Original Love

Episode Thirteen

Elle rushed away as fast as she could, the farthest she can, the second she saw the two of them... Kissing. Passionately!

Luckily, Dorian did not seem to mind her sudden eagerness to leave the dance floor for a reasonable bathroom excuse (which is a total lie). And as soon as Elle steps away from the crowd, whose registered shocked expressions are still directed on the damn attention-worthy scene in front of them, Elle felt like she would break apart at any moment then. She passes through the tables, ignoring the concerned calls coming from her parents as she walks away, not caring where she is going to until she pushed past a big door at the corner end of the hall and met the cold breeze of wind greeting her skin. She shivered and realizes she had just exited from the back door entrance of the hotel's event room.

Great. Just what as she needed. She leans against the cold hard wall behind her and releases a deep shaky breath. Elle closes her eyes, trying to stop the tears that are threatening to come out. She really believed she can do it, to act like there's nothing wrong, that she'd already moved on but no... She still hasn't and that is what's going to kill her again. Because of him. Him.

"You know, it's very rude to sneak out from the party like that." A voice sprang her out of her reverie, making her jump a foot or two as she turns to the direction where the low male voice had come from. 

She squints through the dark alley, catching a glimpse of smoke from a cigarette held by a hand whose face is still undecipherable to her eyes. Elle registers the figure to be a guy wearing a black tuxedo, and gulps down the sudden fear, reminding her that she was alone in an alley wearing a very tight and very short dress, with a stranger looking at her from the shadowed corner.

"Sorry to frighten you," the voice says, and Elle remembered someone she knew who sounded just like him. The figure approaches her in slow unsure steps, and a face came clearer that Elle almost screamed in delight when she sees a familiar boyish smile she had least expected to see after three years.

"Greg!" She jumps at him, her arms resting around his neck, as she envelops him in a big warm hug that he almost loses his balance if he hadn't taken a guarded step back. "Oh, my god!" She breathes him in, a warm and welcoming scent she didn't realize she'd missed, "It's you!"

"Welcome back, Emmy." Greg chuckles, his grin reaching his eyes as he holds her back at shoulder's length in a comforting way, looking her up and down. "God, I almost forgot how hot you really look." Elle snorts at his not-so-serious compliment.

"What the hell are you doing out here alone?" she asks instead, frowning.

"Smoking."

"Well, tell me something I don't know," Elle smiles at this. At least, something had still remained the same while she was gone.

"What are you doing out here?" Greg pivots the question back and he felt her slim shoulders tense beneath his hands. "Sneaking out, hm? So not like you..."

"Er, yeah," Elle smiles hesitantly as the memory of the kiss flashed again in her mind and she tries to shake it away. The hell with them, she thought. But Greg had already sensed her discomfort as he watches her avoid his gaze. "Just wanted a breath of fresh air."

"Hmm... Let me guess," His handsome face leans in a little closer, their gazes aligning, and his eyes studied hers assertively like he always had done before, "It's that scene inside, am I right?" And Elle gave up instantly, looking back at him with a small smile as if saying, Oh, right you got me there, pal. He still never fails to read her right.

Greg doesn't have to wait for her answer to that question, it was a rhetorical one and it was clearly shown on her face. His mouth thinned with a grim expression as he slowly pulls away from her, aware of the growing depression between them. Apparently, they still have one thing in common. After three years... Still at the same position. He raises the cigarette stuck between his fingers and puts it between his lips for a second, inhaling a long one then puffing the thick smoke out.

He hated the whole night. Samantha has definitely ruined it for him. She always did. And she always does. He can't even recall at least one thing that didn't remind him of how things were between him and that golden beauty. She has been always the one taking the lead of their chase... And he... He was always ending up chasing for nothing. Nothing but just a shadow of her.

"So we're the same then."

Elle watches Greg divert his eyes towards the dumpster by the wall opposite them, though he seemed to be actually looking at something farther away, something intangible and she understands what it is. She sighs, stealing the lit cigarette from his hand, and says, "Yeah, I think we are."

"Welcome to f*****g pathetic hearts' club," Greg sarcastically murmurs with a roll of his eyes, aware of this new image of Elle taking a drag from a cigarette as if she had been doing this for a little while now. He had already decided that he likes this new dangerous side of Elle better. He watches the smoke coming out of her mouth hovers the atmosphere around them and smiles to himself. Here they go again, always ending up on the same sad page. At least it didn't feel lonely. Guess, that saying is really true, huh?

Two is better than one. And totally way better than one alone.

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"How come you haven't told us anything about this?"

Samantha's blonde and beautiful parents looked at her with disapproving expressions on their faces as they sat across the table in front of them. 

They have already deserted the party before it had even ended. Sam and Austin had struggled to get past through the bombarding questions and delighted remarks thrown at them by the guests who were all eager to fish something out about the real score between them. And as soon as they've finally settled inside the car, with the help of a chauffeur who had been ordered to bring them back to the Summers' residence where their parents are already waiting for them, Sam and Austin knew they were just about to meet the final judgment of their crazy act.

