Chapter 30: The rooftop
Mia felt overwheld when she couldn’t find any part-ti jobs at school or anywhere. Not to ntion her confrontation with Diane had annoyed her to the point she wanted to release her frustration by playing her guitar, but then she had no guitar and was still in school. Thus, she walked up the school library’s rooftop to clear her head.
Walking up the stairs to the rooftop, Mia muttered to herself, "They all make it seem like being poor is a disease. Nobody chooses to be born poor." Upon opening the door, she was greeted by the warm afternoon breeze, inhaling the scent of freedom that always accompanied the rooftop heights.
"I wish my life could get better. It’s so damn hard to find a decent job in this city!" Mia complained again, tossing her bag to the ground. Closing her eyes, she stretched her arms wide to welco the breeze. She didn’t want to think about what would happen if she failed to help her mother raise the money to pay back the bank, nor did she want to think about where she’d get a dress for the contest next month.
She refused to think about all those thoughts, but it seed those thoughts wanted her to think about them, because they kept swirling in her mind making it hard for her to even think properly. The responsibility was just too huge, she wished it would magically get solve. As Mia was too deep in her own world, she didn’t realize she wasn’t alone on the rooftop.
As Mia grappled with her worries, the breeze couldn’t seem to dispel her troubles. Thus, she decided to climb up the edge where she’d once been labeled as "suicidal." She didn’t care if anyone would see her and call her a crazy suicidal person. She was too burdened to worry about what people would say.
Mia was about to take a step when a deep, smooth voice interrupted, "If you’re planning to jump off, I won’t bother to stop you again, but do it when I’m not here, Harrison."
Startled by the sudden voice, Mia quickly turned around, her eyes widening as she saw Mr. Bennett leaning casually against the wall beside the rooftop door. His stance exuded a nonchalant confidence, with his black straight trousers emphasizing his long legs and black leather shoes completing the look. Their Adonis of a professor, as usual, was without his suit jacket and tie, a few buttons of his white shirt left open, revealing tattoos peeking from his chest. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbow, exposing his toned and inked forearms. Between his fingers, he held a half-smoked cigarette.
Mia’s heart skipped a beat as her eyes locked onto his lazy gray gaze. She felt a sudden rush of nervousness and backed away from the edge, wiping her sweaty palms against her jeans. stuttering, she managed to ask, "When did you get there?" Her flushed cheeks betrayed her embarrassnt.
Neil noticed her reddened cheeks and raised a brow. He had co out for a quick smoke to clear his head and recharge his mind after dealing with the spoiled students, and restraining himself from using his fists on annoying young n. He had even been here long before she even stepped out to the rooftop. She had been too imrsed in her own world and talking to herself to notice his presence. She had even almost slamd his face when she shoved the door of the rooftop open awhile ago. He hadn’t bothered to make his presence known because he was curious on knowing what she ca out here to do.
Not until now, Neil hadn’t realized she was the crazy suicidal girl he’d pulled down from that edge weeks ago. It also seed she was burdened with her life problems, but he hadn’t expected an intelligent lady like her would resolve to suicide.
"Why would you want to kill yourself?" He found himself asking her that question. She looked taken aback by his question for a mont before she chuckled awkwardly and said, "I wasn’t going to kill myself. I was just trying to have so fresh air right there." She pointed to the edge.
Neil frowned as he glanced at the edge of the rooftop. Trying to have so fresh air on the edge of the rooftop? How crazy was this young woman to even attempt to stand on such a place like those slippery edges? One wrong move could cost her life.
Noticing his doubt, Mia spoke again, "I am not scared of heights, I have a good balance." She picked up her bag and walked towards him, and when she was just a few steps away from him, she sighed and crouched down.
"I’m not suicidal, I always find peace standing on heights." She said, looking up at him, she saw him exhale a fine ring of thick smokes. "Did you co here to smoke?" Though the question was silly, she didn’t feel like leaving and wanted to talk to him for awhile. However, it seed Mr. Ice cube wasn’t interested in having any conversation with her, he just humd to her question and resud to smoke his cigarette while looking into the distance.
Mia didn’t speak again and stared at him while he smoked. She recalled the night he’d asked her to sing for him, he had also been smoking then. She couldn’t help but think that people who smoke die early, but Mr. Ice cube was here smoking cigarettes like food. Though she also couldn’t help but notice the cigarette he was smoking scented and looked different from the ordinary ones she used to see in whispering way.
