~~~
My mouth dries, and all the words in my mouth become stuck in my throat. I open and close my mouth.
Say something!
"Hi," I breathed, mentally slapping myself for saying that.
The lady in front of me smiles and skims my clothes as if judging me. Something about the way she's looking at me tells me she knows something about me.
She directs her gaze to my face and fakes a smile.
"Hello, dear," her angelic voice greets me.
"How are you doing, Mrs. Henderson?" I inquire softly.
"Well, I'm fine. It's never been better" She cracks a smile. Her gentle, soft eyes were full of charm and mischief.
I give a nod.
I had no idea why she had approached me.
Sr. Mrs. Henderson, aka Sebastian and Luke's grandmother, stood in front of me, a clever smile on her face. I had no idea how to strike up a conversation with her, primarily because she appeared unapproachable.
"How can I assist you?" I mumbled and mentally groaned. Instead of complimenting her on the jewelry she wore or the stunning beauty she held, I asked what she wanted from me.
I should commit suicide.
"Straight to the point," she said, her eyes gleaming with something that quickly faded.
"Please accept my apologies; that came out incorrectly-"
"Ah, don't apologize. If an old hag approached me out of nowhere, I would have asked the same question" She cracked a grin.
"No, it's nothing like that-" I laughed softly.
"Please," she said, rolling her eyes, "I saw you from the stage and you just happened to catch my eye."
Something inside me tells me that's not entirely true, but I don't tell her.
"Thank you," I say, smiling and tucking my loose tendrils behind my ears.
"Are you planning anything after this?" She inquires casually. Jen groans beside me but does not stir.
I scream at her in my head.
"Yes?" I ask, gulping.
What exactly does she want?
Her eyes were as perceptive as they had been for a while.
"I asked if you'd be available after this."
"I'm not sur-"
"Even if you aren't, I want you to take some time out of your schedule and meet me at my place," she orders, clearly finished with the conversation.
"I-"
"Nona," a deep voice behind her says.
I could recognize that voice at any time and in any place.
Sebastian's face is flushed with surprise as he looks at me.
"What exactly are you doing here?" He asks his gran, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Oh, nothing," she softly laughs, "just talking to this lovely lady here."
Sebastian shifts his gaze from her to me, raises one brow, and silently questions me.
In response, I shrug.
"Ms. Brown, this is Sebas, my grandson. And Sebad this is Ms- "She pauses.
With a smile gracing my lips, I introduce myself as "Arabella."
"Arabella," she repeats after me with a smile, "a beautiful name for a beautiful woman, what does your name mean?"
She seemed genuinely curious, which made me feel slightly at ease and happy.
"Beautiful," Sebastian quietly says. I raise an eyebrow at him, but his gaze is not drawn to mine, and he clears his throat.
"Who is beautiful?" Mrs. Henderson asks, her head tilted in perplexity.
"You," he smirks, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek.
She laughs softly. And I could see her eyes twinkle with delight after hearing that.
"Foolish lad"
"Well, you two chitchat; I have to meet with the others," he says to his grandmother, looking at me.
After seeing the smirk form on his face, I knew what was going to happen next.
"Oh, and Arabella, it was nice meeting you," he winks and walks away.
I sigh and roll my eyes.
"Don't mind him, he's playful like that," Mrs. Henderson says, staring at his fading figure.
She had no idea how playful her grandson could be.
For a brief moment, I thought I saw sadness swirl in her eyes before it vanished and she turned her gaze to me with a bright smile on her face. As if whatever emotion I saw in her face was just a figment of my imagination.
"So?" She pauses. I realized she was looking for the meaning of my name.
"Biblically, it means answered prayer; however, in Dutch, it means Beautiful lioness."
"Both have significant meanings," she says, nodding.
"I think I prefer the latter because I identify as a lioness," I say, smiling.
She gives a nod.
"I'll see you then?" She says, stating it more like a questions
"Hopefully"
"I'll have Greta give you all the details about my place. You are also welcome to bring a friend "She looks at Jen and then back at me.
I couldn't help but be curious as to why she had invited me.
Hendersons aren't the type of people you'd want to start a game with. They are astute. Very astute.
I know because I've worked with one.
She smiles calculatingly at me and sends me a mysterious smile before walking away.
"I'll see you soon."
As she walks and stands beside Luke, her hips sway. Luke looks down at her with a smile and leans in to kiss her cheeks.
A loud groan erupts beside me, alerting me to the fact that my best friend has awakened from her slumber.
I heave a sigh and turn around.
"We have been invited to the Hendersons' residence. Prepare yourself."
Her eyes widened.
~~~
"So," my best friend began. I closed my eyes and held back a groan.
"How did you manage to get yourself invited?" She smiled as she added.
"For fuck's sake. How many times will she do this?" Mave muttered.
