Sub Rosa Ties ( A High School Dark Romance)

Zera

I shut the door gently behind me as I stepped into the house, a delicate scent of pancakes drifted through the air, embracing me warmly, and I instantly recognized her handiwork.

Mum was at it again, lost in her baking frenzy, tirelessly refining her skills. She kept bringing up batches of her newest treats to my room, eager for my opinion.

But despite her culinary efforts, she never brought up Gerard or asked why I'd been hiding out in my room for the past week.

It felt like she was giving me the room she thought I needed.

I dumped my backpack on the couch and headed towards the kitchen. Pausing at the doorway, I leaned against the frame, taking in the scene before me.

"What are you doing?" I chuckled as I spotted Mum leaning over her latest creation, lavishing it with her undivided attention.

She glanced up at me with a knowing look, as if she had anticipated my arrival.

"I had a feeling you'd be back soon. How was school?" Her smile was gentle as she spoke.

I approached her and grabbed a fork. "It was alright. Can I have a taste?"

"I'm not finished yet. I just stumbled upon this recipe on YouTube and thought I'd give it a shot," she explained, her eyes following me as I dipped my fork and took a bite.

The flavor melted on my taste buds, and I couldn't help but briefly close my eyes. Despite the bitterness I felt inside, I couldn't deny the delicious taste.

"It's delicious, Mum. I really love it," I said, a genuine smile spreading across my face. Her lips curved into a proud smile in response. "Where's Junior?"

"Oh... he's out with his friends," she replied casually.

"Friends? Since when did he start having friends?" I raised an eyebrow, setting down my fork.

"It all began about a month ago. They've become quite close, I suppose you haven't been paying much attention to him..." She whispered, and I swallowed hard, feeling a pang of guilt.

"I'm sorry. It's just... a lot has been going on recently, and..." I stumbled over my words.

"Are you ready to talk about it now?" She interrupted me, her tone gentle but firm.

"About what?" I feigned ignorance, though I knew exactly what she was referring to.

"Why you've been zoning out during dinner, isolating yourself in your room, and avoiding Gerard. What happened between you two? I've given you ample time to work things out," she said, her concern evident in her voice.

"Mum..." I began, feeling the weight of her words.

"You can't keep avoiding this, Zera. Ignoring your problems won't make them disappear. You need to talk to him, communicate. You can't just walk away from him," Mum's eyes bore into mine as she spoke, and I knew deep down that she was right.

"I want to, I really do. In fact, I'm prepared to talk to him, but he just won't listen. He won't. I hurt him, and I don't know how to earn his forgiveness," I forced out, my voice breaking suddenly. "I never meant for any of this to happen."

It had been three long days. Three days since I last heard his voice, felt his touch, or caught his scent. I missed him terribly.

I hadn't reached out to him, refrained from calling or texting, convinced that giving him space was the key to him eventually forgiving me once he sorted things out. But as the fourth day dawned, I found myself teetering on the edge of sanity.

Even though it hadn't even been a week, it felt like an eternity. The days stretched on endlessly, each one feeling like a month. Despite my outbursts in the past week, I still saw him around school.