Zein's Point of View
I frowned as I watched Dora climb the tall hill with Boots.
"Ace?" I asked.
"Hmmm?" he murmured.
I pouted further when he didn't even glance at me. His full attention was on his laptop, typing away busily.
It was Sunday, and there were no classes, yet instead of going home, we stayed in the condo at Ace's request. I thought we would be bonding, but apparently, he planned to let me watch Dora all afternoon while he buried himself in work.
I understood that he needed to focus to help Raze manage the company, but was it too much to ask for just one day where it was only me? For the past two years, our days have mostly looked like this. We were now in our third year of college, and nothing about our routine had changed, except for moments like this.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I fumbled to grab it. As usual, Ace didn't even notice.
From: Cedric
"All course presidents, emergency meeting now."
I pouted again. I was the HRM Department President, after all. How irritating, there was a meeting even on a Sunday. That SSC President was really something else.
"Ace?"
"Hmmm?"
Hmmm again? Annoying. Maybe it's better if I just leave for a while, I'm completely bored anyway.
"I'm leaving for a while."
Ace finally looked up. Finally! "Where?" he asked, grabbing some cookies I had baked earlier.
"Meeting," I replied.
I got up from the sofa and walked back to my room. After taking a quick shower and getting ready, I stepped out again.
I found Ace leaning against the sofa, staring at the TV, but the sound of my footsteps immediately drew his attention.
He scanned me from head to toe before furrowing his brows. "Meeting or date?" he asked.
I walked over to the mirror beside the TV and studied myself. It was nothing unusual for a girl like me to take care of her appearance, I still liked to be presentable in front of people.
"I'm coming…" he said.
I shot him a look. He was now standing in front of me, squinting, wearing a gray tank top and shorts. His brows were still furrowed.
"No need. Just do what you're doing," I said.
"No. Darling, I'll go with you."
I just frowned as he marched toward his room. I quickly grabbed my shoulder bag and dashed out.
I almost slipped on the marble floor in my rush. Damn it! He really didn't need to follow me everywhere I went.
I hailed a taxi and told the driver the cafe where our meeting would take place.
***
Ace's Point of View
I rolled my eyes, finding the living room empty except for the open laptop and the TV.
That girl! I thought. She better not meet any other guy. Try me, Zein. I'll tie you down for good.
I slipped off my pants and left on just shorts. I turned off the TV and cleared the scattered papers.
I was almost done when my laptop beeped. I frowned as a Facebook notification popped up.
A friend request caught my attention. The profile picture was a knife smeared with blood. I was about to delete the request when, suddenly, it disappeared.
I frowned. Weird.
I refreshed the newsfeed, and one status immediately grabbed my attention. I swallowed hard when I saw the profile picture.
"Shit," I muttered.
I opened the profile and cursed under my breath, this person was already my friend, even though I hadn't accepted the request. It was strange, this account was clearly new, and I was apparently the only friend.
I tried clicking the unfriend button, but it wouldn't work. I tried blocking the account, still nothing. Who the hell is this?!
I bit my lip as I read the status:
"I know you have gone through a lot, but trust me, it was just a glimpse of something worse than a nightmare."
I swallowed hard before returning my gaze to the username, reading it quietly to myself.
"Hell…" I muttered.
---
Zein's Point of View
I didn't show how irritated I was at what he had done, while he grinned widely. This jerk.
"Don't you want it to be just the two of us?"
Jerk. If Ace ever found out about this, he would lose it. I had thought there was a real meeting, but it turned out it was just the two of us, and no meeting would actually happen.
"What do you want?" I asked.
He leaned back in his chair and sipped his coffee. His attitude annoyed me, but I restrained myself. I was being generous this time; otherwise, I might have splashed my hot coffee in his face.
Calm, Zein.
"A little conversation with you?"
I leaned back in my chair after hearing that. "Fine," I said, giving up, which made him smile widely.
