Heart of Elijah (complete)

2

It's been a week since the party, and right now I am heading back home for the holidays to see my family. I would say goodbye to Irie and Rifton but I am not talking to either of them and I called off my relationship with Rifton after catching them both in bed together the few nights after the party. They both claimed to be drunk and that it was an accident but I didn't care they did the deed so they can stay with each other which is what I told them.

After checking in my luggage and getting my ticket I headed off towards the terminal and went through the security before I grabbed my carry on bag and other things I emptied my pocket out and headed for the gate where I would board my flight.

I grabbed a quick lunch as I waited for my flight to be called.

~~~

Once I was back in my home town of Lakeden I grabbed my carry on and the rest of my luggage rented a car then headed off towards my parent's place. I pulled up to the gate typed in the passcode and pulled through and parked behind my brother's old faithful as I call it since the truck is older then both of us yet it runs like a charm.

I get out of my car and decide to leave my things in the trunk while I head inside and greet everyone.

" Hello is anybody home" I call out then heard a loud gasp followed by "my baby is home" which tells me it's my mom and she is about to come to where I am with tears down her cheeks and pull me into a hug. I smiled as I watched her and the rest of the family come out to greet me.

After hugging and kissing everyone I joined them in the kitchen and stared at the amounts of food that was there in disbelief. "Um, why is there so much for only ten people?"  I asked "Oh well Hunny your father and I will talk to you about that later," mom said and I knew whatever they had to talk to me about wasn't gonna be good. so I just nodded my head and offered my help.

~~~

Once, my mom, had my aunts take over and she washed her hands her and dad took me up to his office shut the door and had me sit down. "Now we know that you only just got here and we know that this will be a surprise for you, but we had no choice and the arrangement can't be undone," mom said which only made me more confused than when I saw the food downstairs.

"I am gonna cut to the chase, Athena your are going to be getting married," dad said and I freaked out. "What, why, how, to who?" I asked "Well you know how your father has been doing "dangerous business?" mom asked " no I never knew this" I replied "well he has and he is in debut with one of the men," she tells me "so what does this have to do with me?" I asked "you are to marry him to clear my debut with him," dad said I looked at him in disbelief.

"You can't be serious," I said they both sighed "like we said there is no getting out of this" dad tells me "that wasn't said" they looked at me and dad shook his head. "I am sorry, but I had no other choice besides being murdered" he stated. I covered my face with my hands and slumped in my chair.

"Look they will be here shortly so why don't you freshen up and then get ready to meet him yea" mom suggests like this was our everyday thing in life. I dropped my hands and looked at them before standing up. "you two act like you neither one give a shit" I stated before I walked out and slammed the door behind me before I headed out down the stairs and left.

I had to get away, I needed air, I need time, and I needed to let what I was told sink in.

"Alright Thena you can do this girl, we both can do this ok, now it's not right of them to just put you up for grabs or as an option whatever they did but they have done it and so now we have to do this, or something could happen to your family. Mom said dad is dealing with dangerous business so that means these people that are to show up will not be ones to play with" my inner being said.