The Wrong Address | COMPLETED

22. A small world

"My ball! My ball! The cool lady found it!" He cheered, stopping right before me and snatching his prize from my hands.

Victor's dad got up and began walking to us, while Zion's mom sat quietly observing the exchange.

I gathered she was only chatty when drunk.

"Victor, tell the nice lady thank you" Romiro coaxed the boy.

I remembered his name from the talk with Zion. Where he told me how this family came to be a thing. I remembered it all clearly.

So I was not in awe of his parenting. I knew the whole story. Yet they had no idea I knew.

"Thank you" Victor spoke, beaming up at me.

He was adorable in that moment, a clear contrast to how he had been when we first met.

"Aren't you the girl that ran after Zion that night?" Zion's mom finally voiced, after observing me for a while.

I looked over at her, a fake smile now plastered on my face.

Romiro's ears perked up at that and he began to scan my face intensely. I had no idea where this conversation would go but I was no liar. I was the girl and I was going to say that no matter the aftermath.

"Oh, yeah... I'm the girl" I answered, my voice a bit lower than usual but it seemed they heard.

At my revelation, Zion's mom got up and walked over to me. Victor on the other hand went in the other direction to resume playing with his ball. Romiro stood with Zion's mom for a second as if he was about to interrogate me but Victor called him over to play. So he left us alone and joined his son.

"I'm Ellen, Zion's mom" she introduced holding out her hand for a handshake.

I really didn't want to go down this rabbit hole with Zion's family. Yet her outstretched arm seemed like a door to whole lot of answers. Answers to so many questions I had, I simply couldn't resist.

"I'm Ashlin" I replied, shaking her hand and sealing the deal.

I knew what was next, she was going to try to pry information out of me. I was prepared for her tactics. Infact, I too was on a newfound mission to pry information from this woman.

"So Ashlin, How did you come to know my son?" She asked, looking at every part of my face except directly in my eyes.

"Oh, It's a long story" I replied, dodging the question.

Ellen was not having it.

"Oh, I have time" she challenged, as her lips formed into a smile.

I knew I could just end this all right now but I didn't want to do it.

"Infact, why don't you join us for dinner?" She invited and I knew I had to refuse the offer.

"Oh no, I already have plans, my apologies" I politely declined, causing her smile to disappear.

It was then that I knew, this was just the beginning of seeing her face. She was going to make sure we run into each other. She was going to make sure she got something out of me.

.....................................

After escaping Ellen, I didn't feel like reading anymore. In honesty I felt like searching the house for my devices. I wanted to get in touch with Zion.
After all, he was the main man of this whole thing.

I didn't know if he was aware that his mom lived mere meter's away from me. There's no way he knew, he would've surely given me a heads up. What was bizarre to me was the fact that I've lived there my whole life without knowing who was over my walls.