-chapter eight-
-present day-
He is back on set. The crews are celebrating his win on the Emmys. They are having small party before the shoot, suddenly one of the security, Don, comes up to him.
“You got an Estelle Padilla looking for you, she said she has something important to tell you. Does she have an appointment with you?”
He looks at Don, why would Estelle come to the set, “No I don’t have an appointment with her.”
“Do you want me to tell her to go?”
“No, tell her to come in here.”
“Okay,” Don walks out of the set to get Estelle he presumes.
Five minutes later he comes in with Estelle by his side. She looks happy to see him, but also bewildered.
“Hey Estelle,” he says and hugs her, he truly is happy to see her again. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” he asks her playfully.
“Congratulations for last night,” she says to him. “You deserve it.”
He smiles, “Thank you.”
“She’d be happy for you,” she says to him.
He scoffs, “Yeah, right. Are you here to tell me that?”
“No, the drive is too long for that, I could’ve just mentioned you in twitter to leave something on your Facebook page for that.”
He laughs and nods, “Right.”
“I came here to give you this Darren,” she hands him a piece of paper.
He opens it, there was written an address and phone number.
“If she asks, you didn’t get it from me. She’ll kill me if she knew I gave you this. That’s her parents’ address, I guess you can go from there.”
He looks at the middle age woman, “And what do you suppose I do with this?”
“Win her back Darren.”
“She left me Estelle.”
“She’s not happy Darren.”
“Yeah, and you know that how?”
“The fact that she called me a week ago, crying.”
Darren is taken aback from the recent information.
“I wanted to come earlier, but I wasn’t sure whether you’d take her back or not. Last night I’m sure.”
Darren looks at her questioned.
“That look you got last night, I might not the brightest person on earth, but I know you miss her too.”
“And I’m supposed to go half a world away to chase her, what if she shot me down in flames?”
“Well, if you’re questioning it, then I guess I’m wasting my time,” Estelle says to him.
He doesn’t reply, he just looks at her.
“I told her to take the leap of faith for you some months ago. And I’m telling you the same thing right now.”
He still doesn’t reply, he doesn’t know what to do, can he postponed the whole shoot while he’s chasing what he called the love of his life?
“Well, my job is done, now it is in you hands, and Darren, she’s worth it.”
He smiles.
“I’ll see you again then?”
“Yeah, you bet.”
“Drop by to the center if you have time, the kids miss you.”
He smiles, “Yeah, I will,” he gave her a hug.
“Good luck mijo.”
He watches as she walks away from the set. He looks at the paper, he doesn’t know what he should do. Should he throw everything and for what, to get his heart broken again like it was on their last fight?
-some three months ago-
The sun was shining bright in her apartment, it was such a lovely morning. They have spent the night together again for the first time in a month. Her family had come for her graduation, making them had to spend the month apart.
He woke up and watched her sleeping.
“Darren that’s creepy,” she said with her eyes closed.
“What?”
“You’re smiling while you watch me sleeping,” she was still closing her eyes.
“I’m your boyfriend, I got the license for the creepy act,” he said and kissed her. He trailed down her neck and she was laughing.
“Gosh Darren, haven’t we’ve done enough last night?” she said while still teasing him. He knew she felt how much he wanted it.
“You’ve deprived me for a month, that’s a lot to make up,” he smiled and got on top of her and they made love. Everything felt right for him. They lay on the bed after they were finished. He absentmindedly played with her hair, while she curled up next to him.
“Your dad is a scary man,” he said to her.
She laughed.
“What?”
“We just had sex and your first words are those? Were you thinking of my old man while we’re doing it?”
He laughed, “Shush,” he shifted to face her.
“Well, he’s actually a funny guy,” Adya said.
He made a face, “Ain’t nothing funny when a grown man asked me whether I’m circumcised or not.”
Adya laughed. “He’s actually a lovable guy, you just got off in the wrong foot with him.”
“What is that?”
“You’re dating his daughter.”
“Ah, so that’s my crime. Then I shall pay,” he said and kissed her.
“Have anyone told you you’re so charming it’s not healthy.”
“Not lately, but thanks.”
They laughed.
“I haven’t had a single good night sleep this month,” he said and pulled her closer, “being away from you is kinda suck.”
“You’re so full of it,” she said and pushed away from him.
“Where are you going?’
“The bathroom Darren, I gotta pee,” she said and laughed.
He chuckled, “Well don’t take long!”
She rolled her eyes, and he laughed. He put on his t-shirt and boxers, and sat up waited for her on the bed. He had been thinking about it for quite sometime, and he thought this was the best time to ask her. She came in a moment later with her robes on.
“Let’s move in together,” he said to her.
She was surprised by his statement, “What?”
“This past month is just wrong for me. Sleeping in my bed alone is not fun after all. I’m used to wake up beside you, and you’re done with your school, so you don’t need to live nearby campus anymore. Let’s live together. What do you say?”
She was stunned, she was quiet for a while, like she was thinking of an appropriate reply, the one that will hurt less, he thinks now looking back.
“Darren, I…I graduated. I have to go home soon,” she replied quietly.
Now he was the one who’s taken aback. “Say what?”
“I thought I made it clear to you, once I graduated, I’m bound by a contract, I have to go home.”
He felt as if his breath has left him. His mouth begin to dry, and his insides were just dropped on the floor. “Well I assume you’d opted to stay. I mean, what am I? Am I not worth staying?”
“Gosh Darren, come on. I’m bound by contract, and what we had was fun, but do you really think we had a shot?”
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. After all this time, after all they been through, and she asked him that question. “Fun? We’re just ‘fun’ Addy? Seriously???!!”
“Darren, come on!”
He was enraged, he stood up in front of her, “All these time, I’m just ‘fun’ for you?! I poured my heart for you Addy, I’m ready to sell my soul for you, does that mean everything for you?!”
“Darren, please don’t do this, I love you….”
“Don’t! Don’t you say that word, you obviously don’t know what that is,” he grabbed his pants and jacket, “If you know what that is, you won’t say those things you just say Addy. I love you! I’m so sickly infatuated by you, and I can’t see what you really is. You played me!”
“Darren, it’s not that,” her tears started welling up.
“Oh no Addy, don’t start crying, this is your shit. You doubted me over and over again. Or were you just looking for an excuse to dump me?!”
“Darren,” she started to break down, “please listen.”
“No! You know what?! I hope you had fun toying with this boy’s heart, because I’m done! I’m through with you!” He said and grabbed his car keys and walked out the door.
-present day-
He is still staring at the address while fumbling with his phone. Estelle’s words keep coming back to him. He has to take that leap of faith. He takes a deep breath and looks at his surrounding. She should’ve been here, celebrating his moment.
He scans the room to look for Curtis. He comes up to him and taps him in the shoulder.
“Hey Darren what’s up?!”
“Curtis, can we talk?”
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