Dirty Dark Secrets

00:08 - Mournday

MAGNOLIA 

The first two classes before lunch came and passed with me mentally plotting an escape from my unfortunate fate and my body physically illustrating my emotional distress. 

Thank goodness Eugene was oblivious to my uneasiness, or rather he chooses to appear to be. 

When the bell rang for the lunch break, I was quick to throw my belongings into my Chanel backpack and scramble out of the room for air. 

"Hey, are you okay?" Eugene reaches for me, stopping me from fleeing from the hallway. "You seem off since the lecture started."   

There was a line between his brows when he made me faced him.

Worried overtook his face.

He was innocent, he had only shown and gave me love in all cases, but this is how I repay him—worst of issues, with his cousin. The one I knew how dangerous he was. 

My eyes drooped; I had to fight back the tears. I couldn't look at the concern in his eyes, so I looked away.

He pulled me into a hug and whispered. "What are you not telling me?"

The statement was more like a thought than a question. 

I squeezed my eyes shut and looped my hands around him; as the hallways began getting packed with students, that people chatters swallowed my noisy breathing. 

Eugene didn't let me go, though; he rested his chin on my head and let his fingers massage my hair. 

The sensation blended with the scent of his spicy cologne and delivered the peace of mind I needed.

Eugene and I relationship has always been most vital. Girls like Sara had to give up trying to break us up and capitulate to the romance we spread around the hallways. I mean, Eugene loves me just as much as I do him. That aristocrat academy students begin to accept we are endgame. 

But last night, everything had changed, and it was all on me. 

In Eugene's comfort, my eyes opened and found something strange. 

Reign Phillips was leaning against a locker, with two guards on each side of him. He is the only student in a nonacademic outfit. 

Theoretically, he seems arrogant, bold, and superior. 

His head was c****d sideways, forehead puckered, the corners of his mouth turned up, his leering eyes replaying memories I thought he had erased.  

My heart flutters, and I quickly turn my head away, burying my face into Eugene's chest.

He couldn't know I was undergoing disintegration. And I couldn't let Eugene recognizes that too. 

In the past hours, Reign had been different. Every time I would peer at him, it was like he had forgotten about last night. He maintained his attention to the computer in front of him and excused himself from the class twice for urgent phone calls that were brought to him by some tough-looking men, who must be his security guards. 

His casual attitude had confused me. Not that I expect him to say something because God knows I shouldn't be anywhere near him, but why now? Why did he choose to return after all those years? Why last night? Why did he choose the seating arrangement? And why am I only thinking about him? 

It was supposed to be one year left, and I could start again somewhere; I hoped he would remain in Paris while I round-up for my high school diploma and leave this state for good. But it occurs nothing follows the line as you wished it would be.

Reign chooses to return, dipping me into not only one dark secret but two. 

"Let's go feed you lunch," Eugene suggests. 

By the time I was physically and emotionally composed, I pulled away from Eugene's chest and let him tenderly kissed my lips.

From the corner of my eyes, I found the locker Reign was leaning against earlier, unoccupied. 

He had disappeared, hopeful forever.

I even began to believe that when I found him absent in the cafeteria while he had been the only subject of argument between every group of students around tables, including Rose and Gregory, who had no idea Reign was the start and chain to my disaster. 

I didn't blame them for noticing him. After all, they are only human beings, and human beings are designate to heed the most precious of things, and at the end of the day, Reign had features that no one could overlook.  

After the lunch break was over, the rest of the classes went typical. Since I didn't have two cousins of both, I have some relationship with sandwiching my desk. 

It was relieving. 

Through the school hours, I get to watch Eugene wrestle. Did I mention he is the school's best wrestler and had won a lot of trophies on that course?

The final bell rang at two, and my two friends followed their rides this time. 

Eugene had asked to hang out after school, but all I needed was my bed and silence. Until now, I can feel his cousin thrusting inside of me. It was messing with my head just as Ralph's image would always call on me to save him from his son.

Lance drove me back home, and I didn't even care to check on mom or dad or even the kitchen for something to eat. I locked my bedroom door and stayed in until the sunset behind the horizon and the half-moon emerged to the sky with its gleam.

On the bed that had been dressily renewed (I didn't have to recall his scent), I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. 

Affirmative, there had been knocks on the door and Mia reminding me of dinner. 

