Tiana sipped from her glass in the blue dim lights, Liam was doing his best to keep her company and keep a nice conversation going, but although it seemed like the four of them were engaged in a discussion, it was only Liam and Claire that were actually talking. Tiana and Nicklaus only smiled and spoke only when talked to. Suddenly, a song started playing in the background;
'The Arizona sky, burnin' in your eyes
You look at me and, and babe, I wanna catch on fire
Tiana, who had been keenly avoiding looking at Nicklaus all the while, turned to him instantly, and at the same time, as though they were thinking the same thing, Nicklaus looked at her, and their gaze locked in each other's.
It's buried in my soul, like California gold
You found the light in me that I couldn't find
So when I 'm all choked up but I can't find the words
Every time we say goodbye, baby it hurts…
Tiana's hands fisted on her laps as her heart raced; his gaze didn't flutter, he watched her quietly but smolderingly. At that moment, she felt her emotions rushing to her eyes, her lids fluttered and she quickly looked down to her hands before she gave herself away; the song in the background was not helping matters at all.
"Dear, you've not touched your drink? '' Claire turned to Nicklaus when she noticed that his glass was still untouched, Nicklaus smiled at her, then picked up his glass but still did not drink from it. Claire noticed that he was a little distracted but she didn't know why, but then she didn't think much of it and turned to the MC who just walked up the podium.
Thankfully, the event began, and the sober mood was lightened. Tiana could finally breathe. She had drunk a lot to ease her tension but she was beginning to feel dizzy so she stopped;
Nicklaus peered at the cup in his hand for a long while before lifting it to his lips and taking a sip. He did not imagine that he would see her here. When he heard Claire call her name, his whole body froze; there could be over a thousand women with that name, but still he turned to know if she was his Tiana, and at the same time, their eyes met.
His heart stopped beating for a second as she held his gaze in her absorbing eyes; he couldn't think of anything at that moment. He never thought he would meet her so soon, and he was not prepared, neither had he gotten over her yet. He knew if he stared at her any longer, he would really lose it and he wasn't sure of what he would do if he did, so Nicklaus painfully pulled his gaze away.
He turned back to the couple he was talking to, but even though he was talking to them, his whole attention was on her.
She looked more radiant than ever, and she was leaner, but in a beautiful way. He wondered what she was up to all these while; he could have easily stalked her, but of what use what that? It wasn't in any way going to help him forget her.
… I'm Liam, Tiana's boyfriend…
Nicklaus's breath hitched when those words filtered into his ears; he felt a bitter liquid fill his mouth, and it was hard to breathe. He knew he had lost her, but hearing another man call her his, was heart-shattering. Calming his nerves, he turned and walked to them.
Claire had introduced her as a model, he didn't know she would get into the modeling industry so soon but then, he wasn't surprised; she had the looks and body, now he was looking at her up close, she looked stunning, but although she tried to hide it, he saw the frightened expression on her face;
Why was she scared?
He looked down at her waist and noticed how stiff she was in the man's arms and he turned to him. Instantly Nicklaus froze;
This man… he looked so much like his father…
The last time he checked, his father had only one child outside wedlock, and that was Michael Wills. Who was this man then?
''… I'm Liam Anderson… ''
Liam Anderson? Did his father have another child?
Nicklaus was confused now, the similarities between this man and his father were too noticeable and he could not bring himself to stop thinking about it. And how was he with Tiana?
Nicklaus could not put his head around it; he knew there was something fishy, and he needed to find it out.
''Excuse me, I want to use the restroom; '' Tiana blurted pulling him out of his thoughts. His eyes blinked and he watched her stand up from her seat;
Nicklaus's gaze followed her every move, and he noticed her hands quiver as they grabbed her bag on the table; his brows creased, and he immediately looked at her face. Even though Tiana was fast to turn away, he was able to catch a glimpse of her eyes, and he saw that they were teary.
Nicklaus felt his heartbeat decelerate instantly. Why was she crying?
Nicklaus's heart squeezed as he watched her walk away. Even though she said she hated him, he couldn't help getting worried about her. He wondered what was troubling her so much that she had almost cried;
Tiana gripped her bag so hard that she thought it would rip; she forced herself to continue walking until she reached the restroom and then she broke down.
Oh god…
Tiana wept, trying her best not to cry out loud to avoid anyone hearing her.
She thought she could hold it in, but she had underestimated her love for him. Even though she said she was happy for Claire, she couldn't help but get jealous.
Thinking about him smiling at her, hugging Claire as he hugged her; making love to her…
God… she had not felt this shattered her whole life.
Breathe… breathe…
Tiana took in a deep breath to stable herself; after making sure she was okay, she washed her hands and reapplied her makeup; when she was sure she looked good, and there was no trace of tears on her face, she turned to go back to the hall.
But as she stepped out of the restroom, she crashed into someone. Quickly she stabled herself and opened her lips to apologize, but a familiar scent wafted into her nostrils; her eyes widened immediately, and she looked up, only to be caught in the most fascinating eyes she had ever seen.
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