Loving the Innocent Criminal

Chapter 7 Hussie

Owen insisted he would take me home, and I thought he already knew the church was the term “home” when we passed by the establishment. I tightened my grip around Owen’s waist and shouted, “Just in the church, Owen!”

“No!” he yelled back.

My heart beats erratically. s**t. This is not good. I only sneaked out of our mansion, but well… if he'd just dropped me off near the road, then it would just be alright. I really hope so.

Cold air kissed my skin. Owen gave me his black leather jacket. It smells good, just like him. It was my second time hopping on his motorbike, and my blood boiled with excitement. My heart finally eased when he parked the motorbike near our mansion.

He has common sense, that’s a relief.

I sighed while giving him back his pink helmet. Then, I smiled and said, “Thanks.”

He didn’t respond. I saw him looking at our mansion, so I followed his gaze, too. My heart skipped a beat when I saw it.

Damn it.

I’m doomed.

Maids were scattered around the house. I could see their silhouettes on the second floor. Guards were roaming outside with their flashlights on. I was lucky Owen parked his motorbike under the shade of the big narra tree. They won’t see us, I guess.

However, a loud beep of a familiar raptor made me jump on my place. Owen and I shared a look before staring at the horrified and bloodshot eyes of my boyfriend, Zachary.

I froze.

My lungs started sucking the air out of me when Zach marched from his raptor and his fist landed on Owen’s cheek.

“Zach!” I shrieked. My heart was beating so fast when the two started punching each other’s faces. Owen stumbled on his feet, and Zach was now on top of him, throwing punches at his face and guts.

“Zachary!” I screamed at the top of my lungs and tried to hug his waist to calm him down.

“You motherfucker - “ Zach punched Owen again, and this time, it was so hard I could see Owen spitting blood from his mouth. “Oh my God! No!” I yelled and faced my boyfriend, putting both of my hands on his cheeks. “Calm down. I can explain…” my voice was shaking in the end.

There were noises around, but Zachary and I locked our gaze as someone tried to lift him up from Owen. I saw tears on his face as he looked at me, and down to Owen.

“You are better than this, Angelic…” he whispered. Guilt. Hurt. Pain. I felt all of those mixed emotions when I saw him crying even though he tried to hide it. His jaw clenched and he sniffed. “You stink. You’re disgusting. I never knew you were a hussie.”

His words were like knives that stabbed in my chest, especially the word ‘hussie.’ My lips parted in awe and shock, but I didn’t cry. I don’t want him to know he hurt me even though my expression already said so.

“I’m a… I’m a – what?” I asked, whispering at him.

“You’re a w***e, Angelic. A filthy whore.”

That’s it. That’s all it takes to slap him on both cheeks. His jaw clenched even more, and I saw him spitting blood. I gave him a glare and cold stare. He laughed and his eyes flickered with anger.

“What is happening!” my mother’s voice bolted in the area. She was wearing her usual sleeping attire, and daddy was beside her. “Angelic!” she yelled and hugged me tight. “Where have you been? We were looking for you! I thought you were kidnapped!”

There was frustration and relief in my mother’s voice. When she pulled out from me, I saw her eyes darting at Owen who, I didn’t notice, was now standing and trying to hop on his motorbike.

Pain flooded into my chest when I saw him. I looked at him, trying to look his eyes at me, but he wouldn’t. He just hopped on his motorbike, but before he could leave, Zachary’s voice thundered. “Lacoste,” he said his name, pronouncing every bit of it with satisfaction.

Owen turned his head at him and glared. My mother gasped when she saw blood in Owen’s mouth. “Oh no! What happened to you, boy?”

“It’s nothing, ma’am,” he whispered and looked away from my mother. s**t. What the hell is Zach’s plan? I looked at Zach with pleading eyes. Please, please, just leave him alone. He didn’t do anything! I was the one at fault for this!

“Zachary, did you punch this boy?” My mother asked, and now she looked suspicious when she saw me. “Yeah,” Zach answered and snatched my wrist.

“Why?” my dad was already indulged in the conversation. “Because I told him to drop her off before eight thirty. The fucker doesn’t understand basic numbers.”

“Wait, you knew Angelic sneaked out – “ My mother stopped talking when Zachary dragged me out of the scene. His hands on my wrist are too tight. I knew it would mark the next day.