I thought a short message notifying mom to proceed with dinner and not worry about me because I had a long day since yesterday, and all I needed was a good sleep was enough to buy me peace. 

With that, I got the rest I deserved and fell asleep, curling up like a ball on my queen size bed.

A soothing Idle touch, tracing my cheek, overwhelmed me; I sluggishly opened my eyes in the wake of the gentle fingers around my face to find my horror movie sitting on my bed with a blank expression on his face.

Instinctively I sat up, drawing back to the majestic headboard of the bed.

I stare at him with huge, wary eyes. 

What is he doing here again? Had he changed his mind about letting me live? 

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice a little hoarse from waking up from sleep and quavering from fear.

He frowns at me, his eyes narrowed.  "You are pale."

What the f**k does that mean? Of course, I am pale; I might even be worse. 

I don't think anyone would react any less than I did to waking up to a murderer next to them.

"What do you want, Reign?" I repeated, noisily breathing in the quiet room.

He remained lip-tight and held out a piece of paper.

With a skeptical face, I hesitantly collect the paper and take a brief look at what seems to be the school tour guide, signed by the principal, dictating me as Reign Phillips tour assistance. 

"First, you can wait to discuss this tomorrow in school. Why would you just come here late at night? Second, I am not giving you any tour. You can ask someone else." 

"If I want someone else, your name wouldn't be stressing on that sheet." He calmly said as if I must comply because giving him a school tour had been my job.  

How can a person be so irresponsible? 

"Please leave. We will discuss this in school." I pleaded, my gaze drilling at the comforter beneath me. 

"We are leaving now!" He announced and stood up, urging me to do the same.

What? 

"Are you insane?" My wide eyes glance to the table clock and back to the egotistical person, wanting everything to go his way. "It is past midnight. I am not going anywhere. I don't go anywhere at this time." 

His eyes were blazing with pique, and his jaw tightened when he leaned towards me, draining out the color of my face. 

I swallowed several times, but it wouldn't help my dry throat. My lips kept twitching at the closeness of him.

"You were at my father's penthouse at midnight three years ago." His voice was gruff. 

"That was different." I croaked.

His brows raise. "Oh? How so?" 

"It was Eugene's birthday." 

"Or rather, your parents were using you to gain access to my father. Which one is that?" He accused, his lips draw back arrogantly. 

I felt irritation surging in me from his insult. 

"I am sorry you do not know anything about love, you never had, but Eugene and I love each other; that was why I was there for him that night." 

He chuckles, shaking his head like I was some crazy person. 

"You are so foolish! Magnolia Thatcher. You still believe in delusions."  

"Get up." He boldly commanded but didn't allow me to respond; he pulled me up with one hand, getting me out of bed.

Damn! he was physically strong. 

"Reign, stop." And he did; he halted and listened. "I kept your secret. What else do you want from me?" 

"You."

I couldn't help the frustrating scoff that left my mouth. He can't be seriously doing this to me. 

"Please stop. I gave you my words; I am not telling anyone. Stop coming around. What will you gain?"

He surveyed me, with his lips pressed into a hard line as if he was processing something, while the delay left my growing impatience.

"The whole you." He finally spoke, but the wrong words. "Your body, your soul and mind, everything that's going through your head. That's what I want. For you to know you are mine and do as I say." 

"You don't know what you're saying. You can't just control me for what you want. I should be blackmailing you, not this." I disgustingly gestured between him and me, with tears welled up in my eyes. 

"You blackmailing me? That's absurd." He sneered and stepped closer until his flaring breath could burn my skin. 

It took everything in me not to collapse. Because if there was hell, this was it. 

"I bet you still want to see your parents around, don't you? Unless you want them tight up to a chair, squirming in pain as every vein in their body splits, and their heart stops from the ability of the lethal injection. Because that's what prisoners with that kind of offense get. The death penalty, Magnolia." He said my name like he was educating me on a natural topic that didn't include a dead body and framing.  

"My parents didn't kill your dad. You did." I snapped, tears finally letting free. 

"That will be sad because no one will believe that nonsense." He reckoned with a lopsided grin that made me want to hit his charming face. "I am kindly offering you a way out here." He implied with a shrug. "Take it for your own good. And I will protect you." 

I hate him. God! I hate him. 

"I don't need your protection." I pushed him and headed to my wardrobe to change.

When they said money could buy happiness, I didn't know where to buy mine. So I condemned that phrase.