updated: 01/29/17
Chapter 29
"GET OFF HER!"
No matter how many times she yelled, she was ignored. No matter how loud she screamed for ZJ, no one came. Watching the megastar struggling to break free, she screamed and threatened to call the cops, hoping that he would stop but the man in full ski mask continued to try to pin the megastar down on the bed. She turned for a second looking around for anything that she can use to throw at him but the sudden silence caused her to snap her head back around. Watching the megastar lying unmoved on the bed with the intruder straddling her, she realized that he came prepared. Nobody can escape the power of chloroform. When screaming didn't work, when threatening didn't work, when offering money didn't work, she realized he came for one purpose only.
Watching the night sky above with glistening stars, Alyson was reminded of the last night with the brunette in Canada.
"I should have never let you go."
The moment she found out what happened, she came to understand why the brunette didn't pick up her call.
"We should have never let her go."
She turned towards the two standing behind her as tears uncontrollably streamed down her face again. "It's my fault. "
CJ knew that she would be affected by the news of the brunette's death but didn't know that she would be blaming herself. Her reason may seem logical but who can say that if the brunette had not been able to walk again, she wouldn't go back?
"No, it's my fault." Bryan said with sadness and hoped the megastar would stop blaming herself. Without him, it may still work because there's Wes who didn't know about the plan until days later. Zasha was the first one to agree. Her plan sounded ridiculous to him but it wouldn't hurt to try. At least, that's what he thought until that night when he almost got injured.
"Stop. Bryan.." CJ had no idea how but the megastar's plan somehow worked. She wasn't there to see how it happened but according to Bryan, it shocked him when the brunette somehow suddenly flew across the bed, pushing him off by the force of her two hands. If he wasn't quick enough to grab hold of her wrist after landing on the floor, if the megastar didn't tell her to stop, his neck, his face or maybe his eye would've been pierced by a small object with a sharp needle held between the fingers of her right fist.
CJ heard stories of people exhibiting superhuman strength during a crisis but didn't know if it's true. What the brunette did that night might not be superhuman but her actions defy all medical logic because what happened afterwards shocked all of them…even the doctor because she again couldn't control legs after learning the truth. They didn't understand why but the megastar somehow knew what to do.
"You can't stop her from going back. Even if she can't walk again, she has to go back…for Kristin." She heard what happened from Wes but didn't tell the megastar. What she doesn't know won't hurt her. But what she knows…might.
There were just too many things that didn't make sense. For one thing, why is her girlfriend looking for her if she is dead? For whatever reason, she may be lying to her but there is no reason to lie to me.
"CJ, tell me she's not dead. Don't lie to me."
"I honestly don't know."
New York
Last night, seeing her in tears caused him to do the same. Seeing her for the first time in 7 months, listening to her painful memories of that moment broke his heart. Lucas again felt helpless and useless like that day he first heard about it.
"How is she?"
How many times has he been asked that question? Too many times, from his friends, his coworkers, reporters, and paparazzis. No matter who asked, he couldn't think of a response. It got to the point where he couldn't take it anymore and blew up, yelling at his friend to stop asking because each time he was asked, that image of her being raped flashed into his mind. She wants to forget. He does too. But how could he when he was constantly being reminded.
"She's not pregnant. Is she?"
He doesn't blame his mother for asking since everyone wants to know. He never hid from his mother about his relationship with the megastar but it was difficult to tell her that break-up may be inevitable. When phone conversations became less and less, when he felt that they were drifting apart, he had thought that she found out the deal he made for his business so he confessed and told her that he's willing to give up everything for her. He suggested leaving the states to go somewhere where nobody knows her. But that didn't stop her from wanting to end the relationship. Just like last night, she blamed it on herself. I'm not the same person you fell in love with.
"No, she's not pregnant." A shiver went thru his spine when he heard what she said. Even though he knew it's possible, it just never occurred to him that she would be. Pregnancy, abortion, rape; the only thought in his mind was what he did to her.
"Lucas, when is she coming back?" What she wanted to know was if he succeeded but the lack of energy in his voice over the phone told her that he failed. If she didn't have a net worth of hundred millions, she wouldn't have encouraged him to pursue her. "What did she say?" Only by knowing what she said will she know what she's thinking. Only by knowing what she's thinking will she be able to help him get her back.
