Justin's P.O.V
I woke up by 6:30.a.m. The alarm was so irritating, I snoozed it up to a thousand times. When I finally rose from bed, I went to take my bath.
Last night was long and so crazy.
From the ruthless massacres to the last kiss that luckily didn't last long. I'd say it's like a tradition for Lisa and I to smooch after every mission… like, every mission. Crazy, right? But I had to stop it.
Believe me, I was pretty confounded about it all—Anastasia or Lisa. I couldn't understand what my heart really wanted. I couldn't get it. You may call it playing but I called it exploring my options.
This was the pattern: during the day, it was all Ana and then, at night, it was Lisa. My heart was all jumbled up and I was literally the sole cause of all this confusion.
I probably already told you that I wasn't going to give two shits about Coyde anymore. Besides, it's been so long since he last attacked me so I'm guessing he realized that he was just wasting his time and resources.
Besides, Lisa was my goddamn cousin; I couldn't possibly date my cousin now, could I? Plus, you know those sparks that fly when you experience love at first sight? Well, it happened the very first time Anastasia and I met. Staring into those fiery emerald green eyes of hers, I knew spontaneously that we were made for each other. But why I still chose to 'explore my options,' I don't know. I guess it's because she was hot and also a freaking great kisser.
Now, thanks to my stupidity, I just screwed myself up and left Lisa heartbroken.
I really don't know what I was expecting from smooching her so passionately almost every night. She was definitely going to fall for me or already did. That wasn't what I wanted. I just wanted a bit of fun. Damn I'm so stupid!
I stood under the cold shower and bathed slowly with every inch of my heart pounding in regret.
**********
Lisa didn't talk to me. Even our long walk to school was filled with nothing but noise generated by bypassing cars. It was torturous and I just couldn't grasp enough courage to start a conversation. It was so bad; she didn't even turn to look at me.
Immediately we got to school, both of us parted our separate ways: her going to arrange her locker or something, me… going to find Anastasia.
**********
Anastasia's P.O.V (A Monday Later.)
After cheerleading practice, I headed down the halls. We ended practice pretty late so basically everyone else had gone home.
Lisa looked so stone-faced today. Damn, she was so irritable; I had to keep my distance but when I asked her what was up, she it was nothing. She's really changed lately and I feel our bond weakening. Lisa before will tell me literally everything but now, she just told me "nothing."
Heading to the school's entrance and also exit, I took a left turn and spotted someone standing by in front of the glass door. Gazing closely for some seconds, I finally recognized the person—it was daddy! He looked so beat up; I could even notice it from afar.
It was like the first time I was seeing him dressed so casually outside of the house. He kept a straight face as we both stood, frozen.
I was extremely flustered so I just turned back and prepared to retreat.
"Ana…" He called me softly from across the hall. He sounded so damn miserable.
I closed my eyes, trying to shut his voice outta my head. What he did was too grave to be forgiven in a month… talk less of a mere week.
"Wait… please let's talk about this in the car." He pleaded and waited for my response. He didn't get any so he just said "Please." He sounded so sober and my heart wanted to forgive him but hell, it wasn't possible. Not after all he's done.
"O…okay" I stammered, still backing him. It was real difficult for me to find any words right now. I wiped the tears lingering in my eyes.
"Thank you. I'll be waiting in the car," he said with a smile plastered on his face and walked away.
I couldn't help but wish he hadn't done any of the wicked things he did… that he never even wrestled in the first place. Our lives would probably have been better than they are now. Sadly, there was nothing anyone could do to help it—the damage had already been done.
Coyde's P.O.V
It's been just a week and I'm already missing her like fuck! It's just now I understand the saying; 'You won't know the value of what you have until you lose it,' cos now I've lost my precious daughter. When Vanessa asked me where she was, I didn't have anything to say. But I was smart enough to quickly cook up a lie. I had told her that my mom requested that she stayed with her for just one week. As at today, it's already been one week.
Jason also occasionally asked me where his sister was. I always have to lie to him too. Maybe if I didn't go home with her today, the ground will open and swallow me up. That's why I've been waiting in the parking lot for hours.
We were in my blue Chevrolet with me on the driver's seat while she sat on the passenger's. I didn't know how to start.
"I'm here," she let out after about thirty seconds of silence.
