Come to Me
Chapter 9's

"Well, good morning!" I greeted Anna when I saw her in the kitchen.

She had just returned from jogging, her blonde hair tied back, dressed like me in a white T-shirt and black yoga pants. He put the coffee grounds in the fridge then smiled at me.

"Good morning too. Is he gone?"

"Not yet, he'll be down in a minute. We'll have coffee."

"You invited him here." That's not a question.

"Yes." Yeah."

"And let him stay."

"Yes." Yeah."

Eyes sharpening.

"A small transgression of your habit."

"I know." I sighed and took three mugs from the storage cabinet. "He's different, Ann. I don't know where this leads, but I want to find out."

He hit me on the shoulder and smiled. "I'm happy for you, Put."

I heard Jis walking behind me and Anna's eyes were blown away. I know, she's hot!

I turned around, smiling at him.

"Jis, this is my best friend Anna. Anna, this…"

"Jis Khalifa!" her voice was shrill and she was now smiling, her hands clenched, and Anna was jumping up and down now.

"Yes God! Good Lord! Good Lord! Jis Khalifa is in our kitchen!" she swung my shoulders and performed a happy little dance.

Whatisthis?

I looked at Jis and she perfectly fell silent. He's very pale.

He gulped with difficulty and looked at me, but did not touch me.

Anna had stopped her happy dance.

"You didn't say all this time with Jis Khalifa!"

"I assume that you know him?" my question, whispering.

What did I miss?

Anna stopped, her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

"Of course I know him. Put, it's Jis Khalifa."

"I know." I answered, but my face turned red and I started to feel like everyone was joking and I was like a fool.

"No, Put…"

Jis rediscovered her voice. "Put, I can explain."

He grabbed me, but I dodged and circled the table to make some distance between us.

"Explain what?"

"Switch," Anna gulped and looked at him, noticed the annoying smile on his face and then looked back at me. "This Khalifa's jis is famous."

"What?" I squinted my eyes and looked at Jis again, and this all suddenly made sense.

Don't ever take my picture.

Why don't you leave me alone?

I don't like the crowd.

"From the movie Nightwalker, Put." whispered Anna.

Jis didn't say anything, and he didn't look at me. His hands were on his waist and his head was down.

"You lied to me." I hate how broken my voice sounds.

Her head lifted and she locked me with her beautiful black eyes. "No, I'm not lying to you."

"I've asked you, more than once, what your job is, and you keep distracting me." Oh, this hurts.

"I'm just.." she ruffled her hair. "Put, how I feel about you..."

"Stop." I raised my hand. "Yesterday you said in the car, no surprises."

She's speechless.

"Oh my God, I feel stupid." I closed my eyes and wanted to put my head on the table and cry.

"No, Put.." she walked up to me but I retreated back, made her stop.

"No, listen to me, Put." Anger hit me, and it shook me. "I trust you for things I don't trust others. And all this time you've been lying to me."

"It's not like that…."

"Snipples.." Anna stepped forward, but I locked her in place with a sharp look.

"So, I'm just a joke. 'Let's see how far I can get from this girl before she realizes who I am'? Well, you've been sleeping with him, Jis. Good."

"No!" Jis walked around the table, ignored my warning to retreat, then clutched my shoulder with his hand. His eyes were cold, his face tense showing that he was injured.

"No, Put. Our relationship is no joke. And I didn't sleep with you, I made love to you."

I feel so ashamed.

"Everyone in this country knows you, Jis."

"Not everyone" he answered.

"Yes, you're right, it seems I'm the only person who's not smart enough to recognize you." I let go of his grip and walked backwards. He dropped his arm on the side of the body.

"Snake," Anna tried again, "Why do you have to know who she is? You never saw the movie."

"His face is on millions of jerseys, Anna! There's action in the looks of it."

Jis grimaced and turned around.

"Girls of all ages are squealing at you like five minutes ago and they're losing their minds! I should have recognized all the faces! Oh my God, I'm an idiot." I'm so embarrassed, I just want to run. I want him to leave. I want him to hug me and tell me it's not true.

What does he want with me? He could be with anyone in the world, actually.

"Mad..." Jis tried to approach me, but I pushed her, ignoring the pain in her voice.

"Go."

"No, I don't want to go." Her beautiful voice sounded miserable. Same with. I folded my arms, preventing her from holding me.

"I don't want you to be here. I can't be with someone who's lying to me." Oh, leave.

