Four years ago
"Ruby, wait!"
Cece ignored his call and continued walking, a little faster this time. This was getting out of hand now. She pretended to have the music on, while in fact, the music had stopped a long time ago. She heard Gavin cursing; his footsteps became rapid. He was probably catching up with her.
This was becoming a new addiction for her. She did not enjoy the unwanted attention; it was borderline creepy. While it gave her goosebumps to think how determined he was to establish a relationship with her —whatever it could be— it did give her a sense of satisfaction to have him nearby all the time. It was probably a disorder, a sick perversion that made her mood better.
She had researched it. Histrionic Personality Disorder, a mental state that makes people prone to seek attention, and show seductive behaviour and emotional outbursts in order to keep their loved ones nearby, over-reactions and melodrama should be quite common for these people. Cece had evaluated herself; she never overreacted or resorted to losing control over her emotions. Seduction was another thing she had yet to learn. Could she be suffering from a special disorder that made her enjoy the attention of one person, the one running up to him now?
"Ruby, hey!" Gavin finally caught up with her. He huffed and bent forward, his hands resting on his knees. Cece wanted to touch his shoulder.
"You walk pretty fast," he said.
"And you probably don't walk at all," Cece answered. Her eyes traced the exposed skin of his neck.
"Hey, I was playing basketball when I saw you." He laughed sheepishly, and next moment his eyes widened. "Do you like the men who stay cool and act aloof, like the dramas and manhwas? You'd be good friends with Sandra then. She practically lives on them."
Cece felt a tinge of anger. Why did he have to talk about another woman in front of her? Was Lisa not enough?
"What's with the face?" he asked, running his hand through his hair.
"Nothing," she shrugged. There was no way in hell she'd tell him. She started walking.
"Yellow suits you," he said, looking at her shirt. She felt a mild flutter in her body.
"You know, a bunch of scientists once did some experiments. They found out that the way we share our names matters highly."
To this unexpected bit of information, Cece frowned. "How so?" she asked. This would start a conversation, ideally, she would avoid that, but she wished he'd continue talking and walking with her.
"When we hear someone's name, it creates a certain image in our mind. Like, when we hear a name with Arabic roots, it gives us the thrill and expectation of something very Middle Eastern, with a hint of fantasy. When we hear a typical white name, it creates a completely different impression. It's really interesting to see the image your mind can conjure up when you hear the name Mildred or Oksana."
"Ohkay. I see where this conversation is going." Cece smiled with a fake sweetness. "Congratulations. You've discovered what my friends call me."
"You don't want to know more about the research? It was pretty interesting. How about you share your contact details and I will mail the article to you?" He laughed and skipped a couple of steps to stand in front of her. He stood with his hands on his hips. "Don't you want to know what impression your name gives?"
"If I say no, would you stop talking to me?"
Present Day
Cece shook her head and closed her eyes. "That's not how it went," she said to Sandra.
Sandra's eyes lit up. "You know what happened between them?"
"Somewhat. Can I ask you a different question?" Cece asked. The pizza was finished. She wiped her hand with a tissue and threw it away.
"You don't want to hear about Gavin and her?"
Surprising Sandra, she went on. Rather than that, I'd like to know more about her. Can you tell me about Ruby, or Cece, whoever she is?"
Sandra looked at her apologetically. "I am sorry, Cece. I can't do that."
"You mean you won't," Cece nodded with understanding.
"Please, Cece, you have to understand. It's not my place to tell you anything." Sandra grabbed the empty pizza boxes and stood up. She threw the boxes in a steel trash bin and looked at her with a smile on her face. "You really don't want to know about the awkward self of Gavin, who was rejected so many times by her? Mind you, that guy was very different from the one you know."
"Well, what's the point of hearing about somebody else's love story, while my own is just demolished mercilessly? Besides, at times I get these snippets of her memories, which is another reason I wanted to know about her."
Sandra's smile fell. She stood there with an unreadable expression on her face. Her eyes fixated on Cece, who was currently looking out of the window absent-mindedly. "It's kinda weird. You two are so similar, yet so different from each other."
"What was that?"
Sandra shook her head. "Nothing serious."
'I heard you though. Is it really that weird to see me?"
"Imagine this. You have two people around you. They are identical, and similar to each other in many aspects, but when you look closer, you find the differences. There is something fundamentally wrong about the whole thing."
"Wrong?"
"Well, you cannot just substitute a person with a duplicate," Sandra said and instantly she bit her tongue. "Cece, I didn't mean—"
"That is why he behaves with me like that? Because in his eyes I am a substitute, a duplicate?" Cece didn't know how to feel about it. He was not very sweet with her, but he was not this rude to her before. He was probably trying to contain himself and be civil. What could have triggered him then? He said that the story she wrote was a memory, was that the reason he got so worked up?
"Cece, can you please not think that way? You're perfect, just not her. You don't want to be like someone else, do you?"
Sandra's words made her feel even more pathetic. "Shouldn't you say something like 'you're not a duplicate, Cece' instead of that? You know, what you just said, my neighbour says that to her teenage daughter. She has acne problems, her hair is dry, her teeth are crooked, and she suffers from depression. I never compared myself with a child before, but right now I think I am starting to get how she feels every time her mother says that."
"I am sorry, Cece. I often say things I don't mean, and they sound harsh. Can't you just forget about that? I really like you and I definitely didn't want to hurt you."
"You don't know me enough to like me. Are you sure that you like me and not her? It's easy to get confused," Cece smiled sadly and stood up. Her face contorted in pain. As if the cramps were not enough, her back arched like hell. She pulled a bright smile on her face.
"Look, it's okay. I don't know how I am related to that woman but I know how our similarities are messing up with your brains. The same happened with him. It's fine, really." Cece shrugged. Something crossed her mind.
"Do you think you can give me some idea on how to get on good terms with him? He's been really mean to me since last night, and now he's keeping me here. I don't want to stay here, and I don't think I can take this behaviour anymore."
"I am not sure about that, Cece. I tried my best to console him and bring him back to his senses. I don't know how much of it worked. Since that night three years ago, Gavin has changed. He doesn't speak much anymore, and never shares what's on his mind. I will try to convince him to set you go, but I can't promise anything."
Cece sincerely hoped that it worked. She didn't know how to leave this hi-tech prison. She wished Oliver was here.
"I have to go now, there's an important meeting today. Just to give you a heads up, Gavin comes home in the afternoon to check up on her. He stays for a while, makes sure that everything is in order, and then leaves again. After that he generally returns home late. If you stay out of his sight in the afternoon, the rest of the day should be okay."
Cece nodded. "I think I will go to sleep. Last night I couldn't sleep well."
Sandra was leaving. Her high heels clicked against the marble flooring in a steady rhythm. Cece watched as the confident, pretty woman grabbed her handbag and walked towards the doors. She knew the password to the penthouse, Cece realised.
Suddenly Sandra stopped. She turned and stared at her.
"Did you forget something?" Cece asked. Her eyes browsed the room. There was nothing anywhere. She turned her questioning eyes back to Sandra, who was still watching her.
"There is something I want to tell you, Cece. Gavin is in love with that woman still now, so deeply that he brought the whole world to her feet just in order to keep her safe and breathing. If you really want to be on his good side, I suggest you start listening to him. Follow his orders, because it's a matter of life and death. Trust me, Gavin is not an unreasonable person."
"When you say a matter of life and death, whose life are we talking about?"
Sandra didn't respond to that. She waved and threw a smile towards Cece, and left.
Cece craned her neck to see the door that led to the room where Ruby was sleeping.
"It's you. You're the one who's dying, aren't you? All this I am going through, is because of you!"