Julian was right. These people are never here. Saves me the headache of having to clap my eyes on those faces during breakfast. Taylor was there though and I pretty much ignored him.
Now its two hours since breakfast and I have decided to not hole myself inside the large house and take the lounge chairs by the pool. He has a large pool in the backyard garden with lounge chairs and garden view to die for.
I lie back with my legs stretched in front of me. The little floral sundress I am wearing reaching above my knees and my large sunhat has half my face covered and dark glasses on top of all that.
I have decided to ignore the tyrants and the crazy situation that I am in and just relax, besides it’s not like I can’t do anything about it and I don’t want to sit in a corner and sulk. Gertrude has already been all over me asking if I needed anything. At one point I almost asked her to go sit in a closet and not come out until she is summoned.
But there is no reason to take out my furry on the innocent woman. Well not innocent because I am sure she has paraphernalia of this household’s darkest secret.
What if I can really plan to get out of here the smart way? Am I just going to sit around and wait for my baby to arrive so that Mr. Abiwu can summon his fellow criminals like he did last night and raise my baby before them like little simba in the lion king? I can almost imagine it now. He will be wearing that same grey suit like last night, he will stand in the middle of the staircase and all the fellow criminals will have their eyes fixed on him like he is the king or something.
He will lift my little baby before them and then drag us to that crowning room to dedicate her to this life. As my vivid imagination ebbs away I slowly sit up and remove my glasses so that I can really widen my eyes into space.
Sense and logic—I have to get out of here, smartly. Wild mind-what about Taylor? Emotion—as long as he is loyal to his father I have to put my child first. I can leave him for good now. I have lived four months without him, now it’s time to step into—the rest of my life.
I take my phone from the little table and immediately dial Celine’s number. A lot happened last night I didn’t even think about it. And somehow they didn’t confiscate my phone from me.
She answers on the third ring, ‘you are still alive.’ She exclaims.
‘So are you.’ I lie back on the lounge chair, ‘where are you?’
‘Uh-uh little princess I am asking the questions here.’ She hisses, someone is in a bad mood, ‘why are you calling me?’
‘Celine—‘I pause, I don’t want to tell her that I’ve been worried sick about her, because it’s insane that I even care about quack woman as well. What is wrong with me? ‘I ran into the uncles.’
She scoffs, ‘I know, Julian held me hostage yesterday and disappeared afterwards—is he there?’
‘Yes?’
She lets out a sigh, ‘good, so now you are in their custody I can take a vacation.’
‘Wait a minute,’ I sit up again raising my palm as if she is right there in front of me, ‘you can’t just take a vacation while I am stuck here in this mad house.’
‘what are you complaining, you are with Taylor again—there you have your happy little love story—I mean it’s okay for the rest of us it’s not like he literally ordered us to keep you and babysit you all this time while he went about more important things only to bring you back into the lion’s den.’ She takes a deep breath at the end.
Wow she is angrier than I thought.
‘What do you mean he made you baby sit me?’
‘seriously Heather when are you ever going to learn, the man is sociopath just like his father—anyway I am done trying to keep your little ass from this drama—good luck.’
‘Wait--.’
I heave a sigh as I lower the phone. It’s hard to talk to Celine when she is in full hysterical mode. It’s not going to go well when she sees Julian again. Uncle or not, Celine doesn’t care about his status, the two acted more like siblings.
I take in a deep breath and dial Lawyer’s number. He also answers on the third ring.
‘Heather you okay?’
‘I think so?’
He sighs, ‘good—and I agree with Celine.’
Great they are together. I suppose I am not the only one who was shocked by Julian’s behavior.
‘Can you at least not go insane on me and talk to me please.’
A pause, ‘uh no—not when you are in that house sweetheart.’
‘Then get me out.’ I almost shout.
‘Sorry darlin, you are in the main house that means we can’t set a foot in that place, sorry.’
I scoff, ‘how could you all turn your backs on me like that?’
