Chapter 3

BASH I can't form a word other than groan and whine from pain. "Bash, oh, my god! I'm so sorry. I don't mean to hit you hard on your balls." She rubs my head down to my back.  I blow some breaths before I speak. "Are you trying to kill me, Kiara Trinity?" I yell at the top of my lungs. "That hurts like hell. I don't wanna be infertile, you ugly goldfish!" I gritted between groans.  She is still rubbing her hands on me. "I said sorry, Bash. You don't have to be a bully. I really don't mean to hit you on your balls." Trinity tries to hide her laughter, but there's still a hint of it in her voice. "Stop saying balls, Virgin Mary. And stop rubbing my back! It won't ease the pain. You know where you hit me, Nerida! Goldfish! Stick?" I take her hand off of me. The pain lessens a little bit after a few deep breaths. I glance at her. She's hugging her sketchpad and about to cry. I can see her lips quivering even if she's biting her bottom lip to control it. Jeez, why does she have to cry every time I upset her? She's so sensitive. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that," I apologize, but she doesn't say anything anymore. She's going to hide from me again. "Should I rub your balls instead?" she asks hesitantly, wiping the tears from her eyes.  I move closer to her and pull her into a hug. I kiss the side of her head and rub her arms while she shakes to cry. "I said, I'm sorry. It hurts, and I know you don't mean it, Tri. You don't have to rub my balls." I chuckle at my last words. "You're not gonna hide from me, are you?" "You can live without me, Bash. You will make new friends. You will have a girlfriend who will not be bothered by our friendship." What the hell is she talking about? "What do you mean, Trinity?" I pull away and look at her intently. She sniffs as she wipes her tears with the back of her hand. Why do I feel like she just played me? We applied to the same college together. We planned all of these together, and now I feel like she'll leave me hanging. Alone. She doesn't reply, and it makes me furious. She continues crying and looking down while twisting her fingers. "Trinity, answer me, for Pete's sake!" I can't help but raise my voice. She startles in her seat and sobs more.  "You didn't apply, did you? You have no plan on coming abroad with me?" I push. Still, she doesn't say a word, shakes her head, or nod. "You lied to be, Trinity! You tricked me!" I blink when my eyes start to sting and blur. I breathe heavily as I feel like I'm losing my temper. "When are you going to tell me about this? Before the flight? Did you even tell your parents? You didn't, did you?"  She continues crying, and it pisses me off. "You hurt me, Trinity. You hurt me!" "I just don't want to bother you, Bash. I'm only a burden to you and your life. You can't even find a serious girlfriend because of me."  I laugh sarcastically. "Did I ever complain, Trinity? I chose you over girls because you are more important to me than them. They just want me because I am a Hughes, not because I am Bash like who I am to you." My voice cracks at the end. Jesus, I never cry in front of anyone but my family, but here I am, crying over Trinity. "You can study abroad while we are still best friends." I laugh again, mocking the word best friend. "Best friend? No best friend ever lies. No best friend betrayed her best friend, and no best friend will leave her best friend alone!"  She cries even more, and I want to hug her so badly, but my anger is taking over me. "Bash, I'm sorry, okay? We can still—" I cut her off. "What? That we can still skype? Facetime? Chat? Twit?" I laugh, "No way! No effing way! I don't wanna be your best friend anymore, Kiara!" I stand up from my bed with my hands on my hips. "Get out of my room, out of my house, and I don't wanna see your ugly face again!" I swallow hard after those words leave my mouth. My heart crashes in my chest because I don't mean what I say. Trinity drags herself out of my bed, takes the sketchpad with her, and leaves me alone in my bed, my room, and my house. I wipe my tears and walk to my bathroom. I am washing my face when I hear a soft knock on my door. "I'm sleeping. Get away from me!" I yell and walk back to my empty bed after wiping my face. The face of my sister emerges from the half-opened door. "I said I'm sleeping, Lizzy!" My phone buzzes from my pocket. I fish out lazily and groan when I see the screen. It's a text from my sister. LIZZY: Baby bash, meeting tom at Hughes building at 9 am sharp. BASH: Stop calling me baby! Can't I have a day off? LIZZY: Grumpy! No way! It's time to meet the new CFO. BASH: And who is that? LIZZY: YOU, idiot! I groan. BASH: Impossible! LIZZY: Ask dad BASH: I need some sleep now LIZZY: See you tomorrow, baby bash! *** I wear a white-crisp shirt, a dark charcoal gray suit, and a dark metallic gray tie and match it with black shoes. I use cufflinks with my initials. I look at my reflection in the wall-size mirror and run my fingers through my hair again. I grab the keys that I left at the coffee table yesterday. Then I head to the private elevator. After punching some keys, it slides open. I reach the parking area with my driver waiting for me. "Morning, boss!" he greets me cheerfully with a smile. "Morning, Edmund," I greet back and get in the car. "To the office, right, Bash?" I raise my brows. "Don't play 90's music, and how did you know?" "Ms. Hughes sent me an email about your schedule." I groan. "Of course she did." "We will stop at the coffee shop for your coffee, then we can head to the Hughes Tower immediately," he explains. "For a driver, you talk too much early in the morning," I tell him, looking out the window.  "Play some music." "Sir?" "Edmund?" "Bash?" "Yeah?" "Right away, boss!" I definitely love the company of my driver. I head to Dad's office immediately after saying hi to his PA, Elle.  Nothing has changed in his office except for the additional family photo and my recent picture taken during my graduation. "Morning, son." Dad's cheerful voice snaps my head at him. "Don't I get a hug?"  "Morning, Dad." I march to his desk when he stands up and puts down the phone receiver. "Why I'm here so early? Shouldn't I start my master's first, then train with you? But from what I heard from Lizzy yesterday, I'll be starting right away." I take a seat, facing him. "I will explain that at the meeting," Dad simply says, glancing at the time on his Jacob & Co watch, a gift from mom, before he buttons his suit. "In twenty minutes. Would you like to see your office first?" I nod, stand up, and button my suit too. "Elle will show you your office just down to the left. You can use the stairs. And son?" I stop and look at him. "Yeah?" "Be nice to your new assistant."