I let him drag me out of there. He threw his car keys to the security guard and we went inside our mansion.

“Prepare the lady’s bath.” His voice thundered to the bowing maids in line, and all of them nodded at him. He uses his authority in our mansion because he knows his place. We went inside my room, and the three maids in uniform started preparing the bath tub.

Zachary throws me on the bed. “Strip.”

I looked away and crossed my arms on my chest. “No.”

“Don’t make me,” his voice is calm now, “and you’re going to follow my orders from now on.”

“Why didn’t you tell my parents about Owen?”

“Because I know you will loathe me.”

“I already am, with what you are doing right now.”

“You don’t like Owen. I am the only boy in your heart and mind. He is just a phase to you, Angelic.”

“How did you know about phase, Zachary?”

His jaw clenched and when he stepped forward, eyes glittering with anger, I know I should shut the f**k up right now. My breathing hitched when his fingers traced my chin gently, but turned sharp as he tilted it upwards to face him. “I know very well of that, Angelic. Now strip and let me bath you. I don’t want to touch you while your hands are probably around Lacoste’s arms, wherever the f**k you’ve been.”

I took a deep breath. Every word he omitted made my body shake in alarm. He knows how to handle me well when he’s angry. And I don’t have a say in the situation because I was the one at fault.

He stands firmly when I start stripping my clothes. I started with my leather jacket, craptop, my underpants, and my skirt. He nodded the leather jacket to the maid. “Burn it.”

I gasped.

He knew it was from Owen.

His eyes flickered with disgust as he saw the maid putting the jacket in a small basket. Someone gave Zachary a bathrobe, and he summoned me to stand so he could wrap the bath robe around my naked body.

Ever since we were a child, Zach and I have already taken a bath together. He had already seen me naked, and it wasn’t uncomfortable… not until tonight. I feel disgusted with the way his body scanned me. I dipped into the bath the maids prepared for me and sank into it, letting the foam clean my body.

Zachary stripped himself and pushed his body on my back.

We fell silence.

He grabbed the soap and started cleaning my back, harshly.

“Did he touch you?” he asked. I remember Owen kissing my neck down to my throat, and I still feel the tingles in my system.

“No,” I answered.

“Did you let him touch you?”

“No.”

“How many times did you go out with him?”

“Thrice.”

“You know it won’t happen again, right?” he whispered in my ears with utter dominance. “You know what will happen to Owen, right?” he said, and it was like he was spitting venom. Damn. “Please don’t hurt him…” I begged, shutting my eyes, and waiting for a harsh reaction from him, but he didn’t hurt me.

“I can’t say,” Zach whispered nonchalantly. “The guy has a lot of men in his hands.”

I don’t know but what he said relieves me.

“But you know what? Since you’re pleading with me,” he whispered, and I let a painful gasp when he bit my ears and I felt the blood dripping down on them, “I will kill him,” he said, and my world stopped rotating.

“Please… Zach, it doesn’t matter. You’re only wasting your time.” I tried to keep on explaining to him, but he’s hard-headed and he decides what he wants, not what I want.

“You were wasting your time too, asking for information from him. You think I didn’t know?”

I fell silent. I don’t know what I will do after this. The night passed by, leaving me with heavy eyebags and puffy eyes. I cried. Not because of Zachary, but because of Owen. Owen. Owen. My boyfriend sounds serious when he said he was going to kill him.

Zach would tell his father about it, and it would be out of hand if he did it personally. I have to do something.

“Angelic?” Natasha tried to hold her laughter when she saw me flipping off my sunglasses in school. “What happened to your face?” she asked, but her voice is serious and concerned now. I didn’t answer her.

I look around to see if people are looking at me weirdly. What happened last night will surely be a hot issue – if anyone leaked it, of course. But watching my schoolmates in a normal state. The same jealous face while looking at us, the same rolling of eyes, the same admiration of us. I sighed. No one dared to spread a rumor.

That’s a relief, because it would surely be a head ache.

“A cockroach bites my eyes,” was all I said to Natasha’s curious face. I started walking and she was laughing beside me. Her eyes were still searching into my face with a serious answer. I stopped and looked at Natasha. “Please, Nat… I’m not in the mood.”

“Okay! Fine!” She sighed and snatched my wrist, “but your relationship with Zach is okay, right? I’ve always heard Matthew speaking ill about him, telling me he’s been too drunk these days.”

