by L. Marcelo
“Guess that settles your problem.” Therry had a huge grin on his face knowing that there was no way his little sis can back out now.
“But I have a lot of work scheduled tomorrow and I need to finish them too.” She said in defense. It was true that she had tons of work scheduled tomorrow and it wasn’t like she has anyone who could cover for her. She was a one-woman company and companies like this couldn’t just take a day off whenever she felt like it.
Besides, she didn’t have any idea about the concert nor did she know they would invite her. She didn’t want to decline them either especially when they came to her house and invited her personally. And the fact that they even got her a VIP ticket didn’t make things any better.
Everything was in front of her and all she had to do was say yes but she hesitated.
“Come on sis. It’s only a few hours.” Therry insisted.
He wanted her to go. Not just for RMM but also for herself. He wanted her to spend some time enjoying her life and not just working like crazy. He knew the girl deserved to be happy and he goddamn knew if she went to the concert, she would have a great time. He would make sure of that. RMM would.
“I don’t know if it’s a go-“ Rayle cut her off.
“We’re just asking a few hours of your time. Is it that fucking hard? If we don’t want you to be there, we won’t be wasting our time convincing you to go. We should even be resting now but we came here because we wanted to invite you in person. That’s how much we wanted you to come.” Rayle sounded annoyed.
She didn’t see that coming. Rayle never really got mad at her. They always fight like cat and dogs but this wasn’t one of those fights. He was dead serious.
Oooooh… This is interesting. Therry thought as he watched the two.
Rayle was the kind of man who never lost his cool especially when it comes to Meahri. This was a first. It looked like he reached his limit.
“If you don’t want to go then fine. I’d rather go home and rest than waste my time convincing you.” He stood up from the couch and was on his way towards the doorway.
Before he could reach the door, Meahri caught his arm. “Wait Rayle.” She was confused.
“What?” He asked in annoyance.
She saw the look on his face and she knew it was real. He wasn’t acting nor was he trying to fool her. He was mad.
“Fine, I’ll go.” She sounded like she wasn’t sure of her own answer and Rayle knew it.
“Don’t force yourself if you don’t want to. You have the ticket. If you want to go, then go. If you don’t, then don’t. Just don’t waste the ticket. Give it to someone else. They might thank you for the rest of their lives for giving it to them.” He said flatly.
“If there’s nothing else, I’m going to leave now.” He pulled his hand away from her.
“Rayle, I’m coming with you.” Tyler called out.
“Rayle, come on. You’re not seriously mad, right?” She was worried. The man can’t be seriously mad at her for such small thing, right?
“I’m tired Meahri. See you whenever.”
Rayle opened the door and left with Tyler behind him.
Therry was lost for words. What the hell just happened? Did Rayle seriously just do that to Meahri? Did he just leave her without even looking back? Was the kid for real?
The Rayle he knew would never do that. He can’t even imagine him not looking at Meahri without those heart shaped eyes. Now, he was mad at her. He didn’t even apologize. He didn’t look sorry at all. Was it because she wasn’t going to the concert or he finally had the courage to tell her what he truly felt?
We’re just asking a few hours of your time. Is it that fucking hard? Rayle’s words kept on repeating on Therry’s head. It took him a while to realize what the kid meant.
He was definitely talking about his feelings.
He felt bad for the kid but there wasn’t anything he can do. His little sis loved Vhynce and she still does. There was no room for Rayle in her heart. There never was. It was never going to happen between them. The kid has to accept that.
He heard his phone made a sound and he knew it meant he received a message. He took his phone and checked who it was. It was Rayle.
Therry. Don’t you fucking leave her place until you convinced her to come. I’ve already done my part.
The kid was fucking acting! Therry cursed in his head. He never saw that coming.
Fuck you Rayle! I thought you’re mad at her for real. I fell for that. You asshole! He typed his reply as he tried his best not to show what was happening between him and Rayle.
A few seconds later, he received a reply from Rayle.
Guess that’s how good I am. It’s all up to you now. Make sure she’ll come, Therry. It’s his last chance.
He could imagine the kid’s face when he typed that message. He was damn sure that he had a huge grin on his face. He couldn’t believe he fell for it but he did. He had to admit, it felt real. The kid sure pushed his limit on that act.
You’ve done a great job asshole. I give you that. I’ll make sure she’ll come. Leave this to me.
He typed his reply before he turned it on silent mode and put it back in his pocket. He just wanted to be safe if ever Rayle replied again. He didn’t need any other distraction now. He had something to do and he needed to get the job done.
“Is Rayle for real?” He heard Meahri speak with disbelief as she walked towards the couch.
“I’m pretty sure he is.” He agreed.
“He’s being unreasonable. How can he get mad at me for something that simple? It wasn’t his concert. It was Vhynce’s concert. Why did he have to be so serious about it?” She asked in annoyance. Now it was her turn to be annoyed.
“Sis, he is being reasonable. We’re only asking a few hours of your time. We want you to be there. We want you to watch us perform. You’re our friend of course we want you to be there.”
