CHAPTER 16
1068 Words
Derek Armstrong had been long awaiting this day.
He was one amongst a bunch of people in the airport waiting for an aeroplane to land. The very thought of seeing his best friend after a long, long time made him bounce with excitement.
Most of them carried a name plate and Derek wondered if he should have brought one too. Though he hadn't changed much, he doubted if Ashton would recognise him.
Derek took out his phone and checked how he looked. He'd developed eye bags and become slightly tanned over the years. Otherwise, there weren't much changes.
Ashton and Derek had learnt basketball under the same coach. The more they interacted with each other the more they realised the extent to which they were like minded.
They had been bust buddies since then. Derek very rarely found people compatible with him and when he did, never let go of them.
When Ashton was done with his under graduation, he shifted to Canada to be with his sister. But to Derek it was a great shock. It wasn't easy to suddenly let go of someone who meant the life to you.
Though, they were constantly in touch through f*******: and w******p, the absence of each other had carved a vacuum in their hearts.
And that vacuum was finally going to be filled.
At last, the speakers enunciated the arrival of the plane.
Derek craned his head to check out for Ashton. A whole lot of people were coming out and he didn't want to miss his friend.
After a few moments of anticipation, Derek caught sight of someone who resembled Ashton. The man was tall and brawny with cat like eyes that were clad with a square framed spectacle.
The man looked at Derek with sceptically. "D-E-R-E-K?" mimed the man.
"Ashton!" Derek almost screeched, inviting unpleasant stares.
Ashton scurried to him with open arms. "It's been so long!"
Ashton Feathers was so full of bliss to be back at the place where he grew up. He had missed the place so much.
They engrossed themselves into a nostalgic conversation. Ashton beamed as he heard how things had changed.
Shortly afterward, Derek took Ashton to a restaurant and they ate heartily.
After they were done, the waiter brought the bill.
Suddenly, Ashton's phone rang.
It was a familiar song. And yet, it brought so much discomfort into the atmosphere.
Derek noticed his reaction as he spoke into it. His face turned pale and motionless.
"What is it?" asked Derek, circumspectly.
Ashton gulped. "Err.... The signal is...is... just isn't good here" stammered he, trying to feign a smile. Afterward, he excused himself and exited the room.
Still confused, Derek got the bill from the waiter. He slid some currency notes inside and went to pee.
At Derek's house....
Derek and Ashton laughed their lungs out.
"You should have seen his face" Ashton said, imitating the waiter.
It was a plan they had devised to abscond from the restaurant. Once Ashton left, Derek went to the rest room and escaped through the window. He had paid less than half than what was due.
Derek and Ashton were so accustomed to conning waiters that they had become ingenious at it. It's been a habit since time immemorial.
Derek grabbed a whiskey from the fridge and poured it out in two glasses while Ashton surfed the TV channels.
"So, looks like someone's been a player" mocked, Derek.
Ashton shot an amusing look at him. "Look who is saying that" he said, throwing a pillow at him.
Derek hadn't expected the question to backfire.
He whimpered at the thought of Rachel.
He had loved Rachel so deeply. So very deeply that he had garnered almost every information about her. Starting from her favourite colour to favourite actor, he knew everything.
But that fool of a girl had fallen for a loser. Once, he knew he'd lost her, he relinquished trying. At times, he felt silly and tried to move on. But, he just couldn't bring himself to it.
Rachel had caused a scar too deep.
And she would definitely pay.
Suddenly, something in the TV trapped their attention.
A journalist, Eric by name was elucidating the Richard Anderson homicide along with the affair between Mr Louis and Veronica. The actor's involvement in the case was making it all the more contagious.
Both, Derek and Ashton stared at the screen when Rachel's photo was displayed.
To both, it brought back traumatic memories.
"Is she still bothering you?" queried Derek, trying to sound casual.
Apparently, Ashton tried to cloak the change in his demeanour.
"No" he replied curtly and went on to pretending as if he were busy with his phone.
He smirked.
With every sense he possessed, Derek knew he had lied.
Meanwhile.....
Ronny was sat inside his very own precinct.
But his mind was somewhere distant.
Fourteen hours had passed since he had answered that least recognisable, sinister voice. And yet, its impact hadn't changed.
In addition to being a brave cop Ronny has always been a courageous man. Never had he let anything crumble him down as much as this did.
He wouldn't have given a darn if they had threatened to hurt him or kill him. But they'd used Ashley's name.
Ashley held the past that he was running away from.
A past that he was ashamed of.
He would give anything in this world to not let Sarah know that he'd cheated on her.
Yes, he'd cheated on her.
It wasn't that he wanted to sustain a spotless image in her heart.
No, not that.
He knew that Sarah loved him with all her heart and she just will not be able to bear with what he'd done. Sarah was a strong willed woman. And he didn't want to be the reason she would be crushed and heart broken.
What ailed him more was the fact that there was someone on prowl who knew his dark secret.
And how did they know?
The only person he had confided the secret to was Patrick.
Ronny was tempted to call him and inquire about it. But, he didn't want to k****e something that he wanted to bury. He didn't want to give life to something that he wanted dead.
He decided to keep the matter aside until he received another prodding call.
And with his heart of hearts he wished he never would.
- Writer
