Unveiled

Chapter 02

The urge to leave the place is on the verge of my decision; however, even before I can take another step backward, a womanly voice conquers my ears.

“Revana? Sir Ravin’s daughter?” Her question is asked in a whisper, but it still manages to come to my senses.

I stare at the familiar face beside Maccius. I think I have seen her before, over a hundred times already. She is holding out the pages of paper that have fallen on the rooftop floor. Right now, the papers are pressed against her chest while her eyes are fixed on me. She blinks consecutively as she tries to remember a few memories with me.

If I am not mistaken, she is one of Maccius’ friends that had always been with him during his teenage years. I guess their friendship is too strong to even stay until the current.

I straighten my posture and bring the glass of champagne to my lips. Sipping on my glass, my eyes peek above the material to watch these people’s reactions.

“Yes, Leighan,” Maccius answers in a baritone voice.

I put down the glass at the level of my waist, then let my eyes stay on Maccius. He seems to mirror my actions—also looking at me like a fragment of a puzzle. In the way his eyes watch me, it feels like being in a situation of being pulled out. It feels like I am being drawn in, and no matter how much I try to look away, his eyes refuse to let me go. They are deep and tantalizing as if they can bring me to a different part of the world.

“Well, then… shall I leave you both here?”

I actually came here to find myself, hoping that I would be alone on this rooftop; however, it seems like I have become a distraction for these people. What will I do here? I’m certain I will not find a quiet and peaceful place here, especially since someone else arrived before I did.

“Actually…” Leighan bites her lip and steps near the gate. “I still have to give this to your mother. I’ll go ahead.” Turning to Maccius, a small smile comes on her face. “Evo, there’ll be a meeting with the architects later—don’t be late.”

My lips part slightly at what I just heard. I twist my head for a degree and try to take a peek at Maccius’ reaction. I quickly straighten up upon catching his gaze fixed on me. In the way he intently looks at me, I am informed about the glistening in his eyes as if he has been waiting for my expression.

I release a calm breath before turning my gaze away from Maccius. Based on what I can remember, he was my father’s secretary, and hearing the word ‘architect’ from Leighan fills my chest with various and unnamed emotions. A part of me feels surprised, but the large slice of pride is eating my hollow. Maybe because I find his efforts worthy and well-deserved.

It has been six years, and he has now graduated as an architect. His efforts back then to serve Daddy just so he could support his needs for school have finally paid off. I guess I am not mistaken in believing in him. Despite my pull-downs, he still managed to come up and crawl on the spiky stairs. He made it.

My vision follows Leighan’s movement. She holds the gate’s knob and then twists it to open. Once the gate is fully opened, she walks down the hallway of this floor. She gives another glance at me and Maccius before she finally turns around and walks.

“I guess I’ll just take another floor. Enjoy your moment here, Maccius.” Leaving out phrases, I click my heels onto the ground and travel the pathway that I want to take.

I will not be rude in this case. Maccius arrived here first, and if he also needs some time for himself, I won’t stop him from finding it in this place. He came in first, and I will not let myself be a hindrance to someone else’s peace. I could simply move to another floor, or perhaps to the balcony, where I might finally find the quiet place I have been trying to seek.

When I finally decided to give this moment to Maccius, a rough palm touches the skin of my arm. I freeze in my tracks, my feet seemingly nailed to the concrete floor of this level.

The heat from his body embraces me from behind, only walled by an invisible distance from our figures. “You can stay here, and…” his words halted for a second, “You called me by my name. I wasn’t mistaken about my gut. You still remember me, Rev.”

My brows knit together at his accusation. I almost cursed myself at the realization. My tongue slipped, and my playful pretension ended. The way he smiles is not helping at all. It is as if he is pleased with everything, and the smile he has shown me can be concluded as a chair-carrying expression.

Rather than dwell on his second statement, I decide to concentrate on understanding the first one instead.

“I don’t steal someone’s property. You got here first, and even if I need time for myself, I won’t compete for anything.”

His brow rises at my statement. A hoarse laugh escapes from his lips. “I don’t own this place, and it’s not like I’m selfish.”

If he says so.

