Back to Her Home (Book-2)

Anger

Clayris was driving to Eric’s favourite spot, her mobile made a noise; indicating that she has received a message. She looked at her phone, Bianca has sent her the location. It was not any place near his favourite place. She did not know why Eric was there. She entered the location in the GPS and drove off in the direction dictated to her.

Eric was sitting on a swing; his big muscular figure did not went fit well with the swing. The scene of a six feet tall man sitting on a kid’s swing was laughable but there was no one to laugh it off. This was a school day so, there was no kid at the playground. He had ditched his bodyguard to have some alone time. He has been taking more and more projects to keep himself busy but he does not seem to forget Bai (JiaLi’s maid). He never expressed that he liked her because he was not Disung and he needed to go back. He never knew how much he liked her until he came back. Sighing he combed his black hair back; he does not know how to make himself calm down. He did not hear a car stopping near the park.

Clayris got out of the car and looked at Eric who was deep in some thoughts. She did not noticed how passer-by looked at her and her car in fascination. She messaged his father, that she has found him, clicking his picture from afar she sent the message adding that she will bring him home after some talk. Without waiting for the reply, she walked up to him, and without any word she sat down at the next swing finally taking Eric out from his deep thoughts.

He looked at her, she looking in front of her not saying anything. They sat there for minutes without saying anything, engulfing in comfortable silence. This is what he likes about her, she never interrupts him and is willing to wait till he is willing to talk. Sighing he finally spoke up.

“How did you find me?”; Clayris looked at her with a raised eyebrow, making him shake his head of course she will be able to find him she is a Darwin. “Forget that I asked”, she nodded.

“What are you doing here?”, finally she asked him.

Eric shrugged, “I wanted someplace quiet. I was passing by and this playground seemed silent enough.”

Clayris nodded, “Why did you switched off your mobile”

Eric looked in front without answering while Clayris started to swing lightly. She was liking this, maybe when she gets home, she will swing again. She did not know she liked swinging this much.

“I wanted no disturbance”, Clayris stopped swinging altogether, she looked at him as if he was the most idiotic person she has seen on the earth.

“Do you know your father had to call me to find you because he was so worried that something might have happened to you?”, Eric remained silent, his grip on the swing chain tightened. Clayris was not stopping there she continued.

“Do you know how helpless your father sounded? Do you know what how afraid your mother would be?”, Eric looked at the ground not saying anything. He knows he is at wrong but he is not able to comprehend anything properly.

Clayris looked at him, sighing she got up gripped his wrist making him look at her. “Get up we are going to eat. And you don’t get to say no; you have done enough for today”; Eric did not argue, he got up and was about to go inside his own car but was stopped by Clayris.

“No, you are coming with me in my car. I have called people they will take care of it”; Eric nodded silently as a scolded puppy and sat inside her car. Clayris drove to his favourite junk food joint and got him his favourite order, cheesy fries, double beef patty burger with cheese and a large strawberry frosty while she just ordered cheesy fries and a small coke.

They both sat inside the car and started eating, for sometime only eating and slurping noises could be heard. They were in comfortable environment not caring about anything and enjoying the food. Eric was finally calmed down a little seems like he needed some junk food to make him happy. He sure relaxed a little but time to time his mind went to a scenario of Bai being here with him and trying these things out. She would have been so shocked for sure, he smiled thinking about that making Clayris look at him with questioning eyes. Something is going on, did someone tried to bully Eric; Clayris shook her head that cannot be right, everyone knows that Eric Watkins is her friend and nobody dare bully her friend.

“I never ask questions until you are ready to tell but this time I need to”; Eric who just took a bite of his large burger had his mouth full. He kept his burger down and started to chew fast, he looked like a squirrel if you ignore his bulging muscles; still he looked cute enough. She patiently waited for Eric to finish his bite. After he was done, she continued.

“Tell me what is bothering you?”, Eric looked down at his burger, but not for eating it no; he was trying not to look at Clayris.

“Since we came back home, you have not talked to me; not contacted me at all. I too did not because you said you had too much work piled up. I did not want to disturb you but clearly this is not what is happening. If you have so much time to waste in a playground, I am sure there is not that much work piled up for you”; Clayris said in sarcasm. Eric did not lie he did have work piled up but not that much that he could not spare his time for his best friend.

“I miss Bai”; Clayris eyes widened.

“Bai as in JiaLi’s lady in waiting”; Clayris was about to say maid but she knew he would not like that so she refined her words for him. Seeing Eric nod, she got confused. Why would he miss Bai, they were clearly not so close?  She never saw him chasing her, sure he treated her kindly but he treats everyone kindly. She was sure that Bai has started liking him because of his gentleman attitude but she never got any indication of him liking her.

“You did not show much interest in her”; Clayris commented to which Eric nodded.

“I did not because I was not Disung. I knew I had to go back someday and I did not want to give her false hope. What would have happened if I would have gone forward, would Disung have treated her like treated I treated her once I went away?”, Eric questioned, the answer was clear ‘no’. In those times slaves and servants were not treated with respect at all. They were just workers or if maids caught attention then they would either become ‘s*x-slave’ or ‘concubine’ at most.

