Between The Lines and YOU

Thirty

It was only three in the morning when I woke up again. We had gotten home around eleven. I had just received a text from Knox, we had left almost at the same time. It was nothing much, just a simple goodnight, but of course your girl here couldn’t help but feel giddy all over again.

I went into the bathroom, rinsed my mouth, then stepped out. I wasn’t sleepy anymore. Out of nowhere, Shane’s face came to mind, the guest who looked exactly like me. I had no idea why I suddenly thought of her, but maybe I was just curious. How could we look so identical, as though we were split from the same seed? I found Ivy still glued to her laptop. A miracle she was even awake at this hour. Her hair was messy, and she couldn’t stop yawning. Why didn’t she just go to sleep? She noticed me when I came closer.

“You’re awake?” She really was hopeless sometimes. What a useless question.

“No, I’m asleep. Are you high?” I sat across from her, grabbed the carton of sterilized milk in front of her, and poured myself a glass. Maybe it would help me fall asleep.

“Low.”

“i***t. Why are you still awake?” I asked. It didn’t seem like she had slept at all since we got back.

“Because I’m not asleep?” Good grief. Probably a side effect from when I smacked her hard earlier, knocked a couple screws loose in her brain. I rolled my eyes and downed the milk in one go. When I finished, I stood and left her there. Forget it. She was useless to talk to anyway.

I went back to my room and lay down again. The milk seemed to help; I was just starting to drift off when I heard my door open and close. Then I felt someone wrap their arms around me from behind. When I turned, I saw Ivy with her eyes closed. I pushed at her face, she was way too close.

“You have your own room. Sleep there.” But instead she only tightened her hold and pressed closer. What was her problem?

“I had a terrible dream. I can’t fall asleep again.” I let her cling to me. She was like a leech, her grip unrelenting. I pulled the blanket over us both. One of her arms wrapped snugly around my stomach. As if that wasn’t enough, she hooked her leg over mine. Forget leech, she was a koala now.

“Why are you dragging me into this?”

“I’ll buy you ice cream tomorrow. Just let me sleep here.” My face instantly lit up. Free food? Who could resist? We both fell into silence after that. Eventually I was about to drift off again when she suddenly called my name.

“What? Ivy, I swear I’ll pull your hair out. I want to sleep. What is it?” I asked irritably, half-asleep.

“What if one day you wake up and find out you’re a billionaire? The CEO of some famous company, and my family owes your company a huge debt. What would you do?” I could barely make out her words anymore, sleep tugging heavily at me.

“I’d sleep.”

“Sleep?”

“Yes, sleep, because that’s a stupid dream. I want to sleep. Go to sleep yourself, you had way too much milk tea. Now you’re paranoid.”

“You wouldn’t have my dad thrown in jail, right?” What on earth was she rambling about? She sounded like an alien. Too tired to argue, I just kept shaking my head over and over. Then I felt her hold me tighter. Eventually we both fell asleep.

It felt like I had only dozed for a moment when I woke again. Morning light seeped into the room, and Ivy was no longer beside me. Great, now my neck was stiff. I groped for my phone on the side table. It was only six-thirty. Stretching, I got up, fixed the bed, and headed out of the room.

“Good morning!” Ivy greeted me with overflowing energy, as if she hadn’t stayed up late last night. She lifted her brows at me proudly, showing off the fact that she had cooked breakfast. As if it were anything special, just scrambled eggs, sunny-side-up, and hotdogs.

“Morning. You’re in such a good mood,” I replied with a small smile and sat down. She immediately poured milk into a glass for me.

“Of course. Your chest is so soft, after all.” I choked on my drink at her words.

“p*****t!” She only laughed and handed me a tissue, while I glared at her. Since when did Ivy learn to say things like that? She must have picked up this nonsense from Asher.

Once I finished, I went back into my room and collapsed on the bed again. Both of us had lost the will to attend the school event. But then I suddenly remembered, I had a date today with the guy who bought out all the food at Dana’s booth. My heart skipped. Damn it.

“I’m heading out,” I told Ivy when I caught her still glued to her laptop. What on earth was she so busy with now? I was already dressed and ready to go, but she looked like she had every intention of staying in the condo all day. She lifted her gaze, giving me a slow once-over from head to toe.

“Got plans?” I nodded and made my way to the door.

I had plans with Scarlett today. She had asked me to join her at an exhibit supposedly owned by the Falcons. Lately, I had been talking to Scarlett more through chat. I had learned things about her that her brother didn’t even know.

