POV: Kelly

Kelly stared blankly at her ceiling.

It had already been a week since her accidental meet-up with Johann, but it never left her mind. Good thing she hadn’t seen the man within that terrible week.

He was now so much different – from his physical appearance to the way he spit his words at her.

Kelly heaved a deep sigh as she bit her lower lip – trying to stifle her intensifying emotions.

Unfortunately, those sharp words he told her during that day haven’t left her until now – cutting sharply into her heart and mind. The barrier she built during those three dreadful years was smashed down in just a snap.

How could a man she almost shared her lifetime could cause her a million-dollar worth of grief and sadness?

Fresh tears were flowing rapidly down her rosy cheeks. Breathy sobs escaped from her lips as she tried to cover it up with her right hand, because her mother – who was sleeping soundly in the other room beside hers – might have heard her.

Kelly firmly closed her eyes as their memories clouded her mind.

~ Flashback ~

Three years ago…

“Go Number 18!”

That loud cheering by the audience of she didn’t know what boomed.

Kelly was patiently waiting in front of the covered court near their house. She was currently sitting on one of the benches there as she crisscrossed her legs.

Her feet tapping over the other while checking her wristwatch for the nth time.

“Go Number 18!”

That was all she heard for the past thirty minutes of waiting.

All of the people inside the covered court – particularly girls – she guessed, were screaming at the top of their lungs at whoever that person was wearing the number 18 uniform. She wasn’t paying any attention, though. She was more attentive to waiting for her best friend – Annette, who was once again late for their meeting at school.

She couldn’t leave Annette – as much as she wanted to – because she was just new to the school she was working at as a primary school teacher.

Besides, she was the one who asked her to apply for the job and now she was hired. But the attitude of her best friend never wavered – always late – she just hoped she would overcome it as soon as they started this school year.

“And the winner is… Dark Knights!” She heard the announcer declare as it was buried by the screaming voices of the audience.

A loud joyous and trending song resonated right after which made the audience sing along. The announcer was saying something, but Kelly didn’t care.

She was more indulged with the song, for it was one of her favorites. She nodded her head and swayed her body slightly – she knew that song actually. Besides, she wanted to keep her mind occupied with something else rather than looking at her wristwatch repeatedly.

Minutes later, her stomach growled, and she looked at the street food near her. She could smell the fish balls and squid balls which were frying, that made her salivate more. Maybe, she still had something to spend because she’s been very thrifty these past few days.

She’s really starving, and she needed to feed her dragons.

Kelly went near the stall selling those slobbering street food – she couldn’t wait to eat those. She requested one skewed fish ball, and the old man, who was selling it, immediately fried it in the boiling oil.

“Thank you.” She smiled sweetly at the old man when it was finally cooked.

Kelly excitedly dipped it in a sweet and spicy sticky sauce – which she always preferred.

She was about to eat it when someone bumped into her from behind causing her slavering skewed fish balls to fall into the filthy ground!

She stared at her poor skewed fish balls with wide eyes – she was in shock.

Kelly was silently mourning for her wasted food when she heard someone speak behind her.

“I’m sorry. Are you okay?” The voice of the man apologetically said.

Her eyes were murderous and ready to spit fire, but she needed to be calm. She counted one to ten before facing the klutz man – whoever he was.

“No, I’m not okay. In fact, my food just landed on the ground and-”

She stopped her controlled litany when she faced the man – her mouth slightly agape.

God! This man was so handsome!

Is he some kind of model or something?

Her heart beat faster than it should have, and she could feel her wobbling knees.

The man was not familiar, though.

Is he new here?

He was slightly tanned and quite tall – for she only reached his shoulders. He had this undercut black hair and bullets of sweat were visible on his forehead, which he wiped away with his forest green face towel. His rounded cobalt blue eyes were shining brightly as it looked at her. He had this pointed nose that matched his kissable lips.

The man cleared his throat. He was really tall that she needed to look up for her to see him.

Kelly saw his lips curled upwards as she looked at him – with ajar mouth. She felt her cheeks turn pink because of embarrassment.

She calmly cleared her throat as she looked away to soothe herself, and then looked at him again.

Kelly just raised her brows and gave him a poker faced look to hide her blushing.

“I’m not okay. You bumped me, now, look at my food? It was already on the ground. Next time, be careful with your acts.” Kelly’s forehead creased and her blood started to boil again inside her.

Even though the man had this godlike look – she couldn’t help herself but to feel irritated for her poor skewed fish balls.

“Besides-” she was cut off by her phone ringing.

Kelly pressed her lips together as she immediately got it inside her bag.

Her best friend’s name was registered on her phone screen, which she instantly answered.

“Hello?” She answered annoyingly.

“K-Kells!”

She was about to nag her when she heard her worried voice.

“W-what?” Kelly asked confusedly.

“Kells, I’m so sorry, Sis. I… I can’t go with you today.” She could hear Annette crying on the other line.

