TWICE GIVEN, TWICE LOVED

UNINVITED GUEST

"Hey! Wake up. A madman has been ringing the bell for the last five minutes." I felt the tug on the comforter as Robin abruptly murdered my sweet dreams early in the morning.

"Ugh! Let me sleep. I will wake up when the alarm rings. It’s not my time to wake up yet." I tossed to the other side, hiding my head inside the blanket. Waking up before my alarm sounded was not something I relished. My mind operated on a specific clock, and even one minute before or after a designated time could sour my mood and ruin my day.

"There’s someone at the door, for heaven’s sake. Go see who it is. The ringing is annoying me." The blanket was snatched from me as he pulled my hands, making me sit up on the bed.

An annoyed, exaggerated groan escaped my mouth as my eyes snapped open. "When are you not annoyed? It must be that stupid Nicholas. I’m not going to entertain him now. Let him ring the bell for however long he wants. He’ll eventually get tired and leave."

Robin’s glare intensified as he kept his hands on his waist. "It’s not that guy."

Now, that made me confused. Who could be at the door at this hour? Not Crystal, for sure. She was never an early riser. It was just four in the morning, for hell's sake.

My head throbbed in pain as the banging on the door intensified, accompanied by the bell ringing. Whoever this person was, they were going to regret it today.

I slipped into my sleepers, making my way to the door. I hoped no neighbor would complain about it later. "Why couldn’t you take my appearance and deal with this person while letting me sleep peacefully?" I asked Robin, running my fingers through my hair in an attempt to tame the nest into some semblance of order.

"How would I know what to say to him?" Robin, now a cat, followed me. He didn’t say no. I grinned, realizing I could send him in my place someday if I wanted to avoid a situation or if I was just too lazy to deal with someone.

"Aren’t you my guardian angel? You must know how I deal with these situations."

He sighed, deeply and tiredly. "That’s not how things work."

Rolling my eyes, a scoff left my mouth. "Boring."

A silly, grinning face greeted my eyes as my hands opened the door. I narrowed my eyes, frown lines forming on my face. Tall stature, broad shoulders, ashy blonde hair, a light stubble on his face—quite handsome. "Who are you?"

He pushed past my shoulders, dragging two suitcases behind him. "Your house is quite clean and beautiful. Livable," the guy in front of me commented, whistling and scanning the area with his ocean blue eyes.

"So rude! I didn’t give you permission to enter," I exclaimed, raising my hands in exasperation.

His eyes met mine as he dramatically rolled his eyes, settling himself on the couch. "Who even needs your permission? Give me a glass of water. I’m thirsty. I’ve been standing at the door for so long, for hell's sake, while your skinny a*s took your sweet time getting up and opening it." He leaned back, almost melting into the couch. "Ugh! It was such a long and tiring journey."

The door slammed shut behind me as I fumed. "MY a*s IS NOT SKINNY, YOU MORON!"

He waved his hands, unbothered by my outburst. "Whatever. Give me water now." The audacity to order me around in my own house after forcing his way in.

I went into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle from the refrigerator, and tossed it to him—didn’t want him to die of thirst or dehydration now.

"So uncivilized. Can’t even serve water in a glass on a tray. Is this how you treat your guests?" He complained while opening the bottle cap, gulping down the water as if he’d been thirsty for ages. "Aha! Now I feel better." A satisfied exhale left his lungs.

"You mean an uninvited guest."

"Anyway, how have you been?" He completely ignored my words.

Sighing, I made my way to the couch, settling beside him. "Good so far."

He stared at me for a few moments in uncomfortable silence. "What are you doing here, Ryan? And with these bags?" I broke the silence, unable to tolerate it anymore.

"I transferred my college to yours. My work there is finished, even my training. Now, I wanted to come here and keep you company," he shrugged, playing with the bottle in his hands.

"Okay. So, you finally got kicked out by your dad and had nowhere to go, so you came here," I deadpanned. Ryan Matthews was my childhood friend—more like since the day I was born. We even shared the same birthday. I knew him better than he knew himself, and yet he thought he could lie to me? Such an oblivious guy.

He ran his fingers through his hair, chuckling nervously. "You didn’t have to put it that way. It hurts, you know? It makes me feel like I don’t care for you."

"Shut up!"

"Okay, fineeeee," he whined, getting up and sitting on the floor beside my legs, holding them. "I did as you told me. I stayed with my dad, went to the company with him, got trained by him for four years, and learned so many new things. But that old man is never satisfied with me! I wanted a leave. A vacation! I was tired of roaming around him like his side chick. I wanted a break. But he didn’t let me—said I either attend college seriously or go to the company with him. We argued, and he kicked me out to let me realize how hard life is and how privileged I am," he said, exasperated.

I sighed, rubbing my forehead to stave off the impending headache. "Your dad isn’t wrong. Think from his perspective. You go to the company for a week and then spend two weeks wandering around. How much more of a break do you want? You’ve been skipping classes since your high school freshman year. That’s not how a future CEO and owner of such a big empire acts. Your dad is worried you’ll end up without any degree or skills if you keep this up. He works tirelessly to maintain the family’s prestige, and give you the life you want and deserve. You need to work as well to continue the legacy."

