Homecoming 6

Stellar giggled as she watched Aki and Holden's exchange of words. She was so engrossed in her musing that she didn't notice an overbearing aura crept closer like a dark shadow on a moonlit night.

Before she knew it… before she could make a run for it… Beau Spencer was standing behind her back.

Stellar froze in her seat. Her nape broke out in a cold sweat and trickled down her back. Her eyes darted to Aki, searching for clues that her instincts were right—Beau Spencer was standing behind her.

"Hey, Beau!" Aki greeted. He had an inkling that either his mom or Auntie Babes sent the brooding Beau to haul and drag Stellar back into the party. Nobody could order Beau around except for those two ladies or the girl who brought him back in town. Whoever that girl was, Aki would worship her.

It was not as if he was eavesdropping or anything, but he just came out of the loo when he passed by the library and heard his mom and Auntie Babes gossiping. As if his ears had a mind of their own, it doubled its size and gravitated towards the library's door.

According to Auntie Babes, Beau shouldn't be coming home yet after flying out of the country for an emergency in one of their oil rigs, but apparently, Beau had to fly back home to personally meet someone because offshore communication had always been a challenge for decades.

Aki heard his mother gasped, so he gasped too. It didn't surprise Aki that he had the same thought as his mom when he heard her ask Auntie Babes whether it was a girl who Beau wanted to meet.

Aki tried pressing his ears closer to the door and heard his mother's loud gasp. If his guess was right, a lady was indeed the reason why Beau flew home ahead of schedule. Beau had never done that for anyone, except his sister Stellar when she was hospitalized. But they grew up together, so Beau's concern for Stellar at that time was understandable.

So, if the reason why Beau was home was for a girl, then it must only mean he was dead serious about her.

That news alone was a big deal to the heir of the Spencer Family, who was the wealthiest family in the country, monopolizing the oil and energy industry. In short, marrying into the Spencer family was akin to royalty.

It was expected of Beau to marry someone who came from the same pedigree as his family. He was not only marrying, he would technically pick someone who could stand beside him in all the functions he had to attend. And whoever he picked would reflect on who he was as a businessman.

"Hi," Beau responded to Aki with a compass of his hand. Stopping a step behind Stellar, he planted his hand on top of her head. "Mom would like to have a word with this doll."

"Oh, great. They've sent reinforcements," Aki exasperated, slapping his hands on his thigh. "See? I told you they were looking for you. Go. Drag her, if you will. She'll put up a fight though, so be careful with her claws," Aki warned, a smirk painted on his face.

"I believe I got the memo earlier."

Stellar's head snapped up and saw Beau swipe his thumb on his perfect angled jawline which looked annoying, she was tempted to butt her head against it one more time just to make a dent on it. She glared at him, swatting his hand off of her head. "Disgusting," she seethed.

Pulling her wait up, she dusted herself and searched for her slippers. Just as she bent to pick it up, Holden was quicker to pick it up for her.

"Thank you, Brother Holden! You're the best. I'll see you around! And you, Aki! Are you sure you want to be a priest? You can be a broadcast journalist, you know." Stellar stuck her tongue out before bolting away from Aki who attempted to kick dirt towards her.

Meanwhile, silence lingered like a dead weight while Stellar and Beau made their way back to the party. Stellar was tempted to glance up and steal a peep on his face, but she held back. She was doing great all day dodging every encounter or chance encounter with Beau.

In short, Stellar cooped up inside her bedroom for the most part of the day. However, she knew that she couldn't escape him all the time. He always found a way to worm inside the dome she caged herself in. He always did. And that was what made her scared of him because when she let him inside, he just left without any word and broke her heart.

In her absentmindedness, Stellar kept walking behind Beau and followed where his shadow went. She let her feet dragged her body like an empty shell. Step after step on the curving staircase, Stellar let herself drown in thoughts of why she was never enough.

In her mom's eyes, Stellar did not have the right frame of mind to make decisions for herself. It was always her mom who called the shots in her life because apparently; she sucked at making one. Aster picked what degree Stellar had to enroll. Now, she had to meet the man her mother picked for her to marry.

Stellar paused, her eyes trained on the floor as she waited for Beau to open the door for her, which he always did because he was raised to be a gentleman and a devastatingly handsome as*hole.

Entering the library, Stellar walked ahead of Beau. She halted in her step when she took a sharp breath and her nose was assaulted with crisp and fresh lavender wafting in the air. It took a split second for Stellar to realize that she was not in the library… she was in her F-ing bedroom.

Suddenly, her heart demanded to be released from its cage, slamming painfully in her chest. Fight or Flight. Fight or Flight. Stellar's mind went haywire, but to pick an option was futile because Stellar heard the lock clicking into place and the el diablo—Beau Spencer—was blocking the door.