Reaching The Brightest Star

CHAPTER NINE

Chloe

Tipsy and Drown

It was my first time to physically hurt someone. It was the first time I had experienced other people’s blood flow into my hands. Even though I didn’t mean to, I was shaking. Fear prevailed in my chest.

I don't want to be imprisoned. I do not want to. I didn't mean to. My life is not in prison.

My feet hurt when I'm walking. I was wearing high heeled shoes that Aunt Fely forced me to wear. I had no other belongings, not even money. I plan to take a taxi but I can't afford to pay the driver. I'm scared. What if he puts me in jail? What's even scarier is that he’s going to kill me. He is so rich that he will be able to find me and kill me.

The news reached Aunt Mercy. I don’t know how that fled and got to her. I’m sure I’ve never mentioned that to her before. She immediately sought out Aunt Fely to pay for all her sins. Not just to me, but also to other women she has victimized. The law will still be obeyed even if my family is still involved.

I can't be mad at Aunt Fely. She is still my relative even if the world is upside down. I don't know but I don't feel angry with her. I know she also doesn’t like whatever she does. She is only commanded by someone higher than her. I don’t tend to instill hatred in people.

There is nothing perfect in the world, we all have weaknesses, we all commit sin.

She first sent me home to Batangas to alleviate the incident. Our abandoned house is where I am temporarily staying. Fortunately, it's vacation time, I don't have work or school. When I returned to Batangas, I first called Marco. He was immediately what I was looking for. I didn’t let him know what happened to me.

No. I don’t want him to even know about it.

"Marco," I couldn't stop crying. My tears kept flowing down my cheek.

"Baby, you're crying? Where the hell are you?" His voice was like thunder as I heard it on the other line. I closed my eyes tightly. I can just hear his voice, I will be fine. In what happened to me, he was just the first person that entered my mind that I should go to.

"I went home to Batangas. I'm here at home." I let out a sob at the same time as he cut off our call.

I still tremble with fear, until today. Even though I am far away from Manila, my fear still cannot be erased. A week has passed but it is still fresh to me. I will never forget that.

A few hours later, the gate of our house opened, heavy and fast footsteps were the next thing I heard. I sat on the sofa as my knees pressed against my chest. Next the door opened and it spat out Marco. The sound of wood hitting the pavement was loud and fast. His hair was disheveled and he looked at me breathlessly. His gaze only softened when he saw me crying and terrified. He immediately came to my side, the sofa creaked due to the weight of his sitting. He let out a heavy breath before turning at me. His eyes were full of concern and every move was with caution.

"What happened?" He whispered.

No words came out of my mouth. My sobs subsided and my face was covered. My hands were shaking and my chest was throbbing with the force of my heartbeat. He carefully touched my feet and he guided it to his left side. He gently pulled me closer to him even though I was still covering my face. When I felt his chest I deliberately tilted my head which in turn brought me a slight calm. I just kept on sobbing as he stroked my hair. He applied a soft and long kiss to my head.

"I don't know why you are being like this. Could you please tell me?" I lifted my face so the two of us could face each other.

His expression was full of caution as his eyes fixed on me.

He stroked my shoulder up to my elbow. His one hand was carefully fixed on the side of my knee. If my situation were not like this I would think the fire was already burning in my body now. In our position, my heart immediately pounded.

"I just missed you," I softly whispered. My voice is fading because I have been crying for several nights while I still remember what happened.

I can't admit to him what really happened. I was scared and he might even get hurt if he found out. I can't admit to him now that I only think of his safety. I don't want anyone to get hurt anymore. I do not want to. I don't want him to be affected. I don't know Ardente's ability yet but I know he can find me.

His eyes widened and his smile slowly faded. He gave me a shallow kiss. I almost didn't feel that because it didn't seem like our lips even touched, it’s too shallow. I closed my eyes to what he did even though I barely felt it.

"I missed you too," he caresses my elbow once again and you immediately deliver warmth and tickles.

My tears dried up and I didn’t realize my stupor. The evening wind blew, I immediately hugged myself when I felt cold. I looked back at the fun going on in the gymnasium. It's back to normal and it seems like nothing happened before. I don’t know if I look like I can still present to people, especially to my friends and Marco. After I scandalized inside I didn’t know what he was doing now.

I exhaled and decided. I will go back inside, forget what happened and socialize as if no scandal had happened. I know it's hard to do but I don't want to show that I was too affected by that kiss of his. If he forgot, I should show no signs of it too.

The kiss was nothing. I will just think of it like it didn’t happen.

That’s easy to say, isn’t it? My brain and heart are just treacherous because it no longer seems to be listening to me.

