A/N: Hi. ... So I might have taken a DECADE to write this. I had some stuff going on. Anyway I am back to writing. Hopefully. I had this idea soon (and I have a few other ideas for future chapters too) and I really hope you like the tension in this chapter. Thank you for the great reviews! I have to notify you I will be going to Italy on a student exchange so I wil try to write in there, but I'm not sure if I will be able to post. xxx
Chapter 3 - Unexpected Guests
He put the key in his door's lock and it opened swiftly. He stepped inside confidently as opposed to me, who was taking small cautious steps inside. My eyes were roaming across his walls and his ceiling, looking and trying to take in the inside of Dan's apartment.
"What?" he asked and my head snapped back in his direction.
"Nothing. Just looking." I giggled and he gave me a suspicious look, but seemed to let go after a couple of seconds.
Dan walked forward and up the stairs and I followed.
"You don't seem half as bad at climbing the stairs as my sister tells me you make out to be in your Youtbe videos." I said with a smirk on my face.
My sister had gone completely wild after I had told her who I was working with. She turned out to be a massive fan of my BBC Radio 1 collegues and mates. I had found out about their Youtube careers on the first Radio show I had attended and we did talk about that at some point at that very first celebration dinner, but I can't recollect much as it was past the point of being a little bit too drunk.
Anyway Dan stopped in his tracks and turned around and gave me a look.
"Your sister? She watches me?" I wasn't sure if he was satisfied or terrfied of the fact.
I smiled at him. "Yes she does. She's completely bananas over you. She's been harrassing me all week, she wants to meet you so much." I said laughing. Dan laughed as well.
"Great. A stalker sister of a work collegue. If anything inapropriate about me leaks online now, you will be the main suspect Eden!" Dan laughed and I joined along. We continued walking up the stairs towards his lounge.
"What like about getting really drunk at your celebration dinner?" I mocked and he laughed along. "She's not a stalker you know. She just really really loves you." I smiled at him and he turned around doing the same.
"And she might have pictures of you in her bedroom that she secretly talks to every night.." I added and we both burst out laughing. Dan opened the door to his lounge and his laughter abruptly came to a stop. My smile dropped and I looked at him questionningly.
"What is it Dan?" I asked confused, worrying I had said something wrong. He moved forward into the room and I followed still not aware of what was happening. And then I saw a probable reason. There was an unknown figure standing in the middle of his lounge.
"What are you doing here Michelle?" he asked sternly, the girl standing in front of him.
Tension had filled up all the air in the room and I felt like I shouldn't be there, but I couldn't do much about it apart from taking a few small steps back, as if to signal them to not count me in. The girl's face left a really big impression on me.
Her eyes were filled with pain and a scarily noticable burning desire. Desire for revenge. I did not know who she was, but it was clear to me what she was here for and I felt even more uncomfortable being in the room. Crystal ice and a freezing coldness were streaming from her glass blue eyes. Her expression was calm, but the bad kind of calm. Like a lull before the storm. I could see through the thin layer of calmness she was boiling with rage and fury on the inside. What scared me the most was the two questions that stood out in my mind at this very moment. "What did Dan have to do with her? and Had he done something so she felt that way?". I felt my body srinking down. My shoulders slouched and my whole posture tried to take up less space.
The girl looked at him. Although ice cold, her eyes burned with a fire and they were burning right through Dan's figure at this very moment.
"Don't you remember Dan?" she asked calmly.
"I don't have time for your crap Michelle. And how did you get in anyway?"
"Nobody said I didn't copy the keys you gave and took from me Dan." she answered with a small tiny smile playing at the corner of her lips.
I could see Dan's back but I knew what his face must look like at the moment. Moreover the little voice inside my head that was whispering when we entered the room was no longer so quiet. It was screaming and I was strangely afraid of the woman standing in front of us. If she had keys to his house, that made enough sense for me to be scared. She for sure is wondering who I was. A terrifying feeling was rushing in my blood and I was petrified just thinking about what was approaching. She was about to ask about me at any moment, I was sure.
"Michelle you need to give me the copy of my keys and leave. I don't want you here. I don't want you anywhere near me. Please just go." Dan said, and I could hear pain in his voice, despite the tremendous amount of work he put into sounding stern.
