Warning: Major twist ahead.

Chapter 20.

We are meant to be together. You and me until the very end. (You would think this is romantic but it's not)

~~

I continued scratching the back of my neck, staring at the page I had to sign before I could enter.

"You don't have to do this."

I have to, you have no idea how much. I thought to myself. Finally I took a deep breath and sighed. I took the pen and signed my name in the book.

"That way." A disinterested hefty woman tilted her head at the door, not even glancing up as she continued to flip through an adult magazine. Both her legs on the table and her chair leaned back, she clearly didn't care much about this job.

I turned and smiled at Alex. "I am sure. I want to see him."

Ray Parker was going on trial in two days and I wanted to see him before I never had a chance to again. He was a friend at one point and I couldn't carry this guilt around anymore.

Alex nodded, squeezing my hand in support. "Come back soon."

"I will."

The guard opened the gate and pointed to a table at the farthest. I stood there for a second, taking in the disheveled Ray Parker. He was no longer wearing glasses, his beard had grown uneven and in that black and white outfit he looked even lankier. I slowly walked towards him, my steps barely flattering as he glanced up.

His eyes were swollen from crying or getting beat up I wasn't sure. A cloud of pain and sorrow surrounded me but I quickly blew it away. After what he had done, he didn't deserve pity.

"Hi." I whispered as I sat down opposite him.

Ray just looked me, tired and half dead. "What do you want?"

"I am sorry." I gulped.

"For what?"

I pointed at the enclosed barrier surrounding and the large men. "All this. You."

Ray just leaned back on the chair, shrugging but no meeting my eyes. "It's fine."

"I saw Athena and you kissing that day at the fundraiser." I said, I had rehearsed this scene well in my head but his next words shattered the entire conversation.

"I know."

My eyes widened. "What?"

Ray tilted his head to the left, looking at me without a blink. "I saw you that day. That is why I kissed Athena."

The only words out of my mouth were. "Oh."

Ray leaned ahead, coming closer to my face and instinctively I backed away. He didn't seem fazed, he expected it. "You should know by now, Myra. I love you."

I had dreamed a thousand times of guys telling me they loved me, those three special words. I had made up beautiful scenarios - on a hot air balloon, on a romantic date, over a candle light dinner, after a huge fight, even after just having sex. But in the jail from the guy just about to be convicted was not one of them.

So when I heard those three words for the first time from a guy, I did the most logical thing. I shoved my middle finger on his face and said loudly, "Are you shitting me right now?"

A few people glanced our way curiously but I didn't care. I was too disgruntled.

Ray didn't budge, he didn't even blink. He just stared with those glassy eyes. "I am serious. I only kissed Athena so I could make you jealous. I was with her to make you jealous. And that girl in the alley was to make you jealous too."

"Oh my God." I breathed out in skepticism, a hand over my heart. Everything I had believed until now had been a lie, poor Athena. "And to think Athena wanted to save your stupid ass." I muttered under my breath.

"Myra." Ray said and I remembered how every time Alex said my name, it would send chills up my spine. Ray saying my name did that too, the only difference was when Alex said it, it send happy chills and intense goosebumps and when Ray said it, it made me want to crawl in a hole and die with disgust.

"This is stupid." I informed Ray.

"I kept asking you out on dates, wasn't that enough?"

"And I kept saying no, wasn't that enough?"

Ray didn't speak for a few seconds and the he smiled unnervingly. "We are meant to be together. You and me until the very end."

I gulped hard, my heartbeat increasing as I felt fear creep up my bones. This man didn't need the jail, he needed a mental asylum. He was crazy delusional. "No." I answered, getting up from my seat before he could say anything that could terrify me more. "We were never meant to be together. And you need to understand that. You are not meant for anyone. You are meant to be alone. This is karma."

Ray just looked at me, emotionless, like he wasn't surprised. I looked away. "I hope you feel well Ray, I really hope. Please be a better human." And then I walked away.

"I didn't do it Myra." Ray's words echoed the space but I didn't stop, I nodded at the guard and walked out of there.

I knew he didn't do it but there was nothing I could do about it. Or maybe I didn't want to.

"Hey you okay?" Alex's hands grabbed my shoulders soothingly and I breathed him in, resting my forehead against his broad chest.

I smiled softly, a mountain of calmness crashing down on me. This was what it felt, to be together. "I am now." I wrapped my arms around his waist, my smile growing.