"I'm not lying! Put, it's not my life anymore. We need to talk about this."

I've heard enough, and I just need him to get away from me.

"I've got one more hour's photo session, I need a shower, and I want you to go after I'm done."

"You're overreacting!" his voice panicked, his eyes begging me.

"Get out of my house!" I screamed at him, tears falling on my face.

"Put, don't do this…"

I turned around and ran through the stairs, towards my room and into the bathroom, locking myself in it. I leaned against the door and dropped my body, my body shaking from the cry that seemed to tear my body apart.

"Put, open the door."

Shit, he's following me.

"Go." There is no strength left in my voice. I just want him to leave.

"I'm not leaving, shit! Open door!"

"No." I stood up and leaned my forehead against the door, my hands clutching the cold white wood.

"Put, help me God, if you don't open the door, I'll break it. Come out and look at me." His voice was stammering and close to me. And he's really angry. So do I! I didn't respond, and suddenly Jis hit the wall on the left side of the door.

"OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR!"

I still didn't respond, my tears spilled again.

"Well, Put, if you want to act like a kid, fine. I don't need this." I heard him leave my room and go downstairs.

How can I be in this mess?

How could I not recognize him? Her hair had grown longer, and it had been five years since her last movie came out, her body was fuller, and she was getting older, but how could I not recognize that handsome face?

Suddenly, I recalled our conversation when we had a drink in the pub.

If I had to see one more movie trailer about vampires, I'd kill myself.

Oh God. Could this be even more embarrassing? Jis starred in three vampire movies that not only went well, but became such a huge sensation, that you couldn't possibly go anywhere without seeing news about her stars, or her merchandise.

And I just spent forty hours falling in love with a man who fits me perfectly.

I crawled into the tub and lit the water. I have to be in a completely good shape for this session. I'm down. Today's clients are a couple, and I'll take intimate photos of them, encouraging them to love each other, be romantic.

Goddamn bum.

I took a quick shower, but let the water flush my face for longer. I'll look messy with red, puffy eyes.

After I dry my body and get dressed, I dry my hair and roll it up. I checked my face. Yep, red, and puffy.

I didn't bother with make-up and prayed that my eyes would improve within thirty minutes. I just need to finish this session, then I can just roll in my bed and cry for days at a time. Just have to go through two hours and not think about Jis.

I threw my head out of the bathroom and found my bedroom empty. Thanks God. The wall beside the door where Jis hit him looked not too broken. He didn't hit her hard. I walked to the side of the bedroom and peered through the window. Jis's car has left my front yard.

She went.

Downstairs, Anna was still in the kitchen, the coffee mug in her hand, she was crying.

"Put, I'm so sorry."

I raised my hand to surrender. "It's not your fault. I can't talk about this right now, Ann. I have a photo session in a few minutes.

"He looks broken, Put."

"Please stop."

"You need to talk to him."

"Stop! Ann, I can't talk about this."

My voice was stifled and I took a deep breath, hoping that tears would not come down from my eyes.

"Okay, we'll talk about this after your session ends."

"Don't you have to go to work?" my many.

"I asked permission. I'll be here with you." He gave me a small smile.

"I love you, Ann." I was about to leave, but a thought came to my mind. "Can you do something for me?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Take off my sheets and wash everything related to the bed?" I couldn't survive by smelling her body odor later when I was struggling to feel sorry for myself.

"Surely."

It was the worst session of my entire life. I was unfocused, sad, and agitated. The couple was great, they loved each other, they were sexy, and I knew I was getting some good photos, but I felt really bad that this wasn't a fun session like I used to do, she said, I'll refund the cost of this shoot. At least that's what I can do.

I changed my clothes with khaki shorts and a blue tank top, thanking God for my good friend when I saw my bed had been changed, washed and rearranged. My muscles remind me of yesterday night's activities, and with all these stressful events, my heart breaks.

Downstairs, I picked up my iPhone to check for missed messages and calls, picked up a glass of sweet tea from inside the freezer and joined Ino on the back porch.

"How was your session?" tanyakanya.

"Bad," I replied with a snort and fell on the soft recliner.

"Sorry."

"I'll give them back the money, but I think they'll still be happy with the pictures." I turned on my phone and took a deep breath.

"You sure you want to check that out?" Anna asked from the recliner behind me. His eyes were closed and enjoying the sunlight.

"I have to check that maybe a client called me. I'll ignore it." I refused to say his name out loud.

