24

FIFTEENTH HOUR

Clicking into José's texts, she couldn't help but gasped. "Fuck!"

Her strong reaction piqued Christian's interest, his head snapped up and whipped in her direction. She saw his movements out of the corner of her eyes, but she didn't want to explain anything to him knowing that if she locked eyes with him he'd ask.

Enlarging the picture, she moved the screen closer to her face as if the picture wasn't clear enough. She just couldn't believe what she was seeing. When Hannah told her that she had started seeing this guy that they both knew soon after breaking up with Luke, she thought it was some guy that she didn't know...

However, lo and behold, it was the notorious SIP editor, Jack Hyde.

Then when she turned to identify the girl standing next to José, looking very cozy together. It was none other than Hannah's best friend, Claire.

"Well, shit." She muttered darkly. She had no idea how much contact there was between Luke and Hannah, and she didn't know how much they had told each other about their lives. She was reluctant to leave Luke out of the loop when it came to Hannah, because after all, if she had to choose between Luke and Hannah, she'd vouch for Luke.

Just when she was about to reply, she saw a glimpse of two very familiar faces at the background as the picture returned to its original size.

"Oh fuck," she breathed out, risking a glance upward, just in time to meet Christian's heated gaze. His brows were furrowed as usual, and his lips were pressed into a thin line, obviously putting up an attitude thinking that she was deliberately ignoring him, when she was just too engrossed in what she had just discovered.

"Care to share?" He lifted a perfect brow challengingly.

"You're probably not going to like it."

"Have I liked any stories that came out of your mouth?" He countered.

"Ouch," she murmured. It was true but it still stung, though she wasn't going to tell him that those words were hurtful, because she'd probably say something similar. She had gotten used to harsh comments from people, but she'd never knew it'd be different coming from someone that she cared about.

"What's it about?"

"We should enjoy what you have planned first before delving into our pasts again, don't you think?" She suggested thoughtfully. "I really don't want to ruin the mood, though there isn't much left..."

"You mean your past, Anastasia." She was taken aback by his harsh tone. Not that she wasn't anticipating a much different reaction, she never thought she'd care if someone had expressed their disappointment in her.

Her attitude had always been one of the traits that made people hate her or drawn people to her, but all those times, she had never gave a shit about what their comments of her were; until now, until him.

"Quite frankly, I've got no life compared to yours. My past is private, simple and always in a routine and yours are just complicated and all over the place."

"Then what the fuck do you expect me to do?" She bit back, she really was terrible at controlling her mood in early mornings when she wasn't exactly fully awake. "I admit that I've got a past. I'll admit whatever accusations you throw at me, because it'll probably all be true. I know that I probably have the bigger problem here than you. You've been fucking and beating women black and blue, oh wait, let's not forget about a pedophile pimp that you call friend..."

"She's just an acquaintance. She can supply me subs so that I don't have to show my face. I have been wary of her, I have done precautions to protect myself. But you on the other hand, you don't do shit to protect yourself. You're always out in the open, under the spotlight, and just simply drawing attention to yourself. Ask yourself just how many people do you know."