Sanford: The Billionaire's Regret

Chapter Two - Smudge

Amethyst Martinez

“Nash!” Alyssa excitedly called while waving her hands, which forced me to look at her in disbelief. My eyebrows arched up.

‘What?’ She mouthed while giggling because I was glaring at her. Aly has not told me anything about that guy!

I shook my head and asked her to approach me using my hand gestures so we could speak to these people.

She did approach me, but her eyes were already looking towards someone who was not me. For goodness sake, just who is this woman beside me?

“Thank you again for letting me stay at your place last night, I still feel bad,” Alyssa said, her voice suddenly soft and sweet, almost unrecognizable.

I felt like the ground might as well open up and swallow me whole. Where was this new persona coming from? My disbelief must have been written all over my face.

“No, please, having you there was worthwhile,” he smiled as he said, but he also started to look a bit conscious, probably because I was glaring at him.

“Hm, this must be Amethyst, right?” Nash said, turning to me with a smile so genuine it revealed dimples that could make anyone swoon. He then glanced meaningfully at the tall one in the middle of the group.

Now that I was standing this close to these three men, I couldn’t help but be struck by their looks. The man in the middle looked extremely familiar, but maybe I was overthinking stuff since I had seen so many faces already.

“I’m Nash Audine and the other one on the left is Brix Anderson, and—”

I couldn’t manage to keep up with what he was saying because I was lost in my thoughts. They were undeniably handsome, and I found myself wondering just how large their fan club might be. It had to be huge, right?

“Amy?” A voice broke through my thoughts, calling my name.

“Wait, I’m just thinking about how big their fan club is. I might need to avoid them,” I replied, my hand massaging my chin thoughtfully.

A chorus of laughter erupted around me, pulling me back to the present. I squinted at them, confused. “What’s so funny?”

Alyssa shook her head, a fond smile on her lips as she reached out to pinch my cheeks gently. “I told you she’s one of a kind. But don’t you dare piss her off, she’s scarier than my mom.”

The laughter continued, and I couldn’t bring myself to join. I just don’t get what was funny, they all must have lost their senses.

Now, I’m more worried about Alyssa. I am wondering if I was truly taking good care of her as her best friend, she managed to meet these kinds of people without me knowing.

Aly then nudged my sides, “Ouch, what was that for?” I whispered angrily.

“Nash introduced themselves to you!” Aly pouted. I wanted to roll my eyes, she wanted me to be polite. Fine.

“Nice to meet you…Nash and Brix,” I said since those were the names I managed to hear, “I’m Amethyst Martinez.”

After they nodded with smiles, the man in the middle suddenly stepped forward. Oh, I didn’t hear his name.

He then extended his hand toward me with a calm, almost commanding presence. “Tyron Yilmaz Sanford,” he said, his voice steady and smooth.

I looked at his hand but didn't take it. Instead, I replied, “I wasn't asking, but nice to meet you too though.”

For a moment, a flicker of amusement danced in his eyes, and he smiled as if he found my response entertaining before putting down his hands.

Nash, who had been standing off to the side, suddenly let out a chuckle. The sound was deep and genuine, and he almost doubled over with laughter.

But he quickly regained his composure when he noticed the way I raised my eyebrows at him, silently questioning what was so funny. What on earth did Aly see in this man?

I got distracted when Tyron leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a murmur that was just loud enough for me to hear.

“Smudge lips…elevator, fourteenth floor,” he said, his tone laced with a mixture of mischief and something else I couldn’t quite place.

I blinked, completely bewildered by his words. My mind raced, trying to piece together the meaning behind his cryptic statement.

Smudge lips? Elevator on the fourteenth floor? None of it made any sense. My thoughts spiraled, leaving me even more confused and unsettled than before.

And then it hit me—like a lightning bolt out of nowhere, the realization struck. “Penthouse?!” I blurted out, pointing an accusatory finger at him as everything clicked into place.

No wonder he looked familiar! There was only one man inside the elevator when I returned home last night, and now it all made sense. He pointed out that my lipstick was smudged before the doors closed!

Ugh, that was so embarrassing but I didn’t care, I was so focused on the smile he flashed to me, he was too handsome. Maybe I was drunk?

Tyron’s grin widened, and there was something almost mocking about it. He knew exactly what he was doing, and it was clear he was enjoying every moment of my realization. His expression was one of satisfaction as if he had been waiting for this exact reaction from me.

“You two have already met?” Aly looked confused. She had this look on her face as if she was trying to get something out of me. She can’t demand me like that! She was the one who hadn't told me about this Nash guy yet!

“Not really,” I paused, “We didn’t talk but…we were on the same elevator…I guess?” I bit my lower lip.

What happened next surprised me when he took my hands to shake them, “Nice to finally meet you then, smudge lips.”

My cheeks turned red after hearing the name he made for me the second time. I was making out—err, f*****g with someone before I left the party.

Lara dropped me off last night, didn’t she notice it?

