~Be happy in the
moment, that's enough
Each moment is all we need, not more.
-Mother Teresa

Inching my nose a little nearer to his neck, I breathed in his scent, which was nothing at all like my father's, who always had a hint of cigarette smoke and liquor lingering about his persona. In fact, his scent was so much more exotic; I may recognize the brand of cologne he used, one of my favorites mixed with the shocking smell of charcoal blazes and cinnamon.

"Laura," I smiled when Vincent's breath fanned my neck. I hummed. "Why aren't you sleeping?" I said groggily. His hands tightened around my waist. I was being straddled by him. That caused my eye to open.

I looked out the window and back at him as if he had grown a pair of heads. It'd be nice to take a walk, but it seemed to be late at night and pretty cold. What if he finally decided to kill me? "You're not going to throw my body into the water, are you? Because it'd be very difficult for anyone to find me and, seemingly, this is a private beach." He smirks, extending his hands for me to take it.

We entwine our fingers together as we step out of the beach house and onto the sand.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked while he traced circles on the back of my hands. A gentle breeze rustled through my hair, making me sigh in consent. I watched as the waves rolled onto the shore and washed back out, leaving no sign of water. The sand soaks up its remains.

"Hmm, my grandmother always took me here before she passed away. Ever since she left me, I never came here and it was the hardest thing to do. This is where we would spend our holidays or any chance that we would get to escape from my family. This was the only place I could think of bringing you. I know you are still upset, so that's why you are here." No wonder he's so alone. His parents sent him away so that they could focus more on their work. I was still upset, but I wouldn't let that ruin what we have together now. In this short time, I learned a lot of things about him without uttering anything.

"My grandma reminds me of you. She was energetic and full of surprises. Her name was Maple. It is a weird name, I know, but it tells you who she really was. She wanted me to let go of some things, but I couldn't. I was too scared of what might happen. And what I might lose again. How beautiful she grows even when getting old. She was full of light in her last days." I never knew he could be so sentimental about one person. Behind that cold look was something much more. He was such a mystery. I wanted to explore the deepest parts of him so badly. I smiled at him. He stared out at the water where there seemed to be no end. Her name held so much color like October.

We talked for a bit about his grandmother when my mind wandered to a particular person. "What happened between you and Scarlett?"

"It has been months and I thought you'd never ask." He didn't seem bothered by the situation, but I could see he was troubled. He feared something.

"James, Scarlett, Mason, Gina, my sister who you saw the other day, and I grew up together. We went to the same schools, but things changed once we started college." Why does everything change when you go to college? I don't get it. Yeah, we meet new people, but what changes? I've heard many stories of when the other significant other heads out for college and sometimes, in the long run, one of them cheats or maybe before that they were cheating. I'm now convinced that Scarlett cheated. It couldn't be anything else. She seems to be like that type of girl who goes around and fucks anyone who has a title with rich in it.

"Gina moved because she wanted to start her own clothing line. My step-mom disapproved of her career choice, saying that it was a waste of time. She always chooses a career for us. But our dad was a different man. He supported us regardless of what we chose, but being in a toxic family didn't help out at all. It ruined us in every way possible." I almost forgot that the woman wasn't his real mother and he rarely talks about his mother. There was no picture of her anywhere in the media and just like that, I wish I could say what happened to your real mother.

"There were only four of us left, so the group was hardly the same with Gina. Scarlett didn't grow up in a rich family like us, and sometimes I wonder even up to this date how she made her way to college. She wasn't the smartest and at that time she lied about getting sponsored, but we all know how she shimmered her way into an expensive college. The first semester, she was struggling in class and she didn't care. I paid for her courses. I gave her everything that she could possibly dream about." He chuckles, letting his hands lose from around body but realizing his mistake, he hugs me back and whispers I'm sorry.

Now I remember when he said that any girl would be lucky to have my spot. If he could endure what I had gone through, he would think less of me. He was too blinded by love to see that she was using him. She got one opportunity and she messed it up. She could've had it all; married, have kids, the luxury, all of it, but she messed up by using him. The side of him I always dread for him to show me. She saw it and she took it away from me.

