be better because I'm the one who truly loves you."

There were no tears today, I guessed. She was dried up from all the crying last night. "I heard every cry, and every tear you shed. I promise that all the pain will not go to waste. I'll make it right with every single day that I'm with you. I'll make it up to you every single moment of my life." And I was so close to her that I could hear and feel her shallow breathing on my skin.

I held her hands without removing my gaze from her, testing... testing if she'd push me away. But she didn't.

"I want to kiss you," I whispered. "But I can't," I inched my face closer to her holding her surprised gaze, never blinking. "Unless you let me."

And she closed her eyes.

Her head moved a little, bobbing up to reach me, and I dipped her slightly lower pushing her towards the window. When she sighed, I opened my eyes to see how she looked. As if nothing had been more breathtaking than her angelic face, her vulnerability in my arms made me sure that I never loved anyone as much as I did now. And I'd never love anyone more than I love her... and she was mine.

I kissed her then, feeling every bit of her puffy lips. I grabbed her body close to me, tightly as if there was no possibility of letting go. I kissed her deeply, feeling her heart under the thin layer of clothes. Her arms clenched my neck as in want to hold me closer.

I didn't complain, why would I?

Her eyes fluttered open revealing those watery brown orbs that almost always took my breath away. Her expression was still stunned with the events that had played out, and I gave her a weak smile to finally tell her that I was sorry. It took me a minute to realize that she was clutching me for balance.

I gently steadied her and whispered "I love you" in her ear. She smiled a watery smile and told me the words that made me feel like I owned the world.

"I love you too"

We sat on a soft couch beside her bed to talk. Though she didn't want to tell me who she spoke to or where she got those crazy ideas from, at least she admitted that she couldn't bear losing me too.

I wanted to tell her my dream, but I couldn't bring myself to. I only told her what was nagging me if ever I'd truly lose her.

I'd sink into the depths of hell, especially if she ends up with Justin. I told her what I did in the US and that I was always reminded by what I felt for her—that's all that ever mattered and all that will matter.

The rest, they just didn't have any consequence at all.