Zac's POV
His eyes twitch in shock and his previous smile fell down into a frown.
"I-I..." He stuttered before trailing off.
Dad remained still and Rafiq kept staring at the empty hands.
Somewhere, I saw fear in his eyes. It was almost he's petrified upon seeing the man in front of him.
The way his hands trembled, droplets of sweats on his forehead, and the sudden pale complexion of his face.
"Ry?" I interjected the silent conversation with raised eyebrows.
His eyes trailed to me slowly.
The moment our eyes meet, the unfamiliar sheer of thoughts across my mind suddenly rather emphasized upon the swift exchange.
I gestured towards the awkwardly hanging hand.
"Sorry." He excused with an apologetic smile and he quickly shook dad's hand.
"Rafiq Angel. Nice to meet you, sir." He spoke with a soft and gentle voice though his nervous looks were still attached.
"How come you're here, Rafiq?"
"U-uh, homework." Rafiq quickly replied as he retracted his hand.
Dad averted his attention to me. "You never invite anyone except Ariel."
I felt a sudden dryness in the back of my throat.
"Uh... We need to do some homework together." I tried explaining but apparently proving to be a failure.
"Suspicion..." His eyes menacingly narrowed albeit with a grin on his face.
"Is he just a friend or something that I need to keep in mind?"
My eyes trailed to Rafiq with my mouth hung agape.
"He's just a friend!" I nodded profoundly.
My eyes caught a hint of brisk disappointment in his eyes, flickered through the seams that he tried to disguise.
Frankly enough, I could hear that my heart sings a different song than what have I just said.
Dad glanced back at Rafiq with a friendly beam. "I see."
"I'll leave you two alone then." I nodded before he made his way to the door and disappeared shortly after.
Only after the door clicked, a relief sigh quickly escaped from Rafiq's lips.
"He's your father?!" He raised his voice.
Dumbfounded, I only looked at him in disbelief. "Yes... I thought I've said that."
He kept thinking to himself while biting his nails anxiously, avoiding my gaze.
"Why do you look so shocked?"
His eyes widened and he creased his forehead. "B-but you said that he's American."
"He is..." I confirmed.
"Zac, he looks like a Korean actor." He defended with a 'duh' expression.
I shrugged nonchalantly. "My grandmother is a Korean immigrant and he grew up in New York."
"How do I suppose to know that?!"
"Why would you suppose to know about that?"
"No one ever told me that your father is Christian Starr!"
"Well... I'm the only Zac Starr in our school. I think that's pretty obvious."
He tsked in frustration while he ran a hand over his hair.
"What's the big deal anyway?" I asked impatiently.
There's something about him that made me feel unease. Questions that were left unanswered.
He grabbed both of my shoulders and looked into my eyes deeply.
"It's a big deal for me."
"Why?!" I asked sternly.
He let go of me from his grip albeit his eyes still remained lingered around mine.
Sometimes, obvious things are not so obvious.
I remember the time...
When I tried to read the pages of the book you once read out loud. I tried closing my eyes as I sat on the chair you once sat on in order to feel the heat of your back. I tried to touch the edge of your cup with the tip of my finger in order to cherish the touch of your lips.
Every time I see memories from the past, the stars fell and the sky crumbled.
Never once that I felt that your presence was far away from me yet my eyes never found the truth behind your name.
Maybe we are just two lost souls passing by.
Maybe we are just a mere coincidence.
Maybe I was just a somebody's tomorrow.
Rafiq remained silent as his gaze fell down to his feet. I saw a flash of guilt wrapped around his chest.
He's hiding something and he trying to keep it away.
The uninvited awkwardness wrapped us in a blanket of utter silence.
I coughed slightly to clear my throat. "Do you have to go to work today?"
Wow Zac, that is so random. Congrats, you made it more awkward than it is already.
His eyes lit up as he glanced at me.
"Yes." He was quick to reply.
"Come on. I'll give you a ride to work."
He nodded but limped to the door.
Seeing him struggling just to get up to his feet just excruciatingly painful to watch. So, I slung his arms around my shoulder to give him an extra push.
"Can you work like this?"
"Yeah! Totally. Don't worry about me." He grinned to himself.
"I wasn't worried."
"Then what was that in your eyes? Is it concern?" He smirked to prove a point.
"Look into my eyes again and you're dead!" I menaced nonchalantly.
He chuckled in return.
"Thanks, Zac."
I thought that he was thanking me for my help getting on his feet.
But at the back of my mind, I think that he's thanking me for something else...
********
Sometimes, I wish to see the sunset turning to a sunrise.
Holding hands all night along with the sweet scent of summer breeze lingering around us. The warm ocean wind brushed our cheeks as we walked along with the ripple that perpetually crashing against the sand.
'Zac?'
His sweet voice echoed in my head, along with the sound of the water crashing.
"Zac?"
I blinked in confusion as the faint violin music registered in my ears.
"Sorry?" I averted my eyes from the window.
"Did you finish the book that I gave you?" Dad asked with a curl on one side of his lips.
The immense chandelier emitted beautiful colors of light, creating a calm surrounding in the fancy restaurant.
The lady next to us was looking at me with an obnoxious look. I only glared at her and she quickly averted her eyes.
I think I've seen her around. Maybe on the TV or in the billboard ad on the highway.
