What the fuck were these girls up to?

I walked briskly towards the restrooms, the carpet slouched as I passed through the passage and as I neared the restrooms, I heard loud ear piercing screams. I turned a right and halted at a horrifying scene unfolding in front of my eyes. Alana was pinned on the floor by the same man from earlier and Nina was trapped towards the wall by another man.

"Rowan!" Alana called out.

As soon as the man turned to me, she punched him in the face and kicked his groin.

That's my girl.

I caught both the men by their collar and hauled them on the floor. They'd be fucking lucky if they survived this. Chez strode over with Minnie clinging to his arms. I caught the man who'd touched my girl and punched him hard.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

The fact that they hadn't taken my threat seriously, irked me.

I seized his arm and twisted it until the cracking sound satisfied my ears, grabbed his shirt front and pounded his head on the wall. I heard a loud thud. Every single thud gave me some inner peace. Chez transferred Minnie to Nina and offered me a hand. He took hold of the other guy and pounded him down.

"Daddy, One more punch! One more punch!" Minnie cheered me on.

"You don't fucking mess with me and you don't get away with touching my girl like that." The man had lost all his strength but my fist continued to collide with his jaw, not in a mood to compromise.

"Rowan, stop."

I continued pummelling him senseless. I wasn't going to stop until I'd beat him to pulp.

"Rowan, please."

I couldn't hear her because I'd aimed killing this guy and I was taking no prisoners this time.

"ROWAN STOP! You're scaring me." I heard a strangled sob escape from Alana.

I left the guy and stared into the black orbs that were...

Terrified of me.

"Rowan, I've got this." Chez retrieved the phone out of his pocket, "my friend will take care of it."

"You friend is the godfather?" I heard Nina ask him.

There were tears glistening in Alana's eyes as she inched closer, "Are you alright, baby?"

Alana seemed bewildered, frozen in her place; she wasn't spouting insults or yelling at me which was my cue to realize she was scared, I pulled her closer, nestling her cheek to my chest. I traced her hair slowly, "what's wrong baby? Did he hurt you? Talk to me."

She sobbed, "I was so scared."

I hugged her tighter, "Come on, let's go home."

***

I led the girls outside, while Chez informed the manager about the incident. I'd just crossed the road when Chez called out to me, "Rowan, we need to have a chat."

I opened the car door to the Rover; letting Alana settle inside, "I'll be back in a second, okay? I'm right here." She nodded, wiping her soaked face. When I was sure both my girls were comfortable, I made my way back to Chez's car.

"I saw those guys walk out of the restaurant after you threatened them then how the hell did they get their hands on the girls?" Chez asked me shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"I'm guessing they entered from a back door of the restaurant, which also happened to be the access to the restroom passageway. There's no other way they could've ambushed the girls because I never watched them walk back in through the main door."

"That explains. Why didn't that cross my mind?"

Because your brain in pea sized.

"My friends are on their way, they'll know what to do with them."

I nodded, "Your fine if Alana goes back in my car?"

"Sure, why are you even asking me?" Chez smiled dubiously, "Though I would punch your teeth in if I hear her tell me she's pregnant."

NO! HE DID NOT JUST SAY THAT?

"I know what I'm doing Chez." Dang it! If this couldn't get any awkward. "You don't have to worry about all that."

A moment of silence later, I said, "Alana is your friend before she's my girlfriend. You don't have to worry about me stealing her away from you."

"I hear you, Rowan, and I appreciate it. It was either she chose TeamChez or TeamRowan, I'm fine with her supporting TeamRowan just as long as she remains the way she used to be."

I chuckled, I noticed him to be regarding me with curiously, like he was yet to uncover more of my dirty secrets, he continued, "Well, You sure passed the Chez inquisition test with flying numbers."

I grinned back, "I'm glad."

I stood there until he climbed into the charger, slammed the door, honked and drove away the fast and furious style.

Kids these days.

***

I drove all the way back in silence; Alana continued to stare out the window and did not offer a word, I didn't think it was necessary to push her. I parked at the corner of the intersection since the silent treatment was beginning to killing me from the inside, "Alana."

She had her arms crossed over her chest; she looked over at me with teary eyes, her lip quickened. I wiped the tear away from her face, "Tell me what's bothering you."

