Chapter 4 Don't Forget To Smile

• I was saved from his phone ringing which caused me to exhale heavily.
• "Hey Leon." Hugo greets.
• Hugo looks so troubled and of course he should be, seeing a bloodstain on his bed with no woman in his room would totally ruin his career. But don't worry Hugo, I won't let that happen. I will not be the reason to ruin your career even if it means hiding this and everything else. I will forget this day even existed but I won't forget what I saw around here.
• "You need to come here in my room. I need to talk to you." He keeps running his fingers through his hair as he exhales and adds, "Yeah, it's something serious."
• I gulped.
• "I'll take a shower for a bit but be sure you get your ass here right away. I need to show you something before we leave." Hugo worries.
• "Yeah I'm fine. Thanks man." he finally hangs up.
• He sighs and finally marches his way to the bathroom with low shoulders and troubled expression on his face. I listen to him and finally hear the water running..
• I need to get out of here before Leon sees me and even though I want to see Leonardo Porter, SatPat’s talented pianist, so badly, I can't. I need to go before any of them sees me here. It's better if we remain anonymous.
• I carefully pushed the closet door open and noticed that Hugo was really taking his shower. This was my chance to get out and save myself. I walked out of the closet and tiptoed my way to the door as quietly as I could and wished that room had no CCTV camera. I take a last look at the bed, then the entire room which makes me realize one thing, it was fine that I missed the concert, what happened in this room was much more worth than that concert ticket anyways.
• Finally I headed out of his room with my head low, covering my face with my hair with the help of my hands as I continued to march away from Hugo’s room. I'm ashamed of what I could've done and what’s more frustrating is that I don’t remember anything of the things that I did to Hugo.
• When I finally got inside the elevator, I was alone. I exhale heavily and place my hand over my heart. It was still beating ridiculously fast.
• I gasped and felt that my neck was empty.
• My necklace! I left my necklace in Hugo’s room! Damn it! God damn it! That has always been something important to me.
• Face palm.
• Way to go Miranda!
• My tears were quick to fill my eyes and they started streaming down my face. I cried for a while with my head down as I kept wiping the tears off my cheeks. The elevator makes a sound before the door opens so I hurriedly wiped my tears with the back of my hand once more.
• "You okay love?"
• I quickly pulled my head up and saw Landon Thompson right in front of me. Am I dreaming? I want to slap my face but it's really Landon who asked me if I was okay. It's the real deal Landon who's marching inside the elevator with a rueful smile on his face. I was surprised to see him all by himself with no security around him.
• He stands next to me as the door finally closes, “Are you alright?” He asked again, tickling my ear with his British accent.
• "It's... It's..." I stuttered, still starstruck.
• He smiles a little wider, "Hi. I'm Landon." He introduced himself to me as if I did not know who he was.
• I accepted his hand right away and I think I was still gaping in surprise. I felt him squeezing my hand but I seemed like I held onto it a little bit more. "Miranda." I croaked.
• "Are you okay Miranda? Why were you crying?" He asked.
• "Nothing. I’m.. I’m actually fine." I lied.
• Why am I so calm?
• It's Landon Thompson, my ultimate crush, but why am I not screaming or hyperventilating? I'm in one elevator alone with the freaking Landon Thompson but I'm not going hysterical or crying as what I have imagined it to be.
• What's wrong with me?
• "Are we in the lobby already?" I asked, anxiously being in the same small room with him.
• He chuckled and his laugh sounded so handsome even if it doesn’t make sense but to me it is. "No.” He answered calmly. “You were on the 25th floor when I hopped in. We're on the way to the lobby now."
• I answered him with a nod but my eyes are still glued on his very handsome face while he stares ahead of him. I didn’t really want to be so weird in front of him but it still doesn’t sink in that we are both here and I am actually not freaking the fuck out when I was anticipating myself to be.
• God Landon sure is heavenly adorable.
• His head turned to me with rueful eyes, “Are you sure you're alright?"
• I nodded again, too mesmerized with his incredibly gorgeous face but I didn’t even realize that he is actually pretty tall in person.
• "Are you going somewhere?" He asked again.
• "Home." I answered softly, sounding a bit embarrassed. “I… I, umm, I had a rough… night and morning.”
• He answered me with a nod. "I could take you there. It's really the least I can do for a woman who is so dejected, in my opinion."
• My eyes dilated with his words. I swear to God, he is so perfect.
• “You’re too generous.” I smile shyly as I shake my head sideways. I know how the fans would react if they see the boys with another woman and it’s something that I don’t want to be involved in.
• "That would be nice but ummm.. a cab will do." I say softly.
• I can't believe I'm having a casual conversation with Landon.
• He nods. "Alright. I'll call you a cab. I'll tell the hotel manager to get you one to make sure you get home safe, how's that?" He smiles.
• I nod.
• The elevator finally opened and we were at the hotel lobby in a split second. I realized that I was inside one of the most expensive hotels in town, the one that Nina and Beth were thinking that SatPat was staying at. They were damned right.
• Finally walking out of the elevator, I still feel completely remorseful now that I walked the walk of shame from Hugo’s bedroom. The more I tell myself that what I did was normal, I still can’t help but blame myself for getting too drunk the night before.
• Remembering Hugo’s face after seeing the bloodstain makes me hate myself for what I even went through without actually having any memories from last night. That look on his face, I think he was completely disgusted by what he saw.
• He was disgusted with me.
• "You sit on the couch, love. I'll get you one right away." Landon tells me.
• I walked to the couch and sat down where he told me to. I waited for a while but my tears were building up again and I don’t know why in hell I was crying.
• Am I crying because I saw Landon? Am I crying because I was hurt seeing Hugo’s face from the bloodstain on his hotel bed? Or am I crying for blaming myself for what happened to me and Hugo?
• "Ma’am?" I pulled my head up as soon as I heard the voice. "Mr. Thompson wants you to have this and the cab is already waiting."
• I smiled back and accepted the paper.
• From the corner of my eye, I see Hugo and Leon walking out of the elevator which causes my breathing to hitch in the back of my throat. Hugo looked fresher than earlier but he had his brows creased in the middle of his forehead. They were busy talking at the same time walking towards where I was. Before he could see me and recognize that I was the girl from last night, I quickly pulled myself up, thanked the attendant and headed out of the hotel as fast as I could.
• I got inside the cab exasperatingly while my eyes were still glued on Hugo who is now entering the hotel’s cafe. I traveled my eyes on the small note which I remembered was from Landon.
• I opened it quickly with excitement.
• Miranda,
• You're one beautiful woman. For whatever reason you were crying a while ago, you'll pass through it. Don't forget to smile, love.
• Always,
• Landon Thompson
• I smiled.