He pouted, lowering his head onto my knees. I gently rubbed his head, patting it. He was such a baby at times. "It’s not like I don’t know how much he sacrificed for me or what he’s doing for me. I’m just scared of his strictness. I want a normal life where he understands and listens to me. I’m trying my best to handle everything." A meek voice, accompanied by sniffling, whispered as tears welled in his eyes.

My hands massaged his head, running my fingers through his smooth hair. "I know you’re trying your best, and trust me, your dad will be the proudest person once you achieve what you want. He just doesn’t know how to show his affection. He never received it from his parents, but he’s trying to be a better parent for you every day. Parenting’s hard—especially when you’re a single parent managing everything amidst so many threats. Who do you think has a normal life? The homeless children who don’t even know if they will get food today? The children of middle-class families watching their parents struggle to meet ends and dreaming of a comfortable future but lacking resources? Or heirs like us, fighting to prove we’re working just as hard, striving to make a name for ourselves beyond our family’s reputation? People are never satisfied with what they have. The person living your dream life might be dreaming of your reality."

Ryan nodded, wiping his snot and tears on my nightdress. Nevermind. We’d seen each other’s worsts. "Why do you sound so mature?"

I hit his head, scoffing. "Because I am mature."

He rubbed his head, pulling away and settling on the couch again. "You wish." Some people just deserve a good beating only.

"Anyway, I’ve transferred into your college and invested a lot of money to get in at this time of the semester end. Even if I end up regretting it later, I’m not letting this go to waste. I’ll get my degree and work at my dad’s company afterward. That way, I can pursue my side goals too." His dad would be fine with this—he just wanted him to be serious about at least one thing. A typical parent worries.

"Yeah. That might be good. So, where are you going to live, then?" I nodded, acknowledging his decision.

Silence followed my question. I looked up to witness him making puppy eyes at me. Not liking the expression on his face, I shook my head. "Nope."

Ryan frantically nodded. "Yes, pleaseeeeee." He joined his hands, his puppy eyes intensifying.

"Amelia, you can't fall for that," Sofia's and Robin's voices echoed in my mind simultaneously.

"Guys! I am trying not to!" I exclaimed silently in my mind.

"I spent all my savings on my college fees and bribing the principal to get admission. I have nowhere to go. I don’t even have money to feed myself." His neverending whining was exhausting me to the core.

"So, what do you want me to do?" I sighed, resigning to the fact that I couldn’t leave him on the streets. He was my best friend.

He grinned, eyes sparkling. "Arrange a place for me to stay and cover my expenses for a few months. I am sure Dad will calm down after some time." His smile was like that of a Cheshire cat. Who would have thought he was crying just minutes ago? "This place isn’t bad either. Seems to have more than one bedroom if I am not wrong. I can settle here for the time being, and I can cook for you too."

The idea wasn’t too bad. It would save me money. But...

"NO!" I flinched as Sofia and Ronan’s voices screamed in my mind. Too much coordination.

"Got it, guys! I wasn’t slipping into temptation. Don’t worry." I forced a nervous smile.

They huffed, as if mocking me.

"One of the penthouses on this floor is empty, I believe. I’ll talk to the agent and get it for you. You can move there tomorrow once it’s cleaned. And I’ll give you one of my credit cards—use it however you want." He grinned, jumping up and hugging me tightly.

"You’re the best, Amelia. I love you!" He kissed my forehead—a gesture I found adorable and comforting.

"I hate you though. Now, go freshen up in the guest room and get ready. We’re leaving for college." I stood up from the couch, signaling him to follow me with his suitcases.

"Can’t we skip today? Let’s go tomorrow," Ryan suggested, ever the lazy one.

"Nope. Get ready in half an hour, or I’ll kick you out too."

He puffed his cheeks, retreating into his room. "Fine. Whatever."

As I stepped out of the shower, I heard the doorbell ring again. Who could it be now? Wrapping my hair in a towel and donning my bathrobe, I headed to see who was at the door. To my surprise, Ryan was standing there, only in a towel around his waist, opening the door before I could stop him.

"Who are you?" A familiar, deep, venomous voice asked.

"I should ask you the same. Who are you?" Ryan counterattacked, confused.

I stood beside Ryan, near the door. "Oh! Hey. What are you doing here? It’s still an hour before we leave for college."

Nicholas’s eyes darkened, shifting from Ryan to me, examining my appearance. Then he looked at Ryan again, jaw clenching tightly. If looks could kill, Ryan and I would be twelve feet under the ground, already.

"Who is he, Principessa?" he asked, each word heavy with pressure. Darkness enveloped his aura, anger visibly radiating in waves. I wasn’t so naive as to miss what he was deciphering from this situation or why he was so furious. After all, I was his unhinged obsession.

I gulped, my throat dry and heart pounding. Why was I so scared, as if I’d been caught cheating? Before I could open my mouth to answer, Ryan wrapped his arm around my shoulders, smiling innocently.

"Her fiancé."