FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM - HER FIRST LOVE

“Be ready and wait for my call. I’ll tell you where to come. Leave as soon as I send you the address,” Jack commanded from the other end of the call, his demanding tone harsh against Danny’s ear. He agreed to everything Jack said and scowled once their call disconnected. He had detected the tremor in Jack’s voice, and it sounded urgent and tensed through the speaker.

Danny hoped for the miracle, desperately wished that somehow there was something that would prevent Jack from meeting him. He hoped Hera would resolve her misunderstanding with Hunter and go home with him. If only Abby wasn’t this selfish and helped him get out of this shithole. Abby’s betrayal almost tempted him to reveal the truth to Hera. After all, Abby had the largest share in this iniquity.

Hera would be devastated if she learned the truth, and Danny didn’t have the heart to break her spirit by showing her the mirror of reality. Thus with a disappointed shake of his head, he stepped on the temptation, crushing it under his feet. He would have to bear the burden of truth on his chest all alone, no matter how much the guilt weighed his shoulders down.

Pocketing his cell phone, Danny sighed in defeat. He had lost all the energy and felt exhausted already. Hunter had asked him to go with him when they talked about Hunter wanting Hera to accompany him. If only he could say yes to his best friend’s suggestion, but Danny had no choice other than to decline the request. He had to stay back to take care of the problem.

‘I’ll die if I need to, but I’ll protect you at any cost, Hera.’

Danny vowed for ninth time.

He half jogged to their secret hideout behind the old building where the rest of his friends were waiting. He found Eric and Michael sitting on the makeshift stone bench with a cigarette in their hands. Michael let out the smoke rings through his mouth, absent-mindedly playing with them while Eric kept flicking his cigarette downward repeatedly to get rid of the ash.

Eric seemed lost in thoughts. He wasn’t smoking, Danny noticed. Hunter was pacing back and forth, hands tucked inside his pockets, his shoulders hunched in defeat. He lifted his head when Danny made his presence known and smiled faintly at him before resuming his pacing. Hunter kicked at the innocent grass as if it offended him somehow by looking so lush.

“What’s with him?” Danny asked and then frowned at himself for asking the silly question because he knew the obvious answer.

“Why don’t you ask your beloved little sister?” came Michael’s biting retort, the anger evident in his tone. He earned a glare from both Danny and Eric at that.

“Hera doesn’t know what Noel did. All we have to do is tell her the truth, and everything between them will be solved automatically,” Danny stated the obvious in an all too irked voice.

Eric scoffed with a shake of his head before responding to Danny. “I tried doing that, but you know how she gets, sometimes too stubborn to listen,” Eric said and shrugged before continuing, “I think we’ve meddled enough and should leave them to it. Only Ace knows how to handle her temper. So let him talk to her.”

Danny glanced at his sulking best friend and cursed inwardly for Hera’s stupidity. He knew Hunter would keep her safe if she left with him. He was Danny’s last hope.

‘If only the silly stubborn girl listens.’

Exhaling his frustration through his mouth, Danny placed his cigarette between his lips before lighting it.

Hunter stopped pacing when he felt the vibrations in his pocket and pulled his cell phone out.

“Fuck,” Hunter muttered, seeing Mathew’s name flashing on the screen. He had an inkling of what he could expect from this phone call. Hunter hoped Jessica wasn’t in trouble because of him. Brushing his fingers through his unruly hair, he took a deep breath and exhaled before receiving the call. “Hey, Matt, all good?” Hunter asked, holding the phone against his ear.

“You didn’t bother to tell me you’re planning to take your girlfriend home,” Mathew said. Hunter detected the anger in his voice. There was clear disapproval and accusation in his tone. Mathew was upset that he hid it from him. “Matt, let me explain, will you? It was a last-minute decision, and I didn’t have time to inform you beforehand,” Hunter quickly tried to clarify.

“Imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when I found out what a splendid job Jessica accomplished behind my back,” Mathew said sarcastically. Hunter squeezed his eyes shut, sighing in guilt. “Matt, please let her off the hook. I coerced her, and she couldn’t dare refuse me,” he said in Jessica’s defence.

