Chapter Two: Cut and Chase

KNOCK..knock..knock!!

Endless loud knocks you waked up Cendre from his dream.

Ken came in rushing to his room telling him that they need to go back in Oslo immediately because of some problem their men encountered with their drug deal. Irritated and frustrated, he cupped his face with his palm. It could have been a very peaceful vacation without any problems. The odds are always in his way whenever he wants to be at peace.

The vacation ended so fast because of one mistake. The two arrived at past one in the afternoon. Cendre strictly ordered Ken to not disturb him and that he must not accept any calls from them till he wakes up. He is tired from a long journey and now it will be another round of stress because of the idiotic people in the underworld who doesn’t know how handle properly.

In the evening, Cendre prepared his meal and checked his phone if the girl named Sadako messaged him. He wants to talk to her first before bursting out from anger because of idiotic people in the underworld.

“Hey! How are you?” After sending the message he started to eat dinner and take a bath.

“Hi. I see that you are an art collector. Do you have many paintings? Who painted the one on your profile picture and what is your name to address you properly.” She answered.

Sitting on the couch drinking some blueberry juice, he looks at his phone smiling. “Cendre is my name. You? What is your name and from where are you? Why are you here?”

“Nice to meet you Cendre, I am Aira. I am from the Philippines. Just passing by trying to find someone to talk to for the mean time.”

“I wonder why you said that most guys are here for sex? Have you encountered someone like that here? Talk for the mean time? What do you mean?”

“Yes I have encountered many people here who wants that thing, some of them are fake too. I mean l, you know..a poser something like that. Where are you from?”

“Norway is my country and I grew up in Oslo. You are so far. You are lucky because I am not like them.”

The two kept on talking for hours. They ask many things about themselves. Talking to her makes him feel so calm and safe. It feels like she's an angel. He doesn’t want to stop having conversation with her. The time they spent talking, a strange feeling starts to grow in his heart that he never felt before.

“I like you.” Short but meaningful message to her. He is getting nervous while waiting. This is new to him because that feeling he never had it before with any girl he dated.

“How can you like me? You don’t even know me and you and we just talked lately.”

“I know my feelings are real. I like you. You are different. This is genuine.”

“Prove it then. Call me on my number. Here it is +639065436587. If you are real, call me.

Cendre called him and said hi. She ended the call after answering him with hello. “Do you believe me now?”

“No! Send me a picture now and let me see if its really you in the profile.”

He took a picture and send it. He’s smiling while doing it. This is something new and again this girl never fail to amaze him with the kind of challenge she’s gives.

“This is not enough. I'm so sorry, I am just taking precaution before I trust anybody so you have to earn my trust to believe you. Video call me now.”

Grinning from ear to ear, he walks out from his apartment and called her. It excites him inside when she smiled while looking at him. The call was short yet heart-stopping.

“So what can you say? Do you believe me?”

“Yes, I believe you now but still I cannot accept your feelings. It's hard to reciprocate your feelings when we just meet. Believe me you will never like someone like me in your life.”

Aira told Cendre everything about her, from being a rape victim and sexually harassed by a hacker. She decided to tell about to make him realize that she’s not the type of girl that he would want to love.

“Now you see what kind of woman I am, tell me how to love you back if i myself can’t give you your needs like that of sex and lastly, I like someone else so it is impossible for me to like you. You are a nice guy and you will find someone better than me. Friendship is the only thing you can have.”

“You are just saying that to drive me away. What I have for you is real and you will see that your flaws are the things that make you beautiful in my eye if you give me a chance. I won’t give up. I’ll find you and prove that I am serious.”

“Then prove it. I will give you a chance but look, I cannot promise to love you because I am still mending a broken heart. I don’t like rebounds. Ilocos Sur, Philippines. That’s your clue. I give you one month to find me. If you fail you have no choice but to accept my friendship.”

Cendre felt his blood rising to his heart upon reading her reply. Nobody dared to dump him like that and nobody challenged him the way she did. Staring blankly from shock, he remembered what he said in Antalya that whoever dumps him, he will make him his and give her the love she ever dreams of. “I will make you mine and I will never let you go.” He muttered as he put down his phone. After a while he called his men and ask what was their problem. He tried hard to be calm and keep the good mood up.

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