Chasing Imperfection (Chasing Series 2) (5 page)

     “You’re leaving? You’re not staying longer?”
H
er fingers fidget
ed on her purse straps. She did
that when she’s nervous.
Good
, I didn
’t want her to think that things
would
be the same after she dumped me without even giving me a chance to explain properly—another chance to prove that I did mean everyt
hing
I said and promised
her. I’m not going to be the considerate man that she once knew.

     “I have to go to Rome for a few hours. I’ve been summoned by my uncle. I’ll be back when I can.”

     “Oh, right. Um have a safe flight then—
wait
—
do you want to go get some coffee before you leave? I haven’t had one yet—”

     “No. I’m busy
. I have to go.”

     My rejection threw her off. Even when we were friends, I always succumbed to her wants—not anymore. I can’t stand being with her in the same vicinity without wanting to strangle her. It’s best that I leave before I say something I would regret
later on
.

     I nodded and left her
standing
there, looking hurt and not knowing what to do. Striding towards the awaiting black Bentley without looking back, I released a long breath after sliding
into
the confines of the car
. I then
ordered Robert to drive me to the office in South Bank to get some paperwork before leaving for the airport.

     Luke greeted
me cordially
once I entered my office floor. He was alerted the moment I entered the building. I want every single branch that I own to run efficiently.

    
He handed me all the paperwork I needed to go through today and briefed me with all the ongoing progress in all branches of the company. After listening without interrupting him, I excused myself to go to the annexed apartment I have inside my office. I could’ve easily gone to my apartment. But I didn’t, I simply can’t. That place is haunted by memories of her. Her scent lingered everywhere in my room and I’m not ready to step in there knowing full well I won’t recover if I do.

     I welcomed the silence once I entered th
e annex apartment. It contained
a massive king-sized bed, full shower, and a well-equipped stainless steel kitchen
. The whole place was decorated
with
Sienna’s solo portraits from Chad’s show.
Her other ones with
that
man named Troy I could do without. I might
accidentally
burn them all.
There were six solo portraits—but the bloody creti
n took the other one
he
kept staring
at all evening. I’m sure that image reminded him of something significant—that’s why we ended up fighting that night. I punched his jaw without a second thought
after
Chad informed me that Kyle purchased the portrait already
. “She’s my girlfriend. Don’t even think twice of trying to take her away from me. I will ruin you Matthews! I can easily ruin you.” I remembered threatening him while others
scrambled
to exit the room.

    
“She was mine first—don’t you ever forget that you
asshole! Once
she realizes that you’re
just
a
fucking
playboy
and she’s just one of the passing girls
—she’s going to run back to me! I’m always here for her. That’s how it’s been and that’s how it always
will
be. She hasn’t been with anyone
apart from me and you
—
what you guys have is lust
not love
, nothing else.
Dude—g
et your shit together before you threa
ten me
,
you stupid British fuck!” he yelled and huffed angrily before storming out of the room.

     Once he left, I felt helpless. What Sienna and I have—it’s more than that.
I knew it
—my heart knows it—my soul knows it. I felt it with her kisses and the way she looked at me
.
I tried
to convince myself
that
what Kyle said didn’t
bear
any fruit.

     
I stood in the middle of the room staring at her
decadent
po
rtrait
and looked for answers. As if her eyes can tell me all her hidden secrets.
How I wish I knew what they were.

    
“I took a hold of her arm and linked it to mine and lightly tugged her to follow me out of the room and headed towards the
gallery office
.

    
I needed to be with her. I needed confirmation that she’s mine
and that she won’t ever leave me. I
remembered
hop
ing
that she would love me the way that I loved her.

    
Memories of that nig
ht tugged something inside
.
My eyes started to tear and
I immediately
composed myself.
I
profusely
cursed her portrait
profusely
before
I
headed
towards the
bathroom
.

    
Call me a masochist, but I
needed
to see her face once in awhile. My heart is turning into a sinister dark ice, stone cold and black. I needed to be reminded—even for a second—that I once loved fully and fiercely
with no boundaries
. Glimpses of the future I once yearned
for
with her.
T
he limited time I spent with her
was
the happiest I’ve ever been since my parents were taken away from me.

     I knew I fucked up when I didn’t tell her
about the arranged marriage
. But s
he could’ve at least stayed,
listened
and given me the opportunity to fully explain myself
. But she didn’t—that’s why I hate her.
Her rejection
when I proposed on the pavement in Covent Garden will forever be
tattooed
in my memory.
I hate her for jumping ship.

