Free
Fall For You“Morning,” I said sitting down on the couch and hugging my knees. I saw Gerald coming out of the kitchen and handing me a platter of eggs and bacon and also a coffee.
“How’s you sleep last night?” He asked, sitting beside me.
I took the coffee first, “You mean lack there of?” I put the mug down and started eating.
He chuckled, “You thinking about me again? You are aren’t you?”
“Don’t flatter yourself; there’s not much of you that can fill my thoughts.” Though I knew I was lying. It wasn’t that I was thinking of him, okay maybe I was, but I just wanted to figure him out.
“But you’re thinking of me now, and maybe you are trying to figure me out, but how’s that working out for you?” He gave me that small smirk and walked away.
I drank the whole mug of coffee, and took the plate to the kitchen. “Baby, you’re not hungry?” Mom asked me.
“No, I’m going to be right back.” I ran out of the back door and ran after Gerald into the pool house.
I opened the door and he was shirtless, changing into a T-shirt. He saw me and laughed. “More things to think about tonight.”
“I know.” I said shutting the door. I waited until he had a shirt on to look at him. “Look, there’s no point in trying to deny it, I know about your secret.”
He smiled again. “You think you know, but you don’t.”
“You can read minds. I’m not an idiot, Gerald. You don’t think I’ve noticed it. You tried so hard to cover it up, well I’m sorry, but you’ve done a bad job. It seems as if you’re the one who slipped up.” I looked at him all smug.
He walked towards me until he was inches from my face once again. “You think that’s my secret? You think that’s why my girlfriend walked away from me, called me a monster.” He shook his head. “You’re wrong. And this little thing that I can do, how do you know that I wasn’t doing it on purpose, to make you find out? Come on Kim, you’re a smart girl, do you really think that was me trying to hide it? I knew exactly what you were thinking, I said it out loud, and why would I do that when I already knew what you thought of me?” My smile faded slowly. “Reading minds is only one of my special gifts that make me a freak. Be careful what you wish for dear Kim, it may be the last thing you’d ever think of, and you may regret it in the end.”
He walked back outside smiling. I threaded my hair back with my fingers and sighed. This was absolutely ridiculous. I thought that was it, I honestly thought it was his secret. How could it not be? What else could it be? And why on earth would he call himself freak? I walked back into the main house and everyone was gone. “Where is everyone?” I asked Gerald who poured himself a cup of orange juice.
“Your mom went out with your dad and your sisters.”
“I guess they just forgot about their other daughter.” I sighed and leaned on the counter. “So if it’s not mind-reading, then what is it?”
He chuckled, a sound I soon had memorized. “Kim, you are stubborn, aren’t you? Never happy with what you have now, or shall I say know. Do you honestly think that I’m just going to give it up to you so easily?”
“If you’re afraid I’m going to freak out, I promise I won’t.”
“Why do you want to know so badly?”
I stayed quiet, just staring at him. “Because…because I don’t feel like I know anything anymore. Ate Twinkle and Ate Lakam stay in their own little bubble, thinking I’m too young to know things and then JP doesn’t trust his older sister because well, I’m older. And my parents still think I’m a child.”
“So you want to use my secret to make yourself feel better? Very classy Ms. Chiu. And as for you, I think you’d very well freak out, everyone else did.”
“You can’t be too sure.” I interjected.
“Any normal person would. I mean why is it you think I’m here? Hundreds of miles away from home? Haven’t you noticed that my own mother didn’t even bother to call her own son and ask how he is? Or my dad? Me and my father used to be so close, and now he wants nothing to do with me. You think you won’t freak out; everyone who’s ever loved me turned their back on me because of this. Maybe I’m trying to protect you, or maybe I’m extremely selfish and want to protect myself from getting hurt. But the bottom line is that if I choose to tell you, it’s going to be on my terms, not because you’re forcing me.” He explained.
I nodded, understanding completely what he was trying to say. I walked to the stairs, but turned around, “Gerald, if you have any doubts about trusting me, I want you to know that you can. Despite my y attitude,” I smiled, “I can keep a secret. I became very good at keeping secrets myself.”
Late afternoon, I went back downstairs and saw Gerald lounging on the couch. “You know the pool house is considered a mini-house for a reason. You have a TV, kitchen and bathroom and bedroom all to yourself.”
“You look beautiful, are you going out?” He asked giving me a look-over.
