Here is another update!!!! I tried to make this chapter longer as the last chapter was short and please excuse any spelling or grammar mistake! I'll update every Friday until this story is complete! I cant thank you guys enough for all the support and encouragement that you have given me. It's thanks to all of you who read, comment, and voted for the story that I am motivated to finish the story!

Anyways hope you enjoy reading this chapter!!!!!!!

Until next time!!!!!!!!!

Bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

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Chapter 16: Old Crush

Scarlett's P.O.V

The following week after I confronted my boss is normal except that Mr. Giovanni is more strict than usual but I manage to professionally do the task that he has set out for me with little mistake. Besides that this week was very normal.

Today Bethany wants to go grab dinner with friends from work, as it is a Friday night and she wants to enjoy and let loose a little bit for the night after her busy week at work. But I made sure to make her promise to call me when she is finish with her dinner so that I can come to pick her up instead of her taking a cab since the last incident that happen, I prefer to be sure of where she is.

She swore that she was going to call me since she is going to drink alcohol tonight. After all that was done she left the house when there was a car honking in front the house.

An hour after Bethany left, I decided to walk to the little café that was just a block away from my house. I got ready then left the house making sure I locked the door before I start walking to the café. As I was walking I enjoyed the night breeze, taking in the calm night scene until I reach the entrance of the café.

As soon as I open the door I hear the bell that indicate a new customer has arrived. I made my way to the cash register and order a hot chocolate and a croissant. Then after I pay for my order and said to keep the change to the guy that is manning the cash register. Then I went and choose a seat by the window so that I can enjoy the view while I eat my snack.



My order came a few minutes after I sit down, and after the waitress made sure I have everything I ordered she left saying to enjoy my drink and croissant. I said thank you and cut a little bit of the croissant with the fork and knife that the waitress provided then putting it in my mouth.

I savored the taste of the croissant, but the croissant reminds me of my mom's cooking back at my parent's house because my mom's cooking is the best food I have ever had the privilege to eat. I don't know how but the food that my mom cooks are always so tasty that I ate until I cannot eat anymore. The only reason I'm not fat is because everyday I make sure I exercise at least for an hour or not I would have been over weight growing up with the way my mom cooks. And thinking of my mom and my home growing up makes me thinks about my missing sister. Now a day I think about my only sister more often then before.

She is consistently on my mind everyday. I think about the happy memories I had with her and how she told me that she wants to leave the house and go on an adventure. She has a lot of spirit and very adventurous back then and she refuses to do as our parents told her to do. When she was 18, our parents plan to marry her off to this rich gentlemen from our neighborhood. Lets just say when she found out about it she did not agree with it as she has big dreams of living in the big city and getting a job there, so that night itself after a big fight with our parents she sneak out from the window of her room and we never saw her again until today.

The next day, once my parents realize she ran away, they were so worried about her that they look everywhere in our neighborhood but could not find her. My mother worried herself sick wondering if Sapphire was ok or not. I got quite mad at my sister for her selfish act of running away from her problem and making her own parents worried sick about her.

But as time goes by, I kind of understand why she did what she did. My parents should not have force her to marry someone she was not interested in but Sapphire should have talk to our parents about her dreams and convince them that it will be a good experience for her and not running away without so much as a letter. I guess that night she thought of nothing but to escape from the house. Although, I should be more thankful to her actually since because of her actions my parents are more lenient about me wanting to work at the big city and not get married to quickly as they are afraid that I would disappear like my sister. Even though I have no intention of running away from home even if they did not allow me to work at the big city.



I still remember the night she ran away from home clearly as there was a lot of shouting and screaming and it was the first time my parents raise their voice at us as until then, they would only talk to us like an adult and if we did something wrong they would only punish us according to what kind of mistake that we did but they would never shout or raise their voice at us.

The day that Sapphire ran away, it was an ordinary day.

#Flash Back#

At last! School is finish, I thought as the final bell ring to signal the end of the school day. I quickly got out of my seat as soon as the teacher finish speaking and made a beeline to the front of the school and began my short walk back to my house.