He had a point. He didn’t say it because he wanted to side with Rayle. He said it because it was the truth. They were only asking for a few hours and she can’t give it to them. Did she really consider them as her friends?
“You guys are teaming up against me.” She muttered.
“We’re not. I’m only telling you the truth.” He stopped as he looked at her. She looked so confused. She didn’t have any idea what was happening but she was trying her best to understand everything even though it was obviously taking all her brain cells to process it.
“Fine.” She said wanting to end the conversation.
“Sis, don’t be mad at Rayle. He wants you to be there. We all want to. It’s for a few hours and we won’t ask for anything more. That’s all we ask of you. We want you to enjoy the show with us…” He put his hand on her head and patted her before he continued.
“It doesn’t feel right without you there. You’ve been with the team for a while now. We miss you.”
“I messed up didn’t I?” She sounded small. Looked like she realized what she had done.
“This time, you really did.” He just had to emphasize the last three words. He had to rub it to her.
“I’m sorry.” She said in a low voice
“If you really are, you’ll come.” He said flatly.
He wasn’t black-mailing her nor was he trying to make her feel guilty. He wasn’t indicating anything but he knew it would work on her.
And it did.
Chapter Six
It had been years since the last time Meahri attended a concert especially Vhynce’s concert. Ever since he retired, she stopped attending concerts and events. Not only because she didn’t have any concert and events to attend to but also because she was too busy working towards her dreams. The same dream that she never thought would bring her back to him – the same man she fell in love with 6 years ago.
She was seated in the front row for the New York stop of Vhynce’s US tour. If it were 6 years ago, she would’ve died for a seat like the one she have now but back then, things were different.
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br /> Back then, he was a rockstar and she was a mere fangirl.
6 years ago, she never thought that she’d be where she was now. She can’t believe that all of those things happened but no matter how she tried to hide it or forget it, it did happen.
It has been almost 6 months since everything between Meahri and Vhynce ended. Everything felt surreal for her. Whenever she remembered that once in her life, the man of her dreams, the man she only loved, once belonged to her.
At some point in time, she too lost track of time due to her work.
Now that she realized how long it had been, she can’t believe she was able to survive it. She knew she couldn’t have survived it if it weren’t for her RMM family – well except Vhynce.
Vhynce was currently performing one of his hit songs.
She watched him with a happy heart. She hasn’t forgotten him, the pain, everything, but it was better for her now. She knew it would take a long time before the pain would disappear or maybe not, but slowly, she learned to live with it bit by bit.
While she watched him, she realized that she was back to her world, the world where she belonged in. The world where she can freely watch the man of her dreams do what he loves, the same world where she learned to love him secretly.
A lot of years had passed but she never forgot the feeling of being a fangirl, a fangirl of Vhyncent Vinhelm - the rockstar who made a difference. She was back in the crowd, the crowd she missed for so long. It was filled with screaming girls and boys who support and loved Vhynce’s music.
She missed it.
After he performed some of his hits, it was Rayle’s turn. Looked like it was time for RMM artists to perform. She enjoyed watching them like she always did.
For a while, she forgot everything. She enjoyed watching her loved ones do what they love. She felt so happy and proud of each of them. She knew how talented they are and was happy that with this concert, she knew that more people would know them more and their music.
Just when everyone thought that the concert ended with RMM’s stage, they were so wrong. It was just the start of the concert.
Everyone left the stage except Vhynce.
He sat at the middle of the stage. An instrumental version of one of his songs started to play as the huge screen on both sides of the stage started to play a video. It was a compilation of photos and short clips from his events years ago. As it continued to play, he started talking.
“I know all of you had been curious about all these. This concert out of the blue and especially these clips and photos.” He stopped when the fans replied with a scream.
“6 years ago, I met a girl. I didn’t know who she was but when I got inside that café, there was something in her that made me curious about her.” There was a smile on his face as he said the words. He looked like he was reminiscing about that time in the past.
“I remember, when I was talking to a very good friend of mine. He said, ‘She’s not as sexy as those models we used to like. She’s not as beautiful as our type either.’ He told me those things and yet he told me that she was an amazing girl. He wasn’t making any sense. Don’t you think so too?” He stopped as he looked at different parts of the stadium.
“At first, I thought he was crazy. I thought he was wrong to say that she’s an amazing girl. I didn’t expect that I was actually the one who was mistaken. I really hate it whenever he’s right.”
The fans laugh at that. His fans knew that it was most likely Therry he was talking about. They knew how close they were. Vhynce complained about it a lot when he was still a rockstar so there was a big possibility that it was Therry.
“6 years ago, she was a stranger who made me very happy. She was the first girl I met who didn’t know who I was, not even my name and I loved it. I thought it would be the first and last time we’d see each other… Who would have thought that after 5 years, we’d meet again…”
This time the scream was toned down just a bit. Seemed like some of his fans are close to tears knowing what was coming their way. They were his fans. They weren’t stupid to not know what their rockstar was trying to say.
