"You bury anger with numbness. You stop feeling because you do not want to feel a single thing. It comes in one's favor sometimes to not feel...to not hurt oneself." - Raghad.

●●●

"I-I was just g-going," Rose muttered under her breath.

I nodded, looking away from her and to Grace. I put my hand on the door and pushed it wider, standing by the side to let her pass.

"Ethen I'm-"

I could feel her piercing eyes on the side of my face, as her parted lips froze in motion. I could see her wild, tangled hair rested on her shoulders. I could see how her sweater was wrinkled from probably how much she has been sitting, and the folded coat in the crook of her elbow.

I could see her pale face, and her freckles somehow fading.

I could sense her tiredness.

No.

I could feel it rubbing in my bones.

"Later," I shook my head to the sides, still not looking at her. I didn't want to see her tiredness. "I don't want to talk now."

"I understand," but I would have been blind if I didn't caught the white lie lying beneath her simple statement.

"Good for you."

She nodded and walked away with a slight hint of a frown on her face, her flats clicking on the white floor of the hospital. I shook my head, clearing my growing thoughts and entered the room, closing the door behind me silently.

Inhale.

"What happened?" I asked after I settled on one of the seats, facing the bed and Grace.

"A car accident."

"Yeah, I know. Explain further."

"Nothing unusual," she smiled weakily. "I just lost control."

I nodded.

"I'm fine though," she reassured. "Only bruises, nothing broken."

"Good."

"Ethen..." she called and I lifted my head. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I rubbed my eyes. "Nothing is wrong."

"Tell me."

"Grace."

"Ethen."

"I don't want to speak about it."

"You'll feel better."

"I tried, and I failed."

"You tried what?"

"To feel better, Grace," I let out a breath. "By beer."

"Ethen you can't do this every time."

"I know."

"Yet you never stopped."

"Yes."

"Tell me what's wrong."

"I met Aurden," I felt the words heavy on my tongue. I could taste the bitterness of recalling the fresh memory in my head.

She kept silent.

"She found out who killed them."

She nodded, her hand tightening over the white thin sheets.

"It was her father," I pointed to the door and a confused expression was painted over her face.

"Who's father?"

"Rose's."

She gasped, "Are you sure?"

"Aurden doesn't say a thing unless it's absolutely true."

"Maybe-"

"She's sure, Grace."

"Oh."

"Did you talk to him?"

I shook my head, "I just knew yesterday."

"Which explains your red eyes," she mumbled. "Stupid, Ethen."

"I had no other option."

"Nonsense."

"There's nothing better than beer."

"There is," she disagreed. "You could have coped with it in trillions of different ways."

"Like?"

"Talking to people."

"Beer is way better than people."

●●●

"Ethen, you have a meeting with Bruce Collins tomorrow afternoon," Zed informed me.

"And?"

"You'll have to take the private plane."

"Why?"

"Because the meeting is not here," he stated. "It's in Australia."

"We have the conference in France."

"It's your decision, either you stay there and go to France directly, or come back here."

I nodded, rubbing my eyes roughly with the back of my palms.

"I'll leave in five hours," I informed him.

"Tonight?"

"Yes, I would really appreciate staying alone for a while."

"Alright."

●●●

I entered the grand hotel with two of my guards after me and Amanda by my side. The cold air weaving its way inside my cloths, made me sigh in relief. I have always enjoyed cold air.

I enjoy how it's similar to beer.

The way it numbs my senses completely.

It's nice to not be a human sometimes...it's refreshing.

"From here, sir," she motioned to a closed door to the right. "You'll meet with the local businessmen that are not going to make it to the conference."

I nodded and she knocked the door.

"Come in, please."

She pushed it open and stepped aside, allowing me to enter, a polite smile plastered on her face.

"Mr. Hendrix," a man with balding head and a white beard stood up and greeted me, flashing me with a toothy grin.

I forced a smile to resurface on top of my lips and greeted him, acting as if I knew who he was.

And although I have always sucked at my drama classes, faking knowing people had always been my forte.

Let's just say I was naturally gifted.

"I'm glad you could make it."

"I always do."

He smiled wider, his golden tooth showing. "I'd like to introduce you to the top three business men here," he said, turning his head. "And I'm pretty sure you're familiar with the rest."

I lifted my head and scanned the faces slowly.

"First, we have-"

"Mr. Jonathan Smith," I cut him off. "I'm already familiar with him."

●●●

A/N

I grew up a year with this story XD, I only started it three months ago, and look at that...I'm sixteen woohoooo

I love you all so much. Plus, I started another story - a dialogue story to be specific- my uploads on Love? Never will not change , I'll be always posting every week :*

Kisses,

Raghad.