I got seven missed calls, five voicemails and three messages waiting for me.

There was no message from Jis at all, and I was disappointed. He said he didn't need this, so it meant that we ended up, like this? It seems like it is.

Jis Khalifa can get anyone, why would she want me?

I turned off my phone, threw it at the table next to my drink and pulled my knee to the chin, leaned my forehead and let my tears come down.

"Oh, Put, don't cry." Anna crawled on the recliner and hugged me.

"I just feel so stupid" I muttered on his shoulder.

"You really don't know who he is?"

"No. He looks different now." My answer is self-defense.

"Yes. He looks older."

He smiled as he spoke, and I agreed.

"Yes, right." I'm sighing. "Of course, now I see it. I should have known immediately when he robbed me at the beach."

"Maybe you're just too surprised."

"Maybe, but what reason did I get after that? I spent almost two whole days with that man, Ann."

"Hey, stop blaming yourself. You've been enjoying sexy, sweet men in two days. That's not a crime."

"I told him a lot of things. I told you about mom and dad, the rape, and everything. I even showed him my studio."

Anna looked at me with her eyes wide. "And you had sex in your bed."

"Don't remind me."

"How did he react to all that?"

I sat down and sipped my tea. "She looked sad to learn that her father and mother had died. The rape infuriated him, and he wanted to kill the despicable man. She likes her studio, and says it's sexy and I'm talented."

"Well, that all sounds exhilarating."

"And last night was very.." How do I describe it? "Excellent and very beautiful. She loved my curves and when she touched me, it was so. wow." I couldn't stop the smile on my lips and Anna smiled.

"You did it with Jis Khalifa."

And my smile disappeared.

"I'm sorry, but give me five minutes to ask. Is being naked in real life as hot as being naked in a movie?"

"He was naked in the movie?!" i'm squealing.

"From the back, yeah. That's my favorite part."

Oh I really don't like that everyone at White Water has ever seen Jis's ass.

"I think his ass is better in real life." My answer.

"Oh, you're killing me!" Anna sounded like a fifteen-year-old and made me chuckle. "You know, he hasn't played a new movie since Nightwalker five years ago."

"Why?" manya curious.

"I don't know." Anna shrugged and crawled back to her lazy chair, sipping my tea. "Gossip says that there are some crazy fans who are vandalizing his house and hurting themselves."

I'm appalled. "Is he hurt?"

"No, I don't think so. I don't think he's home. But who knows how much what television and tabloids say is true? I heard he disappeared and stopped acting. I never knew he moved here."

"He's from here" I told him. "His family lives around here."

"Oh, cool." Anna looked at me like she was judging something. "Are you sure you've ended up with him, Put? You should have seen him after you ran away from him this morning."

"What's he doing?"

"Well, his expression was very bad, but then, just like you. He was pacing around and cursing, and I tried to stop him from chasing you because I knew it wasn't the right way to straighten things out."

"No, I don't want to see it."

"He's fucked. He likes you a lot. I think you should find out about him, he's the real one, better and give it a chance."

I cringe. "Besides, I've never seen you behave like this to a man before. Don't give up on this first."

"He lied to me, and you know how I feel!"

"Oh, Put, think. Have you ever stopped and thought that maybe it was a good change for him, to be with someone who didn't want anything from him? Who doesn't recognize her and scream and ask her stupid questions? He's just a normal guy who wants to date a normal girl. I don't want you to mess it up."

I thought hard about what Anna said, and yes, it makes sense.

"He should have told me, yesterday." Now I'm sulking and I don't care.

"You're right. Forgive her. Maybe you'll get some interesting rewards for the deal. The diamonds? The wine? Flowers?" She laughed as I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Not today."

"Don't play games with him, Put."

I'm pouting. "I didn't play anything. He hurt my feelings. I just want to be with my best friends and do the girls' activities today. Besides, when she left my room, she said she didn't need any of this, so I thought she wasn't interested anymore."

"Oh, he's interested" he flicked his wrist. "Want to go shopping?" ask him expectantly.

"No. Ironically, I wanted to go see it. But not with Jis Khalifa in it."

"Okay, there's no more name there. I think we need extra butter on our popcorn."

"And without diet soda. And since you recognized him before me, you're the one who's buying."

Anna pursed her lips as we collected our belongings and got into the car, go to the movies there where I can turn myself into someone else's story in the next few hours and spend time with the one person I trust the most in the world

.