CHAPTER 4 - MEMORY LANE

FLIPPING through the channels, every news you'll encounter are definitely all about Vane coming out as in relationship with her, or 'ratting' out their relationship he promised to be kept secret; Nevertheless, it was as bad as pushing her off the cliff. 

She knew that Vane is a goddamn celebrity with lunatic, obsessive fans and the icon of the beauty and fashion standard. But wasn't his relevance too exaggerated? He was not a God nor the president, albeit having creepy fans who proclaimed him as one. Knowing that bastard, surely he was enjoying it either way. What a narcissistic ass.

She immediately switched it again when she reached the channel FOX premiering the movie where Vane had a cameo. See? Everything is always about him! Tired, she settled in a cartoon network. She would just hope that no any cartoon character are based after Vane— because hell! That wouldn't be a good influence for kids. The young woman scoffed.

She have also heard that some 'Vane-tardic' (as she call), leaked of her stay in Vane's penthouse. For an obvious reason, Paparazzis are unfortunately now lurking again below the apartment they're staying in. How the heck they got in? She doesn't know and don't wanna know. Why Vane's security are not doing anything against it? It's self explanatory. 

She tried to wind up for a little by watching TV, obviously it didn't kinda help for a reason ironically. Vane is at the kitchen doing God knows what. She's too tired to care.

Her thoughts cut down when she heard a chuckled next to her, she was so lost that she failed to noticed the devil has came near her. 

"Tom and Jerry? Really?" a sneaky form into his lips as he placed a glass into the table, there's smoke coming out of it, probably cause of cold, it has a white substance, with his usual fancy golden spiral straw. "There, vanilla smoothie. Maybe this would help you cease throwing me glares every time our eyes met," he added.

"Thanks," she responded in monotone voice. 

Vane, ever the persistent lover, sat beside her, and leaned his chin on her shoulder— eyes unrelentingly fixed on the side of her face.. "You know, Elisabth, we used to enjoy moments like these. What happened to us?"

She sighed, her annoyance palpable as she tried to focus on the cartoon playing on the screen. 

His grip tightened slightly on her shoulder, a silent plea for her attention. "Darling, we can't keep avoiding this. I miss the way we used to be..."

Finally, she faced him. "Don't you have photoshoots or something?!" 

He smiled and caressed her chin with his thumb, "I cancelled it. I want to spend this week with you, I know you're not in condition right now."

She scoffed, and swatted his hand off. Big privileges, aren't we?

"Those people who have been sending you those nasty messages, you don't need to worry your pretty little head about them. They will bother you no more."

Sighing, contemplating what possibly stupid stunt he pulled up that will surely caused her an another headache. "What do you mean?" she tiredly asked.

A menaced smile crept up to his lips as he fish out his own phone from the pocket of his robe, daring her to reach it from his hand. "Why don't my queen see it herself, hmm?"

She abruptly pulled his phone from his hand, earning a deep chuckle from the latter. A picture of her appeared as soon as she opened it. She remembered how happy she was from that picture, it was the time she got a minor role from one of the hit series, and how it earn her a popularity albeit not big, it was the start of her popularity at least. She tried to focus from her agenda and unlock it since Vane was the one who insisted of putting also her finger print as an access to his phone. 

It seems like his twitter app hasn't been close properly so she was able to see what he seems to be dying to show— It was a called out post! Exposing the names and profiles of those people who has sent her threats. It was a post from an unknown account but Elisabth wasn't stupid. She knows that Vane was the mastermind of this. He lived with him for 3 years for God's sake! He wouldn't let his hand dirty so he used she knows, a disposal— which something she would usually ignore, but why he just got to retweet it?! Was not he aware about the chaos this could potentially lead to the lives of people that got posted?!

She felt like all her blood rushed towards her head; She have grown tired of all the distress she was receiving, reaching the point where she was too exhausted to muster anymore frustration. Elisabth just nonchalantly tossed Vane's cellphone back to his hand and massage her throbbing temples; As someone with a fanbase that takes everything about their idol too seriously, giving malice with their every move, this would surely affect her reputation! Even more now that her name was once again involve. It's either he's not thinking, or he is doing this on purpose. With all the frustration, there's only a thin string of strength that prevents her from fainting.

A soft groan escape her lips when the throbbing worsened, the action made Vane to concernedly put his hand on her nape to massage it, paying all his attention to her weakened form. "Darling, what's wrong?" He cupped her cheeks to closely check on what's causing her pain. 'You! You!' Elisabth badly wanted to answer but she cannot afford to initiate something that would lead into a fight right now.

He took her right hand that continuously rubbing her temples, "Does your head hurt?" replacing her hand with his own thumbs each side of temple while cupping her face, rubbing circles on it in hopes it will help relieve her pain. She let him as it minimize the pain for a bit.

