A friend in need

Hazel turned back, a blonde man stood right behind her. He had bristly eyebrows. His defined cheekbones were hard to miss. 

She was so occupied with analyzing him that she didn't notice him talking to her. 

"Hello?" His ocean-blue eyes widened.

"Hi"

"I'm Matheo Hayes, you must be Hazel". 

Hazel managed to smile, out of nervousness. 

"What happened to your face?" Once again, Matheo's eyes widened. His hands traced the bruise on her face.

"I fell off the stairs"

"Oh, I thought so", Walk with me to the kitchen. 

The kitchen was like another world on its own. Her stomach rumbled at the thought of food she hadn't eaten since the previous day. 

"Here, just apply some pressure on it", Matheo stretched out his hands, handing an ice pack to her.

Staring at him in complete admiration, she took the ice pack, "Thank you", she mumbled.

"I guess you're hungry because I didn't see you last night for dinner", Matheo opened a box of pancake mix. "Pancakes?" he looked at her, smiling.

Why was he being so nice to her? She liked it anyway. 

"So, how old are you?", Matheo diverted

"Why do you wanna know?" She giggled.

"I'm just curious"

"Fine, I'm 21", she blurted.

"Keep the ice pack on it", he gestured towards the ice pack that she had dropped.

When breakfast was ready, they both sat down in the dining room to eat. The awkward silence made her insides cringe. 

Matheo was focused on his meal like she wasn't even there. 

"How old are you?" She asked out of the blue.

"Me? Oh I'm 24".

"I'll take that for you", referring to her plates. 

Matheo took a seat beside her. "Look, I know why you're here and I understand if you might be scared or paranoid, but no one here will hurt you. I promise", the reassurance worked, but it was just too late.

Hazel scoffed. "Well it's too late", she said, her fingers tracing down the bruise on her face.

"Did someone do that to you? You told me you fell"

"I did but, it was before then", the urge to say what had happened became stronger. "T-tyler hit m-me", she spluttered. 

"Really? Why didn't you tell me", the answer was obvious. 

"I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you again, I promise", Matheo held Hazel's hand. 

"B-but, I need to speak to my dad. I need to make sure he's okay"

"I'm sorry but, I can't help with that. That's up to Tyler".

Matheo still held her hand. "How about you freshen up and I'll show you around?".

"I don't have clothes", she smiled. Something about Matheo made her feel safe and protected.

"Oh damn, well I gotta go now", he glanced at his watch. "I'll see you when I get back", he completed. 

When Matheo left, Tyler came down the stairs. He was all dressed. He wore a black suit and his hair was perfectly done. Tyler didn't even look at her for a second. He just went out the door. 

A girl emerged from the door. She looked young and she smiled at Hazel. "Hey, I'm Lily".

"I'm Hazel". "I take care of the place. If there's anything you need, just tell me", she said with a smile.

"Are you friends with them?" Hazel asked.

"More like family. When my parents died in a car accident, Tyler begged his mom to take me in. We were still kids back then. We have lived together ever since. They're my brothers", Lily said with a chuckle. 

"My mom died last year", Hazel said with no emotion. 

"She was sick for the last three years and the doctor told us that she'll be fine in days, days turned to weeks weeks turned to months, and months to years. It just happened so quickly. All our money was spent on her treatment. My dad loved her so much and didn't let her go so easily. He went from being a partner in the Hayes company to being an employee. I had to pay my sister's bills", she knew she had to stop as she felt a year race down her cheek. In less than a second, she wiped out the year with her hand. 

"Anyhoo", Hazel tried to break the silence. 

"Well, I have to go but I had a great time with you", Lily placed her hand on Hazel's and smiled. 

Going back upstairs, Hazel bumped into Tyler. He was all dressed up and his hair looked silky. 

"Look where you're going", he said without looking at her for a second.

Tyler went out of the house after Lily did. 

Hazel made her way to her room and took a long bath, trying to digest the activities of the day. She felt loved around Matheo and Lily. They made her feel special.

Hazel walked out of the shower and slid into her bathrobe. Her long black hair rolled down her back. The bruise on her face was still hurting. 

There was a knock on the door, she tiptoed to the door and opened it.

"Matheo?" "I bought these for you", he held out several shopping bags. Hazel opened the door properly, so he could come in. 

"Oh my God, thank you so much", she examined all the bags, and the whole time, Matheo had a smirk on.

"I love this one", she squeaked. 

It was a beige short gown, with an illusion down her chest. 

"Put it on, Matheo suggested. She cleared her throat, insinuating that he looked away. "Oh, right". 

Her bathrobe was thrown across the room as she gently slipped on the dress. She turned to face Matheo who in turn pulled the zipper up. 

"I love it too", Matheo said.

Hazel slowly walked to the mirror. The dress was a perfect fit. She had not worn any underwear beneath her gown. Her gown was short and revealing, she liked it that way. Her thighs were very visible and Matheo couldn't keep his eyes off her. 

"You look-"

"Ridiculous?", She interrupted him.

"No, you look beautiful". She ran to him and hugged him.

"Thanks for everything".

"You're welcome"

Hazel saw Tyler walk into his room. This was her chance, she thought. She knew what had happened to his mother, at least her father told her some things, and she knew it was probably hard on him. Hazel opened the door to Tyler Hayes's room and took a step inside.

"What are you doing here", Tyler said, his tone a bit calmer than usual.

"Before you say anything, I want y-you to know that I understand why you did it". 

Tyler wore a confused look.