As the evening sun began to set, the car skimmed across the road with ease. After the seminar, we were introduced to Greyson's employees and shared lunch with them. Without one or two emotionless rude humans, I think I liked the rest. We were on our way to Henderson's house at this point. Greta had texted me the address, and Mave had accompanied us as if he were a bodyguard. His words, not mine, suggest that the witch is plotting a murder.
Nervousness crept up on me like a snail in my stomach.
Okay, that didn't make much sense.
But you get it right.
Furthermore, explaining the entire story to Jen three times didn't help the situation because she was constantly zoning out whenever I explained it.
"I apologize. I'm just dozing off " She muttered as she looked out the window. Something didn't seem right.
"Is everything all right?" I inquired, my palm resting on hers.
She shifted her gaze to me "Of course, yes. It is simply something that happened at home " She mumbled as she looked out the window once more.
"What transpired?" Mave inquired quietly, not returning her gaze.
"Nothing," she laughed.
"Jen," muttered Mave.
"My parents are divorcing." She did not say anything else. Mave's jaw clenched and he nodded, his gaze fixed on the road.
I squeezed her hands, and she turned to face me and scooted up to me, resting her head on my shoulder.
"You know, I grew up watching them fight," she mumbled. I didn't say anything, just sat there and listened to her.
Because I was well aware of the significance of not having a listener.
The car was silent, as was the road, and her whispers seemed loud enough for both of us to hear.
"They fought, but they also smiled and loved each other. Being the only child of my parents didn't help either. We were content, but there were times when I despised watching them fight as if they hated each other " She whispered.
"Divorce was a topic that came up a thousand times in my childhood. But they never fully grasped it. And now they're in their golden years, when they really need each other. They are serious about divorcing. For thirty years. They are together for thirty years. My mother became pregnant at the age of eighteen. I'm not sure why I'm saying this, and I apologize-" She chuckled dryly.
"Don't say that," I murmured as I ran my fingers through her silky smooth hair.
"If there's one thing I learned from my childhood, it's this: never have unprotected sex. When I found out my mother was pregnant with me when she was eighteen, I began taking birth control pills at the age of sixteen. But you're missing out on the best part " She burst out laughing, which seemed forced.
"The last time I saw a gynaecologist, she said the chances of me becoming a mother are fifty percent." My heart clenched, she said.
I clenched my teeth as frustrated tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn't help but notice Mave clenching the steering wheel.
Something wet fell on my shoulder, and I realized it was her tears.
She didn't deserve this. If there was anyone who didn't deserve in of life's shit; it's her.
Again, it's surprises me how unfair life can be.
She didn't lift her head as she rested it on my shoulder. I murmured soft words into her ears, but I don't think it helped her pain.
So much to say. So much pain was in her life, but she was able to conceal it all behind her veil. She was a strong woman.
"Jace adores babies. I'm madly in love with him. Just thinking about him causes butterflies to erupt in my stomach. I'm afraid I can't give him that-"
"There's a fifty-fifty chance," I softly interrupted.
"And fifty percent of no chance," she said quietly.
"Ells, he doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve the baggage I bring with me."
"I am certain. He is aware of what he has signed up for." For the first time, Mave spoke up.
"You bastard, you could have at least offered some condolences to me," she rolled her eyes, but there was a glint of ease in her eyes.
"Shut up," he grumbled, "if that fucker leaves you just because you can't provide him with a child, fucking tell him to go live in the countryside"
"Mave-" Jen said, a warning tone in her voice.
"Let's not even get started, guys. And, Mave, you're not helping the situation." I sighed and rolled my eyes.
He grunted but remained silent.
"Jen, love, you're a strong woman. I hope everything goes as planned for you. Even if something does not go our way, everything happens for a reason. You are brave, and if any guy abandons you for something that isn't in your control-"
"It was in my hand," she cut me off.
"I'm not done," I deadpanned, while she rolled her eyes, again.
"As I was saying, for something that wasn't in your hands or because of your teen's reckless decision, he had to be the dumbest guy on the planet, and he just wasn't worth the shot."
Jen sat quietly and then exhaled, a small smile on her face.
"Thank you, I needed it," she said quietly.
Jen reverted to her normal self after five minutes of silence, and she began bickering about the new old lady who had moved into her building and how much of a judgmental woman she was.
When I was staring at her and listening to her at the time, I couldn't help but think what an amazing woman she was. The one who always had a smile on her face, the sunshine, despite having the deepest wounds to conceal.
"What?" She inquired after noticing me staring at her for an extended period of time.
"Nothing," I said softly as I squeezed her hands.
The car came to a stop just as she was about to open her mouth, drawing our attention.
Large metallic doors stood in place, while guards asked in the speaker for identification.
Seeing the scene taking place for just entering the house made me question my decision.
~~~