Next afternoon
London
"They're lying. I know they are." Nadia didn't think so but Amy does. It might make sense to Nadia but it didn't make sense to her. Why didn't CJ tell her? Why did they come? To visit the children or is there another reason? Seeing the megastar last night in the hospital, she didn't rule out that the megastar was there to visit Lucy. But she was convinced that it wasn't when she saw pictures of the megastar with the children on the clipboard in the area where Holly works, who was as surprised as she was when she learned about the megastar.
Sitting in the car all by herself, Amy has been waiting for 3 hours near the megastar's residence. What she planned on doing is to follow them. No matter how long it takes. She knew she didn't have to wait long, unless they don't plan on going out. Seeing the black car pull out of the driveway, she waited until they were far enough before following. After what seemed like 10 minutes, she regretted for not thinking this thru when another car cuts in front of her. What she should have done was put a tracker on their car last night. That's what she, as a DEB, would have done. But it's too late now.
"There they are."
She let out a sigh of relief when the car in front took a left turn. It wasn't obvious before but now she knows where they're heading to but realized she made another mistake of not letting Nadia come along because if she had done that, she would've been able to get off the car and let Nadia find a parking spot. Driving on a one lane street, she had no choice but to drive around and hoped they would still be there when she comes back.
"…no tracker, no parking spot, no one to help you, what's the matter with you?" Amy was blaming nobody else but herself for not planning ahead. It's times like these, she wished Max is here. Max may sometimes act out of anger but when she has a mission, she made sure she planned it out before proceeding. She does too. But she sometimes gets distracted just like Janet does. Janet had a tendency to notice what people wear, thus getting distracted. Dominique was as focused as Max was but there were times she caught her looking at guys or taking a cigarette break when she should be doing something else. As for herself, her mind sometimes wanders to anything that interests her when there is nothing to do but wait. Max, being the captain of the squad, was always more focused than any of them.
"Damn it…" She cursed again when the traffic light changed to red.
As warm breeze blew across her face, she took out a deep breath and exhaled slowly, letting the warm rays from the sun land on her face. She may not have been here before at the Gabriel's Wharf, but being so close to the River Thames reminded her of that moment in Paris where the brunette saved them from a group of thugs.
"I should've told her."
Getting the brunette to walk again, she was surprised that her plan worked. She had thought about telling her the truth about their relationship but one night of conversation changed her mind.
Would telling her the truth help her get her memory back? She was hoping that it would. She hinted that they have met before and nobody knows which confused the brunette who then asked why she didn't want anyone to know.
"Not me, youuu…."
She could still remember the look of confusion on her face. She reminded her of the time in the cruise in Paris. She told her how they first met without giving her the details. She hoped by giving her pieces, she would try to remember. But the next day, she found that the brunette didn't take the information into thought because she didn't ask any questions about their past. But she did ask one question, the question that caused her to change her mind. She asked about that night. She wanted to know if it was part of her plan. It wasn't. The lie just came out because at that moment, she was frustrated with her for constantly trying to change the subject to Lucas. She could have told her what happened that night but didn't. Maybe it was to get back at her for making her mother worry or maybe it was to torture her for meddling in her relationship. But after that day, she decided to tell her the truth because she noticed the change in the brunette's behavior, most of the time in deep thought, not in the mood to talk, alone in the balcony as if feeling guilty for what happened that night.
xxxxxxxxx
Nothing happened. That's what she had planned on saying but before she could say anything, she found out what was bothering her. Lucas.
"I didn't accept his proposal..." Accepting his proposal was a lie. Lucas was never there. She hoped by telling her this would make her feel better but it didn't.
That night in the balcony with just the two of them, she was shocked to learn about her relationship with Lucas.
"You can't tell him."
"Then why are you telling me?" It finally made sense why she didn't want me to be with Lucas. But does she know why?
"Because he's not right for you. I know it doesn't make sense. But I know…he's not…right for you."
"You don't know him like I do."
She was hoping that by making her angry would somehow trigger her memory. It worked with her legs, so it might do the same to her mind. Seeing her becoming more frustrated, she remained silent to hear what she has to say next. What the brunette said next was unexpected. Clearly she ran out of ideas because her response wasn't a good reason. If it were true, her response would have made her want to slap her. Why would she think that reminding me that I slept with both of them would be a good reason?
"Are you…threatening me?"
She couldn't think of her purpose for saying that other than using that night to threaten her relationship with Lucas. She should know it works both ways and Lucas might not care that she slept with a woman. But would he care if he finds out that I slept with his half-sister?