Smiling at Natasha, I nodded. “Good,” was all she answered to me.

The following days, I tried to return to my normal relationship with Zach. He seems distant and is always busy. When I ask his whereabouts, he won’t tell me. Natasha noticed, but didn’t dare to ask stupid questions. Matthew looks pissed every day because of Zach. Zachary ditched our dates, leaving me alone in a restaurant, golf club, and every place we had hung out since we were a child.

My stomach twisted into knots. I decided to stay in our mansion for the whole day. It’s been months, and I really tried to apologize and give all my strength to revive my relationship with Zach.

There was one time he came into my room drunk and tried to rape me, and told him I wouldn’t do it unless we’re at legal age, but he insisted. I cried the whole night after that, but I didn’t tell my parents, nor his parents.

He didn’t even apologize to me and acted like he didn’t care. My feelings for Zach became shallow as time passed by. I know he has a problem. I heard from Natasha, who also heard from Matthew that my boyfriend lost a lot of money in Vaulter.

The illegal street racing. I don’t want to be curious about that because that was the reason why we broke a huge fight and it resulted now.

My mother knocked on the door, making my thoughts disappear in an instant. “Come in,” I whispered, my voice weak these past few days.

She sighed when she found my eyes and sat on the edge of my bed. “Honey,” she grabbed my hands gently, “what’s wrong with you and Zach?”

I don’t want to speak, because if I did, I would end up crying. My mother is the only person I would crumble, break out, and show my pain and vulnerable state. She wants to open up with me.

I smiled at her. “Nothing, mom. He’s just been very busy with, uhm, school.”

“We all know Zach hates school, honey.”

Shit.

“Well, now you know. It’s good that he changed.” I tried to laugh, but it ended up awkward.

“Can I do your hair?” she asked, nodding at me. Nodding, “Sure.”

She let me sit on the hair dresser in front of a round mirror. I saw my reflection. My mother and I shared a look, and I saw something. She was furious. How could a woman remain prim and proper while agitated?

She spoke, “Let me ask you something.”

“Sure. What is it?”

“Would you rather be rich and marry a poor man? Or would you choose to marry a man who is rich?”

I smiled, “It depends, mother.”

“Answer me,” she hissed, and I gasped when her hands on my hair wrapped the elastic bond tightly. My heart started beating rapidly. “I would… I would choose to marry a poor man, of course.”

“Why?” her voice sounded bitter.

“Because I’m already rich.”

“Poor choice,” she immediately spoke. “If that happens, Angelic, you’ll become poor, too. The man will drag you down to mud until both of you can’t get up.”

“Please get straight to the point, mom.” I sighed.

My mother leaned in my ears, whispering at me, “You’re a smart kid, Angelic. Don’t make a bad choice.”

“How do you know my choice is bad?”

She gripped my chin to look at her in the face. I was shocked to see the desperation in my mother’s eyes. “Believe me, I know… because I’ve been there.”

Lips parting, I just nodded because I didn’t want to hear any of it. She was telling me not to choose Owen. Of course, my parents already know. Zach told them, but they kept it private. Everybody knows in this town that I am bound to the Herren. I am Zachary’s property and nobody defies them.

Except one.

My heart aches as I keep on staring at Owen’s number. The familiar feeling whenever we exchanged messages before melted my chest, and when I turned to look in the mirror, a smile formed on my lips.

Should I call him?

He didn’t call nor text me after that night. He knows what will happen, so I’m off limits. But… it’s been months. If I called him right now, would he still recognize me?

Unknowingly, I found myself knocking at Lacoste’s apartment.

Someone opened the door. It was a middle-aged woman, and she was holding baby Emily in her arms. “Hi!” I greeted her, waving my hand.

Her eyes squinted at my feet up to my face. “Who are you?”

“I’m Owen’s… friend.”

“You’re not.”

“Huh?”

“If you were his friend, I would know you. But I don’t know you – “

“Mom, who is it?” Owen’s voice thundered behind her, leaving a bomb in my heart. Sweats pooled at the back of my neck. I haven’t heard his voice for a while!

“Who…” he stopped himself from talking when our eyes locked. I tried to smile, but he didn’t. Damn. Okay, I guess I’m still unwelcome in his humble abode.

“Let her in, mom,” he cleared his throat.

