Forbidden Melody

"Actually...Levi was staying at our place. And he...I don't know why...left all of a sudden," I tell him. "All of his stuffs are still here. So I'm a bit worried."

"Ah who am I kidding... He's my son alright. He tend to be brash at times. I guess he's still upset with me," he replies in a calm voice.

"Do you know where he can be?"

"Well...when he wants to be left alone, no one can find him."

"What if he wants to be found this time? What if he doesn't really want to be alone?"

"Well that is..."

"It's alright Mr. Fawcett. Thank you for your time."

"Anytime Loretta. My son can be a fool sometimes but I know, deep down he cares. If you manage to find him before he comes back on his own, could you bring him to me once?" Norman Fawcett requests.

"I'll try my best."

I open the phone's map and think about the possible places where he can go. He mentioned three places. That cottage where we stayed last time-he won't pick it. Then when he asked I guessed a lake or something water related. What about the third place of his escapes? There's a lake 21km and a big pleasant couples park 15km away from here. I'll have to check these two places first.

I'm still riding. It's closing to an hour. I checked the park. There was no sight of him. Will I even find Levi today? But I have to say I've never felt this free before...like a wild bird flying far and far. Ah...life's savory. And I'm tasting it.

It's probably one mile left now but I still decide to ask a passerby since I don't know around here. "Excuse me, is the lake this way?" I ask the girl.

"Yes. You're going just alright. First you'll see a two storey abandoned house. Then two minutes of walk straight from there."

"Thanks."

Just as I was about to drive off the girl stops me. "Are you Loretta Knight...the famous pianist?"

Damn she recognised me through my helmet and makeup. "I'm not that famous yet," I blush. "Not everyone's a fan of piano these days."

"I love piano, Miss Knight. You're my inspiration. Ohh I never thought I'd be able to come across you...certainly not like this."

"Just Loretta is fine really."

"Right..." She shakes my hand then says, "I guess you're in a hurry. I won't bother you anymore. But I'll surely attend your concert."

A fan moment huh... The feeling's very bubbly. Perhaps no one saw Loretta going out on her own like this. She'd mostly drive her personal car. What a pity... It's mine now.

Few minutes later I locate an abandoned house as she said. It's late afternoon. I take a quick glance at my watch. No way! Two hours and half have passed. My phone pings with notification. I pull it out to see two missed calls from Aiden, I call him back. "Hello... Aiden," I chuckle awkwardly to avoid him calling me out of being late. "Is Myria home yet?"

"No. But you are late, Loretta." There's impatience in his voice.

"I...yhh... I just reached there. It took me some time to get an idea of the possibility of... Anyway I'll be home soon."

"What do you mean!? Where are you right now? And don't even try to lie, Loretta," he asks in a demanding voice.

"Aiden please...just a little while longer. I promise I'll explain everything when I get back!"

"When you get back?" He yells naggingly. "You have any idea how anxious I got when you didn't pick up my call earlier? You're alone...on your own for the first time and it's...goodness Loretta... Normally you don't like going out alone like this. What's the matter?"

"I'm sorry Aiden. Just have a little faith in me. That's all I can say for now."

"Just get back home before 7 alright? I called Myria half an hour ago. Nova said they'll be back soon. Even my producer called me a while ago. I have to go to the studio as well. Loretta, just don't make it past 7."

"Yes yes I understand...Bye."

Ugh...that was exhausting. But my intuition says I'll find Levi soon. I park the shiny sleek two wheeler near the house to rest a little. It's old and moss-covered-creepers on the iron gate and walls gray-black from dirt and soot. But otherwise the house is standing firm. I see the sun, bright orange about to set in the wide west sky. An evening so tranquil and entrancing. Does Levi love sunsets? The lake might look as beautiful too.

Suddenly I notice a faint light lit up in one of the rooms of the house, through the frosted glass window. People live in there? Didn't she say it's abandoned?

The gate screeches a little when I open it. What exactly are you doing Morana? Intruding into someone else's private property? What if it's a thief inside? Or an assailant? But I can't just leave from here. Someone's in there. I can ask them whether they saw Levi around here or not.

The door is unlocked?! It can't be a thief then. Without making a noise I enter inside. I feel something crawling on my back and an instinctive yelp comes out.

"It's just a tiny spider." A familiar voice comments behind me.

"Levi!" I turn around hastily. "You.. I.. the door wasn't locked why?"

"So that this little troublemaker can enter. Loretta, you have..." Before he could finish his sentence I run into his arms. The impact makes him stagger but he manages to stand still nonetheless. I inhale his scent -a sense of peace washes over me.

"Why?" He asks softly.

I feel my eyes humid but blink back them. All of a sudden anger overcomes my sense of peace. I glare at his calmed eyes. And I push him back. Suddenly I don't want to see him. He avoided me for days. He left the house without an explanation. He kept his phone switched off... sulking for some unknown reason...why? Now I've found him...it's embarrassing.

"Loretta," Levi calls out to me. "Where are you going?"

"Home. I'm already late... Aiden's waiting for me."

He grabs my hand. "Are you not here for me?" There's a hint of jealousy in his tone. "And you're leaving?"

"Do I owe you an explanation?" I grimace.

"No. But I do. Loretta, forgive me...for leaving abruptly. Escaping...from you and everything. I should've... I'm a fool." He regretfully releases me.

"So your dad said."

"You called my father?"

"You know what Levi?" I press my forearms together resisting the mild goosebumps which his surprised expression brought me. "Aiden's worried about me. I don't wanna be late. So if you'll excuse me," I pull away from him but he suddenly hugs me from behind.

