Fated To Love You Forever

Damien furiously tossed his phone to the passenger seat, hissing loudly as he turned on the ignition and started his car.

He had no care in the world that the wind was ruffling his hair, which he hadn’t even bothered to style today.

He was so angry, the fury in him increasing every second and as he stepped on the gas, driving at high speed, his mind wandered away to the various issues bothering him.

It was as though everything happening today was meant to frustrate him and make him furious. First, one of the maids had prepared a different coffee than the one he usually took, giving him a ten-minute allergic reaction, where he had to go to the toilet at intervals before coming to work. Next, there was no signal on his laptop back at home, and he had a project to finish, and this was why he was heading to the office this early to do it on his computer there.

His car safe in the parking lot, he stood at the entrance of his large company, his mind miles away from the present. Sighing deeply, he began to make his way into the building, but then he froze in his feets, as the screeching sound of a car coming to a halt caught his attention, behind him and made him look back.

When he sighted Alvarez coming out of the car after making sure the doors were locked, Damien instantly clenched his fists, as he quickly remembered the news the guard had brought to him previously.

The pictures…Alvarez and Madison… Alvarez arms around her as they walked to his car and…

Oh shit!

His rage grew as he watched Alvarez walk towards him, a smile on his face. And he couldn’t help but feel betrayed.

What freaking audacity!

Why would his so-called best friend do something like this to him? Going behind his back, and so something he definitely wouldn’t support?

Damien watched as Alvarez raised his hand in a wave of greeting at him, but he did not return it.

“Good morning.” Alvarez greeted when he finally got to where Damien was standing, “Wow, you’re here early. What’s the emergency?” He laughed adding still not spotting the cold stoic look Damien was giving him.

“Why did you betray me?” Damien asked, his voice cold.

“What are you talking abo-”

“Madison!” Damien hissed, rage boiling through him.

He hadn’t wanted to say her name in the first place, but now he did it made him angrier than he initially was, and he made a step forward as he half yelled out the words, “Oh, don’t even look like you have no idea what I’m talking about. You’ve been talking to her since the night of the party, haven’t you? Even after everything I said… everything that went on. You knew everything that went on between the Connors and I, but you still went behind my back to see her, and talk to her! You even went to the extent of taking her to your house! You gave her comfort and shelter? What the fuck!”

Alvarez’s eyes widened as he staggered back in shock.

For a second he did nothing but stare at Damien in shock. Obviously he hadn’t expected Damien to know, and the stark realization hurt but Damien kept his cool staring back at him defiantly.

When it seemed like he had finally recovered from his shock, Alvarez faced him and asked shocked, “How…how do you know about that? You… followed me? Or better still, you had me followed? You sent your security after me?”

Damien hissed, “What does it matter?” He spoke through gritted teeth, “How I found out about it does not matter. Besides your pictures with her in front of that dingy motel is all over the fucking media too! Can’t you see the media is having a field day, turning the whole to a circus, and now you are in it. They are digging deep into this case, and smearing my freaking name, but I’m not even bothered about that…” Pausing, he cleared his throat and continued, “Why would you do that? What’s your thing with Madison? What are you still doing with that stuck up betrayer? You’re supposed to be my best friend for goodness sake and…”

“Damien, I am your best friend.” Alvarez interjected but Damien was not having any of it, “Well then start fucking acting like it. Because right now, I don’t even know what the hell you think you’re doing! Friends don’t do this to each other. Friends don’t go behind each other’s back! I know you have your history with Madison, but did you even put me in consideration before making your silly decisions!”

His voice was loud and stark clear, echoing all through the garage and even attracting stares from the few people around them, but Damien just didn’t seem to care.

He looked at Alvarez, and seeing him clench his fists as he moved closer to him, words started spewing out of his lips, “Look, I know how you must feel about all of it. And I swear to you I’m not doing any of it just to deny you or what not. You know I have always been your number one supporter, and I still am. But you have to understand…Madison is-”

“Stop mentioning her fucking name! I don’t want to hear her name! Hell! I don’t want to hear the name of anyone from

That damned family!” Damien yelled, his chest heaving, and fists clenching.

He felt like he was going crazy at this point, and hearing her name was really not helping.

It was bringing back memories he just didn’t want to recall at all, and he hated it!

“Bullshit! She’s my friend too, okay!” Alvarez yelled, his face red and Damien watched his countenance change all of a sudden.

“Madison is my friend, and that’s never going to change! Ever! We’ve been friends for so many years. We were friends even before I met you, and I can’t just throw away the memories I had with her, just because you have your issues with her. Do you have any idea how many times I looked for her, when I lost contact with her? I was so damn worried. Now I finally got to see her after so long, and you want me to just let her be. She’s not even a good state, and it turns out she’s suffering. She’s going through so much, and I couldn’t just abandon her after seeing her like that, I couldn’t do it. I know about the things you went through with her family, and I’ll never forgive them for it either. But no, not Madison! Leave her be!”

When he finished he was still breathing hard as he and Damien stared each other down. Furious, Damien backed away from his best friend. He hated the fact that Madison had come from nowhere, and somehow managed to drag his best friend over to her side as well, but at the moment he was more than pissed at Alvarez.

He was thoroughly disappointed.

“You have the effrontery to accommodate the woman whose family ruined my life?” He thundered, “The daughter of my greatest enemy and the woman who hurt me so much back then, and I almost plunged into an unhealthy depression? If you don’t throw her out on the streets where she belongs, I’ll make sure you lose your job instantly. Let’s see if you’d still have a home for your friend to live in!” He spat, but it didn’t take seconds for him to utterly regret the words the moment he said them, and instantly Damien wished he could take them back.

