His secret

Chapter 31

Finally, after a whole six hours of a tiresome ride, we arrived at Alexis's grandmother's house. It was a big luxury cottage built in wood from the outside and modern white furniture on the inside. "Gi, we're here," Alexis called as we stepped inside the cottage, dragging our luggage with us. A few moments later a short gray-heard woman with a pixie cut came into vision. She hurried toward us with her arms stretched in front of her, "Oh, finally,Omorfia," she said as he wrapped her arms around me before even greeting her own grandson as I had expected her to do.

"Gi, what did we talk about, her name is Nova, don't go around calling her beauty because you think she's beautiful," I feel my cheeks heat up at the translation of what she called me. "Don't be jealous, you'll always be my favorite," she told him as she broke our hug and turn to him to pinch his cheek. "besides she is really a beauty, she's even more beautiful in real life than she was in the pictures you sent me," her gaze travels to me again and mine is now fixed on Alexis in confusion. He sent her pictures of me?

"It's really nice to meet you," she turns to me again, taking my free hand in her hands and squeezing it. "Hello, Mrs..." I stopped in hesitation, not knowing if she's Alexis father's mother or his mother's mother. But she waved a hand in front of her, "No, no I don't accept that kind of formalities, especially not when we're going to live here under the same roof. You can call me as Alexis does, Gi which stands for GiaGia, grandmother in greek, or you can call me by my name, Sophia, GiaGia Sophia is fine too, maybe Gi Sophia. Whatever you're comfortable with," I look at her for a while taking in her overly social self which I really enjoy.

"Thank you, Gia Sophia, it's really kind of you to take me into you're home. I can't thank you enough," I decided to go with that because it sounded most natural on my tongue. "Oh, no it's really my pleasure to have you here I'm getting really bored here all by myself ever since that husband of mine decided he had enough of this life and wanted to sleep six feet under the ground instead," she rolls her eyes and talks in a tone that doesn't show any sign of sadness at the mention of her late husband. "I told him to wait for me to die first, but you know men, when do they listen?" she laughs as she gives me a light push on my shoulder.

"Gi, our rooms please," Alexis reminded her "Oh sorry," she snaps out, "I'm just so excited to have my grandson and a beautiful young lady with him too," her eyebrows wiggle at Alexis. "Gi, stop. I told you. A F.R.I.E.N.D," he spells the last word out for her which only earns him a slap on the head. I'm shocked she could reach his head, considering the hight-difference. "Have I taught you nothing boy? She's a rare beauty and that stupid husband of hers is gone. Fake it til you make it, she'll come around," she tells him as if I'm not standing there beside him. "Oh Jesus, thee mou, Gi, stop it," Alexis snaps at her as he takes his shoes off and starts walking inside the house.

"Fine, just wait I'll show you to your rooms." I take my shoes off as I walk behind them. Gia Sophia shows Alexis to his room first and then she points at the room just beside it for me to walk inside because it's there I'll be staying. I thank her one last time before I walk inside the room, drop my luggage and start searching for Miles's diary.

Dear notebook,

Now that I've been thinking about how I should start this thing without babbling about unnecessary things, (which for the record my therapist's claims don't exist because everything that comes to my mind is necessary and I should be able to share it), I've come to a start that I think might work. The day my father died. That was the day that would change my life forever. I was eleven years old back then and I really loved both of my parents and they loved me too, as much as they loved each other. You could even say that I was kind of spoiled because I was an only child. We lived in a medium-sized house in a peaceful neighborhood that my father could afford in his earlier twenties because of his high-paying job, but that job had its price. My father was away a lot because he was a pilot but we still spent a lot of time together as a family and I really enjoyed it. Sometimes I even wish that I could go back to any year before the age of twelve because that was the last time I really loved life and I don't think I've been able to love anything ever since then.

Until next time,

Miles

He had cut this chapter very short leaving me with a cliffhanger, unlike the first one. Which made me wonder if he had done that because it became too hard to write now that he really started opening up. I felt sorry for him, my heart ached for him in a way it shouldn't after the way he just left me on our wedding night. But it still did and I really wish he was here with me so I could hug him really hard because although I still don't know how his father died and what consequences that had I could still tell that the 18-year-old Miles writing that chapter really needed a hug.

Sorry wasn't the only feeling this chapter had left me with. I felt unsure and maybe a bit uneasy too. He had ended the letter with a sentence claiming that he hasn't been able to love anything since the age of twelve, does that mean he didn't really love me? The Miles behind that sentence was 18 years old and the Miles that told me he loves me is a 30-year-old grown man. Did he lie to me or could it be that Miles really learned to love again twelve years after writing that?

As I turned the page to satisfy the curiosity forming inside me I hear Alexis call, "Kid, the food is ready common down now, GiaGia will get pissed if her delicious food gets cold," I drop the book on my new bed unwillingly as I walk out of the bedroom and head downstairs. I try to find my way to the kitchen in this massive house but fail, instead ending up outside a room that seems to be Gia Sophia's room because when I look inside I see her standing in front of a drawer tucking something under her clothes. I step closer, wanting to knock on the door, and politely ask her to show me the way to the kitchen. But the worst catch in my throat when I realize what she's tucking in. A gun. I must have gasped because her attention is drawn to me. "Oh, Omorfia, you got lost?" 

"Yes, actually," I tell her without moving my gaze from the gun. She notices and follows my gaze to the gun. "Ah, this? This is just for safety reasons. I recently had a burglary, but don't tell Alexis please, he doesn't know," with her words follows one of the sweetest smiles I've ever seen, and suddenly I'm not worried about the gun anymore but I'm sad for her for living alone and feeling like she has to have a gun in aid if she someday needs to protect herself. I return the smile and reassure her that her secret is safe with me before we head to the kitchen together.