HIS SECRETARY

63

Z A C H A R Y

I was fixing my shirt inside my room when Luke suddenly called. I answered it and put it on loudspeaker.

"Up for golfing?" he asked and I rolled my eyes.

"Work." I mumbled and finished fixing the collar of the shirt I was wearing.

"Come on! It's Friday. Why don't you come and chill with me?" he asked again and I sighed in defeat.

I'm feeling so worn out right now. Does he really have to be this annoying?

"I'll go but it's a no for golfing." I ordered and Luke quickly agreed.

"See you at my bar, then." he said and ended the call. I put my phone inside my pocket and got my coat.

I walked out of the house and Andrei was waiting for me by the car. I gestured him that he doesn't need to open the door for me.

"I'm not going to work." I said and opened the car door myself.

"You're driving the car, Sir?" he asked and I nodded.

"You can go home already. I'll be on my way." I said and entered the car. After putting on the seatbelt, I started the car engine before zooming out of my residence.

I turned left and the traffic welcomed me. It's another two to three hours of waiting again. I sighed and bit my lip.

With this eerie atmosphere and lengthy time, I can't help but remember what I just acquired on the night of the gala. I still can't accept the fact that I was deceived. I felt like I was cheated on for thousand of times.

My mind tells me to reconsider and understand Kendra's situation but with the bad stability of my emotions, I don't think I can accept anything from what she said yet. I know I would be able to accept it but not now.

I don't want to rush things because it seems insincere that way. I want to absorb the revelations slowly. Slow in the way that I know that I won't regret it in the end. I refuse to become an idiot again by quickly believing things.

Stupidity is the last thing I'd like to practice.

"Are you near?" Luke asked while I was driving so I pulled over to the side.

"Yeah, just a few blocks. Itchy for alcohol, aren't you?" I asked and Luke just chuckled.

"I'm already drinking, dude. Drive faster. It feels lonely to drink alone."

"Okay, I'll be there." I said and turned my phone off before resuming.

I pulled over to the parking lot in front of Luke's bar. I went inside and went to the rooftop bar where Luke usually hangs out during the daylight.

"You shouldn't normalize drinking. It's bad for the health." I said after I sat down in front of him.

"Whatever. Drink up, dude." he said and gave me an iced tea. I shook my head in disapproval. He's totally a drunkard now.

"Why did you invite me here? I'm sure you have tons of things you have to do than drinking."

"It's just that everything's a mess right now." he said and chugged down another glass of beer.

"Why? Did you two fight again? I thought it was okay now?" I asked pertaining to Cass and him.

They were like cats and dogs. They always fight but they end up choosing to stay with each other rather than breaking up. It's a cycle we're all tired of. It's amazing how Luke can tolerate such toxic relationship.

No matter how much I want him to end it once and for all, Luke just won't listen. I chose to shut my mouth about this issue ever since because it's Luke's life. It's his and he's the one incharge of making decisions.

"Right, did you heard about Kendra?" he asked and I sighed. Her again. Why did he had to bring her up here?

"Do you already know about her secret too? I guess it made you flabbergasted." I said and Luke stared at me in a confused way.

"What secret?" he asked and I took a sip from my iced tea before dropping the bomb.

"Apparently, Kendra is Violet. She disguised herself as Violet to hide from her family. Fucked up isn't it?" I said and drank another sip from the iced tea.

"What the hell? So you're telling me I had a crush on Kendra? That's... astounding." he mumbled and looked so shocked. He was speechless.

"Astounding? It's complicated." I corrected and he brushed his hair up before pushing away the glass of beer.

"When did you found out?" he asked with his amused face.

I licked my lip first and brushed my hair. It's a torture to think about it again.

"At the night of the gala. She talked to me and confessed about it."

"At the gala? When did she talked to you? I didn't saw you with her." Luke pointed out and I had no choice but to tell him what happened that night.

From the moment we entered the rooftop until I went to my hotel room, I told him everything. I did not left any information out and honestly told him what happened. At first, Luke wasn't speaking.

He was only looking at a spot and his mouth was hanging open. He's still in a state of shock with what he heard. "Any reactions? Violent ones will be accepted." I joked and I looked at me as if he had a eureka moment.

"That must be the reason!" he exclaimed and looked at me as if he was the smartest guy on earth. No offense on that one.

"Reason for what?" I asked and he pulled the beer again. He brought it to his lips but stopped nidway to speak.

"Kendra is also the reason why I'm drinking beer in the daylight. She's my childhood friend of course so I got super affected. Did you know she was rushed to the emergency room for a surgery on the night of the gala?" he said and I was stunned.

She what?

"Rushed to the emergency room? What do you mean by that?" I asked curious about what he has to say.

"Courtney said Kendra ran like crazy during midnight and got hit by an incoming car. We couldn't talk to Courtney for a day because she was still traumatized with how she witnessed Kendra being hit. It was so fucked up."

She ran during midnight and got hit by a car? Did she ran like crazy because of what I said? Did she accidentally got herself hurt because of my words? What the hell?

"I'm not going to accuse you with what happened to Kendra. Besides, I wasn't there when you two talked. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt since you're my friend." Luke said and finished one jug of beer.

While Luke was fine with it, I found myself rather guilty. No matter what anyone says, it's clear that the reason why Kendra was mindlessly running is because of me. It was me who told her those words. And it was me who made her do that action.

I can't think straight right now. It's killing me inside.