The lady in Red (REWRITTEN!)

Chapter 36

American soil. The air hit differently here. While it was rainy and humid in Japan, it was colder here in Boston. It was in the middle of October when the leaves started showing true colors all around us. It felt nice to finally be touching the ground after long hours of being cooped up inside the plane. By now, I had learned to control the urges to vomit, but nausea lingered around.  

My body ached all over as I struggled to walk in a straight line without showcasing the discomfort on my face. But, only Reece knew. He watched the expressions on my face change as I walked next to him by the customs. It was a good discomfort. Reece promised me after my fourth orgasm that I would feel every bit of me the following morning. And he was right. He was always right. I slept most of the plane ride back to America, and not by choice. Reece knew exactly how to wear my body out.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, taking my hand in his. I watched his enormous hand engulf mine and realized this was the first time he ever held my hand out in public. Warmth spread into my body as he squeezed my hand.  

"I feel fine," I lied, through my teeth. It was probably what he wanted to hear, but knew otherwise. My body betrayed my words, and he smiled. The rare smiles he flashed me nowadays felt like a token, and I kept them every chance I got. Because Reece Dean rarely smiled, and when he did, the whole world around me lit up brightly. I squeezed his hand, unknowingly, and we walked further out of the airport. Reece felt different the moment we stepped out of the airport. A limo was already parked, and the moment the chauffeur spotted us, he rounded the limp and opened the door for us to climb in. I went in first, and Reece followed suit. 

The sudden change in him was alarming. It always felt like he was keeping something from me every time his mood shifted. Dark clouds looming high in the sky always brought the rain with them. Reece brought dark curiosity which would cause just about anyone's adrenaline to spike. Was he suffering from bipolar disorder? The thought brought an unusual smile to my face, and a giggle slipped past my lips before I could stop it. That would mean Reece Dean is a normal human being. I never pegged him to be anything less, but nothing more either. He was an enigma. But not normal. 

"What's funny?" His face softened a little, and so did his body posture next to him. Being relaxed suited him. Anything else made him far more dangerous than normal. I rolled down the window a little to let the Boston's cool air draft inside for a little comfort. It was chilly but it was nice and welcoming, and I shifted closer to him.

"Just trying to figure you out, that's all." I've been doing that since the moment I laid my eyes on him. He bumped his knuckles with mine.

"How's that working out for you?" He cocked his head to the side, and then briefly looked out the window before returning his gaze back to mine. 

"I can't tell if you're a human being or not."

"What do you think?"

"I think you're a devil disguised as a human being. You're blending into this world so that no one finds out who you really are."

"You think I'm the devil?" His knuckles brush my cheek, and I shiver. Humor dances in his eyes, and I do the tempo with him. I scrunch my face up in a mock, and nod.

"I think you are." My smile never wavered. Not even when he leaned forward, and his breath fanned my ears.

"Sweetheart. The devil has nothing on me." The limo came to a complete stop at the instance those words left his mouth.

"Dangerous," I teased, my smile getting wider. I rolled the windows back up, but before I could open the door, he grabbed my hand and squeezed, in a silent command. Not yet. My brows furrowed in confusion. 

"The smile on your lips looks beautiful on you. Don't let it fade away." He squeezed my hand tighter, and my heart picked up the speed. His compliment came as a surprise, and I'm startled by another sudden change in him. I leaned forward and kissed his cheek. 

"Thank you." I opened the door and stepped out. But, I wish I hadn't. Chills wrecked my body, and I shivered as my body gave out, and I stumbled backward until my back hit the limo. October air grew colder around me, and I wrapped my arms around my body for comfort. But the comfort never came. Only sadness. My smiles faltered, replaced by fear that gripped me by my neck so hard I visibly choked. Was I about to have a panic attack? Anxiety attack? Heart attack?

I heard footsteps behind me get closer, and then...he took my hand and started to pull me away. He was pulling me away from my harsh reality, but it wouldn't work. I wouldn't feel at ease, ever. I could only succumb to it. How did this happen? How did they find out? Where did it all go wrong? I was shocked, startled by what I was seeing, and so numb I could barely function. My brain was functioning, but my body wasn't. It was like my body had immediately leveled down to be on autopilot. 

Click. Click. Click.

Flashes, footsteps, and people. Lots of them. They followed me. They chased me down. They yelled for me to stop. They exposed me.  It was only a matter of time before it all came crashing down at me all at once. I turned my face to look at Reece. His face was stoic of any emotions. He didn't look at me. He only pulled me away faster from the flashes and plethora of photographers from behind me. 

"Miss White. Tell us what happened! Were you molested? Who attacked you?" 

"Wait! Tell us all what happened."

"Who is Mr. Kapoor? What connections do you have with him?"

"Miss Catherine White Jones. Tell us what happened. Are the rumors true?" 

My feet faltered. They stopped moving automatically. My body froze. My stomach dropped to my knees. Reece stopped with me, his hand squeezing mine tightly. That name. I was Jones almost a decade ago. That was my secret. How did they know? Why did they utter that name? Why now? Who told them?

I looked at Reece out of curiosity, but he refused to meet my eyes. His jaw ticked. My vision blurred. I was going to pass out. Black spots swirled behind my lids, and my palm went slack against his hold. He was pulling me towards the headquarters building where we both worked, and security came running towards us. They protected us by guiding us into the building and away from the paparazzi; however, I felt anything but the latter. 

My mind raced a million miles an hour, conjuring up ideas that made no sense. It told me things I didn't want to hear, and it made me feel things I didn't want to feel. Tears brimmed my eyes, but I forced them away. That name weakened me, and only one person knew about that name. 

Something jabbed at me, sharp and strong. Betrayal. I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to pin anything on it. But, both my heart and my brain screamed at me for being in denial. I saw his father, and mother run towards us. Mrs. Dean took me into his arms and squeezed me. I didn't reciprocate the hug. I couldn't function. 

"Catherine." Jay came forward and embraced me tightly. I couldn't even look him in the eyes. I couldn't look anyone in the eyes. I didn't even speak. My eyes burned, but I shed no tears. No one said another word to me, but merely just looked at me. My heart was going to explode any second. I wanted to know. I needed to know. But, my feet moved, and I walked away from the chaos. I walked away to God knows where. I just kept walking, ignoring my name being called. I didn't hear Reece. Reece never called out for me. But I felt his eyes on me. They drilled a hole in the back of my head. 

I finally stopped and settled on sitting inside the break room in front of the TV. 

"He wouldn't do that to me. He knows my history. He wouldn't do that to me," I whispered to myself, to my broken heart that sat inside my chest with a struggle. I clutched at my chest and chanted the same thing over and over again. He wouldn't betray me like that. He knew what would happen if the press found out. He knew. He wouldn't put me out on the spot like that. 

Would he?