I found her chatting with two handsome black Americans outside the club. As I drew closer, I could hear their conversation.
"Ella. Hmm... it suits you well!" one said. She chuckled flirtatiously. She even leaned in, reaching for his face. I held my breath as he grabbed her hands. I was about to shout when I heard one of the men said, "Hey, Ella. I think you're drunk. We should get you a cab."
She giggled as she wobbled towards them. The man wearing an orange hoodie immediately supported her when she nearly fell down on the damp and cold concrete sidewalk.
"Watch it!" he said. I cleared my throat and both men turned to me.
"Excuse me. Thanks for helping her out," I said when I approached them.
"You the friend who ditched her by the bar?" one of them asked. I was struck by his words, but I still managed to give a guilty smile and nod as we exchanged names.
"Take care of your girl, man. Don't make the same mistake I did," the man in orange hoodie said. His friend smiled when I gave them a questioning look.
"His girlfriend dumped him cause he's an asshole. He fooled around thinking that his woman would never leave him," he explained.
"Damn, right! And I regret it every single day of my life. So, you'd better cherish your relationship before it's too late," the other one said.
I nodded at him not even bothering to tell them that Helena wasn't my girlfriend.
"Ella... it's Brad. Let's go home," I told Helena as she stood facing the wall with her forehead touching it. She was talking gibberish to herself.
I cursed when she suddenly pukes. The two men offered their handkerchief to wipe Helena's mouth. I thanked them before I grabbed a taxi and brought her to her apartment.
"What were you thinking? I am just thankful that you ran into good people," I scolded as I put her down the sofa. She giggled.
Perplexed by her reaction, I asked, "What's funny?"
Her giggle turned into a dry laughter. Then, she started crying. "Am I too ugly for you?" Helena asked bitterly with tears pooling in her eyes.
I kept quiet and just stared at her. I am a man who live by the saying, "In vino veritas." So, I was trying my best to understand where she's coming from. For a moment, I felt a spark of warmth inside of me and a glint of hope that I immediately put off.
"Answer me, Brad! Am I not attractive in your eyes?" she added.
"You are. You are beautiful," I replied as calm as possible.
She gave a faint smile as she looked at me in the eyes. "Then... prove me!" she said while tears fell free from her almond eyes.
I was speechless. "W- what?" I managed to ask. "You're drunk, Helena. Let's talk tomorrow!"
I stood up and took a step away from her to escape from the hypnotizing moment I was in. Then, I heard her smirk.
What happened next shocked me to my core. There she was wrapping her hands around my neck and started kissing me. My brain told me to stop, but my body disagreed. The sensation was just overwhelming.
The softness of her lips and the warmth of her body were making me crazy. I pulled her closer, deepening our kiss as I pinned her on the sofa. My hands began to explore. She moaned when I cupped one of her breasts and tugged her nipple.
"Brad, make love to me~" she whispered, nibbling my ear. I claimed her lips once more and kissed her savagely. I tasted the saltiness of her tears that touched her mouth and I lost all my control.
I wasn't so sure whether it was sympathy that got over me or simply I had been longing to do it. All I knew was I got to do it. Hastily, I carried her without leaving her mouth until I laid her down the bed. And with one stroke, I removed her dress off her sexy body.
She shuddered and screamed in ecstacy as I fucked her mercilessly. And we danced our way to heaven in the tune only us could hear.
Helena looked cool as if nothing happened between us when we met for dinner the following day.
"What?" she asked, noticing that I was staring at her the whole time. I shook my head not because I wasn't bothered but because I was grasping for the proper words.
"You know what... the way you look at me makes you look like a psychopath. Whatever is bothering you, spill it out," Helena said, looking straight to my eyes.
I let out a harsh sigh then I looked down my nearly empty plate while clenching my fork and knife. "I am sorry about..." I said.
"Don't!" she immediately replied, cutting me off. She was even pointing her knife at me.
"What?" I asked, surprised of her reaction.
"Apologizing will make me feel worse about myself," she replied. "It happened. It's done! So, please... besides, I can't even remember the details. Only the evidence that it happened remains."
At that point, I wasn't so sure about my emotion. A part of me felt relieved but my heart felt hollow and disappointed somehow. I remained quiet for the entire time because I honestly didn't know what to say anymore.
"What time is your flight?" she asked as we drove to her apartment.
"2pm tomorrow," I answered.
"I can't believe Luke's getting married," she commented. We both chuckled at the thought of it.
"Yeah. Though it's just a fake one, I feel genuinely happy that the womanizer is finally married," I said.
"Can't agree more," she commented. "If I find someone that would make me swoon, I will marry him right away."
I was flustered. My heart was beating erratically as I turned to her. "I am not ready to settle down yet," I joked, calming the tension that I was feeling. She chuckled.
"Na... I have no plans marrying you, Brad!" she replied.