Today was torture because of the entire extra long boring lectures that was suppose to prepare us for the exam that was coming. I so cannot study like that as I will fall asleep and I did fall asleep halfway through the lecture. I needed to my notes as creative as possible so that it will motivate me to learn and not bore me to sleep.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts from studies once I reach home. I took out my keys from the front pocket of my jeans and open the door shouting "I'm home!" My mom answered to go upstairs to shower and then come down to have lunch. I said yes then made my way to my room upstairs to take a quick shower then choosing a comfy pants and an old worn t-shirt. After I was dressed I walk down to the kitchen lured by the aroma of the delicious food that my mom cooked.

I'm not exaggerating when I say my mom makes the best spaghetti and egg sandwich. I don't know what she put in the food but it smells and taste excellent! "Hi mom," I said kissing her cheeks. "Oh! Hi dear! Have a sit and have a drink first while we wait for your dad and sister to get ready for lunch," she said while going around making sure all the food is ok. "Alright!" I said while pouring myself an apple juice that was set on the table.

A few minutes later Sapphire and dad walk into the dining room and sat down at the table with my dad sitting at the head of the table and Sapphire sitting beside me on my right and our mom sitting beside my dad on his left, which is in front of me. Once everyone settles down we began to eat and made small banter about what happen to us today.

Dad tap his glass with his spoon to get our attention and the conversation stops after a few seconds and we all look at my dad to know what he wants to say. He clears his throat before he began speaking. "Sapphire we have some good news for you," he said in an even voice while looking at my sister. "What is it," Sapphire said a little warily.



"After some searching, me and your mom have found the most suitable candidate as your future husband," his voice remained even. A tone that says it is not up for arguing. My sister was so shock at the news that it took her few seconds before she was able to speak and when she did speak she is really angry. "And you didn't even think to ask me if I was ok with it." She was barely able to keep from raising her voice at our parents.

I felt bad for a little bit because she told me before that she is going to tell our parents about her dreams of going to the big city and get a job there and she knows if she gets married she is not able to accomplish her goals.

"Sapphire, we are only thinking of what is best for you," mom told Sapphire in calm voice. "What's best for me," Sapphire scoffs. "I know what's best for me and I know marrying someone I barely know is not what's best for me," her voice shook with her bare controlled anger and feeling of betrayal.

"Scarlett. Go to your room. Me, your mom and sister have something to discuss," dad told me in a stern voice. I just nodded my dad to scared to say anything and get up from my chair, took my plate and glass went to the kitchen, put the plate and glass in the dishwasher, then left the kitchen to head to my room. As soon as I reach my bedroom and close the door I hear shouting coming from the dinning room. This is the first time I hear my parents raising their voice at Sapphire. Though, I feel bad for my sister but she has to at least listen to mom and dad first before letting her emotion takes over. This applies to my parents as well. They also need to hear what my sister wants and come to fair agreement.

My sister and parents were fighting for almost an hour before I hear someone stomping by my door and then I hear a loud door slam that came from my sister's room. I wanted to go and ask her what happened and if she needed to talk about it but I thought she needed her space after arguing with our parents and she must be fuming in her room so I stay in my room.

I didn't know how much I would regret my decision later on.



#Flash Back End#

Someone dragging a chair in front of me brings me from my memories. I turn my head from the window to look at the person startled, as I was so deep in my memories that I didn't realize someone came to my table. It is a guy around my age with light brown skin, the color of his eyes is black, taller than me by a few inches and he is smiling at me for some reason. I look at the person a little closer as for some reason he looks very familiar to me but I can't remember where have I seen this guy before.

He started the conversation by saying "Hi! It's been a long time since we last met. I believe the last time we saw each other was in high school." My face must have showed him I remembered him because he smiled. "Ah! I see you remembered me."

Now I remembered why he looks so familiar! He was the guy from my high school who liked me but I didn't share his feelings. Actually I wished I never see him again because in high school he ask me to eat together with him when it was lunch and I don't know why but I was incapable of saying the word no so I just nodded my head.