"You don't owe me anything Loretta. But I do. I owe you a lot of things," he whispers just beneath my ear sending shivers down my spine. "Will you forgive me if I promise you something today?"

I stay quiet considering his words. He speaks again, "No one ever worried about me like that before... One thing that is common between me and Nero -when in bad mood I'd often go out to places... without telling anyone. No-one tried to find me. You changed that. You're still so hard to read. But now it feels like this is what my fate has recommended."

"Promise me what?"

"That I'll find my escape in you...with you. I won't leave you like that again."

I feel a strong urge to hold his face between my palms-the uneven skin of his cheeks that didn't receive a shave for a while. I close my eyes thinking it over. "Apology accepted." Well things can be explained after we get home. Right now if I stay here any longer Myria will know everything. "Levi."

"Hm?"

"Let's go home."

When we come out of the abandoned house he takes several seconds to take a good look at me. "Night rider dark rider."

"Huh?"

"I have never seen you like this..."

"Is it bad?" I ask doubtfully.

"That was supposed to be a compliment," he replies with bewildered eyes. I twist the key starting it. "Alright get on."

"I'm surprised...when did you learn?"

"Aiden asked the same," I answer indifferently.

"You keep being a surprise."

I intend to continue that. I smirk.

"I guess I have to hold onto you now..." He asks scratching the back of his neck. "You have no problem with that right?"

"Just hurry up-do whatever you want. We have to be at home quickly."

He wraps his hands around my waist. Uhh...why it feels hot all of a sudden?

"Thank you Miss Rider," he says lowering his voice. I don't ask him why and focus on the road. The sunset along with the house fades behind us. 

The time we reach home it's 7.10 already. But fortunately Myria isn't here yet. I give a sigh of relief when I see Aiden waiting for me at the doorway. Seeing Levi with me his eyes shift a little. "This was your important business?" He scoffs. "Hanging out with him? The thing you couldn't tell me?!"

"Aiden...it's not like that." I throw my hands in the air. Avoiding his gaze I sign Levi to play along. "In order to help you we have to work together. So I asked for his help too," I say.

Levi without knowing anything agrees with me. "That's right...Aiden."

"So now he knows it too...aghh!" Aiden groans in displeasure.

Levi eyes me questioningly. I sign him that I'll fill him in later. "So what?" I pout. "You guys are friends. No one will spread a word right?"

"Fine," Aiden purses his lips. "What's the plan then?"

I return him the keys of his bike. "Tomorrow we'll be meeting at my house again at 10a.m. I'll take tonight to think," I declare.

"See you tomorrow Loretta," Aiden hugs me. "Don't let this fool get on your nerves," he points at Levi.

"Look who's talking..." Levi retorts. "You make me itch all over."

"Back at ya," Aiden laughs.

"Leave. You both are idiots. One who keeps running away from his problems like a ten year old and the other-messed up in a drunk-love situation."

They both roll eyes at each other as if cursing under their breath. Then Aiden leaves and I close the door.

"Young lady's back!" Sofia who was cleaning dishes comes out. "And so is Mr. Fawcett. What happened to him for the last few days? He left so suddenly..."

"Uh... I had some business-it was kinda patchy," he replies.

"Anyway nice to have you back," Sofia says again. "Making parmesan pasta and Waldorf salad...oh and I made candy apples too. Madam Myria won't be having dinner with us I guess. So the menu's short."

"It's not, Sofia. Besides I love whatever you make," I compliment her.

She looks like she's never heard compliments from me. Well...about that...

She dabs at the corners of her eyes dramatically. "Thank you so much Young Lady. Means a lot."

"It's true. You don't have to thank me." I take Levi's hand. "We're going upstairs. Call when it's made."

I shut the door telling him to sit.

"I'm clueless," Levi says.

"That's why you're here. I'm going to tell you now." I sigh. "Where to start..."

It takes me a couple of minutes to explain him about Aiden's troubles. He didn't say a word when I was speaking. I feel so exhausted that I have lost interest in food for now. I lie down on my back. He does the same. He's just an inch apart from my body. If I move even a little we'd be touching.

He turns his head at me. "I may not like that idiot but I don't think he did something like that."

Wow...Levi defending Aiden! That's something new.

"I mean he pretty much spends his time with his music at the studio and he never looked at any girl. He's too focused...on certain things.

"That only means that Annie is lying. Aiden did say that she is jealous type. Aiden's manager is freting over the whole situation."

"Whatever it is and however she is...it's not beneficial for him in any way," he remarks but with a serious tone.

Should I tell him that we are on a break? That I'm currently not with the Aiden anymore-as a couple. "Levi?"

"Yes?"

He earnestly waits for me but I decide to ask something else. "What about your problems hm? Will you let me have a look on them?"

He props up on one elbow. "That place...is one of my favourites," he talks about the abandoned house.

"I liked it," I smile.

"You did? Rusty old houses?"

"Hm... The surroundings were beautiful too."

"It's not easy for me, Loretta."

"CEO huh..." I muse on.

"Not only that..." He sighs.

"Then tell me," I urge him.

"He nominated the whole company under my name."

"Woah...that's a lot." I think about his stepmother. "What about Janet? Did she not complain about your dad's decision?"

He shakes his head. "They run another company together. According to t

hem -'It's about time you take things seriously Levi.' As if I wasn't stressed enough. So to burden me with responsibilities he did this. He was always an enemy of my peace." Levi huffs. "Ah my fun days are over."