"I had no right to remind you of the horrible thing that happened years ago with your mom. B-but I had no idea-", Hazel panicked.

"What are you talking about?", Tyler asked.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to"

"I don't need your apologies", Tyler interrupted.

How could a person be so arrogant and rude at the same time? 

With a finger, Tyler raised her jaw and he could see the bruise on her face. For the first time, he stared into her eyes and then, at her face as he traced the scar on her face with his index finger. 

"Did I do this to you?" Tyler asked, but to no one in particular.

"What do you think?" Hazel replied.

"I-I'm sorry", he reluctantly said. 

"You should be".

Hazel began taking steps backward and when she reached the door, she walked out of the room, her eyes locked on Tyler's.

Her heart began to beat in different rhythms. She went downstairs to get a glass of water before going to bed.

There was a woman in the kitchen, talking and laughing with Lily. Her balayage hair was long and stopped halfway at her back. 

Andrea turned back when she heard footsteps, Hazel could see her now and damn, she was alluring. Her oval face and plump lips complimented her face. 

Her eyes were grey and her body was like a model's. Whoever she was, she was so beautiful, Hazel thought.

"Hi, I'm Andrea, Tyler's girlfriend". 

Hazel was snapped out of her thinking spree at the sound of Andrea's voice. "Hey, um I'm Hazel".

"Nice to meet you", Andrea said, with a broad smile.

Hazel took the glass of water she had come for and went upstairs, to her room. Soon, she was asleep.

The voices of people arguing woke her up. What were they arguing about? She quickly scanned the room. She found her beige gown and reluctantly put it on.

When she got to the living room, Carter, Tyler, and Lily sat there. 

"Hey, you're finally up", Carter said.

"Is there a problem?" She asked, knowing fully well that there was.

"Yeah. Someone filed a missing report, regarding you. Like, everyone thinks you're missing", Lily explained.

"I know your father is behind this, I know it", Tyler yelled, his face wrinkled in anger.

"You can't be so sure, I mean he won't do anything to worsen the situation", Matheo said.

"What are we going to do? I mean, the police are going to start investigating and her father may say something. It won't be pretty if the cops come knocking on our door", Lily was calm as she explained the situation.

"She has to make a public appearance and while she does that, I'm going to get answers from her father", Tyler said, standing up from the couch and going upstairs.

In a few minutes, Tyler came downstairs with a gun in his hand. He walked up to Hazel, " Get dressed".

Hazel stood up and looked at Lily, who gave her a reassuring smile.

After taking a shower, Hazel came downstairs, wearing a pair of trousers and a T-shirt. Her hair was packed into a ponytail and her face was still badly bruised. "I'm ready", she clutched her bag out of nervousness.

Tyler got up and walked out the door without saying a word, he was making a phone call. Pete was in a limo that was waiting outside the house. Tyler got in and Hazel went in.

Tyler brought out his gun and looked at her sternly, "If I find out that your father is behind this I'm going to kill him without hesitating.

Her brows furrowed, "He didn't do it".

"Let's just hope not". 

"Boss, the main entrance is crowded", Pete said. "Follow the other entrance".

 There were reporters everywhere and it was pretty scary.

"Pete, why are all these people here?" "I don't know, they must have gotten information that you'd be here today"

Tyler put his gun into his pocket."Go out", he said.

"Now?", Hazel asked. 

Tyler nodded.

Hazel stepped out of the limo, and the reporters surrounded her. "Miss Green, we thought you were missing?"

Tyler walked side by side with Hazel. The flash from the camera filled Hazel with nausea.

The reporters circled them like hawks circling their prey. There was no place to go, they were stuck in the middle, literally. 

They were halfway to the entrance when the reporters started asking questions.

"Miss Green, where were you?" A reporter asked. Tyler and Hazel tried making their way through the crowd of reporters.

"Mr Hayes, are you responsible for the disappearance of Miss Green?" Questions of the like erupted from every corner.

They were stuck and Pete was nowhere to be found.

"Mr. Hayes, give us an answer", the reporter in front of them said.

"Miss Green and I are i-in a r-relatio-", Tyler was interrupted by a reporter.

"You are in a relationship with Miss Hazel?" They asked.

"N-", Hazel tried saying but Tyler gave her a soft push. "Sorry love", he apologised

The reporters seemed a bit satisfied.

Love? He called her "love"? Ew.

"Weren't you in a relationship with Andrea Baker about a week ago?" The expression on Tyler's face changed totally. He violently grabbed Hazel's arm and pushed through the crowd of reporters.

Hazel's body sagged with visible relief, but her face was grim. "Why did you do that?" She looked at Tyler but continued walking.

There was no suitable response this time, only the pressing urgency to walk faster, to get to her father's office. 

They took the elevator and in a few minutes arrived at Mr Green's door. When Tyler opened the door, James Green drew out his chair. "Good morning Mr Hayes", he trembled in fear. 

Hazel ran to hug her father, who was now looking like a shadow of his former self. "Dad", "are you okay?" Hazel asked. " I'm fine and I hope you are too"

Hazel stared at her father's hand that Tyler shot.

Tyler cleared his throat and brought out his gun. "Now tell me, why did you file a missing persons report?" He asked, taking steps towards James.

"What are you talking about, I didn't do it". Hazel stepped in between them, "stop", she yelled. "He didn't do it, I know he didn't do it". 

"That's shit, we both know he did it", Tyler yelled, still holding on to his gun. "If he didn't do it, then who did?" Tyler's eyes were fixed on his gun and he wanted to use it.

The door creaked open and a young woman stepped into the office. "I did".