Dating Mr. CEO - Chapter 61: Chapter 61

FAY
"Hey you, I'm about to leave for the program now... The venue is set already, are you there yet?"
No reply.
Few minutes later.
"So I just got here and the hall is so beautiful. The lights are perfect and the designs are way beyond exceptional. Where are you?"
No reply.
Few minutes later.
"Hey El... People are beginning to arrive and almost everyone can't wait to see you. Where are you? Carter's going ballistic."
No reply.
An hour later.
"The program would commence in an hour time. Where are you El... You're kinda needed here... I called your office and they said you'd left already. Are you okay?"
No reply.
30 Minutes later.
"Hey, it's 30 minutes to the program... Why aren't you responding? Is everything okay? I'm beginning to get worried."
No reply.
I checked my phone for the thousandth time, just in case I missed any text message or call from him. Carter was practically losing his mind and his team were deeply counting on him.
What could be the reason for the delay? Did he loose track of time?
No. That doesn't sound like like Elroy.
"Any word?" I asked Carter, approaching the changing room.
"No... I've been calling and leaving text messages but I'm getting no replies! This isn't him... He wouldn't bail on us... Would he? I can't do this without him, I don't even know what I'm doing." He ranted.
"Relax Carter... He'll come... Maybe something important came up."
"What could be more important than the merge program? He should be here. Everyone on our team are losing their minds Fay... Everyone. This was usually the time he'd give the annoying pep talk about being confident and all... We all used to hate it... But now, now we crave it. Turns out his annoying pep talk, was the only thing, keeping us on track."
I managed a small but uneasy smile.
"Don't worry, I'll keep on trying his number, okay?"
"Okay... Okay... You do that, and I'll try to check on the models." He said, walking away in haste.
I sighed pressing my phone to my ear.
"Hey, you've reached Elroy Chesterfield... Leave a message at the beep."
"Hey El... Can you call me back right after you get this? It's almost time... You need to get here quick... Where are you? And please call me back... I need to know if you're okay... Please."
I was getting worried.
Why wasn't he picking up his calls? Why wasn't he replying my voicemails?
Could something have happened?
I looked around, the hall was getting so full and still no sign of him. What could possibly be wrong?
"Hey." A voice I recognized so well, resounded from behind me.
I turned to find Lucas, all dressed up and ready. "Hey... Uh... You look great."
"... And you seem tense." He said. "And beautiful, of course."
I managed a smile. "Thank you, Lucas."
"You're welcome. Now tell me... Why are you frowning?" He asked.
"Well, obviously... Elroy is no where to be found and Carter's losing it."
"Why do you care?" He shot at me.
I frowned, taken aback by his tone. "Why wouldn't I care? Carter's a friend and I've never seen him this frustrated... I'm only wondering where Elroy could be... He should have been here by now."
He watched me, eyes scanning and studying.
Why was he looking at me like that?
"What?" I asked, feeling all cautious.
He took my wrist in his hand, pulling me outside the changing room to the entrance of the grand hall.
When we got outside, he pulled us to a secluded corner, where no one could see us. "What is this? Why did you bring me here?" I asked.
"It was too crowded in there, you looked like you needed some air."
I raised a confused brow at him. "No Lucas, it's totally fine... I think I'll just head back inside now-"
"It's baffling, you know." He said, the smile disappearing from his face.
"What's baffling?"
"The fact that you feel so comfortable, lying to my face. After everything... Fay, after everything."
I paused. "What are you talking about?"
"I know you don't really hate him... And I know you know I lied about the whole incident."
My eyes widened. "Wha-"
"Do you think I'm stupid, Fay? Do you think I wouldn't know when I'm being lied to?"
My breathing became uneven. "How-"
"How did I come to find out? To find out that you and Elroy staged all this couple quarrel stuff to keep me off track?"
I took in a deep breath, unable to meet his gaze.
"Why Fay? Why would you help him? Why would you pretend to not be mad at me so you could help him carryout whatever he's planning? Why?"
