A Rose, A Ring and A Promise: Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

“Sapphire’s staying at your house.”

“What?!”

“You heard me Bryce.”

“Yes, but why?”

“She doesn’t know anyone here aside from me and now you so she doesn’t have a place to stay.”

“You invited her. She should stay at your house.”

“I didn’t know my brother would arrive today with his family. He just called me when we were in the car, remember? The house would be too crowded for Sapphire.”

“She could stay in a hotel.”

“Sapphire doesn’t like staying in hotels alone. It makes her uncomfortable. Besides, why would I let my bestfriend stay in a hotel when I have a cousin that has a perfectly large house without anyone in it except him and his sister?

Bryce massaged his temple when he remembered that particular conversation Em and he had a week ago when they ate at a restaurant after he picked them up at the airport. Sapphire had excused herself to go to the ladies room and as soon as she was out of earshot, Em had said that statement. Yes, it was a statement, not a request based on the matter-of-fact tone she had used.

“Headache?”

He lifted his eyes from his laptop to see Sapphire’s petite frame walking towards him with a concerned expression on her face. She was holding a steaming cup of something – probably hot chocolate since he noticed she didn’t drink coffee.

“No.” When he noticed he was still unconsciously rubbing his temple, he quickly placed his hand on the table.

Sapphire smiled. It’s amusing how Bryce sometimes does things unconsciously and tries to deny it when he catches himself doing whatever that is.

“What are you doing here anyway?” Bryce asked, frowning.

She stopped herself from sighing. Bryce is such a grumpy man sometimes, no scratch that. He is always a grumpy man. But it’s strange how she never really got pissed off by his attitude. Maybe she isn’t normal, like what Em often tells her.

Bryce really wanted to know what Sapphire was doing in the study room which served as his home office when he specifically told his sister Amanda to tell her the number one house rule and that is, no one should disturb him when he is in here.

That sister of mine should stop being so forgetful.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt warm fingers touch his forehead, smoothening out the knot on his forehead.

“You should stop frowning. You’re cute but I bet you’re cuter when you smile.”

For the first time in his life, he was rendered speechless. Sapphire was the first person to call him cute. He had heard people call him handsome. But cute?

And besides, she was standing dangerously close to him. He could even smell her scent – a subtle mix of cherry blossom, peach and jasmine. A hint of coffee –

Wait, a hint of what?

That was definitely not from Sapphire.

His gaze landed on his table where the cup Sapphire was holding earlier now sat. That was also when he noticed the aroma of coffee wafting in the air.

“You’re drinking coffee?”

“No, silly,” Sapphire giggled like a child. “It’s for you. I don’t drink coffee.”

So that’s why she’s here. Bryce suddenly felt a bit guilty for snapping at her earlier when she even bothered to make him coffee.

But of course, he’d never let that show.

“You shouldn’t have bothered. I could make my own coffee,” he said coldly instead.

“You’re welcome, Bryce,” Sapphire said in a teasing voice, undeterred by Bryce’s cold attitude.

She smiled at him one last time before she turned to leave the room. At the corner of her eye, she saw a red paper rose on his desk. It was inside a glass canister.

Something in her memory clicked. A memory of when she was studying here in the Philippines.

“Can I borrow your crayons, Jason?” 6 year old Sapphire timidly asked her seatmate.

“I’m using it. Go away,” Jason said without looking at her.

“Oh I’m sorry.” Sapphire moved away immediately. She looked around. Everyone was already busy with their art work and she was too shy to borrow from anyone else.

She was on the verge of tears when another classmate tapped her on the shoulder. “Hi! Want to share my crayons?”

Sapphire looked at the boy who was now offering her his box of crayons. He was smiling brightly, so brightly that it was impossible not to smile back. She nodded and reached for his crayons.

That afternoon was the start of a friendship between them.

But it was not meant to be a long-time friendship because after a year, she needed to change schools again.

“Mik-mik!” That was the nickname she gave him.

Mik-mik turned to her and smiled. “Slow down. Why are you running?”

“Daddy said I should say goodbye to all my friends.”

“Oh, then bye-bye! I’ll see you again next week right?” Mik-mik said innocently.

It was a Friday afternoon and everyone was being picked up by either their parents or their nannies. Next week is their recognition day.

Sapphire shook her head. “Daddy said I can’t come for recognition. We will go to a far place. We will live there.”

 Mik-mik’s trademark smile faded.

“But look.” She showed him the paper rose she was holding. “Our neighbour taught me how to make paper roses yesterday. This is the first one I made on my own. I want you to have it so you’ll remember me every time you look at it.”

“Princess, let’s go!” Her dad shouted. Her dad always called her ‘Princess’, saying she was his one and only princess.

“I’ll be right there Daddy!” She took Mik-mik’s hand and placed the white rose on it. “There! You won’t forget me now right? Bye Mik-mik!”

She ran to her Daddy without turning back…

Sapphire shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. It was strange how that scene from her childhood suddenly popped into her mind by the mere sight of a paper rose. Maybe because she is now back in her hometown, the country where she met Mik-mik.

“Sapphire?”

She looked back and saw Bryce’s inquiring gaze. She was confused for a while before she realized that she had stopped on her tracks and was just standing there while she was recalling her childhood days.

Don’t suddenly space out Sapphire, she scolded herself mentally then gave an apologetic smile to Bryce. “I’m sorry. I just remembered something when I saw that paper rose.”

“Oh this?” Bryce gently touched the glass case where the rose was in. “Do you like paper roses?”

“I love making them. My room back in L.A. is full of them. Did you do this yourself?” She moved closer to the glass case to look at the paper rose, forgetting her earlier intention of leaving the room.

“No, someone gave them to me. I don’t know how to make them, actually,” Bryce admitted while opening the case so Sapphire could see the rose more clearly. He already forgot his desire for Sapphire to leave him alone.

“I can teach you how to make them, if you want,” Sapphire offered.

“I don’t have time.” Well, that wasn’t a complete lie. He did have things to do for his company.

“You know, whoever gave you this would be happy to know that you made an effort to know how this was made,” Sapphire said softly, carefully touching the edges of the rose. She was thinking of that paper rose she gave Mik-Mik back then. If he had treasured that rose like Bryce had treasured this one – she could tell from the slight crispiness of the paper that it was already old but Bryce had kept it and protected it with a glass case – then she would be really happy.

Somehow, Bryce felt the soft words Sapphire uttered affect his heart – his heart that he thought had become totally cold and unfeeling since his girlfriend betrayed him.

But the feeling vanished when Sapphire suddenly exclaimed, “Oh! You’re afraid you won’t get it right! Don’t worry, it’s easy enough.”

There was a hit of a smile on her face. She was obviously teasing him

 “You better leave, Sapphire,” he said in a formal voice.

Sapphire didn’t even bother hiding her teasing smile which turned into laughter as she left the room and closed the door behind her.

Annoying brat.

                                                         To be continued~

NOTE: Okay, more interaction between our two main lead and a bit of Sapphire's past :) Tell me what you think? :) Comments are love!