Loud electronic music filled the room. People are already dancing in the middle, others are on the side and holding glass flutes. I roamed my eyes around the room, unable to find where my friends were. Maybe they are having fun with their husbands as well. I also searched our table earlier, my clutch was there. I approached it and immediately took it. My batch mate passed by behind me, I could smell the mixed champagne and vodka. I guess he must've drank a lot.

Vodka? I thought they didn’t offer anything like that?

I looked at the counter that people were going to. There they provide wines and other liquors. I frowned my eyebrows, and the waiter I spoke to earlier told me that they do not serve such drinks. Are people fooling me here? Or am I fooling myself? I dismissed that in my mind and just headed to the counter as well.

I really need a f*****g drink!

"Three shots of hard tequila," I said emphatically to the man. He immediately gave it to me. I chugged one after another and the cold immediately dragged down my throat. I sat down on the stool and asked for more. After giving it to me, I immediately drank it.

"More," I ordered. He gave me another one and I immediately drank it.

"Give me something hard aside from these," my head was already heavy and I could feel my softening feet as well.

"Ma'am are you sure?" The man asked me. Do I look like I'm joking now? I looked at him sharply and saw that he was scared.

"Didn't you drink hard before? This is your fourth shot glass Ma'am." He said as he mixed something in a container. I shot him a sharp look again.

"Just give me a hard damn drink!" I hissed. Maybe this man thought I was joking. I raised my voice and he was surprised by my sudden shout. He handed me a glass of brown liquid. This is probably the strongest drink here.

"Why just one?" I even raised an eyebrow at him.

I'm not really in the mood. So please, don't keep up. And I will fight everyone I can hit.

"Ma'am, just take it easy. I don't know how drunk you are. That's strong." He said. Referring to the new glass in front of me.

"I am not your responsibility!" I said laughing.

"But Ma'am-" I cut him off.

"Just don’t care about me! Give me my drink, and we will both be okay." I yelled at him once again.

I drank what was in the glass he gave me. I could feel it flowing down my throat to my stomach. Hot and apparently boiling in my stomach. Did he give me acid? Why is it hot? Immediately my vision rolled, I closed my eyes and violently shook my head. My hair covered my face.

"Ma'am are you okay?" His voice was full of concern. It was as if he had done something to me. I couldn't open my eyes completely because I was still dizzy. I clung to the table because I felt like I was going to lose my balance as well.

"I'm fine," I answered back.

I stood up and my suspicion was correct. I’ve lost my balance, thankfully and I haven’t let go of the edge of the table yet. I conditioned myself before finally regaining consciousness. My eyes are rolling.

The electronic music invited me to dance. Without hesitation I walked to the center. Mixed in the sea of people. Who are they? I can't even remember them all. I just go with them to dance. I can't see them well because of the darkness that only disco light serves as light. I just closed my eyes as my body moved in tune with the music. Something suddenly snapped at me and I looked at her.

"I need to go home!" I did not hear what she said. I can't see her face well. She was with a man who supported her from behind.

"What?!" I asked. She even leaned closer to my ear.

"I said, I need to go home. Ivan here wants us to go home. It's getting late." Oh! It's Lauren.

I widened my eyes to see them better. It is Lauren, beside her is her husband Augustus. I saw how he could protect Lauren just so the wild dancers wouldn't hit her. He even stood behind her and touched both of her shoulders. Lauren's hands were placed on her stomach. It seems to be protected as well.

She shouldn't be here! People are getting wild around us. They're all grown ups but when they dance, they just dance the night away! Not giving a damn in their surroundings.

"Go home, now! Gus, take her now!" I yelled.

I was suddenly scared of what might happen to her womb. Why else would she go to the dance floor just to say goodbye to me? She should have just text me if that's the case! It was as if I still had time to read the message. That’s what they did. I even helped them get out of the sea of violent people dancing to the charm of the music. I helped Lauren walk until we came out of the gymnasium exit. The range of music in our place is a bit weak. I breathed a sigh of relief when nothing bad happened to her. She is very delicate when she's in this condition. This is not my specialization in medicine but I know she is not allowed to do this.

"I just realized you shouldn't have come here," I couldn't stop but to preach to her. She just stayed quiet.

"And you, Gus, your wife is pregnant but you still came here. She's not allowed to stay awake at this hour and get tired!" I hissed. I even included Gus in my sermon.

I told you. I'm not in the mood.

"We just had a quick visit, and I just couldn't stand the annoying of her." Gus snaked his arms on Lauren's waist. One of its hands caresses the bulge in the wife's stomach. I couldn’t help but gasp in the air.

"Even though-" I couldn't continue what I was about to say when Lauren stepped in.

