His Brooding Stare.

part twelve (1), home.

"Have a good night Ms. Darling" his face was full of concern.

I walked into the lobby and continued to speak to my mother,

"I'll take the train tomorrow, I'll buy my ticket tonight. When did you guys move? I had no idea."

"Well, our house went back on the market and we saw it as an opportunity to move back home, and we didn't want to worry you. We've been moving our things back for the last month, but finally settled last week. But I'll talk to you soon. Text me when you're close to the station, I'll pick you up. I love you."

"Thanks Mom, I love you too"

I hung up and pressed the elevator button to go up to my floor. I stepped inside and wrapped my arms around myself and leaned against the wall.

My phone began to ring, I pulled it out of my pocket. I peered down at the screen, it read, "Cal"

I ignored it and shoved it back into my pocket. The elevator dinged and I let myself out, and unlocked my door. The smell of my apartment welcomed my senses, calming me down. I turned on the hallway light and put my coat in the closet. I grabbed my purse and dragged my body into my room. I wanted to get out of this dress, I needed to.

I felt tired, anxious, and uncomfortable. I stripped out of it, hung it on a hanger and placed it behind my door. I grabbed an oversized hoodie and some joggers and my body physically relaxed. I put my hair up, not bothering at the moment to take a shower. I headed into the bathroom and washed the make up off my face, and brushed my teeth. Feeling a lot better I grabbed my phone from my room and saw I had 3 missed calls from Cal and a new voicemail.

Tears started forming in my eyes as I headed towards the living room. I lunged my body onto the couch, covering my body with some blankets. I pulled my knees up to my chest and contemplated whether or not I wanted to listen to his voicemail. I hesitantly hit play,

His voice comes out rushed and angry,

"Damn it Lena answer your phone. Harrison informed me you made it home safe, but you haven't answered any of my calls"

Why is he angry with me? I wasn't the one ditching him for some tramp of an ex. He has no right. A new text alerts me,

"Lena what the hell is going on? Answer me."

I type back, fuming with anger,

"You tell me, how's Georgina?"

I know I shouldn't be this harsh, but no matter how much I want to trust Cal, I've always been guarded with men. Promises can only go so far, saying you'll do something is one thing, but your actions are what matters. And his actions are not looking very promising. So why should I let myself get hurt if I can do something to protect myself.

Also, there's just something about Georgina that I do not trust. But above everything, I'm scared. I'm scared Cal as feelings for Georgina still. He can talk all day about caring for me and that I mean everything to him, but at the end of the day, he has history with her. Something I don't have. Something I can't change.

I put my phone on silent and throw it across the couch, not wanting to speak with him anymore. I grabbed my computer tablet from the coffee table and placed it onto my lap. I pulled up the Penn Station website, bought a train ticket, and printed it out. My train leaves at 8:00 am and I should make it there by 11:00 am. I texted my mom the itinerary for my trip and I let her know what time I would arrive. I then emailed my boss about taking off for a few days, I still had a few vacation days to use before the end of the year.

I settled into the couch and closed my eyes...

*******

The next morning my alarm wakes me, it was 6:00 am, I groan. I regretted buying an early train departure time instantly once realizing how tired I still was. I stretched my legs and headed over to the shower, fighting every urge to jump back under the warm confines of my bedding.

After my hot shower I changed into some jeans, some Steve Madden sneakers, a white t-shirt, and a longer cardigan sweater. I blow dried my hair and let it hang naturally in loose waves down my back. I put minimal make up on and then started packing.

I planned on being home until Tuesday night, giving me enough time to just enjoy my family. My train leaves Tuesday night around 6:00, putting me back in NYC around 9:00 pm, before I have to work on Wednesday. I packed a few clothes, some makeup and a few books, along with other necessities and put them into my suitcase. I grabbed my things, locked my door and headed outside. I scheduled an Uber to drive me to Penn Station, he was a few minutes away.

I pulled out my phone and sighed. Cal continued to call me all night, not even responding to my passive aggressive text, and eventually gave up after 2 am. I put my phone back into my pocket once realizing my ride was here, I put my suitcase in the back seat and climbed in.

I sat in my seat on the train and settled down with a book. I ended up falling asleep while reading, and was awoken by the sudden stop of movement. I had made it home, and I instantly smiled. I gathered my things and made my way off the train.

I walked through the station, heading towards the front entrance. I stepped outside, the cold hair chilling my skin, and noticed my mother standing across the street in front of her car. Her warm chestnut hair was blowing in the wind and her arms were across her chest, keeping her coat close to her body, but her smile couldn't be any wider.

I ran towards her, while dragging my luggage, and she embraces me with a big hug. I've missed her hugs so much, they've always comforted me since I was a little girl. They always made me feel better. She let go of me and put her hands on either side of my face, resting on my cheeks.

"I'm so happy you're here my sweet baby girl"

I smile while tears welled up in my eyes,

"I'm so happy to be home"

My mothers warm dark brown eyes brightened with happiness as she kissed my cheek. She reaches down and grabs my suitcase and puts it into the trunk. I hop into the front seat and my mother joins me momentarily. She smiles over at me and puts the car in gear, driving towards our home.

I look out the window, enjoying the views of my home town. I grew up in a small town in New Jersey. The type of small town where you've known your classmates your senior year of high school since kindergarten, and everyone knows everyone's business. Secrets were never a thing in Spring Lake, word traveled fast and everyone knew it, but that didn't stop the gossip.

I hadn't been home in New Jersey since my freshman year before my parents moved to South Carolina. I spent my entire childhood here, filled with so many memories. My mind drifted off to Cal, wondering if he'd like a small town like this, but I had a feeling he'd fit right in. With the thought of him in my mind, I started to tear up a little, sniffling and wiping my eyes before my mother noticed.

But mothers always notice,

"Oh honey, please tell me what's wrong."

I didn't want to ruin my trip, but it was something I really wanted to talk to someone about, something I needed to talk about. As my mother drove, I told her everything I could fit in the short drive home. We pulled into the drive way, my beautiful white home with a wrap around porch, dark olive green shutters, and cobble stone pathway brought a smile to my face. I looked over at my mother,

"The house hasn't changed.."

My mother said smiling, "The family who bought the house weren't here for long, and your father and I were so thankful to see they didn't make any big changes"

My mother put the car in park and turned the engine off, her body turned towards mine, grabbing a hold of my hands,

"You seem to be very into this man you speak of sweetheart. But the only advice I can truly give you is to give him a chance, here him out. I know you think you'll be better off if you put up a wall around your heart, but honey that's not living. Until he gives you a reason to not trust him, I think you should take his word. I know it's hard to give someone the power to hurt you by letting them in, but when it's right, it's worth it. And if it's not right, then you learned something about yourself, and that's life Lena."

I smile and reach over to give my mom a hug. I whispered into her hair,

"Thank you mom, I love you"

She pulls away and smiles,

"Love you too, but let's get you inside, your brother and father are waiting"