This is the most exclusive restaurant in Toronto so it's not that shocking to see someone famous here.
"The one about business? No, not yet." I sat up straighter but the fitted tuxedo made me slightly uncomfortable.
"Finish it, will you?" He took a sip from his glass of wine.
"Dad, I thought we talked about this." I express with a slightly harsh tone in my voice.
"I need you to be my successor. I can't give all my hard work to someone that I don't know."
I felt waves of regret crashing against my chest and billions of questions storming in my head.
It's like I'm solving a Math problem.
The answer already predetermined. I can only use two formulas to solve them. Each equation I use has its own pros and cons.
The thing is, I don't want to use any of them.
So I tried to make a new formula. One that can save me and at the same time, please everyone around me.
But I'm still figuring out how to do just that.
"Did you know me then?"
"You're my son."
"Exactly! I'm not your one of your workers that you can order around." I pressed as I balled my fist tightly under the table.
"Zachary Starr! I did it for your own good."
"I understand that but please, please let me live my life when I still had the chance." His expression softened followed with a gentle nod.
"Okay. If that whats you want."
I quickly spoke my mind. "Then let me compete for next week's competition."
"Except that." He cut me off.
"Why not?"
"The venue is in Ottawa. But I don't want you to leave the city for the time being."
"Why? Is there a mafia trying to kidnap me or something?"
"No."
"Then what was it?"
He stayed silent for a while as he was thinking to himself but at last, he let out a deep sigh. "Someone hacked the company's system."
Baffled, I asked. "How?"
"I don't know. But we've improved the security for the past few days. I'm afraid that they might already get some information about you."
I gave him the 'are you serious' look. "You're worried about me when the whole company, which had at least hundreds of employees, is at risk?"
"Of course, you're my son."
"Don't worry about it, dad. Side if they knew me already, what can they do anyway?" I shrugged smugly.
"I'm just being careful."
"If you're that worried, I'll go with one of your bodyguards. The trip only took three days."
"Are sure you'll be safe?"
"Without a doubt."
"Okay then. I'll see what I can do." He smiled.
A rush sensation of relief came falling upon me when I heard those words.
Minutes passed and we sat there in utter silence with only the clatter sound in the background.
"So, is he 'just a friend' or there's something I need to keep in mind?" Dad suddenly asked while he cut his steak.
"Just a friend." I pressed with a grin tugged.
Well, that's how things started between us. Isn't it, Zac?
"It's good seeing you making friends." He started munching on his meal.
I only nodded silently as I was not so comfortable to prolonging the conversation any further.
The colorful lights of the city underneath attracted Dad's eyes. He didn't utter even a single word for a good ten minutes as he was delved into his own world.
At last, he looked at me. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine."
He put down his cutlery on the table. "It was around this time, right?"
I only hummed softly as a reply.
"Did you visit him?"
"Yeah, this morning."
My eyes found the scenery of the city lights amusing. Every time I see the memories from the past flashing in front of my eyes, a wave of emotions consumes me. My heart aches as I feel anxious and sad.
I stare at the name with a smile on my face. We sit in silence but we're smiling at each other.
Lucas Argent.
But deep down I feel a terribly throbbing pain in my chest. It's not that I don't want to see you happy, it's just your smile that once also brought mine. Now, it just brings tears with a nasty feeling.
"Hi."
"I know that I haven't been visiting for a while. I'm sorry, I've been... busy these days. But look, I bought you flowers." I place the violet bouquet near him.
"I bought these lavenders from your mom's shop. She's doing really well. She even invites me to dinner at your house."
"She's a sweet person. Maybe you got it from her."
I take a deep breath from the cool brisk. "To be honest, I don't know what to say to you. School is horrendous, my family's doing just fine, Elle got to college in London and my mom still works in Korea."
"Ariel finally got a boyfriend. Can you believe that?" My voice actually hinted with enthusiasm to talk with him.
"It was with Dean, Dean Raven. Remember him? The one that's in the football team, the goofy and witty guy."
"You should've seen them. They were cute."
"Oh, and I made a new friend. Wow! A new wonders of the Earth phenomenon, I know." I chuckled softly.
"His name is Rafiq. He's a nice guy. He's a great athlete and really good looking, just like you. The downside is... he a bit of a rock head, also, just like you. He somehow got into a fight with some thugs last night."
"He reminds me a lot of you."
"You would've liked him. You guys would get along so well together."
I only realize that I've been silent for a while since all I heard was the faraway chirping birds and the whistling winds.
"Lucas..."
"How did all of this happened?"
"For you, that winter was the most dreadful winter in your life. But for me, that winter never ends."
The stinging sensation at the tip of my nose intensifies. My vision became more blurry by the second pass by. I bit my lip to hold back my tears.
Your loss is far too great for me to bear. The pain in my chest brings tears to my eyes.
"I really, really miss you."
That day, the stars fell and the sky crumbled in pieces.
I'll send my regards to you through the wind and may it fall onto your forest underneath.
I hope that the tree rise to meet you. I wish for the wind to always caress you back. I pray that the sun shines warm upon your face and wherever you may be, may you find your peace that you're always looking for.
"He's a good boy," Dad spoke.
"He was..." I whispered.
"What am I without your smile to behold?"
"What's my hand without your heart to hold?"
***********