My footsteps hit the floor with heavy, dragging thuds. Crossing my arms above my chest while the champagne glass rests near my biceps, I walk through the space provided until I reach an inch away from the barricade.

“I hope you won’t create any noise,” I whisper. The side of my lips uplifted for a smirk.

“I won’t,” he assures and swiftly positioned himself not far from me. He inserts his hands inside the pocket of his slacks as he leans his left arm against the metallic fence. “Is two meters of distance good enough for you?”

A crease appears on my forehead. Tilting my head to a degree, I turn in his direction and tap my finger against my limb. Maccius briefly lowers his gaze to my fingers as they tap against my skin, before lifting his eyes back to me. As if a comet strikes when our eyes meet, he immediately straightens his body and stands with power.

“I don’t need the distance. I just want a quiet place, Maccius,” I say in a calm voice.

“So, you won’t mind staying with me only an inch away?”

“I did not say that.”

“Seems like it… for me.”

I only shoot him a warning gaze before I redirect my eyes to the view in front. This is what I like about rooftops. I can easily see the microscopic but wide scenery below. The passing vehicles on the road resemble stars in the sky, while the people walking along the sidewalk look like tiny ants from this height. Even the building parallel to this tower cannot be compared to its tallness. The glowing moon hides behind the tower’s wall, its light illuminating the space in a half-circular position.

I keep my gaze fixed on the view. As a strong wind blows, I slowly close my eyes. I scoop a calm breath and allow the breeze to calm my senses. Even just for a minute, I feel safe and peaceful. The dark memories stirred by recent conversations momentarily fade and disappear.

I have always wondered about staying abroad. I know that living there brings me well, but the loneliness every time I remember my family is killing my supposed escape. It seems that being away from loved ones is even more difficult than escaping the darkness. It feels like running away is turmoil, but leaving the members alone seems like a tragedy. Life has no remorse, it cannot return and once you lose it, the strand of guilt will haunt the mind—no clarity, only the scars that will remind you of history.

I slowly open my eyes as I feel my eyelids begin to fall. Every time I fall on rest seems like an attractive dream I want to stick with. With every rest, I feel the urge to follow it—hoping the peace it brings never ends. I am afraid of tomorrow. I am frightened to be haunted by yesterday.

I must admit that closing my senses for a long time makes me comfortable, but a pair of piercing eyes urges me to look to the left. Maccius and I have already agreed to just stay in this place in silence, but his staring gaze feels like a disturbing act. Even though the surroundings are not noisy, the way he keeps staring at me feels like a disturbance deep within.

The smile on my lips slowly fades. Now, my lips press into a straight line. Maccius, on the other hand, stays in his position. His elbow rests on the barrel, with his chin placed on top of his hand. He is facing my side, and his lips arise when he watches me.

“What are you doing?”

“Staring…”

“Really?” I adjust my stance and keep a blank expression on my face.

“Yes. I’ve always wondered about your life after the tragedy…” he whispers as if not embarrassed about his recent act. “How are you, Revana?”

From the peaceful flow of blood through my veins, it feels as though a single question halted the calm rhythm of my pulse. I take a step backward. Despite his harmless intention, I still feel the urge to avoid him. I never wanted to talk about the past, and that is one of the last things on my mind right now.

“Excuse me, I have to go.” I did not wait for Maccius’ response and immediately head toward the door, leaving the rooftop behind.

Coldness conquers my palm, and cool sweat starts to drip on my forehead. I do not intend to sound rude in front of him when he only asked about what I felt. Despite wanting to answer him politely, the deep and dark sensation rises above anything. All I manage to do in the hours that follow is endure the sea of people around me.

My mother becomes busy in the following hours. She walks back and forth between each of her colleagues’ tables. On the other hand, Vannarie is with me the whole time. Sometimes, she interacts with the other kids, and other times, she talks to me—even if my answers to her questions are often brief.

“Ate, I’m sleepy…” she mutters in a tiny voice. Her upper lid starts to touch the bottom, and can drop at any second.

“Hold on,” I say when I notice how her head slowly leans on my shoulder.

