𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬

06

J U P I T E R

"Ma'am, we're here." The taxi driver announced, pulling me out of my thoughts. I handed him a few dollars, thanked him and got out of the cab. He smiled back in response and drove off, leaving me in the darkness of the fading sunlight.

The estate was surprisingly quiet and relaxing with palatial buildings and a huge park within walking distance. The houses were mostly the same in their height and width and the décors. The narrow street was empty with few cars parked in front of houses and the shops closed. It looked like it belongs to the elite that prefer modest neighborhood for safer upbringing of their children and away from the clamors of the city.

I stopped in front of a modest looking house with a small rose garden in front of it and a spacious porch. I checked the number and it was the right house. I walked the few steps leading to the front door. Stepping on the porch, my footsteps echoed on the concrete floor. I took a deep breath before pressing the buzzer, impatiently waiting for someone to open the door.

Few seconds later, the door was pulled open and a tall, blond woman appeared with a kind smile. However as soon as she saw me, it dropped. I froze when I recognised my best friend's pretty face structured in a more matured way. She looked taller and her once short blond hair hung down her back like the waves of the sea.

". . .Jupiter?" She stammered, her ocean eyes blurry with tears. Daisy placed both hands over her mouth as her eyebrows scrunched and the tears began to stream down her cheeks.

I felt a burning sensation in my chest as I tried my hardest not to hug and console her. My shoulders began to quake as I broke down. It's being a very long time since the last time we saw each other. A wave of regret surged inside me and gripped my heart in a painful grasp. Although I know I did the right thing by leaving, I regret hurting my best friend. She didn't deserved to be jilted with questions on the tip of her tongue. We've being best friends for years yet I couldn't being myself to inform her about my departure. I don't deserve her and I honestly wished she has a new best friend.

She pulled me into a tight hug, catching me off guard. I gladly hugged her back, wrapping my arms around her thin waist. It was a little awkward because she was much taller than me but it didn't ruin the moment. We sobbed into each other's arms and letting the pain of missing each other take over our minds.

"Let's go inside and talk." Daisy said after we finally let go of each other. I nodded my head in agreement before stepping inside the house. Daisy shut the door behind me and took the lead.

The living room greeted me with the softest glow of the light, the burnt orange color of the wall and furniture blending together. The coffered ceiling compliments the interior design and the pillows thrown in a stylish way makes it look cosy. I removed my shoes, enjoying the furry carpet rather than the hard yet burnish floor. We plopped down the sofa close to each other with smiles plastered across our faces.

"I can't believe you're here, Jupiter. Look at you! You look gorgeous and living the perfect dream. I'm glad you still have those chubby cheeks." Daisy joked and I giggled, still trying to compensate being back in Denver and coming face to face with my best friend.

"You've grown taller, I think taller than mountain Everest my head could barely make it to your shoulder. And damn are you successful to be able to afford such a luxurious house." I nodded my head while looking around to emphasize my point.

Daisy gave a disdainful flick of her hair before rolling her eyes. "Duh. What were you expecting from a senior financial analyst?" The pride was clear in her voice.

My eyes went wide. Of all the careers I thought would be suitable for Daisy, a financial analyst was the least. Daisy was very passionate about dancing and participating in dancing competitions. Unfortunately, her pregnancy led her to lose the chance of participating in the local dance championship. She had always dreamed of becoming a professional dancer and dedicating her life to it.

"Oh my God! Impossible! That's nuts!" I couldn't hide my amusement.

"Actually, after you left I moved to Detroit with my brother and completed high school there. After my graduation, I chose to study business and got enrolled in the university of Detroit. I earned my degrees, moved back here two years ago and started working in the Delium investment firm. Three months ago, I got promoted and became the senior financial analyst and believe me, I love my job. I was lucky enough to be provided with a house in this luxurious estate, a car and the income is more than stable."

I was left baffled when she finished. I've never imagined my best friend in the business department especially when she was labeled the bad girl back in high school. "It's your turn to tell me about yourself and how you came back to Denver. Don't forget even a single detail on why you left suddenly."

I tucked a curl behind my ear and gazed down at our joined hands. "We moved back to Cuba after my mother's health got worse because the farm and the house my grandmother left us was all that we had. When we got there, Dad and I tried to manage the farm. The seasons sometimes define the amount of money we receive to pay for my mother's hospital expenses. I had to drop out of high school to assist my Dad and taking care of my mother.

Thankfully, the vegetables continued to grow over the course of time and Dad began selling them. Soon enough, this agricultural production company approached Dad for a contract in agreement to provide agreed quantities of the specific agricultural product. It went well and since then, we haven't bring lacking much. Though I was unable to go to college, I joined a photography class and learnt the skills required for a few years."

Daisy's smile broadened. "That's fascinating. I'm glad you followed your dreams. Is that what brought you here?"

"Yeah for some wedding photoshoot." I left the fact that Eric and his fiancée were my client and I'm living in their fucking apartment.

"Interesting. How about your parents? How's your Mom? I hope she's back at it again with her sassy attitude" Daisy wiggled her eyebrows and giggled. I didn't say anything, just looked away trying not to remember what happened a few years ago. Daisy noticed that and stopped laughing. "Jupiter, is everything okay?"

I look into her eyes and force a smile. "Mom passed away four years ago. There was the money but we just couldn't save her from death. Nothing was improving and there was nothing we could do about it." I shrugged when Daisy gasped and started muttering her condolence. She pulled me into a warm hug and I tearfully hugged her back.

Mom was my mentor and left a huge spot in my heart. When she was alive, she worried more about my studies than her health because she gave up already and thought leaving this world was for the best. She didn't want Dad and I to waste our wealth on something unworthy of.

I remember the day she passed away, she was behaving strangely. She was so sick with tubes hooked to her body, her eyes barely blinking and her breathing abnormal. I can still vaguely remember her on the hospital bed, her once thick body now a living skeleton.

Mom had given me a gentle, warm smile before I left to get myself a drink at a nearby coffeeshop. Unbeknownst to me, it was the last time I saw her alive and the last smile she ever gave me. When I came back, the doctors were trying to save her life but I know she was gone when her eyes refuse to blink close and chest unmoving.

I pull away and wipe away the tears, forcing a smile and changing the subject. "Now let's talk about your personal life. Is it a boy or a girl? What's the name and where are they? I want to know everything about my godchild." I gripped her hand, drawing patterns on the back.

With the smile still plastered on her face, Daisy gazed straight into my eyes. "A lot had happened while you were gone, Jupiter. One of them is my miscarriage. A few weeks after you left, I lost my baby girl."

UPDATES WILL BE EVERY FRIDAY!

If you could remember, in chapter fourteen of the bad girl and me, I mentioned Jupiter's mother suffering from Alzheimer's disease. So yeah.
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