“Guys, I’m here!” Speaking of which. I turned to Lara, she was running towards us, and excitement filled her eyes.

“Tyron! You’re here,” Lara called out with a bright smile, her eyes lighting up as she spotted him among the crowd.

The excitement in her voice was impossible to miss, but Tyron responded with just a nod, his expression calm, almost indifferent.

Lara, unfazed by his lack of enthusiasm, glanced around at the group gathered and grinned widely. “Woah, the whole gang’s here! What’s going on?”

“Gang?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow at her in disbelief. “So you know these three guys too?”

My curiosity was piqued as I looked between her and the three men standing nearby, their presence commanding attention.

Lara chuckled softly, turning to face me with a playful glint in her eyes. “Yeah, they’re like the ‘three kings’ of this campus. Emphasize the king,”

“Their fan club would probably lose their minds if you didn’t know who they were. They say these guys are the most handsome creatures in the university,” she added.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at her comment. “Lol, they can kiss my ass,” I muttered under my breath, not caring who heard me.

To my surprise, Tyron, let out a soft chuckle, a sound that caught the attention of everyone around us.

“What?” I asked, my gaze narrowing in on him as his expression shifted suddenly. He was glaring at his friends, his eyes darkening as if silently warning them to behave. What the heck was that?

“So, you’re telling me that you also know that Nash and Aly here are a thing?” I continued, raising my voice slightly as I pointed at the pair, causing them both to flinch visibly.

“They are?!” Lara gasped, her eyes widening as she looked back and forth between the two, clearly shocked by the revelation.

“We’re not a thing yet!” they both stammered in unison, their voices overlapping in a frantic attempt to deny it, but the way they avoided eye contact spoke volumes.

I crossed my arms over my chest, my gaze fixed on them with a knowing look. “Really now? You better not make her cry, Nash-guy, or I swear I’ll kick your ass. I’m not kidding.” I clenched my fists, holding them up as if ready to make good on my threat.

Nash, unable to keep a straight face, chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. “Yes ma’am, we would never dream of upsetting you,”

“Good, just what I wanted to hear,” I smirked, satisfied with his response. “It seems like you’ve been taught well.”

I threw a glance at Aly, who was pouting at me, her lips forming a perfect little frown. I am sure she will complain later.

As everyone around us got caught up in their conversations, I seized the moment to pull Lara aside, leaning in close so no one else could hear.

“Hey, didn’t you notice my lipstick was smudged last night?” I asked, wondering why she didn’t tell me.

Lara squinted at me, her brow furrowing in concentration. “Hm, I did, but your lipstick always smudges when we’re at a party.”

“You could’ve told me, girl,” I whispered back, shaking my head in mock disappointment. “I embarrassed myself.”

Lara chuckled, her expression softening with guilt. “Sorry! I was probably too drunk to even notice properly.”

I sighed, but the smile tugging at my lips betrayed my true feelings. “Fine, you’re forgiven. Anyway, I’m glad you got home safe last night,” I added, the warmth in my voice conveying just how much I cared.

The bell rang, and it almost irritated me because the first subject was something I truly hated. Customer Service. Our professor even got me a tutor for it.

“Bye, guys we’ll see you around!” Aly bid them goodbye together with Lara, but I walked out first to go to the classroom, thinking whoever would be my tutor for that subject.

As I walked through the crowded hallway, Lara caught up with me, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. “Oh right, you can’t have lunch with us, right? Your tutor is only available during lunch,”

I groaned, rolling my eyes dramatically. “Yep, that’s my luck. I just wish it wasn’t some kind of boring nerd that would put me to sleep,”

Aly furrowed her brow in confusion. “It’s strange though...how are you supposed to eat lunch then?”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m on a fruit diet anyway, so I guess it works out. I’ll just nibble on an apple or something while I listen. No big deal,”

Lara suddenly giggled, her mischievous smile spreading across her face. “You could always seduce the guy so he won’t teach you. That’d be more fun,” she teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes again, this time with a laugh. “Yeah, right. Unfortunately, I need to do well in this subject. No messing around this time,”

As tempting as Lara’s suggestion sounded, I wasn’t about to risk failing this class. I need to keep my scholarship no matter what.

The bell rang, and with a sigh, we headed off to class. Hours dragged by, and as soon as the last class ended, I gathered my things and made my way to the reserved classroom for my tutorial session.

My stomach churned slightly with nerves—I wasn’t exactly thrilled about spending my lunch break with a tutor.

Pushing the door open, I entered the room, the familiar scent of books and whiteboard pens scent filling the air. And then... my heart nearly stopped.

There, sitting casually at the desk, closing the book he’d been reading, was Tyron. His sharp eyes locked onto mine, “Oh? Smudge lips,” he said, clearly amused by the sight of me.

I froze, my bag slipping from my shoulder as the books I was holding tumbled to the floor with a soft thud. No. Freaking. Way.

To be continued…