Neil could feel the unwavering gaze of the girl before him. However, he didn’t interrupt her by looking back at her. He usually liked being alone after being around annoying people for a long ti, it was a habit of his to smoke to clear off his mind in a quiet place, but strangely he didn’t mind having her in his presence. Though he wanted to ask her a few questions about her childhood and how she learned to play guitar to see if she still recalled the boy who had taught her, but then he rembered her words that night.
’I didn’t learn it from anyone, I just know how to play it sohow.’
How could she have forgotten her life in Mirage sa? Neil thought as he recalled the information Liam had given him about Mia. She had no record in Mirage sa nor in Vertexa, where she claid she’d been born. Her past life was now a mystery he wanted to know so badly. He was a man who hated not knowing things, and once he was determined to find out things, nothing could step on his way.
Mia, who was busy staring at the man before her and wondering how soone could be this handso and dangerous at the sa ti, suddenly heard his deep smooth voice asked,"Have you gotten a new guitar?"
She quickly replied, "Huh? Guitar, no. I an I will soon." Or never, she added in her mind. Those perverts were the reasons she had no guitar now. She also missed singing and playing but now she had no guitar and no money to buy a new one.
"Hmm," he humd softly. Throwing away the butt of his cigarette, he brought out his phone and tapped a few ssages on it then sent them to Liam, he would have sent them to his assistant but the man’s phone number was lost in his head as he rarely called him to do things for him.
[Get
a new guitar before we et tonight.]
Liam, who was busy training at the gym of his house, heard his phone ring. He wanted to ignore it as he was training but then thought otherwise as today was Friday and there would be a military eting for the undercover soldiers. He took his phone while wiping away the sweat on his face with a towel. However, he stopped in his tracks as he saw the ssage on the screen of his phone.
Liam frowned deeply. Who was this person using his friend’s disguise phone number to ssage him?
[Who are you, and how dare you use Leo Bennett’s phone to ssage ?] He replied the person. Neil would never even listen to music not to ntion buying a guitar. He had even rejected a mission that involved going to a music opera to catch a man because of his dislike for any kind of music. He didn’t just dislike music, they seed to traumatize him to the point of going pale and throwing up. He had witnessed it once. Hence, this person ssaging him wasn’t Neil.
Neil on the other hand saw Liam’s reply and raised a brow. He then tapped a few words on his phone keyboard. [Fuck you, Liam. Get
a damn guitar before tonight.]
Liam received his ssage again and laughed out loud, his voice echoing in the huge gym hall. Oh, now that was Neil Wayner. But what did he need a guitar for? Had he finally co to like music again, or was he buying the guitar to break it like he usually did to any musical instrunts?
[What do you need a guitar for? And why should I be the one buying it? Where is your assistant? And I hope you don’t forget tonight you have to be in the eting with the rest, and let
warn you beforehand, Jason and your uncle will be there as well.]
Neil received the ssage and cursed under his breath. He had almost forgotten about the eting. He wouldn’t have minded the eting if he wouldn’t be eting his uncle, not to ntion that damn Jason. And the thought of going sent his blood boiling. He tightened his grip on his phone.
Mia, who had been studying his profile, observed his darkened expression and heard him mutter a curse under his breath. The intensity of his presence was suddenly palpable from where she sat. The temperature abruptly dropped, turning the warm weather cold. He was clearly angry. Soone must have upset him on the phone, and now Mia regretted being in his company. Swallowing nervously, she began to rise from her seat, but froze when she heard his authoritative voice.
"Don’t go, sit down."
Sit down? She didn’t want to be on the receiving end of Mr. Ice cube’s anger. Fortunately, as if her prayers were answered, the door to the rooftop burst open and Rayne appeared, seemingly searching for her.
"There you are, I’ve been looking for you all over the school, you—Oh, Mr. Bennett." Rayne’s words halted abruptly when she noticed the professor leaning against the wall. He glared down at Rayne with his cold gray eyes, as if she had interrupted sothing important. Then, without uttering a word to them, he left the rooftop.
Mia breathed a sigh of relief after hearing his footsteps fade away down the stairs. Rayne turned away from the door and glanced at her friend. "What was that about? Did I interrupt sothing between the two of you?" she asked, recalling the glare Mr. Bennett had directed at her monts ago.
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