I sighed heavily. "I'm really sorry for everything I've done, Ana… but you need to come back home."
"Sure. You think it's that easy? And what about Justin— are you going to apologize to him too?"
"I know it may take you an entire lifetime to forgive me but I still want to let you know that I love you and that all I did was for your own good. I was just trying to protect you."
Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed red. "My own good you say?" She paused to catch her breath. "Are you oblivious of the magnitude of the damage your actions have caused? To our family… to Justin's?" She asked, raising her voice. Damn, that was an ass move!
Writer's P.O.V
All Anastasia could see was red. How could her dad possibly say he killed her boyfriend's parents, want him dead and guiltlessly lied to her… for her own good?!
"Let's keep that aside for now, can we?"
"I'm not coming back home" she stated clearly and no damn thing was going to change her mind.
"Please… think about your mom and your brother—there's no day Jason doesn't ask of you." He ended. She was moved by the fact that her absence was hurting two of the three people who meant the world to her. But she had to stand firm if she wanted to achieve her goal.
"I'm not going home unless you fulfill all my conditions." Conditions? John was ready for anything.
"What's it? I'll do anything."
"I don't think your ego will let you." She said straightforwardly and paused. John kept mute and then she continued: "Firstly, you're going to have to bring Jason over for two weeks of his summer holiday…" she explained and he nodded.
"Secondly, you'll have to take grandma home so she'll live with us forever." He looked at her with a sharp, surprised face at first but nodded later.
"Thirdly, you gotta stop all these ugly stuff you've been doing, especially to Justin. Plus, you gotta promise never to hut him ever again." Those conditions were pretty easy for him to fulfill cos he'd literally given up on attacking the innocent boy because somehow, no matter what he planned, the boy always seemed to miraculously emerge unscratched.
But he was only doing it for Anastasia—nothing else.
"And lastly…" she started. His heart races, wondering what the last condition was gonna be. "You'll have to apologize to him for everything you've done to him and both of you gotta reconcile." She said and peered into his pale white face. "I hope that won't be too difficult for you," then she raised a brow.
He was speechless. That last one was out of his wildest imaginations. He couldn't bring himself to apologizing to the goddamn kid. Besides, he could never forgive me, he thought. What he had done to Justin was too much for him to go back, seeking forgiveness. It seemed pretty stupid.
He let out a breath. "I can't"
"See what I said about your ego?"
The air in the car was smothering him so he just had to wind down the tinted window. Then he took in a deep breath and mindfully picked his words, careful not to make another ass move.
"There's no way he'll forgive me." He said, counting his words. "… Not after all I've done." John actually wanted everything to be alright again and he could literally do anything for that to happen… but this, even the thought of it scared his heart out of his ribcage.
"No, he will." She assured. "As much as I know, he's put the past where it belongs." Damn, Anastasia had no idea of what she was doing. She was sure that Justin didn't even know that her dad was his parents' murderer… technically. So finding that out would certainly be disorienting. It was going to kill his soul that she didn't tell didn't tell him all this while about that and about the fact that John's been sending assassins and even her, to kill him.
Remembering how easily he deceived her into almost making the mistake of her life stabbed her severely. This was all going too fast. She needed enough time away from him. One week just wasn't enough.
Besides, how the hell was she going to tell him? It was impossible for her.
After more than a minute of silence, he finally spoke. "Alright"
"Tomorrow, I'll invite him over."
He almost exploded out of shock "What the—" but he held back his words.
"Can you do it?"
"That's too soon, don't you think?"
"If you ask me, I'd say you've wasted too much time."
"Give me some more time…" he pleaded. He had no idea how in the world he was going to do it. The kid was going to probably kill him there and then out of exasperation.
"Call me whenever you're ready." She said carelessly, opening the door and stepping out of the car. He let her cos he knew he was in no way ready. Now he just had to go home and face whatever was waiting for him… or maybe he could tell them that his mom had asked her to stay a while longer. That would stall them, he thought.
He watched her disappear without turning back once. She was just as stubborn as he was… or maybe even more.
But at least Anastasia got what she wanted—time. Time away from her goddamn dad… time with her amazing grand mom… time to figure out how in the world she was going to tell Justin such devastating news. It'll certainly affect their relationship… maybe even destroy it.
'Damn, why does life have to be so cruel to me?' She asked herself.