LOGINALEXA“Hey, honey, are you okay?” A voice asked me.I was sitting on a bench at a park. I could see a little child playing without a care in the world a few feet from me. The child wasn’t being supervised and I didn’t know whose child he or she was; I couldn’t even tell the gender.I turned to the voice and realized that it was my dad.My eyes lit up instantly.“Dad!” I called out, but I didn’t stand to my feet to hug him or do anything.But I was very happy to see him, and he could tell from the look in my eyes.“I have missed you so much, dad,” I added, my voice instantly thickening with emotions.“Can I sit beside you?” He asked me.“Yes, yes, sure,” I responded without hesitation.He sat down, but I noticed that he kept some distance between us. However, I didn’t bother him about it or ask him to come closer to me. It was just the both of us at the park now...oh, the child playing too.My dad and I stared at the child for a couple of minutes in silence.Everything was peaceful and
MARKSuddenly, Noelle became the only one with a working brain, and Vector and I didn’t have a choice but to listen to her.“What way is that?” Vector and I asked at the same time.“We should speak with Mona’s ex-husband,” Noelle stated firmly and confidently.And it just felt as though all the confidence I had in her died instantly. What did she mean by that?I stared at Vector, and it was the same time that he also stared at me. Vector didn’t also understand what Noelle was getting at. Apparently, we both expected more from Noelle, but her statement just seemed to make us disappointed.“Aren’t you going to ask why?” Noelle asked, staring at Vector and me.This was the first time that she was even looking at Vector since she walked into his living room some minutes ago.“Why?” I asked.“First of all, we will get to know if the Toronto tradition is true or Mona and her parents just made it up, and secondly, maybe we could find something to hold against her,” Noelle explained.The firs
MARKI thought that Noelle was going to change her mind when she heard that it was Vector’s apartment, but she didn’t, and so after the call, Vector and I sat in his living room and waited for Noelle.“You are lucky, Mark,” Vector told me.“How do you mean?” I asked hi,m.“Noelle actually agreed to come here just to help you; that’s something I never thought was ever going to happen,” Vector answered.Or was he merely bothered about having Noelle in his living room?As far as I knew, no man like to be intimidated in their own home, and Vector was already looking like he was dreading Noelle’s presence.“You said it yourself, Vector...she is doing this for her best friend and not me,” I corrected.“Yeah, you are right,” Vector said with a nod.And we stayed silent for a few seconds.“How did your dinner with Keisha’s parents go last evening?” I eventually asked.“I thought you would never ask, Mark,” Vector retorted.“Don’t push it and make me regret asking, Vector. Just answer the damn
MARK“Who do you have in mind?” I asked Vector because I couldn’t think of anyone I could trust.Vector already knew how sensitive and delicate this situation was, so he understood that he dared not step out of line.“Noelle,” Vector answered.I paused to think about it for a second.Noelle never came to mind, but thinking about how helpful she had been lately, it might not be a bad idea, and for Vector, who rarely got along well with Noelle to be mentioning her name, it meant that this was very serious.“Why Noelle?” I asked Vector, wanting to be sure that Vector and I were on the same page. “What has she got to do with this?” I asked further.“She is Alexa’s best friend,” Vector started.“And somehow, you think that she will take my side over Alexa’s happiness?” I asked.“You and I know that Noelle has been very helpful lately, and if you really think about it, you would realize that she is simply protecting her best friend’s happiness, and if getting married to you would give Alexa
MARKInstead of going to my company, I went to Vector’s apartment. I didn’t even bother calling him this time around because I didn’t want it to go to voicemail or to even get excuses from him.I also didn’t care whether or not he was still upset with me.When I got to his apartment, I knocked firmly and repeatedly until Vector opened the door. Thankfully, his car was packed in his garage, so I knew that he was home.“Jeez, Mark, do you want to tear down my door?” Vector asked as he opened the door.I brushed past him and walked into his living room.“If I have to, yes,” I responded tightly.“What is going on?” Vector asked me.He still looked sleepy and tired, but I really didn’t care. What was important right now was what I was dealing with, and I expected Vector to act with the same level of urgency.“Were you sleeping?” I asked Vector.“Yes, I was, Mark,” Vector answered. “It is still early in the morning,” he added.“No, it is not, and you shouldn’t still be in bed at this time,”
ALEXA“Hey, Alexa, I am stepping out,” Noelle told me, popping her head into my bedroom.It was still early, but I had already had a quick breakfast and freshened up.“Where are you off to?” I asked Noelle.She could tell the instant worry that appeared on my face. I still hadn’t forgotten that just the day before, she was abducted and Mark was running helter-skelter to get her out.I had told her Mark’s role in setting her free. I didn’t know what that would do, seeing that Noelle was already taking Mark’s side, but I just felt like she needed to know about it.“Relax, Alexa, I am fine,” Noelle told me, but I still didn’t feel good about Noelle going out on her own.“Let one of the cops go with you,” I suggested worriedly.“Nothing is going to happen to me and you need to stop worrying about me like I am a baby,” Noelle told me, but I didn’t listen to her.I got up from the chair I was sitting on.“Noelle, please,” I pleaded.But Noelle had this funny look on her face that I didn’t q
ALEXAI was still trying to wrap my head around what Donald just said when the man stretched his hand for a handshake.“Hello, Alexa Silver, it is nice to meet you,” he said.It would be impolite not to take his offer, and so I placed my hand in his and we shook respectfully. His palm was warm, and
MARK“You couldn’t convince her otherwise?” Mr. Silver asked me.“You know that Alexa can be stubborn sometimes,” I said with exasperation. “And she was right,” I added.“Right about what?” Mr. Silver asked.He was both angry and disappointed, but he knew that no matter what, he couldn’t hold the b
MARKMr. Devon left the company before my secretary. He didn’t know that I was still in the parking lot. I contemplated on trailing him the moment he left, but about five minutes later, my secretary also got into her car and drove out.They both had no idea that I was still hanging around.Usually,
MARK“Have you seen what you have caused?” Alexa accused me bitterly, and I couldn’t hold back my tongue.“No, Alexa, this is all your doing,” I told her.I had been trying really hard to get away from Alexa because seeing her and knowing that she had gone back to Donald Shell was torture to me. Wo







