Whenever I felt like my life was going smoothly without any stress or new problems, the almighty always threw a tough situation at me to handle for unknown reasons.
"What did you say?" I shouted, losing my calm.
"Come out, Elira. Please!"
"Are you insane?" I let out a frustrated sigh. "I can't come out. If the guards see you, they'll kill you, Matt. Please leave. Why are you doing this?"
He answered in the same frustrated tone. "Elira, stop freaking out over small things. Do what I say. Come to your backyard, where you'll find a ladder…"
"Ladder?" I was baffled.
"Yes! Please don't make any mistake and come meet me. I'm waiting for you outside."
"I can't. Go away, Matt."
"Then open the door. I'll only meet you."
"Matt! No…"
"Then meet me."
He abruptly ended the call, leaving me shocked. Furiously, I called him again, but he didn't pick up the call, which worried me. I bit my nails, pacing back and forth in the room while thinking about him. I called him again and again to convince him to leave, but he neither picked up my calls nor answered my texts.
Anxiously, I stepped out carefully and reached the backyard, escaping the guards. As soon as I reached the backyard, I saw the ladder, which I climbed while my heart raced at an unusual speed.
As I reached the top of the wall, I saw Matthew on the ground, waiting for me. Angrily, I lifted the ladder and handed it to him, which he placed against the other side of the wall, and helped me reach him.
"Elira!" A bright smile appeared on his lips.
Holding my hand, he started to run towards his car, dragging me along with him. Once we reached it, I left his hand, shouting, "What's gotten into you, Matt? Why are you acting like a teenager…?"
"Happy birthday!"
The fireworks exploded in the sky, which made me gulp. My eyes twinkled as I looked at them, making the dark sky colorful.
"Matt?" Happy tears escaped my eyes while a big smile appeared on my lips. It had been years since I celebrated my birthday. The truth was I forgot about it, as even celebrating birthdays was such a lavish thing for me.
He took out a cake from his car, and lighting the candle, he said again, "Happy birthday to the love of my life."
"You remember it?"
He nodded his head, giving me the knife to cut it. "Make a wish."
Joining my hands together, I shut my eyes, praying inwardly. "I wish for Mira's health. She has to spend the rest of her life like all others, and Matthew should achieve everything he wishes for. And, Mr. Wolfe… save him from his enemies."
"What did you pray for? You took a lot of time." Matthew laughed, teasing me.
I shrugged my shoulders and then cut the cake joyfully. My eyes drifted to our surroundings for a moment, and after making sure there was no one, I wrapped my arms around him, losing myself in his embrace.
"Thank you, Matt. Thank you so much!"
"We'll be celebrating more birthdays like this." He said, pulling himself out of the hug.
We then had our cake under the moonlight, where the darkness that surrounded us was the only guest for the birthday that was celebrated with lots of love and laughter.
"I have a gift for you." He said, looking into my eyes. "You are going to have your freedom. The termination amount… I am going to pay for it."
The words that I heard felt so unreal that I almost didn't believe them. Disbelief, relief, and joy tangled together as they hit me in an instant.
He then continued saying after holding my hand and giving me an apologetic look, "I am so sorry that I chose not to help Mira even though I had money at that time. I… I was selfish and so stupid, but now, I don't want to repeat the mistake. I want to help you have your freedom. For us."
Tears escaped my eyes after hearing his words. I said, "You don't have to. Only a few months left and it's… it's a lot of money."
"That's fine, Elira." He pulled me closer. "You've done more than enough. Now, Mira's condition is stable. She just needs to be admitted for the next few months; that's it. You don't need Mr. Wolfe's help now, as most of the treatment that needed big money was paid by him. If there's anything left, we can handle it."
Like finding a water bottle in the middle of a desert, his words sent me waves of relief, but I stopped looking for a water bottle a long time ago.
I kept quiet while my mind thought of all the worst things that might happen to Matthew because of it, but there was nothing wrong with the termination of the contract.
"Elira! Don't think much. I'll arrange the money."
Then I hugged him again, overflowing with gratitude. Matthew was such a good man that a person like me didn't deserve him. Who would even accept a whore who had been sleeping with a rich man for money, except Matthew? As if it was not enough, he even offered to pay for my freedom.
"This is the best birthday gift I've ever received in my life. Thank you, Matt."
He nodded. "Sorry for asking you to come here and troubling you. Go now, before anyone spots us."
Then we both reached the same wall again, and before I climbed the ladder, he held my hand and pulled me closer to him. Before I realized it, his lips covered mine. My eyes widened in surprise while he took my lower lip into his, kissing me passionately.
I dreamt of our kiss many times, and it finally happened. Our first kiss.
The kiss was so gentle and sweet that it lifted up the corners of my lips in a smile, and butterflies started to erupt in my stomach. Shutting my eyes, I enjoyed the love that flowed from his mouth to mine, and in that moment of passion, his face flashed in my head.
Mr. Wolfe!
Thunderstruck, I took a step back. It was not the face that I should have thought of, and definitely not the name that I should have moaned when I was sharing a kiss with my first love.
"Elira!" He shook me by my shoulders. "What happened?"
Faking a smile, I said, "Um… nothing. I should go."
I kissed his cheek before he helped me climb the ladder. Quickly, I reached the main hall while thinking about my kiss with Matthew. I told myself it was only because I was used to kissing Mr. Wolfe, I thought of him.
As soon as I reached the main hall, my steps halted abruptly, and a loud gasp escaped my mouth seeing Mr. Wolfe standing in the middle of the hall, watching the smart TV.
And I froze after my gaze fell on the screen that he had been watching.
It was the backyard.