CHAPTER 21 – THE EYES NEVER LIE


“Bianca? What happened?” Brian inquired as they drove down the brightly lit road
“Nothing” Bianca mumbled trying her best to hold back the hurt. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Brian what she’d overheard, just because she was experiencing pain, didn’t mean he should have to either. She’d made the resolve in her mind not to tell him, and she would stick with that.
The car pulled into the driveway.
“You really look like you’ve seen a ghost” Brian smiled softly
“I just couldn’t go in there. Could we please not tell anyone that we went there? That would mean a lot to me” she sighed as she stepped from the car
“Sure. You need me to come in?”
“Na, I’ll be fine, I'm just gonna get some sleep”
“Tell Arora I’ll call her later”
“Yeah okay. Night Brian” she stammered

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~

“So you’ll move back in?” AJ inquired as they sat watching some tacky video AJ had hired out
“About that” Chastity sighed, sliding her leg off AJ, and sitting up properly “I think maybe we should take a step back. I think we moved to fast” she continued, he eyes trying to gauge his reaction
“You’re not going move back in?” AJ questioned, tilting his head to the side
“Ya see I think we rushed into getting married, and I don’t think it was the best thing for us, maybe we should think about an annulment”
AJ smiled softly.
“Baby, you’re just scared, this is something new, and I’d expect you to be a little scared, hell I am, but I don’t think changing our minds is the way to go. I love you, you love me, and we made that decision through love, don’t let it go so easily”
A smile peaked on her face as his hand touched her cheek softly.
“You really think we made the right move?”
“Yeah I do” AJ responded, nodding
“Then okay, I guess I moving back home” she grinned

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~

“Oh god, I know that I love him, he’s everything to me, but I don’t think he’ll ever –“
“CUT” yelled the director, interrupting Tatum
“5 minute break then back to this scene. I suggest you read the script” he smiled over at Tatum as she headed to the makeup chair.
“Oh My God, it is so cold” she laughed as she rubbed her arms.
They’d begun on-location filming, it was a night scene, though huge lights shone down onto the sand.

“I thought you were good” a voice sounded from behind the chair
“Howie” Tatum spoke in shock as he walked around to the front of the chair. She hadn’t called or spoken to him since she left that morning. It was too awkward, besides what was she supposed to say to him?
“I heard you’d be down here, I thought maybe we could talk” He smiled slowly
“Oh, um, I’m really busy right now and –“
“Go, at least give him that much respect” Alika whispered in her ear as she practically pushed her off the make up chair.
“Okay sure” Tatum spoke, hoping off the chair, and walking a few meters away, Howie behind her.

“Who’s that?” Matt inquired stepping up behind Alika
“A friend of Tatum’s” Alika responded “You busy tomorrow?” she inquired packing through the suitcase of makeup on the carry table
“Ah yeah, I'm supposed to be having dinner with some relatives” he announced digging his bare feet into the sand
“You know I still didn’t know you had family down here, where abouts?”
“Orlando”
“Really? Aunty? Cousins?”
“Why all the questions?” he snapped
“You’re my boyfriend, I was interested”
“Cousins” he coughed before walking away
Alika shrugged as she continued to look through the case, before pulling out the neutral lipstick she had been searching for.

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~

“Okay then, good bye” Nick mumbled, the tears clouding his eyes
“This is the right thing to do Nick” Arora whispered
“So you say” Nick half heartedly responded
“Good bye Nick, I'm sorry for the pain. But you’ll get Bianca back”
Nick faked a thankful smile, she didn’t understand, and he couldn’t make her see, he didn’t want Bianca, he wanted her.

Arora backed towards the door. She wanted to say something, anything to make this hurt less than it did, but words were meaningless. She bit her bottom lip, her face etched with sorrow as she walked out the door, turning her back on Nick. She continued to walk, telling herself not to turn around. It felt like it took her a lifetime to reach the car. She hopped in, she knew Nick was standing there, blank, behind the door. She could feel him, as she was sure he could feel her. The engine started and it wasn’t long before she was on the road heading home.

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~

“So what can I do for you?” Tatum inquired
“I'm not stupid, I know you were using me to get Kevin jealous. We got drunk and did something we regret. I can acknowledge that” Howie sighed. He still cared for Tatum, but it was obvious the feeling wasn’t mutual, and above everything else, he wanted her to be happy.
“I'm so sorry. God I'm a bitch” Tatum snapped annoyed with herself
“It’s okay, people do stupid things sometimes” he breathed
“You’re really okay with this?”
“It’s life. But I think if you have feelings for Kevin that you go for it, don’t hurt other people to make it seem better”
“I don’t care about Kevin, I don’t think” Tatum huffed “I mean I did, but I don’t really anymore”
Howie managed a smile “You need to learn what it is you want” he said before turning away
“Howie” she sad grabbing his arm “I am sorry, I never meant to use you, I just –“
“I know” he mumbled before walking away
He wanted so much to tell her how he felt, he struggled with his feelings, and it seemed like they just grew with time, but it didn’t matter anymore, she would never be his, not or the right reasons anyway, and he wouldn’t be the ‘fill-in’ for Tatum, he wouldn’t let himself be hurt like that.

~ 5 MINUTES LATER ~

Arora unlocked the door to the house as she threw her keys onto the table. She flicked on the light to see Bianca sitting perfectly still on one of the dining room chairs, her head collapsed into her hands.

“Did you talk to Nick?” Bianca inquired without even looking up
“Yeah, I did. You two belong together Bianca, I'm sure you both know that” Arora replied
Bianca closed her eyes tightly. She was angry, upset, devastated, betrayed, alone – every emotion she could imagine – she was feeling.
“He said he loved someone else” she whispered, almost to herself
“We all say things we regret”
“I don’t think he regrets this one. Have you ever looked into his eyes Arora?”
“Uh not really” Arora responded awkwardly
“They never lie” Bianca looked up, her eyes were clear now, as though the tears had run dry, her face was spotted with they’re trails and riddled with pain. “I’ve always been able to look in his eyes and know that he meant what he was saying, they’re so blue, and so clear and they never lie to me. I looked in his eyes tonight Arora, because I wanted to know the truth, and do know what they told me?”
Arora shrugged slowly.
“They told me, that he was in pain, and that it wasn’t me he loved. And as much as that hurt me, I know now that he didn’t say it to hurt me, he said to because it was the truth”
“No Bianca, it’s not, it’s not the truth” Arora announced directly
Bianca breathed softly.
“I saw the truth Arora” she whispered before walking past her, down the hallway and into her room

Bianca fell against the door. Everything she’d said was the truth, his eyes never lied, and as if tormenting her they kept appearing in her head. She saw his eyes that night, she’d seen right through him, and although it was like ramming a dagger through her heart she knew that he loved Arora and there was nothing that she could do.



Chapter 22
Contents

Email