“W-what?” Alvarez asked, shock apparent on his face, “You’re seriously going to fire me? Knowing fully well I have a pregnant wife and kid to support? After everything we’ve been through? You’re going to throw away years of friendship because of this? You have the audacity to threaten me this way?”

Words already left Damien’s train of thought and at the moment, he had already begun to storm off into the building so he would not answer.

There was nothing he could do, than mask his utter regret and leave a still shocked Alvarez watching after him as he barged in through the glass doors.

Fuck!

……..

Madison rubbed her hands up and down uncomfortably, as she sat in a couch in Alvarez’s living room.

Although Alvarez and his wife had been trying their best to make her feel more comfortable, she still couldn’t help but feel like some sort of intruder.

Earlier today, she had calculated all the cash she had left with her and it hadn’t amounted to even half of what she could manage at all. It wasn’t enough to feed her for a week, or transport her to any far distances not that she even knew any place in New York at all.

She had considered options she had, which included getting a job, but after the media incident, and the fact that she had been painted in such a bad light she doubted if she could show her face in public again.

Even if she did would anyone be willing to hire her? She was so tired of living like some kind of fugitive.

All because she had accidentally spilled drinks on a two-thousand dollar dress and…

She was so lost in thought that she didn’t notice Alvarez’s pregnant wife walk into the living room, a bag of groceries in her hand.

“Madison?”

Snapping out of her thoughts, as she heard her name, Madison quickly raised her head to see the pretty young woman standing opposite her with a worried look on her face.

Her face reddening embarrassment, she quickly stood from the sofa, “I’m so sorry, did you say something?”

“No, no. I just came to see if you were okay. I’m about to make dinner. I was going to ask if there was anything you would specifically prefer.” Madison cringed at the thought of requesting a certain kind of food in someone else’s house, when she was squatting and not the other way round.

Who was she to request a food, adding to their upkeep burden? Besides, she had accepted a lot from Alvarez but she surely wasn’t that shameless to even think of making choices!

She shook her head, a small smile on her face, “Anything you make is fine by me.” Moving forward, she relieved her of the grocery bag, “I’ll take that. Let me help you with dinner. I can be off help to, instead of sitting here idly.”

The kind woman smiled, and said warmly, “Sure. Thank you, that would be lovely. Honestly I have been craving some company. It gets really lonely at home here sometimes. My daughter is engrossed with whatever in her room, and Alvarez is over at work. I’m bored.” She said jokingly as she led Madison into the kitchen, “You can start by slicing these.” She added, moving a bowl of vegetables toward Madison and nodding, pulling up her sleeves and washing her hands first then the vegetables, she took to work.

As she began to slice them, with the other woman at work too, she heard out of the blue, “So how did you meet Alvarez? I’m just curious to know how he was as a teenager.” Alvarez’s wife asked and laughed.

Madison froze, her chest squeezing in pain as the memories of the past flashed through her mind. She thought of the best way to tell Alvarez’s wife about his teenage self, without mentioning the other person she didn’t wish to think of but it was so freaking impossible … After a few moments of silence, she smiled, “Alvarez is pretty much the same, to be honest. Of course he’s even kinder and gentler than before, which is surprising but great because most people change as they grow older, and for some, those qualities become worse instead of better.”

“Really?” His wife beamed with pride continuing, “That’s great, I’m glad he changed for the better. What else though? Let’s not forget I really want to know… How did you guys meet?”

Madison gave another small smile, her heart tugging as she began her tale.

“He used to work at this tiny shop. The first time we met, we instantly clicked. And he was the goofiest person I have ever met.” Madison narrated, unable to control her laughter now. “He used to help me sneak out of my house, to watch these amazing circus shows. And he was the one who taught me how to ride a bike for the first time. There was this crazy dance he used to do when he got excited, we shared so many wonderful moments.” Madison giggled genuinely this time around, surprisingly warm and happy.

Alvarez’s wife looked surprised, “Wow. Goofy? That’s definitely a first for me.” She laughed but quickly added, “Don’t get me wrong he’s a sweet husband and father. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen him as goofy as you’re describing. Well except when he’s playing with our daughter, Ivy.”

Madison shrugged, “Life changes people, I guess. But Alvarez is still great the way he is. He had so many dreams, so much determination. And now he’s achieved every single one of them, including being married to a beautiful, amazing wife, I’m so proud of him.”

“He’s all right. Alvarez’s wife shrugged in mock indifference, bursting into a fit of laughter when Madison looked at her, “I’m just joking!” She quickly defended, and this time Madison facepalmed, as they both began to giggle uncontrollably.

The sound of the front door opening caught their attention, and Madison looked up to see Alvarez walk into the kitchen. The smile on his face looked somewhat forced, Madison noticed but didn’t ask immediately.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“Hey honey.” His wife greeted, turning on the tap to rinse her hand first before wobbling to Alvarez as fast as her heavy stomach would let her. She leaned in for an embrace which he gladly gave, kissing the top of her head lightly.

Madison watched the couple, a faint smile on her face. When Alvarez’s eyes met hers though, he just raised his hand in a weak wave before giving his wife one last kiss and exiting the kitchen.

Madison clutched the kitchen towel tightly in her right hand, as she felt a bad feeling going down her spine. Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong, she was very sure and she could feel it. That look in Alvarez’s eyes…she was almost certain that something had happened and it was not good. Worse off she had a sinking feeling, that it had something to do with her.

Alarmed and deciding to get to the bottom of it, she turned to Alvarez’s wife who was now stirring the steaming tomato sauce in the pot, singing to some song in her head. Dropping the kitchen towel on the counter after thoroughly cleaning her hand, she turned to her and mumbled, “I’ll be right back.”

Not waiting for a response, Madison swiveled towards the kitchen exit, and with worry and fear in her heart, she quickly followed behind Alvarez.