Entangled Strings Of Fate

Chapter 7: Siblings' Squabble

Outside there, the ocean sparkled in the distance, the sun shone brightly overhead, its warm light spreading across the land and creating lively shadows that danced along the ground. A salty breeze brought with it the gentle sound of waves breaking on the shore, adding to the calm beauty of the view, which could fill anyone' s heart with a feeling of peace and amazement.

"Jane," Claire called out her name loudly as she was at a distance from her.

Hearing her name Jane turned and acknowledged her with a nod before returning to Jeff. Claire decided to take a seat on the five-seater wooden sofa, which was located on the left side of the garden.

The sofa was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, with intricate details etched into the wood. The wooden shade overhead was covered by leaf branches, allowing the sunlight to filter through and create a beautiful play of light and shadow.

Once she sat down, she felt the cool ocean breeze on her face and took in the beauty of the lush green shrubs and plants surrounding her, waiting for Jane to come.

Lost in the scenario, suddenly she caught a glimpse of a reflection coming towards her from behind, which baffled her.

She turned around thinking it's Jane, but it was Eric, who looked at her with his sly smile folding his hands over another. "So, Sherlock's what you found," Eric uttered, coming to her side and sat on the opposite side of her.

"What do you mean? I didn't get you," she hesitated for a moment before asking,

Eric persisted, "Oh come on, tell me. I know you are after something."

"But I'm not really looking for anything," she replied, without showing much of a difference in her expression.

Eric continued, "Stop, playing coy. You want me to believe that you're not searching for anything?"

"Um-hmm," she hummed in response.

But Eric continued to press her, "Look, I know you think that I don't observe things like you do but trust me I do. Just like I know you aren't only her to seek Jane but for more than that, because if that would have been the case then you'd prefer to make her get called inside rather coming own your own in the sunlight, which you despise. So, I'm asking you directly: what's really going on in your little head?"

Gazing at him, Claire breathed out a long huff as she knew that Eric wouldn't stop asking question now until she told him. Before revealing anything, she made him to promise not to tell anyone what she was about to share. If he did, she threatened to announce the news of him parting last night until dawn.

On her little blackmail as soon as he promised to her, she started to spill the beans, "...and that's why I think there is a problem, other than me, Jane also feels there is something wrong with everyone because they all seem somewhat tense. But like any other time, this time they are not able to hide it properly. And now that we know something is wrong, we are just curious about what it could be to make them all have a meeting like that too in the early hours of morning. So, what do you think about it all?"

He listened attentively but couldn't help bursting out laughing before responding to her, "Sis, I think you've been watching a lot of detective movies these days."

Claire made a grumpy face and replied, "See that's why I wasn't telling you; you always take things like that."

Eric then stopped laughing and composed himself and tried to reassure Claire and said, "Listen, don't worry about it, I think you both are exaggerating it, there is nothing like for which you and Jane are acting like this, moreover if there is something, they are adults and they have dealt with many situations before and so will they do this time, and yes they'll tell us if it's something we should know, so don't burden yourself with it and enjoy your day silly girl."

Claire nodded rolling her eyes and said, "Alright, but I still want to know what it is."

Seeing her saying that he suggested, "Before searching for anything I think you should first wash your face and hands properly, as there's still paint on them"

"Huh, paint where, why didn't anyone tell me?" She exclaimed in surprise and rubbed her palm across her face to erase the paint.

"Oh... then who am I, a ghost?" Eric responded smirkingly.

To which she responded directly, "Well because it's you... so, I can't say, if you are telling the truth or not."

Rolling his eyes, he replied, "Alright, come with me then and see for yourself."

Leading her to a window having one-way mirror glass. When they stopped in front of it, Eric pointed with his hand in the direction of the window and mocked her, "Look, how beautifully you really wash your face, stupid."

She gazed at her reflection through the window, and her tongue came out slightly in awkwardness as she touched the pinkish and scarlet paint on her jawline and the corner of her forehead and tried to remove them.

With an amusing glance through the glass above her head, he asked, "So, now what do you think, was it true or not?"

Claire emphasized her point, asserting, "Yeah whatever, if you'll tell the truth once in a while then how will anyone believe you."

"Oh..." he murmured, as he again started to ruffle her hair, before asking, "What are you painting this time?"

Claire scowled at him for this, her annoyance growing as he continued doing that, she hated getting her hair messed by anyone, with displeasure evident in her voice she remarked, "You will never stop doing it right."

"Never," he declared with his amused face.

"Okay then, it's not me who should be blamed," she declared.

"For what?" he enquired.

"For this," she jumped and extended her hand to grab his blonde hair and started to tug them. In response, he grabbed her hair as well, and their hair-pulling duel escalated.

Jane, who had just returned, witnessed a shocking sight where Eric and Claire were pulling each other's hair! She was taken aback by this, as Eric and Claire hadn't fought like this since they both went to their respective schools, they both were studying away from their home.

Jane quickly approached them and tried to intervene, "Are you nuts, what are you doing, stop right now," However, they were too engrossed in their quarrel to listen to her.

Jane tried again, "Ah-ha... stop behaving like a child, Eric at least you stop this."

"First tell her to stop, she started it," he accused Claire. But Claire justified herself, stating, "No it was him, who provoked me by constantly touching and messing my hair."

"Oh, stop accusing each other," Jane was getting increasingly worried about the situation and threatened them, "If you don't stop this instant then, I'm going to call Granny, and you know what will happen then."

Hearing her, they both exclaimed, "No..." in unison.

Claire and Eric immediately stopped pulling each other's hair and stood apart, trying to fix their hair.

Jane let out a sigh of relief that they had stopped. She scolded both of them and asked what was wrong with them, telling them that, for a moment, she had feared that they would pull out each other's hair completely, and told them to behave maturely.

Eric scoffed at her advice, "Look who's talking, aren't you just like us," and making a hand quotation mark he continued further, "What you were doing with Claire outside the study, is that your idea, of a mature way, of handling things."

His allegation made her to shut up her mouth as he was right, it really wasn't the best way of finding things, but then it occurred to her that he wasn't at home at that time so how does he know about that, then Jane turned her face and looked at Claire, thinking, "Did she, told him."

By her sudden silence, he understood what she might be thinking and revealed, "Yes, she told me."