"No…I…I…just…thought…that maybe…you…you...would…think…that…it…would be…it would…"
Her stutter, her nervousness, her behavior was unlike anything that she had seen before. It was funny seeing her acting this way, not knowing what to say, unable to complete the sentence as if knowing that her response would sound ridiculous and illogical.
"What would Kristin do if she finds out?"
Her look of fear was instantly visible. What Alyson didn't expect was getting an apology for that night which she was surprised that she didn't try to argue that it wasn't her fault since both of them were drunk and she was in her bed. She also apologized for what happened in the bank which wasn't her fault either but took the blame that she should have suggested something else and should have told her. It was her look of concern, her genuine apology followed by a description of her own character that made her decide to tell the truth about that night. After telling her the truth, she noticed how relieved she became followed by a look of confusion.
"But what if we did do it?" It wasn't her intention to tell her the truth then instilled the idea that she was lying. This thought just came to her when she noticed that look of confusion suddenly turning into a frown as if wanting to ask why she had been lying to her all this time.
"But we didn't." Her tone of uncertainty sounded like she wanted confirmation that it didn't happen.
"What if we did?"
Her look of shock and nervousness were instantly visible. She was tongue-tied for a moment, thinking of what to say. Her hesitation clearly indicated that she didn't have an answer or maybe she didn't want to answer a hypothetical question. It wasn't until she threatened to tell her girlfriend about the nights they slept together on the same bed did she give her a response, a response that she wasn't expecting but had wanted to know for months.
"I would never cheat on my girlfriend. But if…I did…somehow screwed up, unintentionally, unpremeditated, unknowingly…then…I would ask you…please…keep it between us."
It was comforting to hear that she wasn't cheating on her girlfriend when they were together. But at the same time, she found her words heartbreaking because she might never remember what happened between them. She might never remember me as Alyson.
Seeing her walking again, she thanked God for granting her wish. After that night, she wished for nothing but happiness for her.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I should've told her. Then maybe she wouldn't leave so soon."
Memories of the past few months kept her awake last night. Her mind kept thinking of what she could've done to prevent her from leaving. If she had told her about their relationship, then she would want to know more. They could've gone to Venice, Paris, to the hotels where they stayed at. She would've wanted to get her memory back first.
"There was no reason for her to go back so soon."
CJ wasn't sure what she's referring to but realized that the megastar was blaming herself again.
After driving around the block three times looking for a parking spot, Amy blew out another sigh of relief for making it on time. Any minute later, she would've missed the vehicle pulling out of the parking spot.
"Now where are you going?" As traffic became more congested at this hour of the afternoon, it became more difficult to follow as cars cut in and out. Where they're heading to should be a restaurant or a café because it was time for lunch. Feeling a little hungry herself, she regretted for not bringing anything to eat. After driving around the city for what seemed like an hour, she was reminded of missions that she had with Max, Janet and Dominique. Following suspects in a car was never fun especially when they had been found out. Cursing and arguments were unavoidable because nobody could stand Max's driving skills which made them sick because she drove like a suicidal maniac, weaving in and out, almost smashing into cars, driving in a speed of more than 100 miles per hour, almost getting them killed in the process of chasing a suspect. It's not worth getting killed over! That's what they said after the car came to a full stop but Max assured them that she knew what she was doing and had everything under control.
Just like Max, Amy knows what she's doing but unlike Max, she didn't have the confidence she had when the light suddenly changed to red, separating her from the car in front. "Damn it…" Her eyes focused on CJ's car as long as she could before it disappeared from view. Giving up never crossed her mind. What she planned on doing is go back to the megastar's residence if she couldn't find them. Luckily, she didn't have to.
"What are they doing there?"
She didn't see them getting off but recognized CJ's vehicle as it pulled out of the entrance of the hotel. Without hesitation, she drove to the front of the tallest hotel and gave the keys to the valet. It didn't make sense. She couldn't think of a reason why they would want to be here other than to meet someone. But why here? Why not at her house? If they wanted to eat, they could've gone anywhere. Then it all made sense once she stepped inside. Seeing the familiar large brightly lit lobby with a round table in the middle, she remembered exactly when she had been here before and whom she was with. That night was her birthday. It was a surprise. That night she had no idea until she was brought to the restaurant called Galvin at Windows on the 28th floor. The view of London from the highest floor of the hotel was stunning, the food was great, but the best of all was the person she had dinner with. "She's here."