Lawyer sighs, ‘listen Heather, why don’t you just try to get used to your new environment and see where it goes.’
And he ends the call. What the hell? I stare at the phone open mouthed. How can people just change overnight? I am practically alone in this crazy situation right now.
‘They can hear your every call you know?’ Hannah’s voice breaks into my reverie. I clamp my jaw shut and slowly rise my eyes to look at her. She is wearing a full bathing suit and has a little basket with her. She flashes me a smile as she settles on the lounge chair beside me.
‘There is another chair right there.’ I point at the one at the other side of the pool.
She tilts her head to look at me, ‘come on Heather, we are the only women here you can’t ignore me forever.’ She purses her lips, ‘look we got off on the wrong foot—I was having a day yesterday.’
‘Well I am having one right now.’ I drop my feet from the chair ready to leave.
‘Taylor is in the living room, you will see him if you go now.’
I turn to pin her with an icy glare, ‘what?’
‘You want to avoid him right?’
I suppose, ‘why is that your concern.’
She raises two palms, ‘just trying to help out a girl—and I happen to think these guys a piece of work—should really stay away from them.’
I nod slowly, ‘well you seem really enthusiastic being here.’
She smiles, ‘oh I am. It’s not every day a girl waltz in this group and live.’
Okay something is definitely not right at all here, my brain companions echo simultaneously.
I nod again, ‘good for you I guess.’ I slip my feet into my slippers.
‘Heather I can help you to get out of here.’
I scoff instead of bulging my eyes, ‘who says I want to leave?’
‘You must want to leave after having ended up here by accident. Or have you considered joining the family after last night?’
My heart starts to thud and I take a good look at Hannah again. Where did the pouty brainless chick go and who is this woman staring back at me with determination?
‘Please sit—we can only talk here without raising suspicion.’
Against my better judgment I lift my feet from the slippers and put them back on the lounger. Or should I rush back into the house and yell—traitor? Because that’s what this feel like right now.
‘I know I can trust you because I read information about you last night—you are not some brainless chick wife.’
I scoff, ‘should I be grateful?’
‘Look—with what you have been through, you really want to hear this.’
I turn my head to look at her, ‘I’ve been hearing that line a lot lately.’
‘This is different.’
Seconds tick by and I contemplate between just getting the hell out of here and listening to Hannah. But what have I got to lose? I do want to avoid my husband anyway.
‘Fine—this better be something I haven’t heard before.’
She smirks, ‘okay—first things first, my name isn’t Hannah—my name is Zara.’
Okay—where is this going? This is serious, my stomach ties into knots.
‘I am working undercover,’
And the blow. I manage to not drop my jaw but I do let out a laugh. Okay what are the odds that I find an undercover agent inside Mr. Abiwu’s house? The answer is none. Better leave before she says gotcha to me. I don’t mind drowning her in the pool. It looks deep enough.
‘Well listen Zara—it’s been fun but I have bigger things to deal with.’
She remains serious faced, ‘I mean it—I have been here for a year… I am not just telling you, I know what I am doing.’
I raise an eyebrow, ‘well clearly you are not cut out for this job—an undercover agent just don’t sprout nonsense to the first lady that prances in the house full of high profile criminals—do you think I am undercover as well?’
She shakes her head, ‘no, look—I just read your file, I know what I am doing—because I know you are only here because of Taylor, your love.’
‘Love?’
‘If you don’t want to be with him anymore you would have walked away last night.’
I roll my eyes, ‘this is just insane—you are insane.’
‘Sometimes I think so,’ she mumbles.
‘I am not going to listen to you.’
‘You have to Heather—or you are just going to be another Zelda. Dead and her existence completely erased from the face of the planet.’
That brings my butt back on the chair so firmly I think I heard a crack. She could be playing with me, but I don’t need a reminder of Zelda.
Her mouth curls into a grim smile, ‘you have put her at the back of your head as well haven’t you?’ she gives me a sideways glance as she relaxes in her chair now that it is apparent that I am not going anywhere, ‘getting rid of her didn’t sway Taylor’s decision as much as trying to get rid of you has.’
