No Ordinary Love Songs

Chapter 5 - Overloved

“Am I not clear when I told you to ditch your girlfriend and start dating Tiffany?” Mike recalled his fight with his father a month ago.

“I don’t like her,” Mike insisted.

“Mike, the future of our company relies on it,” Roger tried to be calm, “Think about your mother; think about us. If we disappoint Mr. Benson, he’ll pull-out all our advertising agreements with his company and we will lose billions. You will learn to love her,” he begged his son.

“The hell,” Mike tried to walk out.

“Listen to me,” Roger stopped his son, “As my only son, it is your responsibility to take care of the company. This is part of that responsibility.”

“But I love someone else”

“Think about it,” Roger paused, “Will she love you when you have nothing?”

“What do you mean?” Mike wondered.

“The company is losing, Mike. When your mother got sick, I am forced to use the money of the company for her cure. Our partnership with The Grand Beatrice Company will not only save our company,” Roger sighed, “it will keep me from going to jail.”

Mike sighed. When he met Rish, she was nothing to him; but when Tiffany started to bully her, he decided to protect her. He eventually learned to love her. He looked at Tiffany who was quietly seated on the passenger’s seat. He wondered what happened to her. She was the most popular girl in school _ pretty, witty, but mean. He knew she had a huge crush on him and she bullied any girl that is linked to him. Among all the girls, Rish was the only one who is brave enough to fight back.

“I am sure Tiffany can endure it if you can only love her as a friend; she was able to endure the bruises you gave her, anyway,” he remembered Sasha’s words.

“Sasha told me you have bruises, why didn’t you complain about it?” he asked her.

“Huh?” Tiffany seemed surprised, “this is nothing. I always get this every dance practice,” she lied. ‘That brat! Why did she tell Mike about my bruises’ Tiffany thought.

There was silence again.

“Stop the car,” Tiffany broke the silence.

“Mike, please stop the car,” Tiffany pleaded.

“What’s wrong with you?” Mike pulled over.

“I won’t be long,” she said while looking at the back of the car.

Tiffany hurriedly went out of the car.

“Hey, where are you going?” Mike followed her.

“Mom?” Tiffany stopped a few steps away from her mother. Mike was surprised to see Tiffany’s mother. He hasn’t seen her in person though he knew what happened.

“Mom, please” Tiffany ran after her mother who tried to walk away.

“Tiffany, I’ll see you some other time”

“You always say that but you never came to see me,” Tiffany stopped her mother again.

“I was in trouble the last time I saw you; I am just protecting my children”

“I am also your child,” Tiffany insisted.

“You are old enough to understand!”

“I wasn’t old enough when you left me. Mom please, I just want to talk to you,” Tiffany cried, pleading.

“Look, I don’t have time to argue. My husband will be here any time soon. If he sees you, I will be in trouble. Please understand; I don’t want him to take my children away.”

“He took you away from me,” Tiffany cried.

“I was young,” Tiffany’s mother touched her face, “I made a mistake,” she started crying, “God knows how much I regret leaving you behind. I am sorry,” she hurriedly walked towards her car and left Tiffany crying.

“Don’t leave me,” Tiffany whispered.

“Let’s go,” Mike said in a low voice.

“You go ahead,” Tiffany turned to Mike.

“It’s okay. I’ll drive you home,” Mike offered.

“Our house is just a block away. I can manage,” Tiffany insisted.

“If that is what you want,” Mike said and went back to his car.

Mike got in the car but watched Tiffany from the mirror.

Tiffany’s tears continued to flow. She had cried many times but this was different. Two people who decided not to choose her were in the same place. She wanted to hold her tears but they cannot be held. She does not want Mike to see her cry. ‘Mike made fun of me when I am at my best; he’ll even make more fun of me when he sees me at my worst’ Tiffany told herself.

‘Why is it so hard to choose me?’ she asked, ‘what is wrong with me? I have given my best but why is there always someone better? I tried to be perfect but why am I not considered perfect for them,’ her knees started to feel weak and the pain becomes so intense, she could hardly breathe.

Tiffany sat on the gutter and braced herself, trying to endure all the pains. Mike could not bear to see her that way so he went out of his car. For years he’d known Tiffany to be a fighter, this is the first time he saw her so vulnerable.

“Get up,” he said while in front of her.

“I don’t want you to see me cry. Please leave,” Tiffany said without looking at him.

“I am not as ruthless as you think,” Mike bowed down and pulled her up.

Tiffany felt his strong hands on her arms. He pulled her toward him.

“You’re coming with me whether you like it or not,” He said.

