Beautiful Disaster (Complete)

16. Keeping Secret

Chapter 16.

        “Please don’t call me that..” Leanne said listlessly, while closing her eyes and buried her face to her pillow.

       Ace can sense her desperation from her fragile behaviour at the moment, surprised by the effect on her when people calling her with Red-nickname, he looked down before speak. It has crossed his mind that the reasons that made Leanne easily startled, panicking and hard to breath, even trembling, was because her traumatic experience. Ace felt a glimpse of guilt for noticing the way he called her has been provoking her trauma.

    “Okay.. I won’t do it again.” He said, sturdy. Their eyes locked on each other for a while, before Ace speaks again.

    “Now, about PTSD it’s—” he’s about to ask her whether she noticed her symptoms when she cut in. PTSD stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Leanne’s got most the symptoms.

     “Y-yeah, I-I just having a hard time in processing - - things.” Leanne quickly said. Even though she knew that her answer was not relevant. She’s not intended to tell him what she’s been through. She can’t!

     Ace straight his back slowly without letting go of his eyes on Leanne, noticing that she’s holding back on him—not capable to even talk about it. While Leanne is still looking at him back, with her round eyes that shows her worries and confusion.

    The room is in silence for a moment, before Ace gently asked her. “How do you feel right now?”

    “I’m good.” Said Leanne while taking a seat from her lied down position, made her blanket slipping from her body.

    “You should sleep.” Ace looked away for a while, licking his lips and tried to focus his mind to other things—other than his wild imagination on her.

    “I-I have to go back. S-sharon must be looking for me. My phone--” Leanne said nervously, she’s searching for her phone too.

    One came inside the room carrying her phone with his mouth, and giving it to Ace. Leanne would give One a compliment if it’s not because she was anxious to see her phone in Ace’s hand. Leanne tried to stay calm, and not raising his suspicion by patiently wait for Ace to give her, her phone.

    “Thanks, One.” Said Ace while wiping One’s slobber from Leanne’s phone, before giving it back to Leanne. “Don’t you worry about Sharon. You’re not getting back to work at that party, tonight. I’m sure your friends got everything’s covered.”

     “N-no, I can’t—” said Leanne, quickly stand from her bed but then she stumbled, still adjusting her balance. Ace put his both hands on her shoulders, helping her steady before gently put her back to sit on her bed.

    “It’s not a request. I’m sure you know that there’s no winning in arguing with me?” Ace’s said while letting his hand go from her shoulders, slowly. Gee, those skin. Ace decided to turned his back and walk to the door, before he lost control. As for Leanne, she shivered by his touch on her bare skin, she can’t say or do anything other than lay her body back to the bed.

    “Do you want One to stay here, and guard you?” Ace asked before passing out the door.

    “No need..” said Leanne weakly smiling at One.

    “Come on then, One. Let the lady take a good sleep.”

     One looking at his master for a while, before put his head back on his paw—telling his master that he will stay with Leanne. Ace stunned for a while, surprised that his loyal dog has connected with others person than him. Ace smirked and looking at Leanne.

     “I guess, somebody wants to guard you after all.”

     Leanne smiled back, before looking back at Ace’s eyes and speak.

     “Ace.. Thank you, for everything.”

    Ace looked down before stare back at her and nodded without saying anything. His body tightened by the needs of her. He decided to close the door, before he tempted --jumping at her and take the pleasure of her body right away.

    Leanne back to lay down sideways on her bed, feeling blue. She put her head on her arm.  “Thank you for looked after me, One.” Said Leanne to One, with her one tear fell from her eyes. Feeling drained of energy, she fell asleep not long after.

    ***

     The next morning she woke up, One is already not in her room. It’s 7 am on the clock, she has to getting ready as soon as possible. Even though it is Sunday morning, she still got works to do. She checked her phone to see everything is alright—considering there’s not much of a message that told her that she’s needed. That means Sharon is happy.

     Leanne only got a message from G-boss that confirmed his approval on her absence to check in yesterday. She put her phone back on the bed, before taking a shower and begin her works.

     When Leanne came inside the kitchen, everybody is taking their breakfast it is nearly 8 am on the clock. Linda, Sam and Aimee were the ones that prepared everything about the morning routine, breakfast and all.

     “Looks like somebody is overslept.” Sharon said with her authentic sarcasm behaviour, made all eyes in the room fixed on Leanne.

     “I-I did, I’m sorry.” Leanne replied nervously, before looking at her friends and tell them by her face the honest sorry for leaving them last night. They’re winking at her, telling her that they were okay with it.

     “It’s Sunday, nothing wrong to get a little late. Besides, I think everybody who’s worked late on your party last night must be exhausted. Give her a break, Sharon.” Calvin voice sounds upset.

     “But I don’t see Leanne much in that party, last night.” Sharon squinted, not liking her husband’s complaint at her.

     “That’s because she’s with me.” Ace said briefly. Makes all eyes turned to him in surprised, not in exception for Leanne who’s looking very confuse all of a sudden.

    Noticing the fixed eyes of everybody, especially Leanne who’s giving him a mild head shook—giving him the code, not to tell everybody about what happened last night. Considering the fact that, things could get worse for Calvin and Sharon in instant.

    “What do you mean that she’s with you?” Calvin burst out, he glared at Ace-- recalling the last conversation with his brother about Leanne.

    “After made sure that the party is going well,--and Linda was handling everything pretty well too, I was intended to check on—or prepare both dinner for Cheryl and Mr. Ace.” Said Leanne in a very smooth words and emotionless face. “I’m sure you had a very great time at the party, until you had not realised my presences, Mrs. Gold. Considering, all your workers wore the same dress code too.”

    After listening to Leanne’s explanation, Sharon decided not to say another word, since she’s too realised, that she’s not that fully payed attention on her workers appearances, including Leanne.

     Calvin is still glaring at his brother in his suspicious looks on his face, which Ace replied in his smirk along with his raised eyebrows and shoulders—in gesture of agreeing with everything that Leanne’s said. Ace assumed that the reason Leanne covered it up is related with Calvin and Sharon’s acts toward it.

    However, deep down Ace is stunned for noticing how good Leanne was, in covering his story—in fact, in lying. He wondered does she always that good in telling lies?