Austin felt Sam shrinking down on her seat next to him. Samantha was never good at conversations with her parents since they have always been so distant and considerate to her since the moment she was born. She did not like this, even a little bit. She was used to them being always nonchalant and casual to all of her matters and wishes. But now, this is just suddenly unusual. And it isn't really a good thing either, at least not for the plan she was aiming to work out.

"Mom, you had never pried on my relationships before, so why do you think I would even tell you about this now?" Samantha responds, staring back at her mother's sparkling blue eyes that mirrored hers. This is a fight, yet as of now, Samantha still doesn't know how to win it.

"Because!" Her mom hisses dramatically, and Samantha flinched. It was the first time she had seen her scrunching up her lovely face like that, and she must admit, it looks a little bit funny, "You're dating Austin... Our Austin." Mrs. Winters glances at the young man with a scrutinizing look, but Austin gave nothing away but a blank face.

"She's right," A man behind them spoke and the group turn, seeing Austin's father standing massively with his wife beside him at the dining hall entrance of their mansion. Great. Now, they are having a major joined-family discussion. "You should have told us about this relationship first before you do something like that."

"We're just dating, Edward," Samantha remarks to Austin's father sarcastically, addressing him by his first name, "We're not getting married!" She explains a bit louder with irritation and her face scowling. She'd grown very close to the Summers that she even treats Austin's parents just like her own. And this was certainly not the first time she had acted like this in front of them.

"It's just us." Austin drawls, rolling his eyes from where he sat while smirking. He is obviously enjoying this talk and his nonchalant attitude irked Samantha. How can he still manage to be so calm and casual in this kind of situation? Well, Samantha's clearly not calm and casual.

"Yes! It's you! You and Samantha!" Mrs. Winters bites back.

"Why are you being so mad about this? You've probably known it's gonna be just a matter of time before Sam and I finally decide to date each other. We're both single, and there's nothing wrong if we start to take our friendship to the next level. Our families are close. I mean, we've known each other for as long as we could actually remember... It's clearly inevitable. We're not committing a sin, guys." Austin's voice filled the silence around them as the older blonde couple blink back at what he just said.

Austin watches his parents, standing nearby, looking at him with stoic faces. They're being overdramatic, as usual. But Austin knew what they're all thinking. He had seen them engaged in a deep silent conversation whenever they'd gather for a barbecue party, and Austin once caught some snaps of their chats about 'their children' looking 'better together, 'romantically'. He had tried to ignore it and almost found it incredulously funny, but he didn't expect it would be so useful in what he and Samantha is scheming.

"Well," Mr. Summers says calmly. "I think it's just about the time you two did."

And with that said, both of their parents release a holler of laughter together, putting Sam and Austin in a state of confusion. "What's so funny?" Samantha asks when the sound of their parents' laughs descended down into chuckles.

"Nothing, honey," Sam's father replies, "It's just we... We have been really waiting for this to happen for years."

"What?!" Samantha's golden brows met together in shock.

"Yes, honey," Mrs. Summers confirms behind her parents, "We've been actually rooting for the two of you to end up together."

That is just ridiculous, Samantha almost voiced out to them. She turns to Austin sitting beside her, looking for support but he just gave her a slight shrug of one shoulder. What the hell?

"And here I thought you were all against us," Samantha growls with an angry scowl.

"Sorry, sweetie," Mr. Summers says, settling down on the chair beside her parents, looking at her with a huge grin on his old but still good-looking face, "We were just jesting. But we're really happy about the two of you. I can't even believe that our Aussy had taken a long long time before finally coming into his senses to ask you out."

Well, if only Mr. Summers knew. Their thing didn't really start with a traditional "asking-you-out" scene.

"Oh, gosh! Now, I can't wait to look forward to the graaaaaand weddiiiiiiiiing!" Samantha's mother interjects agreeably, in a sing-songy cheerful voice.

"Wait... WHAT?!" Samantha snapped loudly at her, her mouth hanging open.

"Well, honey, it's only a matter of time. We know the two of you are still young and--"

"Mom! We're not getting married!"

"Of course not now, honey," her mom continues, ignoring Samantha's protest and angry frown which is now forming on her pretty face, "But planning a wedding is a very long process so we need to--"

"MOM! We are NOT getting married!" Sam repeats again, slower yet louder this time as she cuts the rest of her mom's words. "Austin and I are just dating for now, and we're not yet sure if we really love each other, okay? So please! Don't expect any wedding!"

"Oh, you silly, honey!" Sam's mother giggles with a flip of her graceful hand waving her off, "Of course you two will get married. What else are your gorgeous genes meant for? It's just about the time you'd realize this! You look so perfect together, just imagine what your sons and daughters would look like! With the two of you?! You'll have a beautiful family! Oh, I can actually see it! It'll be just so beautiful and adorable! Am I right, darling?" She turns the question to her husband.

"Certainly, my love," Mr. Winters answers right away, without even missing a beat, and grins at her. Then the gang, once again, exploded into another set of loud waves of laughter and cheers filling the whole Summers' mansion, with a sound of glasses clicking and hands applauding. Yet, Samantha Winters remained tensed on her seat, not liking any of it at all. And Austin chuckled with pure enthusiasm, shaking his head at how crazy their families looked at this moment.

Definitely, a happy scene between the Summers and Winters.

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