"Mason kept telling me she wasn't the one and I should wait a little longer. I waited a little bit longer for 'her'' to return to me, but I was so stupid. I was too focused on Scarlett to have forgotten about 'her' for a couple of months, though my mind ran on her. I felt like she was happy somewhere else and I could be happy too. Maybe Mason was lying that she was only after my money and I couldn't bring myself to believe it. I kept telling myself she was the one and she didn't want me because of money, right? Wrong. I should've listened." How could he not see something so obvious? Mason was always the one to see things clearly and not him. Mason was beside him for such a long time and didn't leave, but others did. And that girl, who he had always referred to as' 'her' was messing up his heart. He wasn't sure if he loved Scarlett or not. He wouldn't have that girl messing with his head, but slowly he was forgetting about 'her'. Up till this date, he still loved 'her' so he didn't truly love Scarlett.

"I was blinded by love. She tricked me. Of course, it was the money that she wanted. I came to realize when my grandfather passed down his company to my uncle. But one thing that she didn't know was that my father and I got a seventy-percent share of everything that he owned. He knew his sons and the eldest one wasn't to be trusted with his companies and not even half of getting everything. My uncle lost everything, but Scarlett was not aware of our family business. " He chuckled, heaving out a sigh.

"She became really distant, but I paid no mind since we were in college and studies were important. I guess I hadn't realized her change in behavior." The money, it is always the money. "I bought my first house back then. We lived there for only four months. How stupid was I when younger heh? But I burned it so I wouldn't have to see those memories. Shortly after that, my grandmother passed away."

"Why?" I asked curiously when his eye twitched.

"I came home earlier than expected from my father's company when I heard moaning in the house. I thought it was just the television Scarlett was watching, but it wasn't until I heard James's laughter erupting through the house that my body went into complete lockdown. I didn't know what to think. All I knew was that's where all my anger built-up from." There wasn't any hint of sadness in his voice and I thought he would at least be sad about it, but there was only anger as he spat each word and that covered everything he had felt towards them both.

"I waited for them in the living room for over an hour, frightened when she saw me begging me to keep her. It was there when I entitled myself not to trust or love anyone again." His facial expression was one of absolute disdain. I felt my heart drop. He'd never love me. All because of that stupid girl.

"If I had no money, no luxury, would you still take me as I am?" It was nothing to think about. I loved him just the way he was, but why was he asking me such a question? We never knew each other. I was being put up for sale and he just put a price on me and bought me.

"I would still be with you." I sighed, looking up at the sky. "But my parents did put me up for auction and if you didn't buy me, then I'd probably be in the wrong hands." He used his fingers and held my head. I turned to him, looking directly into his eyes. "You were always mine to begin with. Your parents shouldn't have had you, no one else will, so don't put a price on yourself. You're worth more than what I have in this world." The words that left his mouth had an effect on my body and I felt cold all over. There was a lump in my throat that I seemed to be unable to get rid of, but the words had shifted something inside me. No man had ever said these things to me and it felt new. He let out an understated sigh. "What if I lost everything today? Would you still be with me?"

"I would, but money doesn't always fix everything." There are some things I wish he would've told me. I know he's keeping something hidden from me, but I don't want him to push it or me to find out in the long run that it could end everything. I want to hear it from him and nobody else.

"Everything I've ever achieved in this life has come from perseverance and observance. I became a millionaire at just the age of twenty-one. I've never met another who had a painless path like mine. Everyone that I met in the business world lied and cheated their way up to the top. However, they don't sit comfortably up there because I'm the king of it all." Though I had insulted him in many ways in my head, I had no idea what he had to go through to build his empire. Yes, he was born into wealth, but he took no help from anyone. Using his knowledge and his own resources. People praised him for his work, he made enemies, he helped people, but no one understood what pain he was going through. Though I can't see that pain either, there were too many things about Mr. Johnson.

"It's weird that you're on the beach right now looking at the stars. Not many people would actually take you as the emotionless person you are." I chuckled thinking about all the stories they made up about him. "Laura," he said in a warning tone. I smiled, knowing that he had opened up to me and that there was more of him to see.

"We should come here more often. It's nicer than that prison." He wrapped his arms around me, giving me warmth from his body against the cold. "What prison-"

"Are you talking about our home?" I nodded, breathing in his scent. He chuckled, rocking my body side to side.

"Everything that I'm doing Laura is for you. I want you to be the reason why I'm doing everything."

"What are you talking about, are you going to kill me now?" I could see his lips twitched upwards, he was fighting the smile. "Yes, I'll start now." I let out a squeal when his lips attacked my neck.