RENT A HEART

EVE's POV

I breathed a sigh of relief as I left the stuffy reception hall and headed to my favorite sanctuary: the garden behind our house.

Just as I paused to inhale the sweet aroma of the flowers, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned, hoping to see Chris following after me, but to my disappointment, it was Frederick.

"You look disappointed to see me," he joked, a playful glint in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I thought it was someone else."

"Someone like Chris?" he asked, then bent down to gather a handful of white tulips from the garden.

"Do you two normally fight like you did today?" he continued, handing me the flowers he'd picked.

"You saw?" I asked, surprised.

"I think pretty much everyone did," he said, prompting a deep sigh from me.

"What do you even like about him?" he asked, the bluntness of the question catching me off guard.

"I'm sorry for asking such personal questions, it's none of my business. Let's talk about us, instead. Do you remember when we used to run around this backyard and garden?" He chuckled, gesturing around us.

"Who could forget that?" I laughed, a genuine smile tugging at my lips.

"And then we lost our way inside the big maze, while everyone looked for us for a whole day," he said, pointing towards the towering maze a few meters away.

"I remember crying so much because I thought the bogeyman was going to get us," I cackled, the memory vivid and absurd.

"Remember what I said that night?" Frederick asked, gently taking one of my hands in his.

"You said you would protect me with your life," I recalled, the words clear as day.

"And that still holds true, even today," he said, his voice soft but firm.

"I've liked you since we were little, and even through high school, I've loved you more than you know." His confession hung in the air, delivered with unexpected calm.

But I was far from calm. My head was spinning, my emotions a chaotic jumble. Why now? Why didn't you say anything back in high school? I thought inwardly.

"I thought you were so cool when we were little, and I just didn't have the confidence to confess to you," Frederick continued, his voice earnest. "And then, I didn't know how you felt about me, so to not ruin our friendship, I decided not to reveal my feelings. When I was finally told that you felt the same way about me, I was over the moon and tried to confess, but you'd already left the country."

I remembered begging my mom to relocate me to another country and enroll me in fashion school after junior high. I couldn't bear seeing him messing around with different girls at school; he was the ultimate playboy.

"Can you say something, please?" he pleaded, holding both my hands tightly.

In truth, I was momentarily speechless, unable to believe what I was hearing.

"Am I already too late?" he asked, and to be honest, I couldn't answer him. Chris was already in the picture, and I was certain I had already started falling for him.

I took a deep breath and just stared at Frederick, unable to form a coherent response.

"What a great actor," I heard Chris's voice from behind, accompanied by the sarcastic sound of clapping hands.

"What are you doing here?" Frederick asked, visibly annoyed to see him.

"I should be the one asking you why you're shamelessly confessing your feelings to my girlfriend," Chris said, strolling closer to us, his jaw tight. I could see he was livid.

"Eve has been in the country for the past five years building her fashion empire. Why didn't you approach her then? Or when she was away, couldn't you have used the abundant resources at your disposal to find her and confess your so-called feelings?" Chris fired at him.

"Because I made a mistake," Frederick spat out angrily.

"But make no mistake, whatever she feels for you will always pale in comparison to what we share. You will always be an afterthought."

I could feel the tension escalating as both men moved closer to each other, their bodies coiled like springs.

"Chris, Frederick, that's enough!" I interjected, stepping between them to prevent a full-blown fistfight.

I saw the look of sadness and disappointment etched on Chris's face as he looked at me, a silent accusation in his eyes before he turned and walked away.

"Chris, wait!" I called after him, but he ignored me, rightfully so.

"Let him go," Frederick said, reaching for my hand, but I pulled away and went after Chris.

I ran after him, needing to apologize for everything Frederick had said. Slowing to a walk as I neared the reception hall, I tried to compose myself, not wanting to draw unwanted attention. I scanned the room as soon as I spotted him; he was talking and laughing with my mom.

I heaved a sigh of relief, grateful that no one seemed to suspect anything had happened.

"Oh, there you are, Eve. Chris has been looking everywhere for you," my mom said, beaming. I think she's really taken a liking to Chris, who wouldn't when he's such a perfect gentleman?

"Oh, I went to the restroom," I lied, forcing a smile.

"We'll be leaving now, Mum," I said, hoping to escape this awkwardness, but she frowned. "Nonsense, the wedding hasn't ended yet."

"Mum, we have another appointment, we can't stay," I tried to reason with her.

"Under one condition will I allow you two to leave," my mom stated, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Bring Chris over for family dinner tomorrow evening."

"Mum, you need to--" I was still protesting when Chris interjected, "It would be an honor, Ma'am," he said, smiling warmly at her.

"Good, then you two can go on then," my mom finally agreed, satisfied.

I kissed my family goodbye before leaving with Chris, hand in hand.

He held my hand until we reached the car, opened the door and let me in, before turning around to the driver's seat and driving off without saying a word to me.

I tried to initiate a conversation, but he completely ignored me, never looking at me even once. I felt so uneasy; this was the first time I'd seen him so angry. The silence in the car was deafening, and I felt miserable.

He stopped right in front of my house and still didn't say anything to me.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow by 4 pm," was the only thing he said to me before I got out of the car and he drove off.

--------

"Stephanie?" I called out as soon as I saw her lounging on my sofa, glued to the TV.

"Come sit! Tell me everything that happened. What did your family think of Chris?" she asked enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Oh, they liked him, especially my mum. She danced with him and made sure he was okay throughout the event, same as my brothers," I said, forcing a cheerfulness that didn't quite reach my voice.

"Okay, that's good, but why do you sound so deflated and sad? Did something happen? Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, her brow furrowing with concern.

I heaved a deep sigh before starting to narrate everything that had happened with Chris, starting from the dance floor to the fight between him and Frederick.

"Well, I have to side with Chris on this one. Frederick sounds like someone who doesn't want something himself but still doesn't want someone else to have it. Why didn't he say something all this time?" Stephanie queried, shaking her head in exasperation.

"I've never seen him this angry before," I said sadly, my voice barely a whisper.

"Well, I don't think he's angry at you. I think he's mad that you entertained the conversation and allowed Frederick to walk all over your boyfriend, fake or not. And finally, I think he's angry because he likes you a lot," Stephanie reasoned, her gaze steady and knowing.

"I don't think he likes me, Stephanie. He's just acting his role," I countered, a flicker of hope quickly extinguished by practicality.

"No, from what I saw at the club, it wasn't just acting. He definitely likes you. I think he's just frustrated that you're still hung up on your childhood crush," she said, her words hitting a painful truth.

If what Stephanie was saying was the case, then Frederick was wrong.

"I would have considered Frederick's confession today if Chris wasn't in the picture, but I just can't now, because I might be in love with him," I admitted to Stephanie, who wasn't shocked one bit.

"I'm glad you're finally owning up to your feelings. Well, you have to tell him this yourself, whenever you can," she advised, a gentle smile gracing her lips.

I felt a weight lift from my chest as I finally recognized and accepted what I felt for Chris. I liked him a lot and would tell him eventually, before the end of the contract.