Delusion

   Carmen thought silently as she wondered where were they going to? Her house? The driver didn't know the exact address and the Romans only knew the street she lives on. 

  She wanted to ask but in the same time, her instincts told her to stay silent. She glanced secretly at the man sitting beside her. He looked like he was fuming with anger, Carmen was waiting for red fumes to get out of his ears and his face to go red as a tomato, but absolutely that was just in her mind. 

  Her thoughts went back to her little brother, Cody. How was he doing now? Is he being bullied by one of his rich classmates? Or was he talking happily with his best friend, Jake. Carmen hoped for the latter. 

  After a few minutes of hesitation, she finally asked. "Ronald, where are we going?" 

  The once furious man turned his head to her and smiled. 'Bipolar much?' She thought. "To a small cafe downtown" she nodded her head but was feeling annoyed inside. He hadn't even asked for her opinion. 'Like father like son' she thought. 

  "A-are you okay?"this time, she was looking straight in his eyes, waiting for an answer. 

  "Yeah I am. I'm just angry at my father. First, he talk badly with Adrian and next he slapped you!"yelled Ronald, taking Carmen in surprise"I'm sorry about my outburst, I just got angry when I saw how he slapped you in front of me and I couldn't even stop him"He apologized. 

  He was mad because he couldn't stop his father. He was blaming himself. How sweet of him to care that much. Her lips immediately rose into a soft smile and she said "There's no need to blame yourself for something your father did. You are really different than him" Different than your brother too. Of course, she kept the second sentence to herself. There was no way she would tell him that. 

  "Thank you for being such an understanding person. I owe you a cup of coffee as an apology for my father's actions"she raised her eyebrows playfully at him, causing a chuckle to get out of his mouth. 

  Carmen started comparing him with his older brother. Everything was different. Their chuckle, their behavior and their reputation. Ronald had always been the kind and perfect son helping his parents in their work. Otherwise, Adrian has always been the secretive guy. He had never acted in a movie that involved his family in any way. That's why when he had accepted this tv show 'The Undercover Spy' everyone was shocked. 

  How was it possible for such different souls to be biological brothers. Anybody who has never seen them before would be shocked about the fact they're related. 

  Despite being brothers, there has always been an invisible barrier between them. If Adrian was going to a secret place, Ronald would never follow him and pretended not to know anything. It was like a secret agreement between them. They both didn't know anything about each other's activities.

  Each had their own secrets and both didn't have a slight idea about the other's. They are clearly each other's rivals. They knew it would come to who would take their father's place one day, no matter how much they loved or hated each other. Everyone could clearly notice the odd tension. They had been compared in everything since they had both met each other. Who was the better businessman and actor? Who was the kindest guy? The greatest son. And perfect partner. Who was more popular among the celebrities?Ronald had always knew he was better at all of those. Either Adrian didn't care about letting him think so or he was too sick of everything to show him the truth. But after they had met Carmen, Ronald was starting to doubt everything. Was he the better man after all?

  Meanwhile, Adrian wanted to scream. To let his inner beast out. He knew he couldn't do it in front of a large company like theirs with so many people walking, chatting and laughing there. Was he the only one feeling it, that everything would just crash down in seconds, or were all of these people trying to ignore the feeling?

  Adrian didn't know whether it was the weather, his father's words or his gut feeling that something was about to happen. 

  His instincts were telling him to run away from there and never look back. But he didn't have the time to move a muscle when it happened. 

  The loud sound of the alarm system was ringing loudly. Everyone closed their mouths and turned their heads to the company. People inside and outside the building could hear the sound very clearly. The sound alarming a fire. 

  His heart started racing. His legs were frozen, every pair of legs in that street were glued to the ground. Some started running away, others dialed for help and some were screaming. 

  Adrian watched as the fire was eating the place. Everything was getting ruined. Everything was being burned down to ashes. And he wasn't doing anything. 

  Suddenly he remembered, his father was still there. Immediately, he jogged towards the doors, ignoring the people stopping him with their screams, no one daring to step closer and stop him near the frightening sight of the fire. 

  "Charles"he yelled once he got into the building. He kept coughing, trying to catch a breath. "I'm coming, don't worry"shouted Adrian again. He wasn't sure if he was assuring his dad or trying to calm himself down. 

  As he was climbing the stairs, he heard the sound of the fire truck. They were finally here, he sighed. 

  He continued running, focusing on his one goal. Saving his father who was stuck in the office.   

  He reached the door and yelled for the third time "Charles can you hear me"he tried banging on the door, but it wasn't opening. 

  "Adrian! Yes, yes I'm here."

