As I was lazily sprawled out on my bed like a spread eagle, a wide smile took over my features. I could feel the work energy surging through me for the first time in days.

I checked my clock to see that it was still noon since I was eagerly waiting for tomorrow to come already. When I'd woken up late after all the tossing and turning because of my newfound feelings toward Skye, I had received a message from Keith with an offer. He asked me to be his freelancing partner as a copywriter. He didn't even realize how much that meant to me.

Keith and I had decided to discuss all the details and about his recent client when we would meet at my apartment tomorrow. The sole reason I was really giddy for the time to move on quickly.

Sitting up, I decided to change out of my tank top and PJ shorts. My doorbell rang just when I was making a beeline toward my bathroom, jarring me out of my peace.

Furrowing my brows, I wondered about who it could be. As far as I knew, it couldn't be Keith because my friends wouldn't miss the final day of the campaign before its execution. They would be giving it a final touch, the final preparations and my heart instantly ached with longing to be a part of that nervously excited energy.

I trudged toward the front door wearily and opened it to reveal a distraught looking Skye.

"Hey," I mumbled with a tired smile.

Looking closely, I realized that his eyes were blotchy and it looked like he hadn't slept a wink last night. It made me question whether he regretted having me as his date or something.

I kicked away that thought because I was making it about myself. There could be an entirely different reason but looking at his creased shirt and jeans with his blonde strands standing out in all directions, that was the only conclusion I could draw.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned and quickly pulled him in. Still clutching his arm and completely ignoring the sparks, I dragged him inside the living room. I gestured for him to take a seat on the single couch.

Obliging, Skye rubbed his hands on his face and sighed heavily. I sat adjacent to him on the big couch, biting my lip anxiously while patiently waiting for him to explain the matter to me. "Do you wanna know why I'd asked you to leave that day in front of those paps?" He peeked through his fingers and slowly pulled his hands away before slapping them on his thighs.

"What's going on?" I asked back, not liking the turn of our topic.

Skye's entire body oozed seriousness and tension. "There's something I need to tell you," he spoke in a hoarse voice.

Inhaling a sharp breath, I leaned back. "Go on. What's it?" I know that I forgave him but if there's an explanation behind all of this then I wouldn't lose the chance to hear it. "Why did you become so distant all of a sudden that day?"

He winced and I almost cringed at myself for being so rudely upfront when he was clearly having a hard time.

"I am sorry. I just..."

"No, it's okay. I get it. I thought I was doing the right thing at that time. I still do but it was kinda uncalled for." His face pinched as if repulsed by his decision. "I did that because I was trying to... protect you." He gave me a sheepish look.

"Protect?" Now I was dumbstruck and even more puzzled than I was before. But that didn't stop my heart from doing a flip-flop.

Skye nodded his head somberly. "Yeah in the intents of protecting you from the media's backlash. I know how crass they can be toward an individual and how the majority of their words or actions are to crumble someone. They don't even have to think about it twice nor hesitate." Running his hands through his hair, he looked down at his lap.

A look of concern washed over me because I knew how much he's faced their brashness first hand. I know how he feels going through all of this alone. Only because I was facing such circumstances as well. If I weren't, I would have just heard him instead of feeling the pain.

"I know that once they catch you with me, they'll want to taint you in every color they can have their hands on. So I did the only logical thing I could think of. I pushed you away so that the media would get a hint that we are never gonna be seen together again. I was trying to send that message but I guess it didn't turn out to be so well. I thought that if I put on that show - which wasn't... easy for me - then they might get the signal but..."

"But they're paparazzi. They thought this was even juicier," I finished, pursing my lips. Hearing his story made me annoyed at myself. All this time, I thought that it was his way of telling me to stay away from him. I thought that he was being mean, he was being selfish. Little did I know that he was actually being his kind self and taking all the blows.

"Yeah." He took a shuddered breath. "And then that Rick guy followed you and stuff, I knew something was up." He looked up at me for the first time and I could see the distress swirling in his eyes. Something else was eating him up.

"I am sorry," I whispered and walked toward him in quick steps. Sitting on the floor on my knees, I wrapped my arms around his neck.

He stilled but eventually hugged me back and leaned his chin on the top of my head. I ran my hands through his hair softly and I swear I even heard him sigh.

I smiled, feeling better. For some reason, I always have this strange feeling to hug him. Hugging him puts all my worries at bay, making my heart beat at a normal pace. However the same couldn't be said about the tingles because they just shoot up all over my body by his mere touch.

"You don't have to be sorry about anything," he mumbled, his chin poking my head and making me giggle.

All of a sudden, last night flashed behind my eyes with our special dance at the end. It was breathtaking and I knew for sure that I'd never forget it. That I'd always cherish it. "I was being a... pain though." I broke the hug and grinned up at him.

Skye started laughing and flicked my nose. I was sure that shock was written all over my face because he blushed slightly. "I am sorry... that was-"

"Like I said, do something legitimately wrong and then maybe I'll consider your apology." We both chuckled and he looked somewhat less worried. It was a good thing that he didn't look so disheveled now anymore.

"I already did." He scrunched his nose, making his lips pout adorably.

I gave him a dry look because of his reference to that day about him asking me to leave. "Shut up," I said, half joking and half serious.

