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Chapter 1
(Petal)
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I’m humming the song playing on the radio while simultaneously listening to news through my earphones. I can multitask like a pro. My boss put me in charge of finding out if there’s ever anything wrong happening around the world. Anything that could require my teammates' help.
I increase the volume of the song playing while the newscaster drones on and on about some major earthquake in Croatia. Disasters aren’t really our thing and Croatia is way too far away. I know for sure some of my teammates must already be looking for action, but then maybe not because all of them seem content with their girlfriends. I’m also sure after our whole ordeal with the prostitution ring and Rachael’s kidnapping, Alan isn’t too keen on leaving her anytime soon. I’m positive they got together the night before.
It makes me really happy to see all my friends happy. They’re more than that though. They’re family and there’s only one more of them left who hasn’t found his other half. The one whose apartment building’s parking lot I’m currently driving into.
Taj and I are supposed to meet up for breakfast this morning. It’s not a date though, it’s more of a friend’s hangout, a fact that never ceases to annoy me. Taj is more or less my best friend. On some days, I wish we were more, and then on some days, I’m content to just be near him and be his friend. But those days are becoming fewer and far between. I keep finding myself wanting more and I blame it on the fact that suddenly, everyone around us is in a happy relationship.
I enter the elevator and punch in the button for the 6th floor which is where his apartment is at. When I walk up to the door, I’m surprised to find it unlocked. I turn the knob and the door opens. I don’t give it a second thought before walking in.
“Taj?” I call out my eyes roaming the small bachelor pad. He’s barely here, choosing instead to spend most of his days at the Arcadian mansion but Taj is a quiet and private guy. I know he got this place for times when he would just like to be alone.
There’s a large flat screen T.V., an open kitchen that I’m positive has never been used, a big white couch and one bedroom. I’ve spent a lot of time here over the past year. It feels like home. I’m about to walk into the bedroom in search of my friend when somebody walks out of it.
I stumble back in surprise.
“Who are you?” the person asks.
I don’t have a reply, mostly because I’m frozen in place. My brain is only computing that there’s a tall woman in front of me. A tall, redheaded woman with huge boobs and blue eyes. She’s a knockout and she’s also in a bathrobe. Like, that’s literally all that she’s wearing. I blink and then I blink some more.
“Who are you?” the woman asks again.
She seems so much older than me. Her insistent tone snaps me back to reality and I finally remember how to act. More specifically how to feel. The surprise dies and I’m filled quickly to the brim with anger because I already know what she’s doing here and I don’t like it.
“Who are you?” I counter trying and failing to make my tone light.
Then the girl does something really surprising, she smiles.
“I’m Aurora, you must be Petal.”
She walks closer, stretching her hand for a shake. I ignore it. A part of me realizes I’m being unreasonable. She didn’t really do anything to me and I’m not even Taj’s girlfriend but the irrational part of me refuses to listen. I’ve had feelings for Taj throughout the time I’ve known him. More than half of that has been spent wishing he would ask me out and the rest of the time I’ve wondered if he even has feelings for me at all.
“How do you know who I am?” I question with a frown.
She smiles again, a bright dazzling smile on her gorgeous face. I might have an IQ of 170 but right now, this woman is really making me feel inferior.
“Taj has told me all about you,” she says and I almost choke.
If they’re close enough to be talking about me, then this isn’t an ordinary one-night stand like I hoped. They must be friends or something more. I don’t even want to know what.
I turn around and point to the door.
“I’m going to leave now,” I tell the redhead.
“Wait,” Aurora says. She dashes into the room and walks back out like she owns the place.
“Taj left his phone at home. Could you please get it to him?” she asks, her doe green eyes pleading.
It’s the way she says Taj’s name that irks me. She says it with affection. I know because I’m pretty sure I use the same tone as well when talking about him. This woman, Aurora, likes Taj. The knowledge leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
I smile tightly before accepting the phone and without another word, I walk back out. I want to scream, cry and laugh at myself all at the same time. This happens to me when I can’t control or understand my emotions. Unlike most people, I can’t stand to not be in control of how I’m feeling which is why when I’m feeling so many things at once, I tend to want to explode. Or at least I feel like I could explode. Feelings make everything messy. They never make sense.
“Calm down, Petal,” I say to myself once I’m in my car. I begin driving to the Arcadian mansion. I’m sure I’ll find Taj there. It’s better to hear the truth from the horse’s mouth.