He stood up and started to walk around the stage.
“She’s such an amazing girl that even I can’t believe how lucky I am to have met her. She’s a very talented artist and I’ll always be… always be proud of her. She’s someone who works so hard that sometimes she ends up sleeping in front of her computer. She’s that hardworking that’s why she deserves to be where she is now.”
“Many people may think that she’s only a talented artist but truth is, we, RMM, love her for who she is. I love her for who she is. She was perfect but I was too stupid to see it.”
While Vhynce was talking, the huge screen stopped playing the video. It started showing what was inside the stadium, him, the stage, and the fans. The camera pointed to different people from the crowd as he continued to talk.
“She may think that she was my fangirl. Truth is, she was never that. For me, she had always been my girl.” He made sure to emphasize the last two words.
After he acknowledged that everyone was right for saying he was an ass, he came to realize that it didn’t matter if Meahri was a fangirl. He didn’t fell for her because she was a talented artist. He fell for her for who she was, her as a person. Knowing it, he finally understood.
He always treated Meahri as his girl and nothing else.
“She’s a girl who treasures her loved ones so much. She loves them so much that sometimes she forgets to leave some for herself. If there was a word for it, her love is unconditional… This amazing girl… She once belonged to me.”
The scream was so loud that it was strong enough to break down the stadium.
What did he expect? He never admitted to being in a relationship or even having someone special. He knew his fans had some suspicions but he never said a word. It was a different thing when it came exactly from their rockstar’s mouth.
“Yes, she’s not mine anymore. It was all my fault. I was an ass to her. She didn’t deserve me and yet she loved me unconditionally. I just wished that it’s not yet too late for me… for us.”
He went down the stage, the camera followed his every move. He stopped exactly in front of Meahri. She wasn’t looking at him and he knew exactly what was happening. He kneeled down and put his hands on both sides of her face.
She was crying. Again.
Truth was, she wasn’t just crying, she was sobbing. She tried her best to cry silently or even stop the tears but she can’t. They didn’t want to stop. Whether it was because of happiness or pain was something that only Meahri knew.
He was lost for words.
Ever since the incident, he didn’t see her again. He had never seen her while she was in pain and he had never seen her cry this much. He knew how much pain he caused her but he never had an idea how much tears she shed for him. He kept on wiping her tears but they weren’t stopping.
He hated to see her cry but what he hated the most was he was the reason for her tears.
He can’t take it. He didn’t know what to do, what to tell her. He decided to show her what words couldn’t express. He wanted to feel his girl in his arms again even though he didn’t have any idea what was running through her head. He took her in his arms. He expected her to push him but she didn’t. The moment was blissful for him. He never thought that he’d have her in his arms again.
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry Meahri. All I ever wanted to tell you was how sorry I am for everything. I was an ass for leaving you. You’re my only girl, always been and will always be… I’ve been yours since day one. Please, just please tell me it’s not yet too late for me. For us. I want you to be mine. Only mine.” He whispered.
He knew that it was very selfish of him to say those words but it was his exact thoughts. He was tired of lying to everyone, to her and most of all, to himself. He can’t afford to imagine her belonging to someone else.
Whatever was shared between them now was only between t
he two of them.
Before the concert started, he strictly instructed that once he approached Meahri, his microphone would be turned off. He told them that they would only turn it on when they started walking towards the stage.
No words were needed between them especially when he got the answer he had been waiting for. She hugged him back. He was so happy that he didn’t know what else to do but hugged her tighter.
She didn’t like being around a lot of people and right now, she was crying her heart out in front of 50,000 people. Not to mention, they were Vhynce’s fans. Also, don’t forget the fact that some of them were once her friends too. It was so unlike her. She hated the attention but right now, she didn’t goddamn care.
It was her fucking moment.
Seeing how much she was crying, he was trying his best not to cry. He was happy. He wasn’t just happy, he was so, too, super – and all the other words that have the same meaning - happy that he wanted to cry.
His girl was now back in his arms. He missed her so much. He missed how she felt in his arms. He missed everything about her but he can’t afford not to notice how much weight she lost. It had been almost 6 months, suddenly, she felt so small around his arms. The last time he remembered, she wasn’t that small and he was sure as hell that it was him who caused it.
He may love those slim sexy girls. Who wouldn’t? All men do but that was the Vhyncent Vinhelm in the past. He loved his old Meahri, the girl who was made to fit his arms perfectly. He wanted that Meahri back.
She can’t believe that she was in Vhynce’s arms once again but little did she know that it was just the beginning. She didn’t have any idea how much sleepless nights, money, and effort he spent just to win her back.
He pulled away.
She was still in tears and he knew she wasn’t planning to stop anytime soon. He wasn’t proud of it but he prepared so many things for her that he couldn’t just let everything end here. As much as he wanted to take her home, he can’t. Not just yet.
“Come with me.” He wanted to ask for her permission but he wasn’t planning on taking no for an answer.