“Thanks. Yeah, Beauty and Mel invited me to a party. Life of the popular consists of several parties.” I went through my clutch. “And I need my car tonight.”
He sat up and shook his head. “Your mother left me in charge of you, and if you’re going out, I am too.”
I laughed, “Are you serious? My mother never cared about the parties I went to before.”
“Well, now someone is available to keep an eye on you. Give me a minute, I’ll just get ready.” He got up. “And don’t bother in trying to escape, I can read your mind, remember?”
I sighed and sat on the couch waiting for him. “Let’s go,” within two minutes he was out and wearing dark jeans and a white V-neck T-shirt and a black jacket over it. “So where is this party?” He opened my door for me, and then got in the other side.
“It’s on the beach.”
“You do realize we live in an area full of beaches, right?” He asked while driving.
“Just keep going straight, and I’ll tell you when to turn.” I told him. I looked at him, and noticed that there were bruises on his arm and on his neck. “Where’d you get these?” I asked, reaching for his arm.
He flinched away. “Nowhere, they don’t even hurt anymore.”
“Is that another secret you’re hiding?”
I was glad when he smiled, I didn’t want him to feel like I was pressuring him. “It’s kind of part of the first and only, but not that big of a part.”
I nodded. We were almost there. I told him where to turn and he obeyed. He parked beside the dozens of cars which were already there.
I got out and he escorted me into the party. Music was blasting and obviously the party started awhile ago because there were already drunk people roaming around. “Good I decided to come; your Mom has a reason to worry.”
I smiled and walked into, greeting people. “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.”
“Good try, I’m not leaving, and don’t think you can just leave.”
“I know mind reading.” I rolled my eyes, and ran to Beauty when I saw her.
Hours passed on and I was having fun. This is what I needed to get my mind off everything that was happening. I forgot what it felt like to truly laugh and have fun with my girlfriends.
I would randomly look behind me and see Gerald sitting on the couch, but this time when I looked, I saw him talking a girl. And not only to a girl, it was Alessandra De Rossi, the biggest of the whole school (NO DISRESPECT TO HER, SHE’S AN AMAZING ACTRESS, I JUST REALLY DON’T LIKE HER CHARACTER, ALTHOUGH SHE IS GETTING BACK ON MY GOOD SIDE NOWADAYS).
“Kim! Oh, that’s what you’re looking at?” Mel asked me, nudging my shoulder. “You know if you break up with Jake, you can get with that and Alessandra will get what she deserves: thrown flat on her .” Everyone started laughing.
“Can we not talk about Jake? One of my reasons for coming here is to get my mind off of him.” I told them, sweeping my hair to the other shoulder.
They rolled their eyes, “Kim, you know he’s in that room, right? I mean, if you came here to get away from him, you just closer.”
I smiled, “Well he’s not out here, is he? And maybe I’m not ready to actually break up with him.”
“You just told me that you were; that you’ve been thinking about a lot lately.” Beauty reminded me.
“Yeah, I know. But it’s hard you know. Like everything is screaming it, but then again, we’ve been together for two years now. I think that’s why I need some time alone, just to figure things out first.”
“You can do that without him, you don’t need to be in the relationship.” Erich said, “And we miss your smile. I’ve never seen you laugh like this in the longest time.”
I nodded, “I know, but ending a relationship isn’t that easy.”
“I’ll do it for you.” Shaina offered laughing. “Hell, I did it once, I can do it again.”
I smiled. “It’s okay. But you guys are right. There are some things we need to talk about.” I got up and started walking to the bedroom in which Mel said he was in. I knocked once, and heard rustling. “Jake?” I heard voices in there and rushed movements. My heart sank because in a moment I was going to open the door to what I’ve been suspecting in a long time.
I opened the door, though I already knew what was on the other side. My eyes were already filled with tears, and I don’t even remember breathing. There was a shirtless Jake pulling up his jeans and a girl pulling on her shirt.
He ran to me and grabbed my arms. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want you to find out like this.”
I shook my head and slapped him across the face. I turned around, and pushed my way through the crowd. “Kim!” I heard voices behind me, calling me, but I ignored them. I ran out and onto the beach. I fell on the sand with my knees and covered my face with my hands. I felt so stupid. I sat on the beach for a really long time, it was dark now. I sat there with my knees against my chest.