Maybe Elisabth do or did really love him, but she would willingly die for her career. And now she was just getting started, which has something he ruined. Yet he would never understand that because of his privileges, he didn't even wanted to be in his place in the first place!

The final thought prompted her to revisit the recesses of her memory, back to the time when they first crossed paths at a private resort. He had been genuinely kind and a decent guy back then. Initially, she was just a fan of his music, but as they spent more time together, her admiration turned into something deeper, eventually leading her to confess her feelings.

She puffed out a smoke in the a dim part of the back in the resort. Despite the huge 'NO SMOKING' sign, she couldn't care less. Observing some teenagers smoking in the same area, she speculated that the CCTV probably wasn't functioning anyway.

She temporarily drifted away from the keen eyes of Missy to have some time for her thoughts a bit. Mainly, just after her really 'heartfelt' talk with her mom; As usual, the focus was on her perceived wrong choices in life, the constant insistence that she should pursue a more respectable profession instead of being labeled as a celebrity whore who doesn't have a future and income and so on. She just turned her back cutting every 'genuine' maternal advice, and now she was in this what-dark-hellhole she's in, clearing her mind.

She didn't even know why she came to meet her after three years of not speaking to her. Despite all the words her mom said to her, she believed they wouldn't affect her anymore. She thought those words would be nothing more than a breeze in her ear, easily passing by without leaving an impact. Yet it pierced her whole soul with daggers leaving wounds that was unable to heal. It was worse than those critics.

She isn't broke! She could sustain herself for lifetime even she's not one of those celebrities who earned millions! The audacity of that old, delusional woman. Feeling the rage, she fished out a new stick of cigarette and light in up. A manly voice made her hands halt before it could even reach her lips.

"You sure having fun torturing your lungs." She turned her head and found the mysterious man in the more darker part of the place, wearing a cap but you could notice the his mid length raven locks. However, the voice was so familiar in her ears that she had to squint her eyes for a little before she finally recognize the unknown person, thanks heavens he wasn't wearing a mask though. 

She have slowly come to realize that he wasn't an 'unknown' person, she almost dropped her cigarette when she realized who it was! The man scrunched his nose, probably from the smoke yet he proceed to lean his back in the same wall as her beside her.

"Vane Whitlock?!" Elisabth half shouted in both confused and surprised. Yes! She knows that Vane was staying in the same resort as her, but she never expected him to go in any rural areas.

"Yes," he simply answered and leaned his head back, looking too comfortable with a mere stranger like her knowing his status. She could be an obsessed fan and harmed in any way she could— in the contrary, she was an actual fan, before, when he was still making music. It actually quite saddened her when he broke his band and focus on being a model instead, but she later shifted her focus on her own personal matters and career too.

"Uhm, hey!" she gave a shaky chuckle. The adrenaline is too much, thankfully she can manage in order not to creep him out. "What are you doing here..? It's kinda dangerous here, ya know..? Especially for a really really like super famous guy…"

Elisabth saw him smile, even with inadequate light the moon gives, suddenly she forgot all her problems focusing how ethereal this man can be. "Same for you, why is the lady alone here considering all the dangers of night?"

She set aside all the excitement and tried to answer normally, this might be the first and last chance, she better leave a good impression for him, "I'm just… winding up?" she shrugged and puffed her smoke. 

Vane scrunched his nose again and it took Elisabth to realize that it's from her cigarette, "Oh! I'm sorry! Do you have asthma or any certain lung disease?" She quickly moved away and dropped her cigarette before stepping on it, minimizing the smoke. 

"No, we're fine. I do not have a particular affinity for smoking in general." It made her smile and slowly nod her head. A good guy. She thought.

"I see... That's good for you, I guess?" And they fell silent. Amidst she, being a celebrity too, the awkward tension between a celebrity and his fan still palpable in the air; That made Elisabth shifted nervously.

Finally, she puffed out the last smoke. Suddenly feeling conscious under watchful eyes, ironically.

But that wasn't just some no one's eyes. It's Vane's...

"Ahm, hey Vane! I wanna greet you properly as a fan but you see.." she let out an awkward 'haha'. As much as she wanted to seize this moment with her long time idol to the extent wherein she would never regret it, fun things must come to an end. Perhaps, this wasn't just the right time, It was such a bad timing after all. "I just smoke and probably smell of nicotine too, but it was really nice to meet you. I would never forget this night. And…," she raised his phone with the time display on, "It's getting late, I should probably need to go right now, and you should too."

The male didn't respond so she smiled one last time before she turned to leave. How unfortunate.

"Wait." She was surprised but halted her steps anyway and looked back at him.

"We are staying in the same hotel right?" 

"Yeah…?" Why is he asking, she thought.

"But we're probably not on the same building for sure." she added, knowing this celebrity in front of her is probably staying in the most expensive suite.

"That does not matter." He smiled.

"Nice meeting you too, Elisabth."

He knows me?!