Please, Find Me

Chapter 10

"I phoned her aunty. She's starting to walk by herself."

This was news to Mikaeel. He knew she could stand on her own but he didn't even have an inkling that she could take a step let alone walk.

"But I'm hardly ever home. Who's going to help her with the other stuff?"

"Make a plan, Mikaeel." She ground out impatiently. "If she's not home, I'm telling your father about you."

Mikaeel could feel his jaw click as he stared at her, contemplating her threat. She would do it- there was no doubt in his mind that she would do it. She had him backed into a corner and she knew it.

"Fine." He acceded.

"Good. You're coming for supper with her next week Friday. My sisters will be here."

"Okay." He bit out, having had his patience tested enough for one night. He had barely taken a step before he stopped to look at his mother. "He's back with her again, isn't he?" He sounded so cynical it made her sick. "I didn't realise it till now but that's why you're acting this way, isn't it?"

"Get out Mikaeel." She sighed.

"Whatever you say, Mum." He walked away.

He was past pitying her and feeling sorry for her. His mother knew what she had done and she knew she only had herself to blame for her unhappiness.

He even stopped feeling bad about it. She had taken her imperfect life out on them for far too long that it left him feeling just a little too impassive about it all.

...

"Hey."

"Hello." Does he ever knock? Hoori sat up in her bed as he walked towards her. It had been almost two weeks since she last saw him and he had definitely looked scruffier than the last time.

"How are you?" He asked as he sat down on the foot of the bed.

"Good thanks and you?"

"Okay." He fiddled with the strap of his watch as he considered how to broach the subject of her moving back home.

"Is something wrong?" He rarely looked nervous and it had her feeling a little antsy about it.

"I didn't know you were starting to walk again."

"I still need a little help." Her eyes flitted to her walker in the corner of the room.

"Oh." He nodded, "Listen, I'm just going to say it." He felt frustrated at his own beating around the bush.

"Okay?"

"You need to move back home."

She stared at him in disbelief.

"Say that again."

"You need to move back." He sighed heavily. "If you don't my Mum will tell my Dad about the clubbing."

"So?" Was he really scared of his dad? There was nothing remotely terrifying about that man.

"If he finds out he'll dissolve my shares in the company." He explained.

"Oh."

So that's why.

"I need those shares, Hoori."

She began tracing the patterns of her bedspread, trying to distract herself from the way he looked at her. He looked as if he was actually pleading with her and she didn't know what to think of it.

"Okay." She agreed.

"Okay?" He was sure he had heard her wrong.

"But just one condition."