He clapped his hands in excitement. Somehow, I couldn't help but smile at his behavior. He looked foolish, so different from Ace, who was serious and possessive, which was exactly why I loved him. And this guy? Never mind.
"So? Where did you go to high school?" he asked.
"Hell University," I replied.
He nearly choked on his coffee and stood abruptly, embarrassed at what he had read on my pants.
I smirked.
"Just gonna go to the restroom real quick…." he said, excusing himself.
I simply nodded and watched him go. I laughed once he disappeared from sight. He probably thought I was joking.
Sometimes, we have to be careful with the questions we ask, especially when we are not ready for the answers.
My phone vibrated, and I picked it up. I smiled when I saw Ace's text.
"Where are you?"
I quickly replied, "Heading home soon."
I slipped my phone back into my pocket just as Cedric arrived, grinning again.
"So? Let's get back to our topic. Where did you go to high school?" he asked.
"I already answered that," I said.
"Seriously?"
I rolled my eyes. Did he think I was joking?
"I won't force you to believe me… but I'm telling the truth."
He laughed softly, and I wasn't sure whether to be insulted or annoyed. The audacity to laugh at me! Ugh. It was good that I was leaving; this conversation was going nowhere.
"Wait!" he called as I acted like I was about to stand. I raised an eyebrow, waiting for what he had to say.
"Look… I just want to be friends with you."
I smirked. "I think you should ask my boyfriend's permission first," I replied.
"Who?"
"My boyfriend. And if you don't know him… well, there's no way we could be friends."
That was my last word before leaving the café.
If I knew then, he was just pretending. I knew he already knew who my boyfriend was. What was with this guy? If he wanted to be friends, why not approach me properly? Why did it have to be like this?
I didn't stop myself from wanting to make friends, but I also knew who was genuine and who was just pretending. And Cedric? Yes, he was annoying and a jerk, but I knew he was good at heart. He just better not interfere with Ace, or I'd make sure he stayed away.
I was already in the taxi when I reached for my pocket, only to realize my phone wasn't there. I closed my eyes, remembering that I might have left it at the café. I hoped Cedric had seen it.
I didn't look back—I trusted that Cedric had seen it, and if he had, I knew he would return it to me.
When I got back to the condo, I found it empty. Ace's laptop was open. I went to his room, hoping he was there—but he wasn't.
I returned to the living room and sank onto the sofa. My attention was immediately grabbed by a message I hadn't opened yet.
Cassandra?
I opened the message, unsure of how I would react to what I saw.
"Hey, babe. I'll wait for you. See yah."
---
Ace's Point of View
I sped down the road, practically racing toward the location the GPS indicated.
My chest felt tight, my heart pounding violently. I closed my eyes for a moment, recalling the message Zein had sent me earlier.
"Ace, help me!"
As soon as I arrived at the location, I jumped out of my car. It was nighttime, with only a few dim lights illuminating the area.
A chill ran through me when I realized the place was a cemetery.
"Zein!" I shouted, my voice echoing eerily through the tombstones.
I walked carefully among the graves, using my cellphone as a flashlight to illuminate my surroundings.
I tried calling her phone, but it just kept ringing. I was about to hang up when I heard a sound.
Not far from me, the sound repeated. I didn't end the call and scanned the area, trying to locate the source.
My face went pale when I saw a light coming from an open tomb. Inside, I could hear the sound clearly.
Shit! Why is this tomb open?
I peered inside, but it was empty. I noticed Zein's cellphone lying inside, still ringing. The ringtone made me even more uneasy:
"Mom, Dad, I want bread. Sister, brother, I want coffee. You must do everything I want. When I count to five, you must be hiding… ~"
"One~"
"Two~"
"Three~"
"Four~"
Before it could reach five, I rushed into the tomb and turned off Zein's cellphone.
I was about to step out when the tomb suddenly slammed shut.
"Shit!" I shouted.