And I regretted it immediately when he ran down the corridor shouting, "She said yes!" I was so embarrassed that when lunchtime came I quickly sneak my way to the library and hid there until the bell ring signaling that lunch was over. After that incident I make sure to avoid him as much as possible.

Later on I felt bad about not going to lunch with him and I wanted to apologize but I was to embarrass to approach him. "Right! You're Timothy right? How have you been?" I question him trying to keep my face from grimacing in embarrassment. "Yeah! That's right, and I've been good. How about you?" he answered enthusiastically. "Oh! I'm good"

I don't know what else to say right now. I am at lost as I never aspect to meet him again in my life. So I just ask him "do you live around here?" "Yeah I do. I live just a ten minute drive from here." "Oh! What a coincidence!" My voice a little strain at the last word as I don't know what else to say and I am praying that someone would get me out of this awkward situation.

"So what are you doing right now?" he asks. "Oh! I am working as a secretary for Mr. Ricardo from the Giovanni industry" I answered relief to have something to say. "Wow! You're working for the Ricardo Giovanni. I only see him in newspaper and I get chills down my spine just looking at his picture. I can't imagine what it must be like having to communicate with that guy." "It's not so bad. He's just a little intimidating to talk to and if you do your job all right he rewards you with extra holiday or a bonus. So working with him certainly has its benefits," I inform him. "Oh! That's nice," he said. I just nodded.



I ask him about what he was doing and he answered "I'm a car mechanic right now. I work at the BMW workshop." "That's cool," I tried to smile. "So anyway, are you free right now because if you are we can go and grab ice cream," he asks. My heart literary stopped. He did not just ask me out to go eat ice cream with him right now. I was hoping he wouldn't ask me out. Now I'm wishing so hard that a miracle would happen so that I have an excuse to say no as for some reason I find it very hard to say the word no to people that I don't know very well.

And I guess today is my lucky day because a miracle did happen! I heard my cell phone ringing in my purse so I told him to wait a sec while I answered the phone. He just nodded his head so I swipe the screen of my iPhone to right to accept the call and then put it in my ear. A second later I hear Bethany speaking and she sounds a little drunk.

I had a little trouble trying to understand what she is saying as her words were a little slurred but I manage to find out that she was finish with the dinner and wants to me to come and her up. After she gave me her friend's house address, I told her I will pick her up in 30 minutes, then she end the call. I manage to write down the address on a tissue paper. I have never been more grateful to Bethany than I am now as she just save me from saying yes to him.

"Is everything ok?" he said with a small frown on his face. This time I manage to smile properly and told him, "So sorry! But I can't accept your invitation right now as I have to pick up my friend right now." "Oh! Maybe next time," and I can hear the disappointment from his voice.

"Oh! Sure!" I cringed because my voice was to excited. His face brightens a little bit and he scribbled something on a tissue paper than gave it to me while he told me, "This is my number. Call me anytime you're free so we can chat somewhere or have lunch together." I controlled the grimace on my face and accept the tissue paper with his number on it while nodding with his plan but I know that he can wait for my call until he grows old and I still won't call him.

I got up from the chair bringing the warm chocolate drink with me. Before I left the table, I smiled at him and said my goodbye. After he said "Goodbye, hope to see you later and have a goodnight," I walk as quickly as possible without looking like I was trying to run. As soon as I got out of the café I started a brisk walk to my house. I reach the house after five minutes and I went straight to my car that was parked in the driveway.

I drove for about 25 minutes until I reach the house on the address that Bethany gave me and lets just say the house is so huge that it can be classified as a mansion. As I arrive in front of the house I see Bethany talking to someone before she walk to my car. At least she can walk straight so that means she is not too drunk. Once she is settle in the car I ask her "are you ok?" she just nodded her head at me. Apparently she is too tired to even answer me.

"Well once we get home and give you some aspirin for your headache then I have something awkward and embarrassing to tell you that happen just before you called me," I told her as I drive back home.