I wanted to tell Knox about it, but if Scarlett ever found out, she might never trust me again. I had discovered that it wasn’t just schoolwork or his own business keeping Knox busy, there was a much deeper reason I rarely saw him anymore. A reason that explained why Celine was always at his side. Whenever I was with him, I tried to convince myself that my suspicions weren’t true. That maybe the secrets he was keeping weren’t as dark as I feared. But every time I learned something new about him, it became impossible to just ignore it. I had to find the truth on my own, without him knowing. Scarlett knew, but she refused to tell me.

There was only one way left to uncover it. I wasn’t doing this to get anything in return from Scarlett. I was doing it because I wanted to, because I loved Knox.

“My brother has been preoccupied for a long time,” Scarlett said. “I don’t know who he’s been visiting at Helthon Mental Hospital, but he’s been doing it for more than two years now.”

She had brought me into Knox’s secret library. I brushed my fingers along the shelves. Countless books lined them, but not a single one had a title. Every book was written in a language I didn’t recognize. At the very last page of each, a dried butterfly wing was pressed, each one in a different color. Along the edge of the page, the number thirty-six was carved. My chest tightened with fear. Who are you really, Knox?

Why does it feel like you’re someone entirely different? I wanted to run away, terrified of what I might discover. But another part of me refused to move. I loved him.

“He also bought a property, but it’s in a hidden place. The road is overgrown, and hardly anyone goes there. I want to know what he’s hiding, but I can’t do it alone,” Scarlett continued. I couldn’t bring myself to answer her. My thoughts were tangled, my heart confused.

“The next day, come with me. To the Falcon art gallery exhibition. There’s a Celeste Café across from it. I want to introduce you to someone.” At first, I thought Scarlett was clueless about everything. That she was too innocent to understand these things. But once again, I was wrong.

I had just reached the parking lot when I realized, I didn’t even know how to drive. I slapped my forehead. i***t. Quickly, I turned back and took the elevator up. I’d just ask Ivy to drive me. I froze mid-step and quickly ducked out of sight when I spotted Shane. She wasn’t alone, she was with a woman I didn’t recognize. They were talking with Ivy.

Wait, since when were they close? Judging by Ivy’s expression, it looked more like an argument. Anger was written all over her face, while Shane appeared calm and collected. Their conversation seemed serious. Eventually, Ivy let them both inside. I remained rooted where I stood, confused by what I had just witnessed. Just yesterday Shane had been introduced as one of the event’s guests. Did they actually know each other? But if they did, Ivy would have told me. She had no reason to keep it a secret. Or could it be possible that my friend was hiding something from me?

I chose not to go into the condo anymore. Instead, I decided to commute. It felt as if I had become blind to everything happening around me. Like I was the only one left in the dark, too consumed with surviving day by day to notice what was right in front of me.

______________________________

“Scarlett, it will be too obvious if we do that,” I refused her offer. We were already at the Falcons’ art gallery, though the exhibit had yet to begin. The Falcons were powerful, after all. I wasn’t much into news, but their family’s name constantly appeared in my feed. Their company was so successful that even in Paris their reputation was well-known.

It was my first time in a place like this, and it was beautiful. Looking at the paintings felt like stepping into another world, chaotic, confusing, yet mesmerizing. Scarlett stopped in front of a canvas where only a blur of mixed colors and lines stretched across. They said such pieces carried deeper meaning. But for me, it was difficult to interpret, overwhelmed by the sheer mess of colors and curves.

“You don’t want to? You see my brother at home every day,” Scarlett teased.

“So? What of it?” I arched a brow at her. She didn’t answer, only smirked with that kind of look meant to irritate. She had suggested I move into their house to make things easier. A part of me wanted to, but another part resisted. Maybe it was better this way. At least no one would suspect us.

“Come on. She might be waiting for us already.” Scarlett tugged at my hand, pulling me along. For someone her age, she dragged me around as though we were equals.

“Irish!” Both Scarlett and I turned toward the cheerful voice that had called out. We were now inside the Celeste Café.

“Cloud!” Scarlett answered back with equal enthusiasm. They rushed toward each other and hugged as if years had passed since they last met.

I smiled awkwardly and lowered my gaze, aware of the other customers staring at them with mild irritation. My attention shifted to the girl Scarlett had called Cloud. She was strikingly fair, tall, and undeniably beautiful, so much so that even Scarlett’s looks seemed overshadowed. Her eyelashes resembled those of a doll. She wore the uniform of Sezar Legazpi Academy, one of the most prestigious schools. No doubt her parents were wealthy.