My eyes met his in an instant. "Because he's not the bad guy." I found myself saying.
"So, I'm the bad guy?"
"Obviously Lucas. You lied to me! You took me for a fool and you played me. How the hell do you think that made me feel? I was hurt when I found out that everything was never his fault but yours!"
"Says the girl who knows absolutely nothing."
"Then tell me Lucas! Why do you hate him so much? Why?"
"Because he's responsible for everything!"
I furrowed my brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Elroy Chesterfield is responsible for my mother's condition, my father's suicide and my Little brother's death..."
I stared at him, dumbfounded. "What you're saying makes no sense Lucas."
"Oh really? You don't think he's capable of those things?"
"I don't think so. Besides, how is he responsible for - for everything?"
"I'm pretty sure he didn't tell you."
"Tell me what?" I asked.
"The accident, ten years ago, the one with his parents? My mother and brother were in that car." He let out, his eyes darkening.
I took a step back, my mind was finding it difficult to register that information.
"My mom got paralyzed from that accident... And the little boy I always yap about, died. And you know what they did? They erased him, paid off my Dad to keep quiet and he died because he felt guilty, because he couldn't live with himself. Do you know the kind of trauma I had to go through? Walking in to my Dad's bedroom to call him down for dinner, only to find him hanging from the ceiling? Everything happened because of your beloved boyfriend."
I shook my head, my eyes building up tears.
"What?" I asked, my voice breaking.
"Yes Fay. He didn't know they were my family, not until I told him today. Not until I made him see that he ruined something so precious... A once happy family, burnt to ashes, because of him. You're wondering why he isn't here? I'll tell you, dear. He knows he shouldn't be here."
I shook my head. "No. No Lucas, you're wrong. It wasn't his fault... You can't blame him for all that... You can't put all that on his shoulders... He's- he's barely managing to stop blaming himself for his parents- you can't- you can't bla-"
"You're taking his side now? Does everything I said mean nothing to you?" He asked, looking so hurt that it broke me.
"I'm not taking sides, Lucas. You're my best friend and I know you... I know- I know your family and I'm very sorry. I swear, I am."
"You are?" He asked, giving a mocking laugh. "You're not sorry, no- you don't care about me... Or my family. You only care about him! The man who has been toying with your feelings since day one!"
"He has changed!" I yelled back. "He's not the same as before. Listen Luke, you can't blame Elroy for all that. You know none of it was his fault."
"Oh really? So whose fault was it?"
"No one's." I said. "No one is responsible for it. No one can control destiny. No one can change it. What happened was horrible, and it affected the lives of everyone attached to the accident victims. I'm sorry you lost your brother, I'm sorry your mother got paralyzed but do you realize Elroy lost both parents? Do you know how hard that is?"
He scoffed. "Of course I do... My parents were both alive after the accident, but they were dead on the inside... So I literally lost both parents that night. I lost my family. Things turned out awful for me... But check out the survivor. Look at what he has built for himself... He went to the most expensive college, had the advantage of finishing early, he built an empire and now he's literally swimming in money. He doesn't deserve that."
I shut my eyes for a second, allowing my pent up tears slide down my cheek. "You can't think like that, Lucas. Elroy is also suffering. He hates himself. Do you know how that would feel? Hating yourself? Hating yourself for a crime you didn't commit? Put yourself in his shoes for a sec. How would you feel?"
He went silent.
"Elroy is as much of a victim as you are. You should be telling him that he isn't responsible... Not the other way around. What if he hurts himself? His blood would be on your hands Lucas, Your hands!"
"I don't bloody care!"
"You care!" I yelled. "I know you care." I said softer this time. "You know he has nothing to do with this. You know it in your heart Lucas... You're only looking for someone to blame. And I understand... It wasn't easy for you. It wasn't easy for Elroy either. It wasn't easy for anyone. You need to let it go."
"I can't." He said. "I close my eyes and I see his... I see my brother, staring at me. I look in the mirror and I see him staring at me... Begging me to take revenge for him."
