Chapter 6: Nostalgia

Dylan drives back home; meanwhile, Janice sits next to him, seeing her reflection in the mirror. It's noon, and the outside environment is very cold, but she feels hot inside the car due to the heater, so she takes off her coat and tosses it in the backseat. Dylan notices but doesn't say anything; instead, he curls his lips. She rotates her head towards his direction and finds him gazing at the street, his face devoid of expressions.

He thrust his hand inside his pocket and held out a phone for her to examine. She curiously scans and, at an instant, recognizes the owner. “Oh, thank God my phone is all right. I thought I'd lost it at the party,” she says, flipping her phone. She suspiciously looks at him and then tosses her phone inside her cross-body purse.

She thinks that she can't hold back any longer, so she begins, “Well... I've had a friendly talk with Kingsley recently… he is pretty interesting. I kinda like him”. She looks at Dylan and finds him expressionless. She notices something in the sky and points her finger. “Look at the skyline! So striking”. The sky appears to show a mixture of colours and orange lines- scattered with scattering clouds. Dylan only nods.

“I wonder why we go at CK villa,” she says, knowing that now she will find the answer to her every question.

“You don’t like it?” he asks, slightly surprised.

“Though many are dying to get in just to get a glimpse, but I don’t think it is obvious.” She shrugs. “There is a gossip that girls are dying to have one nightstand with three of you. Well, obviously, you all are charming… why would they miss a chance?”

“And that counts you too?” he asks.

“Ah! No, certainly not! Why are you dragging me in? I was just saying this casually,” she says, waving her hand as a defense. "I’m not that type of woman who throws oneself on guys to seduce them.”

“It’s okay. I was only teasing you,” says Dylan.

“You know I overhear Kingsley. He was saying something regarding fight”. She pauses. “Is it related to me? Isn't it?” She feels his grip tightens on the steering wheel, and she gets her answer.

She frowns at him. How dare he set up her like that? He sold her without bargains without further negotiations? What will she do? She is so angry with him right now, but she drinks her anger in order to remain calm, at least to show him that his acts are nothing in front of her. Inside she knows her stomach burns to hell.

They are taekwondion; no doubt they can fight whenever they want to or can challenge anyone, but she isn't a rookie herself. She can't even remain in the ring for one round. They will assuredly laugh at her. He chooses to sell her dignity rather than let her die. Why? Everyone has already left her alone; why can't he too?

She wants to shout at him and ask him why he set up, why he sold her, but when she speaks, her voice remains steady. “Will you mind explaining to me why you are in a rush?” asks Janice. Dylan neither replies nor he nods; he looks like he is occupied.

“I want answer Mr. Yu… answer to every of my question. I’m not bound to be obedient for you. And why should I? Who the hell are you to me?” There is a long pause in which she only stares at him, but he doesn’t look at her. “Hey, I'm talking to you!” says Janice impatiently. “What's the matter with you? Can't you act normal?”

Janice peevishly moves forward, grips the steering wheel, and rotates it carelessly. Dylan instantly applies the brake. Shocked. She always surprises him with her moves, but this time, her surprise is too costly. He seems not to like it very much.

“Are you out of your mind?” He burst out without even thinking about the impact of his harsh words. “You wanna die? Okay! so die alone; why drag me with you?”

“Bastard! You ask for it,” says Janice. Without warning, she opens the car door and storms away.

He unfastens the seatbelt and darts toward her direction. “Get in the car!” he commands. He reaches out and holds her wrist tightly.

She frees herself from his grip. “You wish!” she says and turns to her heels. Hold your tears, Janice. He isn't worthy of them. She wipes the corner of her eyes with her fingertips.

He tries to catch her, but he knows she is out of his reach. He remains, standing there watching her running away from him, holding tears in her aqua blue eyes. He thinks her tears resemble much like tremendous waves of the ocean; he thinks he could just drown in them.

He looks with empty eyes in the direction where she has just run, but there is no sign of her. He pulls himself together and gets in the car. He feels empty- empty of all emotions. Fu*k! He slams his fist on the steering wheel.

Dylan lights a cigarette, takes a puff, leans on the chair, and rests his head behind.

Sigh!

He is in his room which is dimly lighted. Ahead of him is a glass wall which gives a beautiful view of the xxx city. In front of him lies a mini-table onto which an ashtray is placed full of ashes and cigarette butts. It's been evening, and he is still lingering on what had happened this noon. The sight of her, the tears in her eyes, disturb him. He feels helpless.

“These cigarettes are not comforting me today,” says he. He takes out his phone from his pant pocket, unlocks it, and opens the photo of Janice, which he took while she was sleeping the other day.

“Where are you?” he asks in a low whisper. “It's only 5 hours of separation and I'm missing her. Don’t know whether she is okay or not”.

He opens the tracer record. He knows that he can never lose her, not this time. That night when she was sleeping, he asked his secretary to implant a tracker in her phone, so he would find her wherever she went.

It comes to him as a shock when he discovers how far away she is from the place where they quarrel. He knows that she doesn’t have money even to buy a bus ticket, and it is impossible for her to cover this much distance on her own in such a short time. Is someone helping her, or is she in danger? Suddenly, his phone rings, lightening his face.