"Save me."
Her breath fell on his nape as she leaned close to whisper in his ear. Her warm breath tickled the hairs on his nape but he couldn't seem to understand the woman before him. Toro gaped at her, watching the way she batted her eyelashes at him. Was that act supposed to move him? What was she doing and what saving was she talking about?
First she accused him in front of many masses and right now.... She was asking him to save her or sorta help her. With what?
He gaped at her auburn wavy hair streaming down her back and on her shoulders, matching with her light chocolate crisp skin, pointy nose and tiny lips. Her oval face added an amazing final touch to her face structure. Her deep brown eyes stared at him earnestly, pleading with them. He didn't want to believe or accept it but gawking at her face sort of reminded him of her. No… Perhaps he was reading too much on her face. In no way does she look like her but when the man, she was running from– addressed her by the name 'Jane'..... it hit the nail for him.
Toro pulled off his eyes from her, fighting off the demons of him holding her against him a while ago. For some strange reason, he kept defiling his laws of not touching girls when it comes to her. What force always compelled him to hold or touch her each time they bumped into each other?
"I understand you are upset with me but you are taking this too far..." The man standing before them impeded his thoughts. When Toro looked up, he saw him throwing him— sorta glaring at him.
She ignored the man and did the most shocking thing that stunned both him and the man before them who seemed like her boyfriend or something. Jane grabbed his hand and led them both out of the restaurant.
"Are you already leaving, Jane?" A female voice screamed after them.
"Yes, Matilda. Will see you next time."
"Girl, looks like you're running from something?"
Jane swift her head and eyes in Matilda's direction and gave her a feeble smile, denying the fact that Hugo was there. Staring at her with surprised filled eyes.
She grabbed the hooded guy's hand and hurried out of the restaurant.
Toro was battling himself within when her small soft hand encompassed his firmly. He was having a hard time, caging his demons in. When she led them outside and still held his hand, he couldn't help it any longer. His body was literally quivering a bit. Flashes from those memories swept across his eyes.
When he lowered his eyes to his hand in hers. He saw that glitchy image of it covered in blood, prompting him to free his hand from her. He pushed away from her, and turned to take a breath— trying to calm down his pounding heartbeat. Beads of sweat already formed on his forehead and he felt his heart constricting and his airways almost shutting off. He'd have passed out if he didn't free his hand from hers.
"Hey, are you okay?" Her soft low tone seemed to help in calming his tensed body. He flinched when her hand touched his back, causing him to spun to her.
"Sorry..." He saw the startled glint in her eyes. "I'm sorry...didn't mean to grab your hand like that." She channeled her gaze on the ground. They were standing on the safe side of the roads—- a few walks away from the Greenfield restaurant.
"I just wanted to get away from there— from him…." She asserted.
"Until when will you stop dragging me in your messed up life?" Toro didn't want to sound rude but he couldn't help himself at the way she kept involving him in everything that concerned her.
"Okay….that's rude," she frowned. Crossing her arms against her chest. "It's not like it pleases me to drag you in anything that concerns me....it's just that, you happen to be everywhere I am. And I was going to apologize for the troubles I caused..."
"I'm glad you do realize you are one troublesome woman," he said, catching his breath before trapping his hands in his pants pockets.
She kinda glared at him for some time and pulled her arms from her chest, clearing her throat and standing upright, facing him squarely.
"I just want to apologize..." She started, taking a low gulp. "I remembered everything from that night…..and I want to say sorry for everything…."
"Who goes around accusing someone for a crime they aren't sure they committed?" His eyes were glued on her, questioning. But for some strange reason, he was rather amused by the way she was twitching awkwardly, slightly avoiding his gaze.
"That's why I wanted to apologize..." She trailed off and sighed deeply, shutting her eyes momentarily. "I'm really sorry, I was under the influence of the alcohol. I didn't know what I was doing…..My head was spinning so much that day that the only thing that could heal my troubled mind was drinking."
"A lot has been going on in my life lately and I'm sorry for dragging you into it. If there's any way I could make it up to you, I would." A little sad smile appeared on her face. "I bet you must've seen videos of me flying around… the thing is I woke up in one the bar's rooms unclad. A man's clothing were lying there on the couch."
She licked her lower lip and continued. "Though I didn't know who he was….and at that scene, I couldn't tell how I ended up in that bed but then, I remembered running into you earlier so I presumed you must have drugged me because I suspected you might be a blogger who writes and manipulates stories of celebrities….."
