Blackmail

Gina sat on top of the hill, breathing hard from the climb. She smiled, enjoying the feel of the wind against her face. She was finally at peace. People had not stopped asking about Liana since morning. It had began with her mother who inquired when she came to wake her up. Gina had lied, saying Liana had gone to see her parents and resolved to tell that to anyone who asked. Liana had been living with Gina's family since her parents opened up their medical practice in a remote area that didn't have a college. She regretted having gone to college that day. She'd lied to so many people including her friends and teachers. What if Liana turned up dead? She'd be the first suspect.

She shook her head, not wanting to think of that possibility. Liana was alive, probably kept captive somewhere. In the small town where she knew everybody, she didn't know where to start or who to suspect. Everyone behaved normally. Her head was killing her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of the best friend who was like a sister to her. She could not live without Liana.

"Where are you, Lia?" She said, placing her head on her raised knees. She needed to find Liana but had no idea where to start from.

"Hey," she heard a familiar deep voice behind her. Startled, she turned and saw Dylan Ineroy. He was standing with his hands in pockets, watching her.

"Hey," she said, looking away and quickly wiping her tears. Her heartbeat skyrocketed immediately. He had never been anywhere close to her and she had only heard his voice from a far. The universe was definitely conspiring against her. She had imagined meeting Dylan in a lot of scenarios but not when she was a teary mess. This was extremely embarrassing to her.

"How are you, Gina?" He came and sat next to her. Her lips parted slightly. How did Dylan Ineroy, the most handsome man in town know her name?

"I'm okay," she said, gathering up courage to look at him. If it was someone else, she'd have made a sarcastic remark. How could she be okay when her best friend, the sister she never had was missing? Her whole world was breaking into tiny pieces.

"So, Liana is missing but you're okay?" He regarded her curiously. She found his tone weird, unexpected.

"Do I look okay?" She asked, looking at rooftops of the houses in the town below. She could see her own house in a row of similar buildings. "Wait, why do you say she's missing? She's at her parents house."

She quickly realized that was blunder also. Why wouldn't she be okay if Liana was at her parent's house? She had to do damage control quickly or the intelligent Dylan would figure her out and report her to the authorities for hiding information. “Its just that I'm accustomed to being with her 24/7. I miss her and I have other problems that I can only share with her. Now I'm stuck with them alone.”

"I don't believe that," he said, casually. "Besides, I heard what you said just now. You don't know where your friend is but you won't alert the authorities because you probably had something to do with it."

For a moment she wondered if he knew something but immediately dismissed the thought from her mind. She didn't want to argue so just shook her head. Whenever she got to emotional, she always ended up saying more than was necessary.

She heard him move closer to her and froze. He touched her arm and she turned to look at him. His gaze was intense, eyes dark as midnight. He touched her wind-kissed cheek, his palm warm against her cold skin. For a moment, she couldn't tear her gaze away from his. He pulled her face close and their lips met. It was a short gentle kiss which made her feel so many things at once. It was not as passionate as she'd imagined her first kiss with Dylan, maybe because he hadn't bothered to create an emotional bond before kissing her. She should have been offended but she was not. It was a distraction she needed from her worries about Liana. They both sat in silence when it was done.

"Why did you do that?" She asked after some minutes had passed. While she had loved the kiss, she needed to know why he would kiss her on their first meeting. Had he always had a crush on her or it was a spur-of-the-moment thing?

"I wanted to," he replied. She could feel his eyes on her. "I like you, always have."

"Why don't I believe you?" She asked. It was hard to believe that a man like him had had a crush on her all this time and never bothered to tell her anything. This sounded like romance movie nonsense.

"You tell me," he said.

She spared him one last glance and stood up. Walking away, she felt so small and ashamed of herself. How could she be so weak, submitting to him just because he was extremely hot? She was like those weak girls she despised in telenovelas. She should be looking for Liana, not hiding away on top of the hill and kissing a man who didn't care about her. A man who was probably only interested in bedding and dumping her.

When she reached the town, Gina went straight to Joe Lonid's apartment. Joe was Liana's boyfriend. She knocked on the door and waited. No response. She went back home through a path behind the town buildings.

Her cellphone rang immediately she reached her room. She answered and waited for the person to speak.

"Gina?" An unfamiliar voice said.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"How can you be so fine when your best friend is missing?" The caller asked, ignoring her question.

"Shut up," Gina said. "You don't know what my day was like."

"Yes, I do." The man chuckled. "Saw you kissing Dylan Ineroy. You seemed to be having the time of life. Have you already forgotten about your friend Liana?"

"Are you stalking me?" Wide eyed, she looked out of the window. "Where is Lia?"

"I know where Liana is and can help you get her back, if you want."

"Please," she begged. "I really need to find her."

"I have a proposal." He offered.

"I'll do anything for my best friend."

"I'm glad to hear that," the caller said.

"Why would I do something like that?" Gina said. "Unlike you, I'm no murderer."

"To get Liana back, alive. Or would you rather she turns up dead in your room?"

"You crazy-"

"You're in no position to insult me and do not tell anyone about this," The person said, hanging up.

Gina sat on her bed. She aggressively ran hands through her hair, wishing it was all a nightmare.