"Maybe you've been seeing it all wrong. Maybe he was begging you to let it go."
He looked away, gulping down hard.
"I know you're hurting, and I know it's not easy. I'm not asking you to forget, I'm only asking you to move on." I said. "There's no point dwelling in a past you can't change."
He took in a deep breath, blinking back tears. "I'm sorry." He finally said. "I don't know what I was thinking... I just- I got carried away with everything and- and I lost myself."
"Where is he?" I asked.
I knew wherever he was, he couldn't be in a good state... I know that man... He let's the smallest things drive him to do crazy things and I didn't want my thoughts to even go there.
I noticed Lucas quietness. "Where is he, Lucas?" My voice wavered.
He raked his hands through his hair in frustration. "God... What have I done?"
Everything went mute for a second and I took a step closer to him. "What do you mean? What are you talking about? Where is he?"
"I don't know... I left him- I left him in his office with a- Oh God, what the hell was I thinking?"
"Lucas talk to me... You left him in the office with a what?" My heart couldn't take the suspense.
"A gun."
My world stopped.
"I just wanted it to end... The pain, the reminder... I thought that killing him would- would take it away. I was so blinded by revenge I-"
"Was it loaded?" I asked.
"Yes, it was."
I stumbled back, my breath cut in my throat and I forgot how to speak. "How- could y-you?"
"I don't know what-"
"You can't- you can't do that to someone Lucas... You can't drop a big news on someone and make him think that he shouldn't be here. You can't leave him a weapon knowing how he is." My eyes watered, creating a bile in my throat.
"He wouldn't-"
"Elroy isn't as strong and hard headed as you think. His past hunts him like a shadow and it makes him vulnerable. He acts without thinking. Why would you do such a thing?"
I broke down in sobs, my feet wobbling beneath me.
No wonder he wasn't picking up his calls or replying to our texts. What if-
"No no no no... I can't believe this- I can't-"
I broke down completely, losing the control of my legs, but Lucas caught me. I wanted to push him off but I didn't have the strength to fight.
It felt like my world was ending and I couldn't put a pause to it.
I wasn't there for him, I wasn't beside him through all this. How could I have gotten carried away.
"We have to find him." Lucas said into my hair. "Fay, get yourself together... We have to find him."
I pushed myself off him... "And how do you suggest we do that?!" I snapped at him. "I've tried calling him, texting him... I've tried reaching out to him but it's not working! He's not responding! Can you tell me what that could mean? He could be anywhere... He could even be- no- no-"
"Okay, I made a mistake... Now I'll have to rectify it. I have to-"
"You killed him." I whispered.
"No I didn't-"
"Yes! Yes you did... You might not have pulled the trigger, but your words would have been enough to stop his heart. And when his heart stops, he won't think clearly. You left him with a freaking gun... If it were you, what would you do?"
Lucas gripped his hair. "I wasn't thinking straight Fay, I didn't think of the consequences of my actions I -"
"Fay! Fay! Are you out here?"
I jumped when I heard Carter's voice.
I quickly wiped my tears, still feeling the need to cry and I knew it wasn't going to stop anytime soon.
I wasn't really in a good place right now. My heart had fallen out of it's rightful position, and my head was going crazy. The tears wouldn't stop coming and my vision wasn't exactly clear.
The thought of never seeing him or hearing his voice again was horrible.
God, I should have been there with him If I had been there, Lucas wouldn't have had the opportunity to do what he did.
I knew the both of them were hurting but what Lucas did today, just wasn't right.
But I really did have to find him. He could be anywhere and I hope he was okay. I hope he didn't let Lucas's words get to him.
"Fay! Fa- oh... There you are!" He said, standing a few feet away. His wide smile seemed to disappear when he saw Lucas beside me.
"Carter. What is it?" I asked, my voice breaking.
"Uh... I just- I just wanted to let you know that Elroy just got here and he's taking care of everything now."
My eyes widened. "What?!" I exclaimed.
Carter frowned. "I thought you would be happier."
I stood frozen in the spot.
He's here?