Tiffany was now very close to him. She felt the wild palpitation of her heart. She has never been this close to Mike besides during dance practices. His scent ignited the electrons of her body. She knew there was nothing to it but her body does not listen to her head, she could not even command her hands to push Mike away.

Mike pulled her towards the car. He made her sit in the passenger’s seat and went to the driver’s seat to start driving.

Mike decided to break the deafening silence and turned on the radio.

“Our next song is dedicated to all hopeless romantic dreamers out there,” Mike smirked at what DJ just said while Tiffany pouted. She thinks it was an overkill situation. The DJ played Paul DeAnda’s song, “Overloved.”

‘I need to find somebody who can't sleep at night_ Without holding me, without holding me tight

I want someone who sees me all the time in their dreams and then wakes up thinking just of me. Spent time on my own… Spent time being free…Now I just wanna be overloved, over needed, over wanted, over missed when I'm away…over dreamed of, over cared about, over everything_ I'd give anything to be overloved’

‘Is fate playing game on me?’ Tiffany thought because the song expressed exactly what she felt.

“How does it feel to be loved by someone you love?” she tapped her forehead realizing that she asked the most awkward question of all.

The question also surprised Mike, “Why did you asked?”

“Well,” Tiffany said timidly, “I’ve never been into a relationship. I want to know how it feels to be in love with someone who is in love with you.”

‘I want someone who can't wait to kiss me again even though it's been a minute since they last did…

Want someone who loves love songs and dedicates them to me, and two loving arms never out of reach…Been fine all alone, Did fine being free. This time I wanna be overloved, over needed, over wanted, over missed when I'm away…over dreamed of, over cared about, over everything_ I'd give anything to be overloved’

“And why did you ask me?” Mike wondered.

“Huh?” Tiffany didn’t know what to say.

“I said, why did you choose to ask me?” Mike asked again.

“Aahh..,” Tiffany also wondered, “I think it is because I was never really interested with anyone else and of all the people I know, you are the only person I know who is in love with the person who loved you back”

‘The nerve’ Mike thought. Tiffany knew he was happily in love with Rish, now he hated her more.

“I wish I’ll experience being loved by someone I love,” Tiffany sighed.

“Tch,” Mike mocked, “hopeless romantic dreamer.”

Tiffany heard Mike. It was adding injury to the pain she felt. She remembered what just happened and tears flowed on her tears. She wanted to hold it but again, it cannot be held. She tried to look away. Mike saw her cry.

“Cry baby,” Mike mocked her again.

“Stop,” Tiffany said softly.

“What?”

“I said stop the car!” Tiffany looked at him.

“Hey, I am just doing you a favor.”

“Then I don’t need that favor. Mr. Mike Fulton, let me just remind you that you are mocking your own future wife.”

Mike pulled the car over, “Do you honestly think that would work?”

“I don’t care if you love me or not. It does not matter anymore,” Tiffany tried to be brave, “I will be your wife and you will be my husband, and you have no choice!”

“Sh*t!” he knocked the steering wheel. This silenced Tiffany.

“Tiffany Benson, I don’t love you and I will never love you even if you are the last woman in the world,” he angrily said. This made Tiffany cry again.

“Is it really hard for you to love me?” she asked in a low voice.

“Ask yourself? You are selfish, self-centered, spoiled brat; no wonder your mother left you!” Mike was angry and he knew he didn’t mean what he just said.

The words shocked Tiffany. She knew Mike was rude to her but she never expected him to be this offensive. Tears flowed harder; she took her things and went out of the car.

“Come on, Tiff.” Mike tried to stop her.

“Mike I know you don’t love me but I tried to endure everything hoping that one day you’ll learn…”

“What? Learn to love you?” Mike stopped her, “Wake up to the real world Tiffany. This is not the love story you read every day.”

“But why does it feel so real?” Tiffany recalled the night their engagement was announced.

“I am not that rude to embarrass you and your father that night,” Mike was still angry.

Tiffany walked away.

“If you want to walk, well then fine!” Mike went back to his car and drove away.

Tiffany stop walking and watched Mike. ‘He did not even tried to ran after me’ she cried. ‘Well, why would he ran after me. He did not even care’ she felt her knees weakened and she dropped on the ground.

Mike saw Tiffany dropped on the ground but he was too mad to even care.

Tiffany was not a witch; she was just misunderstood. Now what do you think will happen to her? Will she try to open her heart to someone else? Tell me about what you think and drop some comments and please… I don’t entertain dream-stealers, I will write because I enjoy it. Anybody who tries to copy this will be dealt accordingly. Thank you to those who read my story, the time you spent reading is priceless.