“Don’t I know how charming you can get when you want to,” Mathew said, not seeming satisfied by the excuse.

“I didn’t want to add more to your worries, Matt. You already had your hands full with other responsibilities. So I asked Jessica to handle the required necessities,” Hunter expressed. He heard Mathew sighing in frustration from the other end of the phone. He could imagine how exasperated he looked at the moment.

“Chief, your safety is my priority and keeping you protected is my responsibility. Worrying about you is my duty, and I appreciate it if you don’t keep secrets from me. You know I don’t trust anyone when it comes to your protection,” Mathew admitted, still upset at Jessica. She was supposed to report him and take his permission before doing anything.

“It’s just some paperwork she had to handle, Matt. All is good, and you can trust me to take care of myself in your absence. You’re worrying over nothing,” Hunter tried to assure Mathew. He requested him to excuse Jessica this once as she wasn’t at fault. Hunter had demanded her to do his bidding. He also asked Mathew to keep his girlfriend’s visit a secret until he reached home. He wanted to surprise his parents.

‘If Hera agrees to come.’

Hunter thought, swallowing the bitter feeling.

“I have promised your dad that I’ll keep you safe in his absence. I prefer to keep my word, chief. Don’t put me in trouble, or else your dad will have my head,” Mathew said, finally relaxing. He only agreed to ignore Jessica’s mistake after Hunter promised him that he wouldn’t do anything without informing him.

Hunter asked about his grandparents’ safety and relaxed once Mathew assured him they were safe.

After ending the phone call, Hunter eyed his cell phone until the screen went dark and huffed, letting his stiff shoulders unwind for a while. That was until he remembered Hera was still pissed with him and the tension returned with full speed, consuming his peace of mind.

He checked the time and noticed it had been a while since Bianca and Hera left together. To put his stress at rest, he decided to call his grandparents as speaking to them would take his mind off his fight with Hera, at least for a few more minutes.

<strong>IN THE CASTELLANOS MANSION,  </strong>

Helena smiled to herself, cunning and vicious. “Don’t be ridiculous, Helena. Remember, he’s your would-be brother-in-law. How can he be your boyfriend? You’re not a homewrecker, are you?” Helena asked, mock-scowling at herself while she pretended to cringe at the absurd thought. Why would she worry about her cousin’s dream or future when Gisela didn’t hesitate before stabbing her in the back?

Scoffing in contempt, she put the envelope back in its place and marched out of Gisela’s bedroom.

On her way back to her room, Helena heard the commotion in her parents’ bedroom and accidentally eavesdropped on her father, cursing at her mother. She gasped in shock and pushed the door open without bothering to knock in her haste. She had never seen or heard her parents raising their voices at each other, let alone fighting by verbally insulting.

To her surprise, lost in their argument Johnathan and Myra didn’t notice it when the door opened, and their daughter walked in.

“I told you not fuck that bastard in my home. I don’t want my family to know what a whore you are,” Johnathan spat furiously.

“Why, are you afraid they would learn what a failure you are as husband and how you can’t keep me satisfied in bed?” Myra asked, smirking in satisfaction as Johnathan’s eyes burned with rage.

“You fucking slut, how dare you?” Johnathan cursed, raising his hand. He was about to slap his wife when he heard his daughter calling for him. Helena was horrified at what she was witnessing. Tears formed in her eyes while she stared at her parents.

“Helena, I can explain,” Myra said, coming forward, but Johnathan grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. “Helena, please leave us alone and go back to your room,” Johnathan demanded harshly. Helena blinked, letting the tears run down her cheeks and glared at the hand holding his mother captive. Johnathan noticed and immediately let go of Myra’s hand before taking a step back.

Helena lifted her lashes to look at her father, who averted his eyes in shame. Then she glanced at her mother, a surge of anger rushing through her veins. “Did you or did you not cheat on papa?” asked Helena, even though she dreaded learning the answer. The look in her mother’s soft eyes hardened as anger took over her features.

“Oh, you dare to look offended? How hilarious?” Helena let out a humourless chuckle. “My papa said you fucked someone in this house. Whom did you sleep with, dear mother?” she asked, gritting her teeth.