Standing up from my position reluctantly, I sat back down on the couch. When I glanced back at him, I saw him frowning at the carpeted floor.

"What's wrong?" I repeated my previous question.

"Hmm?" He looked up at me with a deer caught in the headlights expression. "There's something more..." He paused and narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hmm. I thought that you were just caught up in my stuff. You know, like dating a bachelor who's never before seen with a girl. But that day when I saw Rick in DC, I knew that it wasn't some innocuous deal. Someone caught us and played an angle. Which is why when I played the card of not liking you, the media didn't waver."

"Yeah, I know that bit. That someone's framing us," I told him as a matter of fact. I don't know why he was making a big deal out of this now when we were both clearly aware of someone being the master behind the curtains.

"Exactly. I'd thought that whoever did this wanted a huge sum of money to take all the credentials behind our story. I'd thought that you were equally a part of this as much as I was but I was wrong. You were just a pawn in all of this. You just happened to be at the right place and at the right time for this person," he explained to me.

I started shaking my head and leaned forward. "I'd beg to differ. I know who did this-" Skye made a noise at the back of his throat. "I mean I have a feeling who did this and they have every means to destroy me."

He looked like he didn't believe me. "Who?"

"Ms. Maxwell," I gritted.

However, to my surprise Skye looked amused and I didn't like that at all. "Ms. Maxwell?"

"You don't believe me." I sighed.

"Valerie... Ms. Maxwell is an honourable woman and I know this because she has practically been my backbone ever since I became the CEO," he spoke, defending Ms. Maxwell which angered me even more.

"Skye..." I mocked him. "I saw Ms. Maxwell talking to Rick the Hyena two weeks ago, outside the grocery store. My friend heard her talking on the phone about paying double to someone right after she'd uttered my name. The first initials of Kyle M. and Katherine Maxwell are the same. K and M. Everybody knows that Kyle M is a pseudonym. I rest my case!" I slapped the coffee table rather harshly. I hissed internally at the impact but didn't show any signs of pain on my face.

Skye looked shaken yet conflicted. He knew that my words held power and proof but apparently his version of Ms. Maxwell couldn't do that. "I think," he began. "She might be trying to negotiate with Rick to take off all our pictures from everywhere since he was the one to start this. And about that phone call, she could have tried to convince the person to back off by paying them. Also I believe your last part about Kyle M. could be a mere coincidence." He countered all my points with a serious visage.

I frowned and took a deep breath. "You're not so sure either. Plus it can't be a coincidence."

"I don't think that a smart person like Ms. Maxwell would slip off on something like keeping the same initials. If it were her, she would have taken a more intelligent route. She wouldn't make such a stupid mistake." He smiled triumphantly when my features softened a bit.

"But..."

"But what?"

"I thought... I thought that she was finding a reason to fire me," I whispered, dejected.

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know."

"Yeah because she didn't invent any reason to fire you. Whoever did this, didn't even think about you. They were just glad to see a girl beside me. Enough to spark the rumors." Skye showed me his palms and raised his eyebrows.

I scoffed with still a bone of doubt in my body. "Still seems like a far-fetched theory to me. I don't believe this, no matter how smart she is." I crossed my arms across my chest defiantly.

Skye just gave me an impassive look, not saying anything. It was as if he was thinking about something else. He leaned his head back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling.

Tucking a stray strand behind my ear, I buckled myself up to ask him the burning question. "I have a question."

He nodded once to give me the signal to ask away.

"Why are you telling me this now? Why today of all days?"

"Tell you what?" He stared at me with his head still resting on the couch.

"That you were protecting me even when I... punched you?" I clenched my teeth to stop the upcoming smile trying to quirk up on my lips.

He remembered it too because he leaned ahead and narrowed his eyes at me playfully. After a beat or two, he avoided my gaze. "There are three reasons for that."

"Okay..."

"First one being, the paparazzi closing in on us was so abrupt that the only thing I could come up with was to push... you away." He blushed and scratched his nose awkwardly. "No matter what, I'm still embarrassed about that one. Anyway, so I didn't have the time to fill you in since we were literally surrounded."

"Now that I think about it... I am embarrassed of my actions too." We both laughed at that.

"Yeah." He tried to smother his laugh. "And well, the second reason is that you might think that I could have told you later on but I didn't. I thought it was best that you stay in the dark. Nothing could've been more convincing than not being told of the truth instead of asking you to lie. I thought that way, it would be more real."

"Again, I am embarrassed." I hid my face behind my hands. "Of course you were just doing the right thing."

I felt the couch beside me dip before Skye took my hands in his. "Don't be. My plan didn't work out anyway. The person doing this won't exclude you now, no matter how much I try to plan otherwise."

I gazed into his eyes and almost lost myself in those beautiful grays. Our faces were so close that I was reminded of our first kiss. Those amazing sparks shot up my arms because of his comforting grip on my hands. "How are you so sure about this?" I found myself asking.

He closed his eyes and opened them back again only to give me a heartbreaking and torn look. "Because I am sensing why they're doing this."

"Why?"

"They want to destroy me completely. The only way they could do that is by trashing my reputation," he whispered.

"Wh-what?"

"I am voted out by my own Board of Directors," he answered.

It was as if all the air left my body hearing those words. "I don't understand." My eyes widened in horror.

"I am no longer the CEO of ZAE Inc."