Chapter 5
I stood at the door and knocked.
Footsteps could be heard from inside, getting closer.
Soon, the door swung open.
Andrew peeked out from the doorway.
Sure enough, it was him.
For a moment, my heart dropped.
From inside the room, Maisy's voice came floating out, all soft and flirty. "Andrew? Who is it? Come on, are you coming or not? Are we even going to get any sleep tonight or what?"
My mind was in a haze, my heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice, and I could hear the rush of blood pounding in my ears.
I stared at the face I'd known for seven years, but in that moment, he looked like a total stranger.
"Andrew," I said, my voice catching in my throat.
He sounded annoyed. "Why are you here? I didn't take anything."
Why did I even come here?
Seriously, what was I doing here?
I shouldn't have come at all.
But deep down, I couldn't help myself. I needed to ask.
"So, what exactly are you and Maisy doing here?" I said.
His expression darkened. "What are you making up this time?"
I looked past him into the room, and Maisy was already walking over.
She was in her pajamas.
She covered her mouth, looking a little flustered, but there was a faint smile in her eyes.
"Aleeza, are you misunderstanding something?" she said.
I looked at her, my voice icy. "We're not even related, so what are you doing,auditioning for a palace drama or something?
"Trying so hard to be my family? Trust me, you don't want to join,most of mine are practically extinct."
"Aleeza!" Andrew snapped.
He glared at me, his eyes full of irritation and barely concealed anger.
"What drama are you stirring up this time?" he shot back.
Was I the crazy one here, or was it him?
"I'm not making a scene," I said.
Acting innocent? As if I couldn't pull that off myself.
"I didn't say anything harsh. Tell me, how am I causing drama?" I said. "It's true, most of my family is gone. You know that, right?
"All that's left is my aunt, Vivienne Taylor, and every year when I go back, I have to share a room with my cousin.
"He's grown up now, not a kid anymore, so it's pretty awkward. But there's just no extra room.
"I don't really have a place to call home. You know that. I'm desperate for love, you know."
I was so starved for love that even after six years of him messing around with another woman, I still foolishly hoped he'd care about me.
He stepped out and slammed the door, keeping Maisy behind it.
"Why are you causing trouble with Maisy?" Andrew snapped, his brows furrowed. "What's your family got to do with her?"
"She seems pretty eager to join my family," I shot back.
"What are you thinking?" he pressed, stepping closer. "You really think I'm cheating on you?"
I stayed silent.
"Are you out of your mind?" he scoffed, totally dismissing me. "Maisy and I have known each other for years. If something was gonna happen, it would've happened a long time ago."
"So you expect me to believe you two just happened to check into a hotel in the middle of the night?" I shot back, locking eyes with him. I used to see everything I ever dreamed of in those eyes.
But now, all I saw was exhaustion,and a deep, bitter resentment.
"It's because I have a business trip tomorrow," he snapped.
His eyes were red,not from tears, but from pure anger. "My boss just threw a last-minute job at me. We have to get the plan done tonight.
"How have I ever wronged you, Aleeza?"
"Yeah," I nodded, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's all on me. You never did anything wrong."
I turned to leave, but he caught my hand.
I slapped him straight across the face.
He froze, completely in shock.
"Aleeza?" he said quietly, barely above a whisper.
So that was what it felt like to slap someone.
My hand stung like fire, and for a second, it was like I was watching myself from outside my own body, but honestly, it didn't bring me any real relief.
His expression was cold as ice as he gripped my wrist tightly and pulled me into the nearby stairwell.
Since everyone used the elevator, the stairwell was almost always dark. The motion-sensor lights would flicker on for a moment, then quickly go out, plunging everything back into darkness.
I heard Andrew ask. "Are you done acting crazy? It's been seven years, and we're engaged. What more do you want from me?"
I looked at him, his face blurred by shifting shadows and then swallowed up by the darkness.
I could never truly figure him out.
"You know it's been seven years," I said. "All these years, Maisy's always been orbiting around you. There's always her standing between us.
"Who does that,gets engaged, then sneaks off to a hotel with another woman in the middle of the night? Seriously, what am I to you?
"Is Maisy really that much more thoughtful than me? Is her personality so much better than mine?"