  After hearing his dad's voice, he had more than enough courage to break the door open before the fire reached them. 

  The shouting from outside was too much of a bother to keep him focused on the task. He could hear the familiar voice he despised the most. It was Ronald's. 

  His anger rose and he pushed the door open with his shoulder. He fell inside and glanced up at his dad who was sitting on the floor, taking deep breaths. It was just then that Adrian realized that the fire has reached the room. He crawled inside, escaping the fire that was going to swallow him. 

  He sat in front of Charles and cupped his face in his large cold hands. "Charles. We will get out, the firemen are here and they will save us, please stay awake. Please"It was the first time ever his dad has heard the word 'please' coming out of his son's mouth. 

  He was fighting to stay awake and not faint from the lack of oxygen. How fast was the fire to spread around?

  Adrian stood up in panic and tried to find a solution when he heard a voice that almost made him get a heart attack. 

  "Adrian! Charles! Where are you?"her voice was desperate. 

  Adrian felt helpless. He could neither help his father and himself or even know where she was to get her out of here. She was probably stuck like them. But what was she doing there? Shouldn't she be outside with Ronald?

  "Carmen! What are you even doing here"he asked as he rushed to the door and tried to find her from between the small space. 

  "I came to save you. Are you hurt? Did the fire do any harm to you?"He could finally see her face from the small space in between the fire. She looked close but in the same time too far. 

  "Why did you come here? You'll be stuck, you shouldn't have came here"he murmured to her. 

  They were both staring at each other, knowing that there was no way any of them could help the other. Charles was sitting on the floor, ignoring everything as he was suffering for a breath. Sooner or later, the fire will swallow the whole place, bringing it to ashes, including them. 

  "Adrian I came here to tell you one thing. I wanted to say this just in case this is my last chance. I love you" BOOM!

  Adrian was staring with wide eyes as she was talking but he felt that his eyes couldn't go wider as he saw her being dragged away. 

  He heard one last scream coming from her before she went silent. 

  "Carmen, what happened! Are you okay! For the love of god, please answer me"he begged with a loud tone as tears filled his eyes. "What was that sound, Carmen"he shouted as he kicked the wall. He was unable to see anything. 

  "Use this" Charles struggled to say as he was pointing to the large carpet there. Adrian rushed and took it. He started putting the little fire down using it. The fire in front of the door stopped and he was finally able to get out. He dragged his father outside and sat him on the stairs before hurrying to find Carmen who was nowhere to be seen. 

  "Mr. Romano, please come with us. Let's hurry outside!"a fireman called him. 

  "No! I'm not coming with you unless I find Carmen"he denied. 

  "But Mr. there's no one here, everyone is outside already"he answered. 

  "I'm sure she's here. Father, you saw here talking to me, please convince him while I search for her" Adrian said as he glanced at his father. 

  "What are you talking about, son? Carmen was never here" Charles scowled in confusion as he stared at his older son. 

  "She was! I was talking to her through the door. Dad, say the truth please. She's here and she's in danger. Even if you may hate her, we have to help her. She even confessed her-"

  "Son, Carmen isn't here. I'm sure it was just because of you panicking you imagined things"his father interrupted. 

  Adrian was left speechless as he stared at the room he was in. A fireman hurried over to him and walked him down and lead them both outside the building. 

  Adrian walked outside and looked around, frantically searching for her. But there were too many people. Workers from the building, police men and women with their cars, firemen and other people who were staring at the fire that the firemen have managed to put down. 

  He was lost. She was there, confessing her love to him. Could it be that she remembered him? Or was it all his delusion. Did he imagine his brother's voice too? It could be just another similar voice. He stared back at the large building, wondering if there was really no one inside at the moment. This all didn't make sense to him. 

  "Believe me, she's here!"he cried out but no one listened to his shouts. 

  He tried running back inside but the police stood in his way and took him away "She's still in there, I can feel it! Why is nobody believing me!"he screamed as some tears threatened to fall. 

  As he was shouting, he didn't notice a familiar car stopping beside them and two people coming out. A man rushed to his father and a woman walked over to him. 

  "Oh my god Adrian! Are you okay?"he heard her ask. 

  His head spun toward her direction as his eyes froze. "Carmen?"he asked in clear confusion.

  "As soon as Ronald and I heard about what happened, we came rushing here. I hope no body was harmed?"said Carmen. 

  Adrian gulped down as he realized something. He was starting to see her when she wasn't even there. And that was scary. Was he obsessed with her or was it only from the panic feeling he had? Either ways, he decided to keep it a secret from her. He didn't want to freak the woman away.