Alex ran his fingers threw my hair, dropping a kiss on my head. "Good, I am here for you. Always."

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

It was four hours later that I sat opposite Athena, watching her drown an entire glass of coffee in two minutes.

I raised my eyebrows. "Wow you seem to really love caffeine."

She ignored me, getting up to order another coffee. I was about to protest but gave up, it was Athena. If I said something now, she would bring back five cups of coffee as a sign of protest.

Luckily my phone vibrated and I checked the message. Zivah – 'Where are you?'

I quickly replied back. 'At the coffee shop, meeting Athena.'

Zivah – 'Oh. How did it go with Ray?'

I shuddered at the thought of the meeting in the morning. 'He said he loved me.'

Zivah's reply made me chuckle. 'Was he high?'

'No.'

Zivah - 'Seriously!???? Who says that? That too when you are about to go to jail??'

I grinned. 'I know right!! He is crazy.'

Zivah – 'Good Riddance. Didn't like him anyways. So why Athena?'

'Just wanted to check up on her.'

I fought back a smile at Zivah's reply. 'Don't you think you guys are spending a lot of time together?'

'Are you jealous?'

Zivah – 'Huh? Oh please! Just remember you only have one spot for a best friend and that is already taken.'

I smiled down at the phone. 'You know I love you Ziv.'

Zivah – 'Good because you won't be getting rid of me ever. Love you too. See you soon.'

Just as I was about to reply, Athena crashed on the seat opposite. "Who's that, my boss?"

I rolled my eyes, keeping the phone to the side. "No, that was Zivah."

Athena raised her coffee mug at me. "You should tap that. She looked hot."

I scrunched up my nose. "Are you crazy? She's my best friend."

Athena smirked. "If she wasn't you are saying you would?"

I shook my head in resignation. "Let's not talk about this. Ever."

She leaned back, shrugging indifferently. "Let's not talk. Ever."

"Why are you so stiff?" I sighed, sipping my Oreo milkshake.

"Why are you so desperate for approval?"

"No, I am not." I scoffed in denial.

"You are. You can't have anyone hating you. You feel guilty about that. You need people to like you."

I opened my mouth to protest but no words came out.

"That is why you went to see Ray. You wanted to wish him well afraid that he might hate you." Athena's words stuck a chord close to the heart and I looked down at the plain white straw in my milkshake.

"Everyone can't like you. Everyone shouldn't like you." Athena shrugged her right shoulder. "What's the fun in living then?"

"Diana hates me." I pointed out, a lame argument at that.

Athena snorted. "You started dating Evan after you met her once. Admit it you crave acceptance."

I twisted my lips at her. "I can be someone who does something mean." You have no idea.

"I am not saying you can't. I am saying you won't." She stated. "It's quite common. Most people want everyone to like them."

"And you don't?" I raised my eyebrows in skepticism.

"If you can't like me for who I am than it's your loss not mine." She shrugged. "The thing with you is, even if you do something wrong, you won't accept it, you won't let people know about it. So the better option for you is you won't do it."

I took a huge sip of coffee, her words hitting me hard. "Not true." I contended.

Athena pointed at an old lady sitting alone and eating a donut. "Show her your middle finger."

I looked at the sweet old lady and back at Athena. "Are you crazy?"

Athena smirked. "See what I mean."

"Okay you don't even know her. And she's old." I argued. "Did your mother call?"

"Sure change the subject." Athena sipped her coffee. "Yes she did. I told her I am fine and that she should stop calling me. You know why? Because I don't need her acceptance."

I twisted my face at her in a mocking manner.

"Real mature."

And to prove her point, I stuck out my tongue. "Do you want to know what Ray said?"

Athena sighed, playing with the tissue. "No, not really."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. She was the one who was all defensive about Ray and claimed to love him. "Really?"

Athena smiled. "Yes, he gave me attention when I was feeling low. I mistook that for affection."

I contemplated on whether I should tell her that he actually loved me and he was just using her but decided against it. That was something Ray should tell her. I also didn't want to be on her hate list. She could be scary. "I am glad he's not in your life. You deserve someone better. Someone nice and understanding and really good looking and-"

Athena made a large sipping sound. "Spit it out bitch, you want to know about me and Evan."

I fought back a grin but it was in vain. "Yes." I exclaimed in excitement. "You two are perfect for each other. Actually I think he's a little too good for you but maybe you'll change."

Athena snorted, rolling her eyes. "I am not changing who I am. Not for anyone. But yes, he's a nice guy."