“I could have brought her back here with us”; Clayris suggested, Eric shook his head.

“What if something has happened to her? Time is not something one should play with; did we not learn that. What if she was harmed in some way.”; Clayris nodded, what he said is true but she could have found a way to keep her here. She looked Eric in new light, he never expressed himself because he was afraid that Bai would get hurt in the end because of him. Maybe that is love, doing everything just to keep your loved ones safe even if that hurts you.

Just as she thought about this, she did not know why Yatsen crossed her mind. They sat in silence for some time, both continued eating. She looked at Eric who either looked at his food which was now almost finished or outside. She did not know what he was going through, she was too occupied with her own emotions that she just discovered lately.

“I did not know”, Clayris said in silence seeing Eric finish his last bite. He chuckled shaking his head, he looked at her in her eyes.

“You never know Clayris, you never try to know. You never thought that what would be going on with me, your friend who always comes to visit you but suddenly stopped. You think that everything revolves around you because you are a GENIUS!!! But guess what it does not. No one other than your Brothers would give a s**t if you disappeared again!!!”

Clayris stayed silent listening to everything he has to say. She still had her poker face; nobody could tell what was going on in her mind as Eric continued.

“DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU DON’T HAVE A FRIEND?”; Clayris noticed how he even excluded himself as her friend.

“BECAUSE YOU ARE SO EGOISTIC. YOU THINK YOU HAVE BRAINS AND LOOKS; YOU HAVE EVERYTHING. NO, YOU DON’T, YOU DON’T HAVE ANYONE OTHER THAN YOUR BROTHERS WHO LOVE YOU!! YOU ARE JUST AN EMOTIONLESS FREAK!!”; he was frustrated, he did not like how everything goes smooth in her life and how she can deal with emotions. He hates how she does not feel emotions or if she does, she never lets them control her.

Eric panted; he became so hyper while shouted that he was now tired. His throat was paining, because he shouted at top of his voice. Without any other word she kept her now finished food back in the bag it came in and started her car. They left the parking lot, Eric looked in front and then some time at Clayris, who still had poker face as if whatever he said did not affect her at all and that pissed him so much.

He wanted to ask where they are going but did not have the guts to and neither did, she inform him. Clayris was looking in front, as silence was kept between them, Eric started becoming angrier. He looked at her in anger, what he said was true. She is just an emotionless freak, she never valued him at all. She just thought of him as a lackey who clinked to her and she got entertainment out of his antics.

He was about to say something but the car came to stop, he looked outside it was his home. She did not say anything, it was self-explanatory that this is his spot to get out. He looked at his car which was now parked outside his house seems like Clayris does have many lackeys to follow her around. He chuckled sarcastically, opening the door he got out. He shut the door and was about to go away when Clayris pulled the window down.

“When you die do you think anyone other than your family, my brothers and me will care”; Eric eyes widened, he could not form word as she drove off. He heard how she included herself and her brothers, saying they care about him. He gulped, he stood still not hearing when the front door of his house opened up and within seconds he was engulfed in hug of his parents.

His dad looked around, “Did Clayris left? You i***t son, you should have invited her inside.”

His mom broke the hug and nodded, “Yes, you have made such a great friend. She promised she will find you and bring you back home safe and sound and she did it.”, Eric’s eyes wavered as tears started forming in his eyes. He looked down his hair shadowing his face.

“I’m sorry to worry you guys, I won’t do it again”; His dad nodded patting his back in assurance. He walked inside without any word. Coming inside his room he sat down on his bed as his eyes went on a photo frame. It was his and Clayris pic, they were in a carnival and they both were wearing a hat that said, “Best friends forever”. Clayris scowl was clear on her face, he remembers that she did not want to wear that let alone take a picture wearing the hat. He chuckled remembering how she gave in when he gave her puppy eyes.

He remembers how she helped him when he was about to be sexually harassed by one of renowned fashion photographer. He was newbie, she was in the same building for some photo shoot when she saw him. She destroyed that fashion photographer completely and also gave him an opportunity to photo shoot together with her and that was the boost of his career and also of their friendship. She never helped him get through the back door but she helped him polish his talent and now his talent is renowned all over the country.

He laid down with his arm on his eyes as tears freely flowed down, he said so much in anger. He can never take those hateful words back. He took every anxiety he was feeling, the anger he had because he is such a loser and took it out on her. She never said anything and listened just listened. She cannot have a worst friend than him. He knows this is not the right time to apologise, how can he? He still has uncontrolled anger; he needs to figure himself out before he goes and asks for forgiveness. He needs to control himself otherwise he will lose his friendship that he cherishes very much but just proved otherwise today.

“What have I done?”, He whispered, tears did not stop, he knows that the words he spoke would have hurt her so much more than any physical wound. But what if she just wants to end their friendship, he will lose her too. He will not stop her if she wants to do that because if it were him, he would have deserted himself right at the moment he shouted yet Clayris was kind enough to drop him home.

Will he lose his best friend because of his stupidity? He does not want to but chances are high.