She halted and took another gulp, finally channeling her gaze to him. "I don't know why I'm telling you this but I feel….you should know and that I wouldn't go around accusing people...also I needed to blame someone." She chewed on her lower lip when Toro arched a brow up in query.
"I mean your outfit and your masked up face is giving me every reason to be suspicious of you," she circled a finger around his outfit and nose mask.
"I get the feeling you aren't here to apologize but to accuse me more….." He stated, maintaining gaze with her.
Jane swallowed and cleared her throat the second time. "I'm really here to apologize for everything but I'm also trying to make you see this from my perspective. You'd feel the same if you were in my shoes."
Toro kept mute, and just stared at her. Watching the way her lips moved in a rapid sync. Gawking at her lips reminded him of that night. What force compelled him into letting her do that?...
"And also I want to apologize too for what happened between us at your place...." She interrupted his thoughts. "I mean...." She gnawed on her lower lip and awkwardly directed a finger toward his lips behind the nose mask.
"For kiss….ing you..." She forced the words out. "I told you, whatever I did that night, I did under the influence of that alcohol, I have no idea what I was doing and also….thank you for saving me from humiliating myself at that bar further, I'm really thankful."
She apologized and thanked. Giving him a thankful smile, her eyes beaming under the setting sun. "And just like you said, I will take responsibility for my actions. I'm going to make a public apology on the internet as well and I will return your clothes to you."
Why does she sounds like she's saying a final goodbye? He thought.
"I hope we don't run into each other from now on and I have been wanting to ask you, why do you go around wearing sweatshirts and pants including hiding your face with a nose mask? If you are some well known celebrity, that would be understandable but also aren't you supposed to have an escort with you if you are one?"
Toro kept mute and watched the way her lips moved.
"It's okay if you want to have your face hidden but also we aren't in winter and I know that nose mask must be making your face sweat up and making talking a bit hard for you."
"Not complaining," he spoke up.
"Right….. anyways, I apologize once again and can we meet here tomorrow so I can give you your clothe back?..." She leaned close again, her face an inch closer to his causing him to tilt his head back.
"You should keep a low profile as well, the whole internet is blazing with questions of who you are. The relationship between us. They are curious to know who the guy behind the mask is just as me so I'd suggest you lay a low profile."
She leaned out and smiled brightly. "Tomorrow will be our last meet up until then, lead a good life. I hope we don't bump into each other after tomorrow... okay then, bye."
She threw him one last smile and whirled away from him. Hopping on one foot toward a car that seemed like hers. Toro stood there and watched her drive off.
●●●●●●●●
"What are you watching?" Jane descended the stairs to the sitting room, rubbing the face cream she has on her face. She was dressed in a black tank top and ash shorts as she made her way to Ivy whose attention was on the TV and in her grip was a bucket of popcorn.
"And what are you wearing?" Her eyes flew in surprise at the outfit Ivy was putting on. The hooded guy's sweatshirt.
"Oh this?" Ivy chucked and put down the bucket of popcorn on the center table. She turned to her, smiling sheepishly. "I couldn't resist wearing it and it's so comfy. I feel like snuggling in it."
"Ivy, that clothes belongs to that guy," Jane said, mouth ajar. "I have washed and ironed it and I told him to meet me at the restaurant Matilda works in to give him back his clothe but here you are, wearing it?"
"Hold on, he knows Matilda?" Ivy queried.
"Nope, but I ran into him today so right now, save me the trouble and remove it." She made her way to her, ready to pull the clothes off her head when Ivy sprinted off.
"Sis, can't you tell him to leave it for you? The scent is so nice….have you tried smelling it? Man, whatever perfume he uses must be a strong expensive one." Ivy said, sniffing a handful of the sweatshirt. "The scent is still there after washing it."
"Ivy, I don't want to get upset right now," Jane warned and followed her. "Just take it off and I don't care how it smelt. Just take it off."
"It is comfy and smells nice. Tell him….you want to buy the sweatshirt from him…"
"Ivy!" She bit her lips when she unintentionally yelled out her name which also jolted Ivy a bit.
"Girls, lower your voice…..I'm trying to sleep," Ivy's mother asserted from her room.
"Ivy?" Jane called, rounding on her.
"Chill….I was just kidding….I mean I was half kidding, this sweatshirt isn't some cheap one. Wonder how much money it costed him to purchase it."
"We just got a report that a well known actress was found dead in her house…." The news from the TV caught their attention, prompting term to channel their attention on it.
Both of their eyes widened at the videos and images of the actress found dead in her bathtub. The water was filled with the blood that gushed out of her.