Should Have Not Asked - New Adult Romance (Wattys 2014)

Chapter 15 - Breathing Underwater

The sound of flipping pages narks my mind that stayed all night thinking and worrying about the incident that could have exacerbated an already difficult situation. I lower my head on the table, wishing I could just bang my head against it. Ah, if only people inside the library won't mind seeing a complete lunatic. I could only think of my folly. Because of my aggressiveness and desperation, a poor waiter was sacked. Paul didn't have to tell me. From the looks of it, everyone deemed I was innocent. But I couldn't confess. It could end me up in jail. I feel like a total loser for acting selfishly.

I was promised a handsome pay, and I shall get it on the fortnight. If only the incident didn't happen, I could have been five thousand dollars richer today.

I let out a sigh after looking at an empty paper on my desk for quite a time. I wish my hand has a mind of its own and write something about Shakespeare or de Vere. In four days I would have to see Etheridge again. Unexplainable things always happen to me. However, I could still call myself fortunate for finding ways to survive so far. I just hope staring at this empty paper would help.

"Angel." Ray pulls the seat next to me and lays all his textbooks next to mine. "I have something to show you." His newly polished fingers unfold a freshly printed newspaper as Ray's palms are stained with ink. He goes straight to the business section and shows me the most astonishing news article. I can almost feel my insides flipping around, my blood gushing away from my face.

"What happened to you?" he asks while examining my ashen face. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Where did you get this?" Alarm is clear in my voice.

"From the newsstand, of course!"

Hurriedly, I try to cover Angel Grant's face with my thumb as naturally as I could so Ray wouldn't notice the striking resemblance I have with this stranger. This is the nightmare that I have been dreading. And yes, before I entered into this deal I knew I was going to make it in the headlines with the rich and all mighty Hunter Stone. It was completely fine with me as I knew that nobody in my circle reads the business section of a newspaper. Not even Ray to be exact, but here it is now. The nightmare is slowly unfolding right before my eyes.

"Read here," he continues, his finger pointing on the first line of the article. "Business tycoon, Hunter Stone, is set to marry before the end of the year, and he's brought with him his new darling, his girlfriend of four months. Pretty lady, I guess. Wish they got a higher resolution of this photograph," Ray says as his eyes zero in on Angel Grant's face.

Every beating of my heart accompanies every movement of Ray's rather critical and scrutinizing eyes on my picture. I have my fingers crossed, hoping he wouldn't notice anything. How on earth did he suddenly become interested in Hunter Stone? Why read this part of the newspaper?

I quickly take the newspaper away from him and fold it crosswise with the article about Stone hidden inside.

"Shouldn't you be helping Ms. Tarth with her clerical duties?" I ask, diverting his attention.

"I was just about to do that then I saw this on my way to the archives and thought of sharing the good news with my best friend."

"Good news?" How is being spotted by an overly curious friend good?

"Ever heard of the Stone Holdings?"

"No," I lie through my teeth.

"Ever heard of Hunter Stone then?"

"No," I repeat. I know how anxious I appear when I lie so I have to look back down on my papers so Ray won't see my face.

"Hunter Stone..." Then I hear this man's glowing resume once more, all praises from his excellent work experience and achievements at such a young age. The difference is I'm hearing it from no less than my friend who highlights every minute detail of Stone's life with emotions, as compared to Paul's rather robotic fashion of describing his employer. "He's got this massive publishing empire, and they're looking for assistant editors. You can work there if you get lucky!" he concludes.