"Oh you know that's not how I play Daniel." she said in response, the same smug little smile still on her lips.
"Yeah but see, I'm tired of playing Michelle. I don't want to play none of your games anymore. You need to get out before I call the police." he said coldly. I could see the muscles in his back tense through the fabric of his shirt.
She smiled even more crookedly and hesitated for a split second as to what to say back.
"Of course you will. It wouldn't be your first Dan. Call for help instead of hadnling your problems like a man. Instead of handling a woman like a man. You're a pussy."
"You can think whatever you like. I really haven't time for your bullshit Michelle get the hell out of my house." he answered back and I was seriously fearing what might come next. I had to leave, this wasn't a time and I place I should be at.
"I will.. go." I tried to say but what came out was a bearly noticable whisper. I tilted my head down and headed back for the door in a hurry but was stopped in my tracks.
"You're not going anywhere you little whore." I heard her harsh voice call after me.
"Leave her alone Michelle she has nothing to do with this." Dan spat back at her.
There was a battle going on in my mind. On one side, the introvert shy self was screaming and begging I go and ignore what she had just called me. The newer, more confident and sassy self on the other side, was really willing to turn around and slap her in the face. Although that would be a bit much. I closed my eyes and let my insticts take over.
"Excuse me?" I said turning around and raising an eyebrow. She smiled at me.
"Look I don't know what your problem is with neither of us. Whatever it is, I have nothing to do with it. You clearly have some unfinished business with him, but I have no intention of being involved." I smiled at her. "Good bye." I said and turned around being really content with myself, as I seem to have startled her enough to gain me time to get out of the heated room. A couple of seconds later I felt Dan coming down after me on the stairs.
"I'm so sorry about this, we'll do it another time yeah?" he said as we were going down.
I turned my head around to face him, but still moved down. "Totally. It's really okay, I have some undone grocery shopping to do anyways so.."
"So do I." Phil's voice rang and I turned around to see him standing by the big wooden entrance door. "What's going on?" he asked, more a question meant for Dan than for me.
"Explain later." Dan said with annoyance.
"Hi Phil." I heard Michelle's voice over the stairs and I froze for a second. Phil seemed really surprised as well.
"Uh, hi Michelle." he said confusedly. Dan shot him an angry look and whispered a "later".
"Grocery shopping. Bye Dan." I waved and hurried to open the door.
"I'll come with you." Phil said and followed me out closing the door after himself. I reckon that means Dan had to be left alone to deal with the situation.
We walked down the stairs together, but kept silent. Once we entered the little grocery shop that was 2 blocks away Phil must have been droven mad by my silence and tensed up body so he spoke.
"So what were you doing inside with Dan and Michelle?" he asked.
"Well I met Dan at Starbucks earlier and we sat down and had coffee together. Then he asked if I wanted to come over so I said yes. When we got in your house, she was there and I don't think she seemed too happy. Who is she anyway?" I asked looking at a list full of grocery shopping items I had written down in the notes on my phone.
Phil stayed silent for a moment. "She's Dan's ex. She's pretty much trouble. I'm kind of scared she managed to get into our apartment." I laughed a little and he did too.
"She said she'd copied the keys Dan had given her."
"Oh God!" Phil exclaimed and I giggled.
We continued talking and shopping together and Phil managed to uncosciously soothe me down.
"Do you want me to walk you home or something?" Phil hesitated, scratching his head.
"No Phil, it's okay. I live right there see?" I said pointing to my building on the left.
"You live there? That's totally right next to us!" he said excitedly and I laughed.
"Yeah, I forgot you didn't know. I only found out we live so closely nearby this morning at Starbucks when I spoke to Dan."
"That's awesome." Phil said with content.
"Totally." I reassured him and smiled. "But I really should get these bags to my apartment before the ice-cream melts." I said laughing.
"Yeah, sure." Phil laughed along. "Bye Eden. See you at work." he said bending down and hugging me tight.
"Bye Phil." I said and turned around starting the walk to my apartment.
A/N: So.. how was it? I hope it was satisfactory for you guys. I will so appreciate if you left a review for me! It makes my days! See you soon with another chapter. (Hopefully). Jasmine xxx