Then there were footsteps which stopped beside me. I recognized the jeans, and didn’t want to look up. “Is this beach taken?” I didn’t answer him as he sat beside me. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you if you’re okay.”
“Good. But I bet you already know, considering you’re a mind-reader.” I told him, wiping my eyes.
“I turned it off. Figured this is certainly something you want to keep private. I’m not that heartless, Kim.” He took off his jacket and slipped it over my shoulders. “And it doesn’t take a mind-reader to know why you’re out here.”
I rolled my eyes, “I knew.” I stated. “I knew he was cheating and I just put blind eye over it.” I took a deep breath. “I figured if I didn’t see it, I could tell myself that it wasn’t really happening even though I knew it was. I guess it’s my fault.”
“Kim, don’t do that. You can’t blame yourself for what happened in there. Did you ask to be cheated on? Did you ask to get hurt? Of course not. He chose to cheat. He chose to hurt you.”
“But I should’ve told him when I first suspected it.” I said.
“You shouldn’t have to tell him because he shouldn’t even be doing it. And don’t you dare try to defend him. He is the…the…dickwad!” We both chuckled. “There, I got a smile out of you.” He put his finger upon my cheek. “You deserve it, Kim. You don’t deserve him. You deserve so much more than that. You’re smart, and you’re funny and you know what you want. You shouldn’t have to settle for anything less.”
I smiled, “And he’s less?”
“He’s way below less. He’s nothing. And that’s how you should see him, as nothing. This is not your fault.” He took my hand in his. “This is not your fault,” he repeated. “This is his, it is all on his. And it’s taking everything inside me right now to not go back in there and kick his .”
“Thanks, but it’s okay.” I said. “Can we just go home?”
“Yeah,” He got up and pulled me up.
We walked back inside and Gerald had one arm on my back, guiding me through the crowded rooms. And then for some reason he stopped. I looked and Jake grabbed Gerald, and pulled him back. “Get your hands off my girlfriend.”
“Didn’t you realize what just happened? You cheated on your own girlfriend, which pretty much means its over.” Gerald said, pushing him back.
“Gerald, let’s go.” I called, grabbing his arm.
“It’s okay, Kim.” He said, facing me and then turning back to Jake, but Jake punched him across the face.
“Jake!” I yelled, going to Gerald who was on the ground. “Are you okay?” I asked him. “What the hell is the matter with you?!” I yelled, standing up and going to Jake.
He stared at me, and I could tell he was drunk. “He had his hands on my girl. I was taking what was mine.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I’m not yours. I was not yours then, I am not yours now, and I will never be yours ever again. You dodged the bullet this time.” I turned around, but he grabbed my hand so hard and pulled me to him.
“Kim, let’s just talk about it.” He started dragging me towards a room.
“Jake, let me go! Jake, ano ba!? Jake! Stop!” I got out of his grip, and when he looked at me, I slapped him across the face with as much force as I had in me. Everyone looked towards us, including those who were outside. “What the hell is this, huh?! You think that you can just go around and pull me along with you? You think that you can just drag me along while you out there cheating on me with random s?!” His face was hurt, but nothing to what I was feeling in that second. “Yeah, I knew. I knew for a long time that you were just fooling with me, that you were making a fool of me.” I didn’t know where it came from, but I started crying harder and sobbing. “After everything that I did for you, stand by your side through everything, you just turned your back on everything that we had and you slept with different girls, just because I wouldn’t give you the same thing they gave? I let it go before, but I am finished with getting my heart broken over and over and over again. I am finished with being lied to and taken advantage of. You don’t get my body and you certainly don’t get my heart after everything you put me through. I’m done with you because I don’t deserve this!” I sobbed. “Nobody deserves this.”
He tried to take my hand, but I pulled it back and pushed him away from me. I didn’t care who was watching, all I cared about was that I was finally free. “Stay the hell away from me!” I turned my back on him and the lifestyle that I was leading, pushing anyone who got in my way.
But I heard Gerald walk towards Jake, and I turned to look at him. Gerald punched Jake, which sent him flying to the ground. He picked him up and grabbed him by the shirt. “If you ever think of going near again – and trust me, I’ll know – this will only be ten times as great. Do you understand me? You will not even look in her direction every again, and if I ever find out that you’ve hurt her, I swear, I will kill you with my own hands.” He threw Jake back on the ground and was back beside me again within a second, guiding me to the exit once more.
Comments