Fear and concern enveloped her whole system by just hearing her best friend’s sobs.

“W-why? Are you okay?” She was now agitatedly inquired.

“It’s Dad… He is in the hospital, right now. I… I need to assist Mom.” Annette had anxiously answered her.

“Huh?! What happened?!” She anxiously exclaimed while running to the bus stop – ignoring someone who’s calling her.

“Dad had… H-he had a heart attack and he’s in the ICU right now.” Annette cried deliriously on the line.

Her heart swayed for her best friend as her body trembled in so much worry for the old man who treated her as her daughter, too. She tried to calm her nerves – Annette needed her now.

Kelly let out a deep sigh.

“Okay, okay. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to the principal, then I’ll be going there, okay? Everything will be alright.” She pacified her and dropped the call after knowing the hospital where Annette was.

She, then frantically typed on her phone, which almost dropped to the ground if it wasn’t caught by someone.

“Need a lift?” The man who bumped her asked.

“Sorry, but I don’t talk to strangers.” Kelly frustratingly answered and tried to reach out her phone, but the man just extended his arms upwards, so she’ll not be able to reach it.

“Get it back!” She furiously yelled – her face was now turning red due to her deep annoyance.

“I’m Johann and I can drop you off to where you need to go. The bus will take 30 minutes of your time here. Besides, I have debt to pay.” He explained and shrugged his shoulders before giving her back her phone with that unspeakable apology written in his face.

Her forehead creased.

“I am not a bad person. You can ask Jerry.” Then he pointed to the guy who was standing on the other side of the road – they were looking at them.

Jerry waved his right hand.

“Don’t worry, Kells. I knew him.” He shouted while giving her two thumbs up – as if giving her his approval and saying that this man could be trusted.

She deeply sighed.

Jerry was with his usual friends. He was sociable and kind. He was Doctor Jackson’s son, so he knew him. She let out a deep sigh again – now because of defeat.

She needed a ride – and she needed it fast, especially at a time like this. She needed to be at her best friend’s side. She knew how important her father was to her. And Uncle Franco – Annette’s father – was so kind to her, too. She couldn’t bear to see him like this. She was a father to her.

“Okay. But no monkey business or else-” she stared at him murderously – as she raised her left brow.

He let out a lopsided smile and scratched the back of his head – giving her that hot yet adorable look. She needed to look away as he moved towards his car near the covered court. Her gaze moved towards his jersey.

Number 18!

So, he was the one they were cheering for a while ago. Kelly saw those swooning stares from those ladies who were looking at him – full of amazement and immense happiness.

“So where are we going?” He asked while they were settling on his old black Honda car.

She was fastening her seat belt, then looked at him.

“Clifford International School.” She simply stated and then looked at the road – ignoring the confusion written on his face.

The car was filled with deafening silence. Kelly stared blankly at the car window with her fleeting reverie.

“So, what are you doing there?” Johann broke the silence, but she didn’t take a glance at him.

“I’m working there. I am a teacher,” she bewilderedly answered.

Johann stared at her in shock for a second and then back to the road. He didn’t expect that she was a teacher.

No offense meant. She looked more like a model type minus the height – than a teacher.

She had this fair porcelain skin, rosy cheeks, long thick eyelashes, and thin kissable lips. Her long light auburn natural wavy hair suited her almond-shaped ebony brown eyes.

He really didn’t expect to see a woman like her in this kind of place.

She was wearing a simple dark blue denim shirtdress paired with black ballerina flat shoes.

“So, your name is Kelly, right?” He asked, though they both knew that he already knew her name.

“Yes. I’m Kelly Andrade.” She coldly answered.

Johann shut his mouth. He knew something might have happened while she’s acting so uneasy and tense.

“You can drop me here. Thanks for the ride.”

The moment he parked his car in front of the school, she said those words and she quickly opened the car door, closed it, and instantly ran towards the gate.

He didn’t have enough time to answer her, nor to ask her.

Johann just shook his head as a sweet smile crept to his lips.

“Kelly Andrade, such a mysterious and gorgeous woman.” He smilingly whispered. Never giving attention to the fast beating of his heart.

And that started their fated rendezvous and soon led to a higher level of relationship.

POV: Johann

It was two hella weeks for him.

His logic still needed to be recharged. All of the pain and misery from his past kept swaying back to his mind. He drunk his scotch and bent his head backwards. He didn’t like being thrown into those emotions again.

For he wouldn’t be the same person who used to be fooled and manipulated. He will never be Johann again. And he will make sure that Kelly would pay for everything that she made him feel three years ago.

He threw the rocks glass on the wall – making an echoing noise that resonated in the Baker Mansion where he lived. No one in the house dared to come and clean the mess while he’s there.

He stared at the broken glass on the carpeted floor.

“You’ll pay more than you did to me, Kelly. No one ever crossed Nicholas Johann Baker,” Johann evilly whispered as he clenched his jaws tightly.