    
I’
m going to expand what my grandfather’s father built. I’m going to exceed everyone’s expectations and then some.
I’m exceptional in what I do.
I
t
’
s
the only thing I have a control of
,
its outcome, its future.

     Stepping out of the steam shower, I walked over to the medium-sized walk-in closet adjacent to the bathroom. The call from my uncle’s wife, Seraphina, baffled me. If my
uncle
wanted to talk, he could’ve called himself. Was he sick?

    
Both of my maternal grandparents died before I was even born
. After mum died, he was the only relative I was close to in my mother’s side.
I’
m close enough
with
my
uncle,
Luciano Vittori
, my mother’s only brother
. We catch up once or twice a year. He’s a busy man as well. He runs the family vineyard in Tuscany. Luciano and Seraphina used to be such a happy couple, they
once reminded of my parents
. But all that changed when my seventeen year old cousin, Alessandro, crashed his brand new Lamborghini
in
to
a tree going
one
hundred twenty miles per hour on a curve
d road. A
unt Seraphina died that day as well. She was never the same. The sunny person turned solemn and bitter.

     I dressed in light blue dress shirt and black trousers. I needed a shave but
I don’t have the time to do so
.

    
I need to get to Rome as soon as po
ssible and get this over with.

    
The past two weeks have been such a nightmare. The
news
about Chad’s suicide
attempt
took a toll
on
my sleep. I kept going in circles about his actions. The lively man who was
once
robust and full of life decided he no longer wanted to live. When I saw him earlier, I became angry. Why
didn’t any of us see this? Were
we that selfish that we couldn’t see our friend
was
going through
pure utter
hell?

    
Sienna adores Chad, we all do. But they were closer—they were each other’s confidante
s
. Chad became a part of our circle, became a friend. The fact of him being gay didn’t bother me a bit.
True,
Chad tends to be flamboyant, but that’s just a part of him. The other major part that others can’t see is the man behind the
persona
. The man who’s devoted to the people he cares about, the gifted man who has an eye for beauty and captures it exceptionally, the man who was crying out for help and left broken to be alone.

    
I knew all four us felt guilty. Our faces said it all. The minute Chad comes out of his coma I will keep a closer eye on him and make sure he gets all the help he needs. I knew he will come through. That man may be broken right now—but he has
the
spirit of a fighter.

     I summoned Richard to wait for me outside the building and started to make phone calls. Mentally delegating in my head which one
s
should be taken care of
first
and which ones can be done last. I have a
photographic
memory and I’m a whiz when it came to numbers or I wouldn’t be nicknamed
“
genius
”
by the
Times
magazine if I wasn’t good in what I do.

     I’m hoping to be back by seven tonight and see Chad again before I head out to Marbella tomorrow morning. I’m exhausted from all the country hopping—but I’d rather deal with that than with my emotions and where my thoughts lead to.
It never
did solve
anything.

    
Get
ting out of the car
I
climbed
the stairs of
my
G650 Gulfstream jet custo
mized and fitted to my liking. I
was
greeted by a hot
willing
stewar
dess, a
Nordic beauty.
I
smiled back at her. I might need a distraction later.

    
Seated and situated, I dialed Toby.
The moment
he
picked up, I forgot about the Nordic beauty hovering about the cabin. I
had
informed him about the flight to Italy earlier in the hospital and he seemed intrigued and asked what Luciano
wanted
and I to
ld him I had no clue. I notified
him that
my
assistant,
Luke
,
will send him a few emails and
those
needed to be do
ne urgently. Before
cut
ting
off the call, I hea
rd
a familiar
laugh in the background,
Sienna
. She was laughing about something Lucy
had just
said.

    
My heart contracted with the sound
of her laugh
.
How
I’ve missed that laugh. I pressed the bridge of my nose
trying to reign
in
the emotions well
ing
about
.

    
Damn, that
wretched
witch of a woman.

     But I’d rather die than admit that to her or to anyone. We were in the same circle of friends. We have to endure being in each other’s company. I might as well get used to it.  I will be seeing a lot of her very soon when Chad awakens.

4

Sienna

    
“You’re leaving? You’re not staying longer?” I asked
Blake,
my voice slightly pleading.