12 A DAY WITHOUT HIM

Worry was one word to describing my current state. My fantastic world crashed down, it happened in a second of turning back my palm. It was four in the afternoon, and I didn't hear a single news about Barra. That man didn't come home last night, made me curse myself who foolishly left him.

I was frustrated by all of this. On the one hand, Elsa was severely traumatized after nearly being raped by two bastards. On the other hand, I put the Ainsleys on the brink of battle with the Sanders.

The mansion was quiet, overgrown by the dark-heavy feelings of my heart and the coldness of my mood. There was no one beside me, I was alone. Isolated like a bird got lost from the crowd. I had been sitting, staring at the window. Hoping Barra would come home. My eyes were roaming every corner of the gate, waiting for a hint of hope that might happen.

However the hope never happened.

"Can I sit here?" It was Jake's voice. "Are you still waiting for him?" He asked then sat down, joining my lonely party.

I just nodded in distraught, my eyes glued to the gate.

"I've known him since we entered college. Whenever he had a problem he's like this, and it's so difficult to know what's on his mind." I stole a glance at him. He was staring absently out the window.

"I didn't know about this." I whispered softly then bit my nail.

"That's why I told you." He just rolled his eyes, "Just be patient, he'll definitely come home. But now, he needs his own time to get rid of all his worries."

Biting my lower lip slowly I stood up, "Is there anything I can do to get rid of my boredom?"

He grinned, "There's one thing." Then, he stood up.

My eyebrows lifted, waiting for an answer from him. "And, what is that?" I looked up a little because he was taller than me.

"Well, last week Mr. Salvatore organized an event for his precious daughter, Niki."

Niki? So that model was Mr. Salvatore's daughter? My memory flashed again, Jazzlin knew about this family. Mr. Salvatore was one of the most successful billionaires with his company that produced expensive and classy black and white chocolates.

"Niki is engaged tonight." He raised an eyebrow when I stunned, "What's wrong?"

"No, it's just-- I just found out that Niki already has a partner." My answer filled with honesty according to the thoughts of my head so far.

"You must have heard that she was dating Barra?" He chuckled in a playful manner.

I nodded innocently.

"You're so easily consumed by bullshit." He chuckled, "At that time Niki was being chased by reporters because of a case that happened to her two years ago." He laughed even though the story wasn't finished yet, "What a bad luck for Barra. He was in the same mall with Niki and the reporters were chasing him." Still laughing, he pressed his right hand against the window to hold the weight of his leaning body.

"Don't tell me..." I paused.

"You guessed it." He nodded, "Niki took this opportunity by immediately grabbing Barra's hand and declaring that they are dating." He was trying so hard to speak in between his laugh.

My laugh bubbled up not because of the story. Something crossed my mind as a reminder of how I screwed up my mood at that time, when I was consumed by jealousy. I was stupid enough for concluding things. I got jealous without finding out the truth first.

Jake stopped laughing. "Hey, chill. I know it's so funny but you don't need to laugh like that." He showed me his horror face.

"Oh shit!" I kept laughing, especially when Barra's hurting face appeared in my mind. God knows how much I missed him.

"Hey, do you wanna keep laughing or hearing my next story?" Jake asked me with a grin.

"Sorry, please go on." I said, trying to calm my humour soul.

"Mr. Salvatore invited Barra. But, my feelings say that he won't attend this event. Usually, he ordered his man to replace him." He blew in the air.

"I'm in." I put my hand up.

He pursed his lips, "I haven't even asked you yet."

"Still, I'm in." I giggled. "What's the dress code?"

"Considering the invitation, just use such as semi formal or dressy-casual." He quickly responded.

"Noted. I gotta go now." I grinned.

"I'll send a make-up artist to help you with your makeup." He smiled warmly.

I turned to leave the room. My feet stepped back through the dark hallway. I walked so slowly with my eyes fixed to the front, to my room. But, my feet were more honest than mine, because five steps before reaching the front door of my room, I stopped.

Right in front of this door. His room. I hadn't even know what was behind the door. Never once entered. My hand grabbed the doorknob, pushed it slowly. Shocked was written all over my face when it wasn't locked.

All I saw at first was darkness. My feet continued to walk inside when I saw the sunlight coming in through the open window. The light shone towards the neatly arranged king size bed.

I was looking for a button to turn on the light, after found it, I pressed it.

I stood in the corner of the room, getting all the views from every side. The room wasn't filled with many items. Only a bed, wardrobe, door to the bathroom, and a small sofa.

Letting out a sigh, I walked over to the sofa. Then sat down and saw a messy paper underneath. "What is this?" I whispered strangely when a name catching my interest. "Jeremy Ozza?"

Jeremy Ozza was Jazzlin's father, my father.

A glimpse of a face flashed through my memory. A middle-aged man who had now reached the age of fifty was sitting in front of me. It was the last time Jazzlin met his father, at a coffee shop. Before in the end, the relationship between the two wasn't in good line.

Again and again, I had no recollection memory of the problems between these father and daughter.

I took the paper as my eyes were traversing each stanza. The paper contained the agreement between the Ainsley and the Ozza. The writing in the agreement was a bit faded, making me unable to clearly read what was written other than the signed name and also the stamp that was given.

I huffed before put it back.

Then my eyes were hypnotized by a photo frame near the sofa. A boy and girl were asleep after they were tired from playing. The background was a garden filled with shady trees. I smiled thinly to know who they were.

Barra and Jazzlin.

The two of them looked so innocent with their eyes closed in a sleeping position, looking after each other.

I also had a wonderful experience with my best friend as a child, Haytham. The memory pierced my heart when I reminded myself that Haytham now hated me and didn't even hesitate to hurt or destroy me.

I looked away from the photo before their photo turned into a sad reminder for me. Turning off the light and heading out the door, I looked at the room once again as if memorizing all the positions before finally closing the door shut.

"Hi, honey." I jumped when someone patted me on the back, "Sorry sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." She apologized.

"My name is Sia." Standing a woman in front of me. She gave me a friendly smile. I admired her makeup and hair. She had brown hair with black eyes. I thought she was mixed Asian. "Jake sent me here to help you with your makeup." She smiled, showing her teeth.

Jake had told me, but I never thought that right now he would send the make-up artist, while the event would be tonight.

She blinked, looking at me. "I know you must be confused, it's just that I'm a little lost not knowing where my room is." She clearly explained it.

"Oh well, I thought you were going to do my makeup now." I smiled, "Let me take you."

She shook her head, "Sorry for making you misunderstood." Then continued, "Thank you, please lead the way."

It was kind of weird because Jake didn't tell the maid to escort her to the guest room, moreover she was completely misguided. She shouldn't have passed in front of Barra's room because in this hallway, there wasn't a room for guests, and she couldn't easily pass by.

"Sorry for being a bother." There was a sense of strange feeling in my chest as she continued, "Jake had told me to go down this hallway." I walked beside her without looking at her face, "He's in rushed when he told me that." She seemed confused.

"It's a little weird." I muttered more to myself.

Did something happen to Jake? I shrugged out my bad thoughts.