"You son of a bitch!"
A punch from nowhere landed on Tristan's jaw and the guy immediately lost his balance. Justin pounced on him, taking advantage of the opportunity to beat him up.
Max and Harry quickly rushed to Tristan's aid. They tried to get Justin off Tristan who was already bleeding badly from his nostrils and mouth, but Justin was just too strong for them to take off. They pleaded with him to stop but he refused, still knocking his face on the ground. The commotion was too much to the extent that Francesca ran out of the mansion.
Her eyes turned wide open when she saw her brother on top of her already weak boyfriend. She joined the guys to beg him off but he still wouldn't listen to anyone.
Thank God for Max who grabbed Justin's arms from behind and Harry who quickly pulled Tristan up. His face was covered in blood. He spat and coughed out blood as he tries to regain himself. Francesca ran to him, holding his face in her hands. The black eyes she saw made her almost cry.
"What the fuck is up with you, Justin? Have you lost it?" Harry shouted, still holding Tristan.
Justin breathing heavily, pointed at Tristan. "Am not done with you yet. I swear to God, I'm going to kill you." He struggled to move from his spot but Max held him tight from behind.
"Dude, stop this madness now." Max caution him. "Just look at the damage you've done."
Justin jerked him away, yelling. "Tell me you weren't aware he's been fucking our sister all these while?" When Max hid his face away, he knew the answer was a big 'yes' "Oh you bastard!" He punched Max right on the face.
"Justin, stop!" Francesca screamed. Harry quickly left Tristan and ran to stop him from making another disaster.
"Don't touch me!" Justin jerked his hands off. Breathing heavily as his eyes went straight to Francesca. "You! I loved you and protected you as a brother will do for his sister. But you went behind my back to fuck my best friend. You knew how bad he is. He is not trusted and I don't want you to come crying on my shoulders after another heartbreak! He is a flirt! A playboy! A total womanizer just like me, can't you read, Francesca?!"
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Go on. You love him, don't you? I heard your conversations earlier. I won't stop you from doing what you want anymore. It's your life, do what you want with it but when a repercussion comes..." He waved a warning finger at her. "Don't come to me because my shoulders won't be available for coaxing." Then he left.
..........
"You disappointed me." She appeared, sitting on the cupboard when he got to his bedroom. "I told you to keep your cool, didn't I?"
He ignored her, went to the bathroom to wash his knuckles which were bleeding then he walked back in, cleaning his hands with a towel.
"I'm talking to you, Justin!" She shouted at him.
"What are you doing now? Huh?" He raised his brows, "Aren't you furious that I don't want to listen? So is it when I found out about my best friend and my sister's relationship." He tossed the towel on the bed, walking to her with eyes narrowed and hands in his waist. "You knew about this and you never shared it with me. I trusted you so much but you always—"
"Enough!"
"No, you enough!" His eyes widely opened in anger. "It's high time you listen to me and hear me talk! They're not meant for each other. I won't stand my sister dating a player!"
"Oh you mean….just like you?" She laughed mockingly, clapping her hands in accord with her laughter. Justin got pissed the more but he couldn't do anything.
"Laugh but I know I'm no player anymore." He said and went to sit on the edge of the bed.
"A player will always be a player, Justin." When he looked at her briefly, she nodded. "Yes. You have a very bad reputation with women. What brother would want to have his sister date a man like you too? Huh?"
"You're pissing me off, mermaid."
"I don't care. All I know is that I'm speaking the truth." She frowned deeper. "You destroyed your sister's happiness. That was the man she loved, you could have let her fight for it alone but you choose to make a fool out of yourself. What you did today just broke her heart."
He stood up to his full height. "Listen, you don't tell me what I did was wrong because she's my younger sister and it is my responsibility to protect her from predators like Tristan."
"Have you forgotten that you're a one big predator and a lot of preys are hiding from you?" She sighed, clasping her hands on her tail. "You don't just see you're that way, Justin. Take away the stone from your eyes before seeing the wood in someone else's."
"Hey, look mermaid." He pointed at himself and defended. "I haven't seen a woman for months when I mean months, I'm talking about three fucking months. No kisses, no touching, no cuddling, no lovemaking. Do you know how hard it is for me to stay one night without getting touched?"
"And perhaps, who's stopping you from doing that?" She admired her nails. When he didn't say anything, she looked at him and smirked. "It is your own decision, I guess."
The truth is….. Justin is falling slowly for something that might burn him down and that is number one reason why he abstained from his past lifestyles. Because he doesn't want that thing to hate him for his kinda way of life.
He leaned closer, caging her at the middle with his both hands beside her. He looked straight into her charming hazel eyes. "Tell me, mermaid. Do you still see me as a player after my confession?"
She could feel his warm breath on her face. The closeness was so slim that any little thing can happen. She arch her head backwards, looking into his eyes. "What are you doing? Stay back and talk to me, I don't like this intimacy."
"Why? Because you still think am a player?" His eyes flicked down on her lips. The thought of capturing it in his mouth gave him dark desires. "Tell me what it'll feel like if a player kisses a mermaid."
She placed her hands on his chest, trying to nudge him backward. "Justin, you're going too far." She almost said in a whisper.
"Let me go too far. I don't care anymore. I've been dying to see the day our lips will touch." His hand lifting her chin, "Even if it's just once, let me testify how it feels to come in contact with a mermaid."
She should have kicked him off using her tail by now but she just couldn't help the moment at all. It is beyond her strength. She's liking the current flow of intimacy and the way he looks at her with lust and desire.
"You'll regret it." She whispered. "It's not right, believe me."
He paused for a moment, processing what she had just said. Then he let go of her chin. "I won't kiss you only on one condition." He stares into her eyes like he could see a revelation. "Tell me your name."
"That's impossible. I can't tell you my name."
His lips pressed together in disgust as he pulls away, combing his fingers through his hair. He turn back at her and shouted, "Why? Will you die if you tell me your name?"
He is lucky he made his room soundproof because of the number of girls that keeps moaning out loud during his makeout session, if not, someone would have barged in.
"No." She simply answered, nodding. "But you'll stop seeing my ghost if I tell you my name."
Justin was losing it. He didn't care anymore if he'll see her again after all, she never allowed him to kiss her. So what is she here for? If not for a kiss. Then let her go, he doesn't give a damn!
"Fuck it off and tell me your name. I don't care if you go away and never return."
She was so disappointed from how he responded. For her, she sees him as a selfish man who only cares about his own satisfaction.
Without thinking twice, she agreed. "Fine, I'll tell you."
The selfish turned around to face her when he heard what she just said. His eyes lit up as he grins.
"But promise me one thing. After I tell you my name, swear to me that you won't find me for real."
Who cares? "I swear." His right hand on his chest.
"Remember the note I left in your breast pocket four nights ago?"
He nodded, impatiently waiting. "Yes, what about it?"
"Did you care to open it?"
He paused. Wait a minute. He remember her telling him about a note in his coat but when he got home because of the emergency, he couldn't read it.
"The note has my name on it. Please don't look for me." She faded slowly.
Justin quickly rushed into his walk-in closet. He scattered all his outfits from the hangers to the floor. One by one, he fished out the business suit he wore four nights ago. He can't really remember which one was it. But after about ten minutes of searching, he found it.
He took out the wrinkle paper and carefully opened it. What he saw made him startle. Mad. Regret. Angry. Tired and hungry.
'Priyanka Abhishek.'