"I'm not fragile, Chloe. I can still run." Lauren said. I scanned her feet and I saw it was still in heels! I rubbed my forehead and gave up. I can't argue with a pregnant woman. It will give her stress!

"There's a hundred possibilities that may happen to you in your condition. And Isabella doesn't forbid you?" From what I know, Isabella is her doctor.

"She won't allow her, but you can't win against her." Gus supported her wife like a fragile vase.

"All right, go home. Gus, please take care of her."  I said.

"As always," Gus kissed his wife before supporting her to walk and exit the door.

They kissed in front of me. Okay, fine!

The nerve! 

My dizziness suddenly disappeared. My tipsiness also washed away. My plan to drown and get drunk on alcohol prevailed in my mind. I don't know, I just feel like drowning tonight.

I went back to the bar counter.

"Ma'am, maybe you can handle that," this man's tendency to interfere! One more. I will show him how I really am when drunk.

"Just give what my orders are. Don't mess with me anymore and you won't have any problems. Just do your job." I hissed. He gave me two glasses of brown liquid like before. He just gave in. Why now?

Are you a parent, brother? Are you a parent?

Are you my boyfriend? s**t! I don't even have a boyfriend.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, I was just instructed to take care of you." I swallowed the liquid and drew its chisel on my tongue. Like before, it seemed to be boiling in my stomach. Blazing fire as it flows down my throat.

"Who's ordering you?" I said a little weakly. It was nauseating and I felt like throwing up. He did not answer my question. Instead he turned its back on me and handled another person who was also asking for a drink.

"Didn't you hear me? Who ordered you?" I asked him. He didn’t even look at me and care about what was in front of him. I stared at the air without getting an answer.

Who ordered them to forbid me? What right does he have in my life? To the best of my knowledge, I own myself. And no one can control my desires!

"Tell that to whoever ordered you not to give me alcohol-" I couldn't continue what I was about to say when I was suddenly choked.

"They don't own me," I continued.

I sipped another glass and endured the dizziness. I went back to the center and interacted with the people again. My eyes search for my friends. I'm carrying my clutch and here's my cell phone. But I couldn’t type a message because of the pushing people. But I did anyway, I typed a message to at least one of them and I succeeded. I hid my cell phone in my clutch and stood up straight. I dismissed my thoughts and just danced. I followed my body to the flow of the music. Loud electronic music filled my system and made me want to dance even more.

For almost six years, I have never experienced dancing like this. I'm not a party goer type of woman even back in Norway. I'm always at home or in Aunt's office. I danced other kinds of choreographic but not like this. Hyper, wild and sensual.

I felt the arm curl around my stomach. He followed my movements. I remember something in his caresses. He even slightly touched my body to make him feel better. I was losing consciousness and I no longer cared about the surroundings. I didn't mind that I was wearing a long dress now so that I could dance this kind of gesture. My dress is not appropriate for this kind of dance. But I didn't care anymore, all I could think about was dancing with the man behind me. I don't care who he is anymore.

Everything will be back to how it was after this. 

He even draws me closer to his body. His breath I felt in my neck up to my cheek. That delivered me a momentary tickle. I closed my eyes while dancing. He brought his face close to my neck. He kissed it once. His lip moved up to my ear.

I can’t remember if I’ve ever done something like this before. But the only thing running through my mind was the music prevailing throughout the room.

"Damn, I'm so f*****g turned on." The man's voice behind me was full of restraint. I chuckled when I felt that. He gently squeezed my waist. I'm not innocent for not knowing that he's hitting on me. I just let him go because after that he was gone. He won't remember me either. And I don't know him anymore. Because I can't even remember what I did.

The weight on my head is attacking again. I'm tipsy, that's all I know. But that was not enough for me. I want to go back to the counter for a drink. I feel like I'm still lacking in my headache right now. I opened my eyes and I didn’t expect what I first saw. Those dagger eyes of his are looking at me intently. His lips were pressed into thin lines while his fist was clenched and closed. I stopped dancing, and so did the man behind me. It caressed my stomach.

"What's the problem?" He whispered to my ears sensually. I couldn’t help but notice that because I was startled by the man in front of me, two meters away. Looking in my direction as if not liking what I was doing.

"My love," I breathed. I forgot where I was. I forgot that there was a man dancing behind me. He’s the only one I see now clearly. His eyes almost cut me.

My senses throbbed, the heavy feeling returned to my head. My stomach is boiling and I feel like I want to vomit.

I let go of my clutch and it fell to the floor. Before I could forget that my body had collapsed as well. I saw his haste to get close to me and attend me.

And then, everything went black.