Sitting in the car, Leena was giggling like a child as if she has won a gold medal by masking the devil and escaping from his clutches. Just because she has entered into the men’s bathroom once, he has been throwing punch after punch at her face with his sharp words for straight six hours in the flight. He deserves that little punishment. He might have not expected the last strike would be mine.

Her talks and thoughts were broken by the sounds of her ringing mobile. She smiled and immediately picked up the call looking at the caller ID.

“Hey, Babie.” A sweet honey voice echoed into ears.

“Jane! Don’t call me babie. Don’t you think it’s a shame to my badass look?” She pouted.

“I wonder if you ever live a day without being narcissistic.” Jane chuckled shaking her head.

“I am not narcissist, you are just jealous that I am gorgeous, ” Leena remarked and opened the tablet putting maps of her destination place.

“I surrender to you milady.” Jane lifted her arms giving up. No one can put a stop to her wise mouth. They have to surrender before her.

“You are pardoned for accepting your fault prisoner.” Leena giggled and added.” How is life there?”

“Struggling with two monkeys.”

“You can call him a monkey. But not my cutie.” She smiled imagining the sweet little trouble makers face.

“Speaking of that monster, she has become a brat with her mischievous stunts and she is missing you a lot, always asks about you. She assumes the TV remote as her mobile even calls your number talking to herself.”

“But I bet that monster is missing only the toys I bring.”

Leena burst out laughing shaking her head.

“Leave about cutie now. I have some other pressing matter to discuss with you.”

“What is it?” Leena knew where the conversation would lead to.

“I got to know that you are in Seattle today. Why did you go alone, Leena?” Jane chided her.

“I would be fine Jane,” Leena whispered in a hushed tone. Now that she mentioned, all the memories of this place were starting to resurface again. She had a hard time sleeping with her nightmares yesterday fighting over her fears. Although she had always maintained a strong front, the trauma she suffered in the past was her weakness which she could never forget. But all of them momentarily vanished away the moment she entered into the flight. Leena unconsciously looked at her hand missing the warmth.

“Seattle is his home. He will come for you the moment he comes to know now that you are there. I can’t believe Francis has accepted to send you alone.”

“Don’t scold my Francy. I threatened him. Besides, wasn’t he good to me during our university days.” Leena tried to ease the atmosphere curbing her friend’s anger. Leena gazed at the destination route she has put it on the maps to check if it is moving in the right direction. Although the driver seems good, she would never lower her guards when travelling with a stranger.

“I never liked him,” Jane said.

“Is it because he used your name in order to talk with me?” She smiled at Jane’s stubbornness for not forgetting that incident until now.

“I have never liked him from the start. I was always against your relationship.” She has never liked him for her best friend, Leena deserved the best, someone who cherishes her, not that bastard who had always ignored for someone else. She shuddered thinking of that night, the pain, her fears Leena had struggled for a year with a broken leg and arm. All of them were still fresh in her memory. He did not even visit once even when she was hospitalized. Although Leena tries to keep everyone around her happy, deep inside she carries a lonely her which she would not even show it outside.

“Jane. I_”

“Let’s not talk about him, Leena.” She cut off her conversation afraid that her trauma would hit her again. “I heard interesting news that you have been behaving weirdly due to someone.”

Leena clenched her fists. That annoying Reese cannot even hold her tongue for a minute. I should give her a dozen poop ice cube trays when I return to NewYork.

“Back to earth Leena. Are you thinking of him again? Is he handsome?” Jane asked with excitement.

Handsome? She has never seen such a handsome specimen in her entire life. Unconsciously her thoughts drifted to the airport lounge, the way he cared for her. She could sense worry and anxiety in his eyes the moment she told she is sick. The amount of pressure he put on her waist during lifting her up due to the lack of experience made her flinch in pain but it was more assurance to her than any other promises she could hear. It was a simple genuine touch that spoke millions of words to her as if saying he is always there to take care of her. All these feelings were foreign to her and have never felt the same with Ethan. But she was scared.

No. Never. I don’t need a man in my life. She was scared of it. Despite she has not loved, she has invested her trust on someone for someone and had faced enough consequences. Her broken leg was less painful than the shattered heart when she came to know the truth.. She doesn’t want to go on that path again.