I rubbed my palms together. "So tell me everything."

Athena recoiled. "Eww don't do that."

"Do what?"

She flicked her fingers towards my body. "Get all excited about something that isn't even there."

I ignored her dig. "Just tell me." after a pause I added. "Bitch."

Athena actually let out a laugh at that. "Wow just because you said the b-word I will tell you." She kept her coffee cup back on the table. "So a year back I went for this Halloween party. I was feeling low, like I usually do because I was away from home for Christmas, again. Anyways one of my friends made me dress up for this party and since I own all black clothes-" she pointed to the black crop top and black jeans she was wearing, "-I decided to be Black widow."

"When I got there, people were drunk, smoking, getting high. Typical Halloween party. So I got drunk too. And then I stumbled into Captain America who was half drunk." Athena pointed at me. "That's your Evan. And the next thing I know is I wake up naked in his bed. So I do the most logical thing, I slip out secretly and forget him."

"Did you forget him?"

Athena blew a breath of air. "No, I tried too. But once my hungover memories came back. I realized that we did have a pretty nice conversation and I actually laughed."

"You laughed?" I snorted at that thought.

Athena gave a crisp smile. "Yes Myra, I laugh too. Just like now when I tell you that you have a coffee moustache."

I quickly wiped my upper lips, feeling a wave of embarrassment. I glanced around to see if anyone was laughing but they all seemed in their own world. "Since how long?"

"Since the first sip." Athena let out a fake laugh. "See, I laugh."

I scoffed. "I pity Evan now."

"Don't. My skills in bed are enough."

"Okay! And that's enough talking to you for today." I got up from the seat, picking up my empty coffee mug. "Good to see you Athena."

Athena grinned, walking behind me. "I wish I could say the same Myra."

I shook my head, a slight smile on my face. Despite her quirks, I knew Athena was a good soul.

Maybe she was just misunderstood.

I reached Alex's penthouse in 15 minutes, half of my days were spent here now. And I quite enjoyed it.

I didn't know where this was going but I was ready to take on that chance. I was ready to tell him my secrets and show him my scars.

Today, I would tell him everything. Today I would open that box of long hidden mysteries. Today I would finally show him the truth and pray he understood it.

I am not afraid of heights, it's the fall that scared me.

But deep down I knew he wouldn't let me fall. And if he did let me fall, he would catch me too.

So I opened the door of the penthouse, with a bright smile on my face and giddy happiness in my head.

My joy was short-lived.

"Is that my laptop?" I asked, pointing at Alex's grim face behind a familiar laptop.

He just looked up from the laptop, his face void of any emotion and that terrified me more than I could admit. "Mine broke." Even his tone was hoarse, like he hadn't spoken in a while.

I didn't move, I just stood there. I couldn't feel my legs. I couldn't feel anything.

Alex slowly turned the laptop, showing me the screen filled with folders and codes. "Ray wasn't the hacker, was he?"

My breathing slowly disappeared, my heart seemed to have stopped. I think time had frozen just like my brain. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was shaking, my throat was suddenly dry and I couldn't swallow either.

Alex didn't blink or move a muscle. He just stared, his eyes blank. "You were the hacker, weren't you?"

I tried to swallow, I truly did. But I couldn't. It seemed so difficult. Something was weighing down on my heart, like a boulder of some kind. My mouth was open but words refused to come out. "I-" I managed to say before losing my tongue again.

Alex closed his eyes and I finally saw emotions wash over his face – regret, confusion, sadness, hurt, pain, guilt, but the one that shook me to my very core was – hate. His hands gripped the fish soft toy I had got him just a few days back and that sight somehow broke me more. "Get out." His voice barely a whisper and if it wasn't so quiet I wouldn't have heard it.

"I can ex-" I tried to form words but I was too dazed. I felt faint.

Alex opened his eyes, a stray tear falling down his eye. "Get out, Ms. Collins."

And so I did. I got out.

Not because I didn't want to explain myself and justify why I did what I did. But because I knew at this point, he wouldn't understood. His mind was too clouded and too confused. And also because I still couldn't speak, not without breaking down. Not without crying and finally admitting that I was in love with Alex Bianchi. Deeply and irrevocably. And the love was definitely unreciprocated.

But despite the situation, nothing made my feelings less true.

And when the truth finally caught up to me, I wasn't ready for the pain it brought along.

~~

So yes, Myra Collins is actually the hacker.

What ya think???