Alana began to sob, the brave woman she pretended to be, had to go into hiding for a while, "I could have been raped if you didn't make it on time." she continued to sob.

I curled my fingers in tight ball of fists; channelling whatever control power I could. I wanted to pound the wheel. I wanted to yell at someone just so I could have someone to blame my anger on, "It's not your fault." She didn't need to deal with me when she was already so darn upset.

She seemed feather light when I picked her up from the seat, only felt a little heavier when she crawled onto my lap. Definitely, not comfortable but I could deal with this for a minute. I grabbed a handful of tissues and placed it gently on her nose, "blow."

Alana's piercing yet sensuous black eyes told me she was embarrassed, but screw it! We were past the embarrassing situations. After she blew hard into the tissues, I crumbled it into a soggy ball and let it sit below the seat.

There was work for me later.

"I can't believe your treating me like I'm Minnie and helping me blow my nose. I don't think my parents even did that for me." I had done a good job of lifting up her mood and diverting her attention, she narrowed her eyes at me, "I can't help but think there's an ulterior motive."

"Well ofcourse there is." I was only teasing her, I slid my hand towards her thighs, and she closed the remaining distance between us by pushing her body into mine and kissing me aggressively. It wasn't like her become so wild or force me into playing tonsil hockey. A man obviously needs to fulfil his demands but I had always learned to control myself when it needed be, before getting lost in the ride of ecstasy, I pulled back and watched the display of frustration, she reacted like I'd pushed her into a realm of pain.

What the fuck is your problem Rowan? Why are you so hell-bent on upsetting her?

"You're not acting like yourself baby, what's wrong?"

"I don't know. I'm.." the tears continued to stream down, "Can I sleep over at your apartment tonight?"

Oh Thank God! She was starting to scare me.

"Well ofcourse you can babe, what's mine is yours. You don't even have to ask." I circled my finger around her ring finger where my promise to her sat. I cupped her face and pecked her lips, "I've decided something."

She pulled apart to whirl around and face me, "what?"

Still looking baffled, I decided to break it to her, "I'll come with you to Dr Sydney."

Alana gave me the exact same reaction I had been expecting her to, her eyes picked on the colour which she'd lost just a while ago, "Really?"

"Yeah." I nodded, "If it's going to make you happy. I'll go."

Her eyes glowed with happiness, "Thank you so much, you don't know what that means to me."

"I do."

"I love you."

"I love you too, baby."

***

Alana crawled into bed with me; I lied down next to her with my arm over her and pulled her slightly towards me. I made sure my hands did not deviate from my plan to maintain decency for tonight. She was clearly exhausted since she fell asleep the minute her head hit the cushion. I smoothed my hand over her hair in slow strokes and kissed the back of her hair.

"You're my forever." I murmured in her ears, which caused her to turn around and face me while still asleep.

There was something Alana was hiding from me, and it bothered me that she found easier to rely on Nina then me. I wanted a chance too. Granted, that I had an ability to misunderstand her most of the time but I was trying.

I twisted and turned but couldn't drift off in the dreamy world, when a sudden thought kicked in. I double checked if Alana was still sleeping and grabbed for her phone off the dresser. I wasn't really good at being sneaky.

Rowan, it's wrong. It's called illegal investigations. Don't do it!

But the curiosity got the better of me. Luckily for me, there wasn't a security code that needed to be entered. I clicked on call log and found several incoming calls from Veronica. I clicked on the inbox to find two received messages from her.

Swing by at 8. I've already spoken to Manager Blake. He doesn't mind.

Rage took over me like a coiling snake, ticking off every nerve fibre in my body. Alana was lying to me again. Not just lying but hiding about a job she's signed up for. What could be the reason behind her hidden agenda? My breathing took pace all of a sudden. My brain refused to function as the horrible doubts began creeping into my mind, one by one. I needed a drink. A drink is the only friend who solved all my problems and helped me to shut everything down along with my senses.

Stop it, Rowan! You're gonna make this worse.

I slammed the phone back on the dresser and pushed myself beneath the covers, curling into a foetal position. I had a sudden urge to pick up the half empty water glass on the dresser and heave it against the wall. My hands were itching to pound the mirror. I felt so hurt and dejected. Why was she not telling me?

Had I lost the importance in her life?