Inside the elevator, her smile grew as she waited for the elevator to reach the topmost floor. Memory of that night caused her to smile wider. That night, she had thought the brunette brought her there to spend a night but was glad that she kept the thought to herself because it would have ruined the surprise. She can't blame me for thinking that. With the romantic atmosphere in the restaurant and the mood they were in, that night was a perfect night for making love but they didn't end up spending a night together. What they ended up with was learning a lot about each other.
Once out of the elevator, she nervously headed towards the entrance of the restaurant but was stopped by a staff.
"Do you have reservation?"
"I'm meeting someone." She thought her response was good enough but was then asked for the party's name. Knowing that it couldn't be Lucy or the megastar, she tried CJ's name and Bryan's name. But she learned that there were no reservations with their name. "Can I go in and take a look? They should be here already." With the recent attack in London, she didn't blame him for being cautious. But what does he think I would be able to do? The only thing she had with her was a small purse.
"This way."
She was glad he didn't give her a hard time but was disappointed to find that she was wrong. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she walked outside.
"Is there another restaurant in this hotel?" Once she learned there are four other places, she quickly headed towards the elevator. Which one? But when the elevator doors opened, she changed her mind. It might not be CJ or Bryan's name but it could be hers. She was surprised that it was but it could belong to someone else. Smith is a very common last name. Doesn't matter. I'll just have to wait and see. After being seated in a table with 4 seats next to the window for less than a minute, she was informed that someone called to cancel the reservation. It's not Lucy. That thought quickly disappeared when she was given a bag of food. She has no idea why but knows her questions will be answered soon. She quickly headed downstairs to the room indicated on the receipt to the 13th floor. Her heart pounded nervously when she reached the room #1328. She should be thinking that this could be a setup but that's not what she's thinking right now. All she could think of is seeing the person on the other side of the door.
CJ? She was disappointed that it wasn't Lucy but was surprised to see CJ because it was only yesterday that she was told that she had no idea where Lucy is. The megastar was also inside the room. When Bryan took the bag of lunch from her as if knowing what was inside, she realized that they were expecting her and they were the ones who ordered the food, not Lucy. They knew I was following them.
"I'm sorry."
She had no idea what CJ was apologizing for and became even more confused when she was led to the round table to take a seat.
"We didn't know."
God damn it. She wanted to yell at CJ because she wasn't making any sense but held the urge to do what she did yesterday and instead spoke calmly. "Didn't know what?" She expected an answer from her, Bryan or the megastar who had the same look of confusion as hers.
"CJ, what's going on?" That's what she wanted to ask but the megastar beat her to it.
Unlike the brunette, Amy has a lot more patience but seeing Bryan setting the lunch in front of them and CJ blatantly ignoring their questions, her patience is beginning to run out. When Bryan went to the room next to theirs on the side door with 2 sets of lunch, Amy was more confused than ever until she heard what CJ said to the person on the other end of the line.
"They're here."
Amy has no idea who she's talking to but could think of only one person. She quickly stood up and is about to snatch the phone away from her if CJ didn't voluntarily placed the phone on the table. Is it Lucy? She wanted to ask but didn't have to when CJ again apologized and repeated what she said earlier to her and the megastar.
"I didn't know."
That was enough to confirm that she's right. Amy immediately took the phone but was prevented from doing so. What she wanted to do was talk privately but was instructed to put the speaker on. When the megastar was also instructed to stay, Amy wanted to know "Why?" Her question was again ignored. Maybe CJ doesn't know why.
The moment CJ left the room, Amy took the phone, put the speaker off and went into the bathroom. "Lucy" Her voice trembled as tears streamed down her voice. If her request wasn't so ridiculous, she would've done what she was told. She's not afraid to let others see her tears but what she wants to say to her lover is private. "Lucy…." She had no doubt it was Lucy on the other end. But not getting a response for 5 seconds, she wondered if she misunderstood CJ. Who else could it be?
"Put the speaker on."
It wasn't Lucy. It was ZJ's voice and ZJ knew her instructions weren't followed because she didn't get a reply when she asked for the megastar. No matter how many times Amy asked if Lucy is with her, she was told to put the speaker back on. Amy had no choice but to do as requested, went back outside and put the speaker back on. After the megastar acknowledged her presence, a different sound could be heard as if the other end of the line is also placed on speaker.
"Amy"