I smiled at his mother and bowed my head. His mother closed the door behind him and went to the living room, ignoring me. Maybe she knows who I am and is dying to ask her son why she is the daughter of Patterson inside her house.

I removed my shoes and put them neatly on the shoe rack. Owen cleared his throat when he saw me grabbing a new slipper in my tote bag. “Your slipper is still there,” he pointed to the familiar pink and feathery slipper I had bought.

My heart skipped a beat, and I said thanks to him, putting on the slippers.

“Why are you here?” his mother asked like she had been dying to ask this earlier.

I halted and looked at Owen. Crap! I don’t know what to say! Think of an alibi, Angelic!

Owen saved me. “She owes me something, mom.”

“What is that something, Owen? Why is the Patterson girl in our house? Does she want something from us? As far as I know, we don’t owe money to Patterson – “

“Mom, chill.” Owen chuckled and massaged his mother’s shoulders, then, he leaned forward and whispered only he and his mother knew. My eyebrows raised, and Owen chuckled again.

“I haven’t introduced myself formally. My name is Angelic Patterson. You can call me Angelic,” I said, and extended my arm. She looks hesitant at first but gave up, “Lucy Lacoste, Owen’s mother.”

With that said, she disappeared in front of me and closed the door heavily. I guess she wanted to be alone with her daughter.

“Sorry about my mother,” Owen said, making me jump. “What’s wrong?” his brows furrowed when he saw my reaction.

“Nothing.”

“Why are you here, by the way?” he asked. He sounds playful. There’s a smirk on his face when he crosses his arms on his chest. My cheeks heated, and I’m pretty sure he saw it, so I looked away.

“Why? I’m still not welcome in your house?”

“Apartment,” he corrected.

“That’s the same!”

“You won’t waste your energy and time hanging out with me, will you, Angelic?”

Crap! “Of c-course.” Looking away, I grab the Tupperware cookies I made and gave them to him. His brows furrowed again, “What is this?”

“That’s cookies, idiot.”

“i***t?” He c****d an eyebrow. “Yeah,” I shrugged.

“For what, Angelic?”

“I’m sorry for apologizing for so long. About what… Zachary did to you, and for helping me out that night.”

“Don’t say sorry about that night. You were having fun.”

“I did?”

“Yeah…” he whispered, and we fell silent again. “You forgot?” he asked, his voice was hopeful.

I tried to coat the awkwardness and tension with a laugh. “My apology is long overdue. And for that night, I forgot what happened so – anyways, it didn’t matter – “

He stopped me from talking when he grabbed me from the sofa I was sitting and positioned his hand on the small back of my waist. I was shocked, but I didn’t shove him. I could feel and taste his breath because his face was close to mine.

We locked our eyes, and for a moment, I thought I was lost. His eyes were emerald green, so deep, like I was inside the forest. I might get lost inside of it, but it doesn’t scare me. It makes me feel it was my safe haven.

His adam’s apple bobbed in and out as he spoke, “Did you really forget what happened that night?” he asked, his voice became husky.

I nodded. I couldn’t utter a single word. His presence and the warmth of his body made me tremble in pleasure. “Then let me remind you.”

Owen inched his face and leaned his head on the side of my neck. I could feel his hard breathing on the flesh of my skin, making all of my hair stand to its point and my heart combust in every painful way.

Owen and I dance slowly, our bodies swaying in synch.

No, Owen. I want him to know that I clearly remember every scene of that night inside of my head. It was one memorable night. I always dream of it. In the daylight, at night. It’s pretty dangerous, actually. I once caught myself mumbling his name during a class discussion. I was lucky no one noticed, not even the observant Natasha.

Owen intertwined our fingers as we danced. He opened the fridge and I felt a cold sensation coming from it. The only light serving us is the orange-ish color of the fridge.

If I could describe the feeling right at that moment, it was…

Bliss.

I felt home, at peace, and I heard a thundering sound of beating when I rested my head on Owen’s chest. I may be short, but I was tall enough to hear his rapid heart beat.

“Did you hear it?” Owen asked, whispering. I didn’t answer. I looked up at him, and he was already staring at me. “What?” I asked, whispering.

“Nothing.” He smiled.

But I know what he meant.

He meant to ask if I also heard the fast beating of his heart.

Thud. Thud. Thud. It was the same as mine.