***

Nina stood at the doorstep with a small bag containing Alana's change of clothes and books, I invited her inside the house but she brushed me off by saying she was already running late for her lecture. While Alana and Minnie remained in bed, I sauntered into the kitchen and prepared French omelette for breakfast. The door to the room slammed open and Alana made her grand entry into the kitchen island, already dressed for her morning classes. She wore a gray t-shirt with a white printed slogan that said 'I-don't-give-a-shit.' The t-shirt hugged her curves perfectly matching her denim shorts. Her brown hair was tied up in a messy bun, letting loose a few tendrils. Cute as a button.

"Good morning." She smiled at me as she opened the large economics text book; her slender little fingers skimmed the pages.

"Morning." I mumbled back, turning the omelette on the other side, pouring a little olive oil on the edge.

"Rowan, I have an economics test tomorrow, can you help me revise the chapter tonight?"

I pushed the breakfast towards her, "eight, okay with you?"

Alana shrugged, "Uh..how about ten?"

I knew it!

I told her the time mentioned in her message on purpose, "Why? what's wrong with eight? You'll get more time for revision besides, it's not like you're doing anything."

She did not offer me a response, forcing me to produce the psycho chemical, "I'm going out with Nina."

"Oh, I see." I nodded, trying my best to keep my anger under control and my brain operative.

Alana reached for her omelette and took a nibble of it, pointed to a glossary in the text book and asked, "Can you explain this to me?"

"Everything's explained clearly in the text book. Don't bother me with such trivial questions."

She bit her lip, trying to figure out what wrong she'd done, "but..I don't understand."

"And listen, you can forget about us visiting the shrink."

Her eyes went wide in horror, "Why?"

"People need to see a shrink when they don't understand their source of madness." Rowan, this is wrong. I knew I'd be regretting this later, but she was keeping secrets from me, "I know mine now; you're the one driving me insane."

Alana lip quickened, "what did I do this time?"

Was I doing this to her? Turning her into a bag of tears?

"So I suggest you to leave me alone for a while before I start to question the little amount of sanity left inside me. Don't call me. Don't text me unless and until you realize what mistake you've done. I don't have the stomach of listening to you talk out of this right now."

Alana wiped tears with the back of her hand, continuing to stare me down, "You've become a monster, Rowan, and you don't realize how much your words hurt. You talk about your sanity? What about mine? Do you know how much mental torture you've put me through?" her chest moved in a rise and fall rhythm, "All I did was love you, accept you will all your unnecessary baggage but in return you keep flipping on me for every little reason. If you're mad at me about something, you're supposed to ask me, not fire back double meaning questions. I'm done being played back and forth like a freakin dodge ball; I'm done figuring you out so you know what, Rowan? Screw this and Screw you!"

"I'll just do you a last favour," She pulled out the diamond ring, almost yanking it away forcefully; she slammed it on the table, "I don't think I have any right to keep this anymore."

"You're not walking away." the words came strangled, like a choke.

"Watch me." she looked me dead in the eye, the woman who claimed to love me had been exorcised out of this body, this was a different woman, "There's a limit to everything, this time you've crossed it."

No! Don't go! Please.

Alana stuffed all her books back in her brown messenger bag, slumped it over her shoulder and left without a second glace, leaving me to deal with the whirlwind of emotions.

I knew I'd lost all my right to call her back.

What did she leave me with?

The emptiness began to spread everywhere, bringing me back to my senses. Her words continued to haunt me, and I knew this was a start. I ruined it. I picked up my phone and dialled her number.

One ring, two and three and it hit straight to voice mail, "Baby, I'm sorry."

All the walls in the house felt like they were caving in on me, laughing at me.

You're becoming a monster, Rowan.

No! No!No! I can't let her go like that. A sob escaped my throat as I brought the dishes shattering down. The hollow in my chest was filling up with the sharp kinks. I staggered towards the mini bar and grabbed for a bottle of whiskey. I poured it in the glass and downed it. The fluid burned deep within my throat, igniting a fire. I seized the glass so hard that it cracked shattering into tiny pieces, irony was, and my dreams felt the same. I didn't realize the glass plunging into my skin until a few red drops hit the floor. The pain was welcome, just what I needed since the heart was giving me more serious injuries.

I deserve it. I'm worthless. My rear end hit the floor as I sat with my back against the wall.

To hell with love, I'd always been damned with an eternity of misery.