Sarah reclined on her bed, thinking about all the sweet gestures Alex had made throughout the day. He was the ideal boyfriend, capable of effortlessly selecting gifts and actions that would elicit either a warm smile or an excited squeal from her.
Alex seemed to understand her like no one else did, as though he were her missing puzzle piece.
Deep down, she couldn't help but feel undeserving of him.
"I must be the luckiest girl on the planet," Sarah whispered to herself. Her phone buzzed, and she eagerly checked for a new message.
To: Sarah
Your other half is safely back home, just wanted to let you know. And your better half already misses his beloved~~ xoxo
I had a fantastic time today with you. Just a thought, when we have a daughter in the future, should we name her Alesa? You know, combining Ale-x and Sa-rah :)
From: Alex
Sarah chuckled and shook her head in amusement.
To: Alex
Well, Mr. Alex, even though we're dating, you seem to be under the impression that we're already married. But in case you've forgotten, you haven't even proposed yet.
Aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself, thinking about a daughter when we're still in high school? And now you're brainstorming names...
But I must say, Alesa James sounds....
From: Sarah
Almost instantly, she received a reply.
To: Sarah
You're absolutely right. Alesa James does sound a bit premature. It's okay; we have plenty of time to discuss our future children's names. I'm looking forward to it. By the way, I have a family gathering tomorrow, so I won't be able to come over to your place. I'll miss you sniffles
From: Alex
Sarah chuckled and shook her head, feeling a slight twinge of disappointment that he wouldn't be available the next day.
To: Alex
It's perfectly fine, Alex. Enjoy your family gathering.
And please, don't try to be too charming; it's a bit unsettling. Remember that Philip is in charge of that.
I'll catch up with you on Monday.
From: Sarah
To: Sarah
Alright, head to bed early and avoid late-night reading. See you on Monday.
I love you, have sweet dreams.
From: Alex
Sarah put her phone down and bit her lip, a smile forming on her face. That guy was just perfect. Absolutely perfect.
The next day, Sarah woke up with a radiant smile and nearly skipped down to the breakfast table. Deliah was already seated, and her mother was dressed up in a nice dress, while her father wore fancy pants on a Sunday.
"Good morning, Dad, Mom, Liah," she greeted, glancing at her sister, who nodded slightly. Sarah was pleased to get any reaction from her sister at all. "By the way, Mom, why are you wearing a dress today?" she asked curiously. "And Dad, why the fancy pants on a Sunday?"
"I'm taking your Mom out on a date today," Mr. Johnson grinned. "Thought it's about time for a date after more than ten years, especially since you two started growing up. You don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not," Deliah smiled at her parents. "Have a great time, Mom and Dad. Take lots of pictures!"
Mrs. Johnson smiled, and she caught Sarah's eye, winking and raising her eyebrows. Sarah was confused, and Mrs. Johnson rolled her eyes discreetly, pointing at Deliah. Sarah suddenly understood and gave a thumbs-up to her mother. She felt like hugging her right then and there. Her parents were giving them space in the hope of helping the sisters reconcile their relationship. Sarah bit her lip, contemplating how she should approach it.
The parents finished their breakfast and promptly left the house, with Mrs. Johnson giving Sarah another wink. Sarah bit her lip, glancing at Deliah, who was waving goodbye to their parents. The car disappeared out of sight, and Deliah turned around to go to her room. "Uh, Liah!" Sarah grabbed Deliah's wrist, but quickly retracted her hand in embarrassment and tried to sound cheerful. "How roles have changed, really."
"Do you want to watch a movie with me?" Sarah asked. "I rented a few DVDs; we can watch them on the couch here like old times. I'll make some popcorn."
Deliah swallowed and stared at the ground. "I don't feel like watching a movie," she replied, turning slowly and heading to her room.
Sarah let out a small sigh and pumped her fist in the air. "It's okay. At least she isn't screaming at you anymore, is she?" She cheered herself on. "Let's try again!"
For the next hour, Sarah tried hard to get closer to Deliah. Her sister didn't forbid Sarah from her room anymore, so Sarah could pop in anytime to suggest some sisterly activities.
"Liah, would you like to do your nails?" Sarah suggested once again. "I bought new colors yesterday." She held up a few colored nail polishes.