I gape at her, ‘look. What do you want?’
She turns her head and settles her gaze on me, ‘I have had enough trying to put that crazy man behind bars, I plan to soon and you are going to help me.’
I chuckle and lie on the chair on my back facing the baby blue sky, ‘what makes you think I am going to help you?’
‘look, no one wants to walk away from this in one piece as much as you—and I am in a dead end here, this case isn’t going the way I planned at all. I spent half the year trying to get Luther to even notice my existence and now that I am here all the uncles hate me.’
I offer a small shrug, ‘I don’t blame them, isn’t that your role?—annoying little pest one of the uncles is currently infatuated with?’
Hannah or Zara laughs, ‘very observant.’
I sigh, ‘I am not—if I was any alert shouldn’t I have ran after learning about Taylor’s dead ex-girlfriend?’
‘You did run.’
I sit up and turn my body to her, ‘just where in the world did you get a file about me, why do I have a file?’
‘Chill Heather—I had thought of leaving you alone at first but you are the only one close enough to the uncles.’
I shake my head and stand up, ‘you know what? Maybe you are making sense, but I am going to pretend that you are insane and I am going to put all this in the back of my head and leave.’
I grab my phone and walk past her chair. She grabs my hand, ‘aren’t you tired of doing that? Shoving things at the back of your mind? What if you could find out what exactly happened to your friends two years ago? Or your father.’
Taking a deep breath I turn to pin her with a look that has been making most people flinch lately, ‘I know what happened to them—I was there.’ My voice drops to a whisper with every word. And I see a sympathy cloud Hannah’s eyes. Something I never imagined would ever grace the features of a personality like her. She blinks for a moment before letting my hand go.
I heave a sigh and march away from the pool, my emotions in turmoil. So much for a nice time out at the pool. I hate this feeling. This dark piercing heavy feeling. The only way I can lock it away is ignorance. It has worked for me all this while. It will work now.
***
Luther is around for dinner because Hannah is there. I try to eat modestly and not give in to the urge to shove food into my mouth, another thing I do when I am nervous. This setting is absolutely nerve wrecking. I mean, the woman just told me that she is an undercover agent after Mr. Abiwu himself and here she is pouting and bating her eyes at Luther like a lowlife bimbo. I suppose that’s her operandi modulus but why the hell is she flirting with Taylor?
And why is Taylor not snubbing her seemingly innocent advances like a true gentlemen? I think I’m going to have a headache. Where the hell is Julian?
‘It must have been hard to be stuck in that cold weather all those weeks.’ Hannah makes a cute concerned face at Taylor, ‘you belong in a sunny place. It gives your skin a golden glow.’
‘Malta isn’t cold Han- and his skin is just fine.’ Luther tells her.
Luther is jealous? I take a good look at him. He does seem rough and reserved at first glance but I guess I can say he is redeemable. My brain companions nod thoughtfully. I sure hope for his own good he isn’t head over heels for Hannah or whoever she is.
‘You okay sweetheart?’ Taylor’s voice breaks into my thoughts as his hand find mine under the table. Yeah we are seated like we are on a freaking double date or something. I give him a momentary glance before pulling my hand from his. He holds mine firmly for a fraction of a moment before letting it go.
I bring my hand from under the table and place it flat next to my plate—away from his.
‘You can’t ignore me forever.’ He whispers before clearing his voice and in a louder tone addresses Hannah, ‘so Hannah you never told me how you met Luth—he isn’t that amiable.’
Hannah chuckles, ‘he came to a restaurant I work and it was love at first sight,’
‘I am amiable.’ Luther says with raised eyebrows.
Taylor chuckles, ‘it doesn’t matter Luth— these things work either way don’t they?’
‘No they don’t.’ Hannah rolls her eyes, ‘girls like the dark souls.’
‘Morbid.’ Taylor says with a little nod.