I scan the area, searching for any sign of my mother. I found her talking to one of the directors of the company. Coming up from behind, the architects look like they have also concluded their meeting. It is already ten in the evening, so their meeting is not impossible to end quickly. It would not be surprising if Vannarie is already feeling sleepy at this hour. Still, I have been watching her as I expect her to sleep earlier than ten, maybe eight o’clock.

I tap Vannarie’s cheek in a soft manner, hoping it could stay her awake for more minutes. I actually do not have any idea of how to take care of a child. Aside from the day she first came into this world, this is the only other time I have seen Vannarie again. And all my life, I have been trying to learn about assisting kids. Right now, I do not know how I am going to apply what I have learned about taking care of a child.

Panic conquers my chest, and the only thing I have in mind right now is the vulnerable side of Vannarie.

I raise my hand when I notice our driver in the caterer's section. I slowly lower it again, realizing this might be the first time he will get to eat and rest today. Heaving out a sigh, I turn to Vannarie and hold her little hand. Her eyes open just a little to take a look, and when she sees that it’s me holding her, she quickly sits up straight—even though sleep still clings to her.

“Can you walk?”

“Yes…” As she answers with a tiny voice, she rises from her seat.

I start to scoop my things onto the next chair. I grabbed the pouch from there and followed as Vannarie stood up. Holding her hand, we walk along the pathway near the balcony. Mommy was there, and with each step we took in that direction, I could feel the unsteadiness in Vannarie’s walk. If only I had not held her, she would probably have fallen on the floor already.

“Mommy,” I hear Vannarie whisper when we finally reach Mommy’s place.

Behind Mommy, I notice the engineers exit the place. I caught sight of Maccius’ figure not far from where I stood. He is also looking at me. If he had not noticed me approaching my mother, he might have already headed my way to talk. I look away to avoid his gaze. In my peripheral vision, I see how he looks down at Vannarie. At the same time he waves at her, the child beside me raises her hand to shake it in the air.

“Vanna’s sleepy,” I tell my mother the moment we are left alone in that place.

True enough, Vannarie did not manage to stay awake in the following minutes. She fell asleep in the car and was simply carried to her room. We only changed her clothes as gowns are uncomfortable to wear. Since she is probably already in a deep sleep, all we did was gently wipe her body with a damp and clean cloth.

“I heard from Vanna… she’s inviting you here to bake, and you declined?”

Without taking my eyes off the sleeping Vannarie, I part my mouth and say, “I’m busy.”

“Revana.” A frustrated breath comes out of my mother’s mouth. “How long do you still want to run? It’s been six years. I am already retiring, and you’re the only one I trust in handling the company.”

“That’s exactly why I went here, Mom.”

“Oh, so you’re aware!” She pulls my arm meters away from Vannarie’s bed so she will not hear the noise coming from our conversation. “Vannarie needs you. I won’t always be here to watch over her. This is the right opportunity to do your part, Rev. Don’t waste it.”

“I’m afraid…” My voice trembled as I uttered those words. “I am not yet fully healed, and it scares me to live near Vannarie, Mommy. The memories are returning…”

I let my eyes feel emptiness. My gaze stays fixed on the tiles, but I can feel my vision slowly blurring as tears begin to well up. These damn tears are making me appear weak. Exposing them will not help, it will only replay the dark chapter of my life.

“I’m sorry.” Mommy shakes her head as her soft voice lingers in my ear. “But, Revana… you have to face what’s ahead of you. You shouldn’t just run away; you have to learn how to fight your trauma.”

Silence reigns between us. I think I cannot be healed from it. Maybe I can only accept everything once people learn how to feel remorse. A person who accepts his mistakes can help me cure the cuts in my piece. That is the only thing I want.

In the end, Mommy also had to step out of Vannarie’s room to answer a call on her phone. On the other hand, instead of leaving, I have decided to stay here for more seconds.

My eyes stay on the child. She is hugging the pink teddy bear against her chest. Her lips become plump at the squeeze of her cheeks. I swallow the lump in my throat. Looking at her feels like a soft hand is tugging on my heart. As gently as possible, I lean closer to her and bend down to press a kiss on her forehead.