Deliah lay on her bed, using her laptop. "You don't even paint your nails," she murmured.
"Yeah, but I can start," Sarah smiled, hoping Deliah would agree. I'll do anything as long as we can return to normal, she thought inwardly.
Deliah let out a small sigh and sat up on her bed. "You know you don't have to force yourself to do things you don't want to," she looked at her sister. "Stop trying to get closer to me right now. I don't want to be mean, but... I can't face you right now. Not so soon. I just can't."
"I understand," Sarah whispered, lowering her gaze to the floor. "I'll wait."
"Hm," Deliah turned back to her laptop. Sarah sighed at being ignored and left her sister's room, closing the door behind her.
Recognizing Delilah's reluctance to talk, Sarah decided to go out for a walk. She briefly considered calling the Aerospace guys, but in the end, she chose solitude. The boys were fun, but some alone time was quite enjoyable as well.
Sarah shoved her hands into her pocket as she strolled through the district, observing the shop houses and occasionally peering into the windows. The shops offered mostly necessities and occasionally quirky trinkets. Sarah appreciated the calm atmosphere of the street, which wasn't crowded and had a relaxed pace.
As she continued down the street, she had an eerie sensation that someone was following her. Sarah glanced back but didn't spot anyone. She frowned and scratched her head, murmuring, "I must be dreaming."
A few steps later, that same feeling of being followed returned. Sarah stopped and considered turning around when a hand covered her mouth, pulling her into a dark alley. A gasp escaped her as masking tape was applied to her lips, and a paper bag was hastily placed over her head.
Sarah realized she had been kidnapped, thrown onto a cold, hard floor, and whimpered at the impact. Her mind raced, questioning the identity of her captor. Was it a random kidnapper seeking ransom, or was she specifically targeted? If so, by whom? Who would want to kidnap Sarah Johnson?
The answer became clear as the paper bag was yanked off her head, revealing the menacing face of Matthew McCall. Sarah's eyes widened, and she involuntarily cringed when he greeted her with a sinister smirk, saying, "Hello, baby~." Even Alex avoided using that nickname, knowing it reminded her of Matthew.
The two boys who had kidnapped her cast a glance at Matthew, who responded with a satisfied nod. "Good. I'll give you your rewards later," he muttered.
"But boss, what's your plan for her?" one of the guys asked. "I thought you were trying to reconcile with your old girlfriend. This kidnapping was meant to scare her, leading to a romantic getaway for you both," he gestured around the old, messy apartment. "This doesn't look like a romantic getaway."
Matthew scowled. "It's none of your business," he spat. "Get out of here, and I'll send you your rewards. OUT!"
The two boys hurriedly exited the apartment, not looking back. Matthew smirked and turned his attention to Sarah, his eyes filled with interest and mischief. "So, hello there, baby," he patted Sarah's cheeks, causing her to wince. He removed the masking tape from her mouth, and Sarah glared at him. "I'm not rekindling anything with you, if that's what you're thinking."
Matthew laughed. "You think I want you as a girlfriend again? No, thank you. You were no fun. You didn't even let me kiss you."
Sarah blinked in confusion. "But that guy said-"
"I lied," Matthew smirked. He strolled over and seized Sarah's chin roughly. "My, my, you look prettier than before, now that you're dating Alex, aren't you, you lying bitch?" he snickered. "He's a cheater, and so are you, what a perfect match in heaven." Sarah winced.
"But, truthfully, I don't care about that. What matters to me is how you ruined my reputation," Matthew snarled. "Now everyone sees me as a plaything. We only dated for a little over a week, Sarah Johnson. How dare you cheat on me before I even had a chance to make my move on you?"
Sarah shivered. The way he looked at her didn't seem like the gaze of someone in their right mind. He had clearly lost it.
"I tried to be nice, thinking I could get one of the school's prettiest girl to sleep with me." Matthew's face stiffened. "But you went and cheated on me with Alex. Now everyone's laughing at me, like they saw it coming all along. Even the girls won't talk to me anymore."
"It's not my fault!" Sarah squeaked. "It's the image you've built for yourself from the get-go."
"I don't have any reputation left!" Matthew roared, giving her a menacing glare. "And it's all because of you. Now, I'm going to get payback."
He snickered, leaning in closer. "I'm going to mess up your reputation too."