Hannah then settles her eyes on me, I try to tell her with my eyes to leave me alone. Just because she and Taylor decided to break the awkward silence with useless talk doesn’t mean I want to be a part of it.
‘You were Heather’s teacher!’ her eyes gleam mischievously as her gaze trains back to Taylor.
‘Scandalous.’ Luther mumbles lifting a glass to his lips. Seriously, I would have sworn this man didn’t know how to be in a conversation—but his teasing side is kind of creepy.
‘I was many things.’ Taylor says looking at me and I straighten my spine to keep from turning to meet his magnetic gaze.
‘Must have been dazzling to watch him in front of the class while not hearing what he is saying.’ Hannah giggles at her own joke. What is she getting at?
I clear my throat, ‘same as the restaurant?’ I eye Luther. Anyone who knew the man would know that there was no way he would waltz into a room and the girls start swarming around him. You wouldn’t approach a guy like that unless you have a death wish because he does look like a death wish itself, good looking or not.
‘I like listening to how people met.’ Hannah goes on like she isn’t prolonging this choking dinner, ‘it puts things into perspective.’
I scoff before I could stop myself—how I would love to have some perspective on why Lawyer and Judith ended up together. My heart skips—Malcom. How come I have been forgetting about him? I should confront Julian and get him to tell me what they have done with him.
‘We should get some air.’ Taylor takes my hand and has me stand up before I even form a protest. I scowl at him, ‘you don’t look comfortable.’
I almost roll my eyes, who would be?
‘Some air will be good.’ I say with a sigh and cast Hannah a sideways glance before Taylor leads me out of the room. We walk in silence across the living room until he opens a sliding door and we step out into a balcony fringed with assortments of potted flowers and plants.
I do feel a little less tense as the night air caress my face and sweeping the material of my long dress against my legs. It smells of rain, it will probably rain later tonight. Still holding my hand Taylor comes to stand in front of me and I refuse to lift my face to meet his gaze.
‘Please try not to be so tense, no one will harm you here.’
I take a deep breath, ‘every time you say things like that I always wonder what lengths you will go to keep your word.’
There is a moment’s silence. My words are deep and right now so are my thoughts. His fingers come under my chin and lift my face to look up at him. I just melt. I can’t help it. My senses are divided when it comes to him. My better senses try to keep their better senses and my subconscious is putty in his hands. It’s frustrating. I am mad at him and I am not. I want to hate him and I cannot.
And what am I supposed to do with that wheeling mixture of emotions shadowing his eyes. Seeing this I could swear he would never leave me, but he did. Something that still makes my heart skip in disbelief because I never expected it.
Then he starts to get down on his knees before me. Oh no he is not the crying and begging type—I start to move in panic but he flattens two strong hands on my waist and hold me still until his knees are on the ground and his head is levelled with my protruding stomach.
My eyes move down to settle on him as he presses his face against my belly and plants a soft kiss there that somehow seeps through the material of my dress to my skin, causing the little one to jump and kick within me.
Well at least one of us is happy with the intimate gesture, I think wildly as a gasp escape me. His hands move from my waist and cups either side of my stomach, my heart beating wildly all at once. He trails kisses going up my stomach until he rises to his feet and crashes his lips against mine. I respond to him of course. My fingers reach into his hair and I sigh happily when his tongue plunges into my mouth.
This is the correct definition of I missed you and I missed you too. My brain companions nod at each other in agreement. By the time the kiss is over I am so breathless and the cool rain scented night air doesn’t seem to curb the heat within and around me.
Tears well in my eyes. For all the times I have missed him and wished he had been with me. For the screwed up situation that we have found ourselves in. I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my face on his chest inhaling the scent that had long bewitched me since the first day it graced my senses.
Just for this moment, I tell myself, just this moment I can let down my defenses—I had four months to think this through. I don’t know where I had seen our future but I can’t do this. Maybe the drama and catastrophes should be exciting, a part of our history—but in real life with a child on the way, a person who will be looking up to you to learn about the world and how to survive? It’s scary. Scary as hell.