CLOSE BUDDIES

He drops beside me, his features all on me.


"Well, since my father decided to pull all the strings to drag me back to him, I have to look for a job to sustain myself. He is the one who froze my accounts. Can you imagine that?" I explain, and his face turns dark and pale all of a sudden.

He remains in a thinking state for a moment before speaking, "So, how is your father, and this supposed vacation of yours connected?" He asks.

"I worked alongside him in the family business until days ago," I state.


"So you ran away from home and left the company hanging? Your father is furious, and if he was able to freeze your accounts, I am afraid you are underestimating what he can do next, Ellie," he says, and I know he is right. But so what? That man has already done his worst.

"He can do his worst, Damian. There is no way I am dragging my arse back to him and his manipulative ways. This is nothing to make me go back. I will climb my way up the ladder again without his help," I fume.


He rubs my thigh to calm me down. God knows how I hate my father. I despise him for doing this to me. "What really is the deal between you two? What made you quit your job suddenly and run away? This seems deeper than you explain," he asks, browsing my face and crossing his arms on his chest.

"I am just tired of him using me and dictating my life. I am sick and tired of being controlled. His ways of thinking and doing things just deviate so much from mine, and that is where we crash. I can't take it anymore, Damian."

"But you know running away from a situation doesn't solve anything, Ellie. He is your father, and if he wants you back, he is not gonna stop. How long will you hide?"

I shake my head boldly. "I am not hiding anymore. I just want to be far away from him and his madness, and this is the best and only way. I am not running away from this place. If he dares to look for me, then I will confront him. I would like to see what more he is willing to do to his own daughter."

"But, Ellie..."

"Damian, please. I'm done. Let's not talk about this anymore. It breaks my heart to know how much my father is willing to go just to have me under his control again. I don't want to hate him more than I already do by thinking about him too much. Please," I plead.

"Okay. I promise, I won't bring it up again. So, have you found a job? You know you didn't have to go through all that hustle."

"I know. But I already found one."

"That first?" He curves an eyebrow.

"Yes," I say with a sense of hope warming my heart.

He smiles at me. "Are they paying enough?" he asks.

I wiggle my head slightly. Anything more than a coin in my situation is better than sitting down and waiting for life to slap me the way my father wants. "I can manage," I say with confidence.

"Manage, Ellie? Are you fucking kidding me? You are not that desperate to stoop to any job just because a shit happened unexpectedly. You can stay at my house while you find something decent. That hustle isn't for someone like you," he explains with concern.

"I get your point, but, no one is meant for that hustle, Damian. Shit just surprises you, as it did to me, and I found myself here. Just let me do this. I can't rely on you for help all the time. You have been kind enough," I explain.

Truth is, I have never been so determined as I feel right now. It's like I'm being challenged to challenge myself. To show my father that I can't only work for his company, nor can I only survive with his money. He taught me how to work for myself, and I will show him what a great investment he made in that field.

"Why don't you work for me? You don't have to struggle like this. With your expertise in the marketing field, I am sure I can find something for you in my company. I mean, marketers are always in demand."

Good offer, but I can't be a charity case, clinging to him for everything. "Thank you for the offer, Damian, but I need to do this. Maybe if the job doesn't turn out to be as helpful to me as I presume, I will consider your offer. But for now, let me do this." I insist.

"You are such a stubborn..."

"Hey! Don't you dare call me a bitch, or I will dismantle your face with this laptop," I tease.

"I wasn't going to call you that. You are too gorgeous to be called names like those," he states.

I cock an eyebrow. He is such a flirt. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. Gorgeous but so nagging and stubborn." He rolls his eyes at that.

"At least I am gorgeous. That reminds me, I lost in the alcohol bid. What sort of punishment am I in for this time around?" I ask.

It is still unbelievable that he did that for seven consecutive days, and he seems sober. I thought he wouldn't be able to sleep without even a glass, even on the first day. I guess I was wrong - so damn wrong.

"I told you. You are in for a hot one, but at the moment, just focus on finding out what that job is and completing your ongoing lessons, and then I can tell you my price."

"As you wish. Can you hold me now? I need someone to tell me that I will pull through this mess," I plead. And yes, that is how free we have become, and I am loving it.

"Come." He opens his arms, and I snuggle into his warm embrace, as his arms wrap around me. "You will pull through. I know you will, Ellie." He kisses my hair and rests his head there, while I close my eyes to his reassuring and encouraging words.