“Um, Cloud, this is Pria. Pria, this is Cloud, my friend.” Scarlett introduced us. I smiled and extended my hand. Cloud smiled back, a genuine smile, not one of pretense. Such natural beauty.

“Falcon,” Scarlett whispered to me. My eyes widened in shock. They weren’t celebrities, yet I was still surprised. I hadn’t expected to meet a Falcon here.

“Really?” I whispered back. No wonder she looked like someone out of reach.

“It’s embarrassing when you pretend I can’t hear you,” Cloud said lightly. Scarlett and I both stepped back at her words. Instead of shaking my hand, she handed me a small bottle of alcohol.

“What’s this?” I asked, confused. Of course, I knew it was alcohol, but why give it to me when all I wanted was a handshake?

“Are you blind? Alcohol. Obviously.” I couldn’t decide whether to feel offended or just play it off as if her remark didn’t sting. When she said that, it did not sound offensive at all. The way she spoke felt so natural, her expression free of any trace of pretense. What kind of woman was this?

“Pria, please forgive Cloud. That is really how she talks, but she is kind.” Scarlett quickly took the alcohol that her friend had handed over and poured some into my palm. I was about to return it, but Scarlett stopped me.

Apparently, Cloud disliked it when things she had already given were handed back after being touched by someone else. What, was she allergic to people? When she left to go to the restroom, I leaned closer to Scarlett.

“Why are we here? And what does your friend have to do with this?” She was about to take a bite of a cupcake, but I swiftly snatched it away and shook my head. She seemed to have forgotten that we needed to be twice as careful. She could not eat anything that had not been thoroughly checked. She settled for drinking water instead.

“She is a genius. She figures things out so easily.” After our conversation, I brought Scarlett home before heading back to the condo. I could not shake off my curiosity about her friend Cloud Falcon. She was hyper yet moody, a perfectionist, but her brilliance amazed me. I even laughed when I discovered she was Scarlett’s personal spy, the one often tasked with trailing her brother.

It turned out they were best friends, which explained why Scarlett could easily persuade Cloud into doing whatever she asked. My deep thoughts were cut off when my phone rang inside the small shoulder bag I always carried. It was Dana calling.

“Did anyone text you yet?” I checked my messages to be sure. There was none.

“No, why?”

“Because someone texted me. The one who will be your date. You do not mind, do you? He is a V.C.U. BS-Arki student.”

“Fine, just forward me the addres—ah!”

“Are you alright?” I shot a glare at the person who had bumped into me. I was still outside and had not yet gone up to the condominium. The walkway was wide, so how blind could he be?

“I am fine.” I ended Dana’s call after she excused herself. I was about to press the elevator button when I noticed someone behind me. I turned quickly, but before I could clearly see who it was, a handkerchief pressed hard against my mouth.

I struggled with all my strength, fighting to break free, but the more I resisted, the weaker I felt. What was happening to me? My body gave out as darkness finally consumed me. I woke shivering, hugging myself tightly against the cold.

“Pria.” The voice was hoarse, yet I knew who it belonged to.

“Knox?” Darkness cloaked every corner. I could not see a thing. Why was I here? And why was Professor Sandoval here too? The cold was unbearable, my body trembling from head to toe.

“I am here.” I searched frantically for the source of his voice. Why did it sound so lifeless? I tried to run, but my feet felt unbearably heavy, as though I could not take a single step. Tears stung my eyes. I was terrified. What was happening? I turned again, and then I finally saw him. It was as though we stood inside a theater, a spotlight shining only on him while my side remained drowned in shadows.

“Knox!” I cried, trying to lift my foot to move closer to him, but it was no use. My legs would not budge. He was bound in chains, his lips bloodied. His eyes were locked on me, his smile faint, lifeless, and sorrowful. Tears streamed down my face as confusion tore through me. Why was I here? Why was he here? Why was he chained?

A touch brushed against my cheek, and I snapped back into reality. It was only a dream. My heart raced, and it felt as though I had truly cried, for I could feel the wetness of my tears. I opened my eyes quickly and was greeted by an unexpected face. The face that had once lingered in my thoughts, the one that stirred a dormant curiosity in me about who I really was. She smiled wider and gently caressed my cheek once more.

“You are finally home, Ace.”