Treating Mr. Billionaire

~ 48 ~

The night her grandfather died, Maria thought that was fate's last attempt at being so cruel. She thought at least for once, it would have mercy and grant her peace of mind. However, it had proven her wrong once again, bringing more problems into her life and returning one with a more powerful punch.

The ticking of the clock was all there was left to hear amidst the thick silence enveloping the room they were in, even though her muffled sobs were the only thing echoing within the confines of the bedroom.

It had been this way for hours now, sitting on the floor beside her best friend who was as mute as she was, with none of them saying a word. All they could do was stare into the distance or at each other.

And yet, they couldn't escape their reality; it would never let them go.

Her mind replayed the phone conversation from earlier, the one that delivered the most terrific news that had her soul shattering  into fragments, breaking her heart apart like shards of glass. She could remember every word clearly; how Ted had spoken in haste, his voice breaking as he uttered a few words that made her eyes immediately tear up.

"I need you," was the last thing he uttered before ending the call with her.

And now, as she sat in this dimly lit room, she couldn't help but think if she had sprinkled some of her bad luck on him by being friends. Because if not that, she didn't understand why the people she loved so dearly kept leaving.

She thought of Ted again and couldn't imagine how he was feeling at that moment if she could feel that way. She knew he had been holding back his tears since morning, and the only thing she could offer him at the moment was a shoulder to cry on, even though that might not be of any help.

Her pale blue eyes shifted from the nothingness she had been gazing at, taking them to the guy beside her, observing how he sat so still with an intense gaze fixed on an unknown point.

Her mouth twitched to prompt him to let it out, but she remained quiet, knowing how sensitive the subject was for him. She was not even sure about how to go with her words, because funny enough, she wouldn't mind some words of consolation herself.

Bernard Mavis was more than her best friend's father; he was also one of the few people that protected her as a family after the loss of her parents. He was like a father to her, someone she had relied on for many years.

A frown finding its way between Ted's forehead encouraged her into saying a few words, hoping it would bring him some comfort, even though they were the most unlikely things one could say to someone who just lost his dad.

After all, if there was something that always helped during even his worst moments, it was a topic about food. Although, she wasn't sure it would be of any help right now.

"Wanna eat?" Her voice came out soft and quiet, but it seemed to reach him somehow and his gaze shifted away from the window, where the setting sun was starting to paint the horizon in all shades of reds and yellows. His eyes moved to her and she inhaled softly at their teary sight.

Maria was surprised when he chuckled as a response instead, the sound echoing around the room, and it seemed that was the only emotion he had conveyed for the past few hours. It sounded half-sincere, like an expression hiding his true feelings.

"Fried chicken? Hot dogs?" She proceeded further, her own trembling smile forming on her lips. "Or pizza?"

He smiled for a second before responding to any of her offers, "You think dad will love that? My old man used to like his pineapples on his pizzas, and I did  teased him about it." he added, his voice on the verge of cracking as the image of his father flashed inside his mind.