Chapter One
Julianna and Sera went to their en-suites to take a shower. Sera made some bacon and scrambled eggs and toast and they all set down to a late breakfast. They had finished breakfast and cleaned up when Zachary arrived.
"Hey Rivera, you've grown up. Last time we met, you had pigtails, " he said, picking River's hair with his fingers.
"I absolutely did not. Look who's talking. You had pimples, bro," she said and he grinned.
"Ok, truce. We were born with good looks. Yes?" He said bumping his shoulders with her. She grinned back at him.
"Bro, meet my friend Julianna. She's taken, ok," said River and Zachary rolled his eyes at her.
Sera came into the living room, with her mobile phone in her hand, busy glaring at it. She bumped into Zachary and said,"River, you should eat less. You've become as hard as a stone."
Loud chuckles and giggles filled the room and she looked up and froze. She had collided with a man's chest as he stared down at her in amazement. He was an extremely handsome man with twinkling blue naughty eyes and light brown hair. He looked a year or two older than them, with a charm that could make the most impossible task, possible.
"Bro, that's Sera and Sera, this is my friend Zachary Reynor," River introduced and Sera nodded at him and put as much distance as she could between themselves.
Zachary leaned towards River,"Is she taken too? I might murder her boyfriend if she is. I want her for myself, " he said but everyone heard him distinctly. Sera blushed crimson and looked here and there, too embarrassed to be in the same room as Zachary.
"No, she's very much single," said River and Zachary grinned.
"I'm in this room guys," said Sera, rolling her eyes. Then she looked at Zachary with red cheeks. "I might be single but I'm not ready to mingle," she said, curtly. He pouted at her but his eyes blazed with fire and mischief.
"Now can we get down to business? We have to go and save Carol guys," said Sera looking at River and Julianna.
They updated Zachary about everything that had happened so far and asked him to find Maxwell Stephens' address. Zachary made a few phone calls and then waited for his friends to call him back with the information.
Sera went to the small laundry room to start the washing machine full of their soiled clothes. She turned around and bumped into Zachary's chest.
"Why are you following me?" She asked in irritation.
"Because I want to," he said, and she rolled her eyes. She tried to go, but his arm went around her waist.
"Why are you ignoring me? Do you find me irresistible?" He asked with a smirk.
"On the contrary, I think you're a pest," she said and pushed him to leave the laundry room. He didn't budge an inch. Was he made of stone?
"Look I'm not interested in you, " she said, with a bored look on her face.
"But I am," he said with a lazy smile. He looked like trouble to Sera. Definitely he had the gorgeous good looks that could make any girl fall for him, hook line and sinker, but she wasn't any girl. She was a relationship type of girl who could only love one man in her entire lifetime and that man couldn't be Zachary Reynor. He simply wasn't her type. His careless, flirty, mischievous, happy-go-lucky, spoilt brat image didn't attract her at all.
"That's your problem, Leave me alone, " she said, trying to break free of his hold.
"I swear I'll solve this problem soon. I'll make you fall for me, mark my words," he threatened softly.
"In your dreams, now let me go," she said, struggling more.
"Just wait and watch. You'll be confessing your love for me soon. I don't back out, ever," he said, his eyes glinting with determination. He released her and she walked back to the living room where her friends were sitting and talking. Zachary followed her back to the living room. She sat as far from him as possible. She should avoid him as much as she could.
Finally one of Zachary's friends called back and gave him the required address. They all trooped out without wasting a minute onto Zachary's car as he drove them to Maxwell Stephens' house.
"Sir has left with ma'am for their honeymoon, half an hour ago," said a maid and they all looked at each other.
"Where did they go?" Asked River.
"I have no idea," said the maid.
"When will they return?" Asked Zachary.
"I don't know, sir," said the maid.
They left the house and went back to the apartment. Now what? Their return flight was in five hours and they didn't have any clue where Carol was.
Julianna received a call from her dad and had to return urgently. She packed her stuff and reluctantly left. Zachary offered to drop her off at the airport. River cancelled their return flight tickets.
"With no news of Carol, we cannot return now," said River. Sera also knew that they couldn't return without Carol. What if she needed help?
"I know. Let's get her back safely, then we will return. I'll just call and inform my parents. They would be worried. I had told them that I would be spending the weekend with Carol and Julianna at their dorm room. I would have to tell them the truth now," said Sera. Her parents would be so worried about her.
"I'm going out to meet an old friend. Do you want to come with me Sera?" Asked River.
"No, you go ahead. I'll make a call home and talk to mom," she said, not wanting to tag along everywhere she went.
"Ok, then. See you at dinner. I'll bring something to eat. Here are the duplicate apartment keys. If you wish to take a walk in the neighbourhood, " she said, handing her the keys.
"Thanks, enjoy, " she said, going to the kitchen for a drink.
River went out closing the door after her. Sera called her family and had a hard time trying to make them understand the situation she was in. She couldn't say the actual story so she made some excuse that one of her friends was too sick to travel back. After an hour of arguments finally she could convince her parents that staying back with her friends was the best option for her as she had very little money with her.
She heaved a sigh of relief and disconnected the call. Drinking some fresh cool lemonade to ease her nervousness, she sat back and switched on the TV. She switched different channels till she found a sweet movie to watch. It was the type of sweet romantic movie that she liked so much. The ones with a sweet happy ending.
She was totally absorbed into the movie when the doorbell rang. River might have returned with their dinner, she thought and rushed to the door.
Opening the door with a grin, she froze to see none other than a smirking Zachary Reynor at her doorstep.
-----------------------------
Featured picture: Mike Vogel as Zachary Reynor
