" Life is but a walking shadow. "
- William Shakespeare
"What are your plans, Willow?"
I turned my head from the window and looked up at my mother, her beautiful face marred with worry and sadness. It was the same look everyone gave me nowadays. And I hated it.
"What do you mean, ma?" I murmured, turning back to gaze mindlessly at the cars hurtling down the street. I could see Mel sitting up straighter from her position on my bed.
We'd flown back to New York the very next day after the...incident.
"Honey, you've been cooped up in your room for nearly two months. You don't speak to us, you don't eat. You barely sleep anymore," She took a deep breath, "Azrael comes here almost everyday." She whispered the last part.
I stiffened.
"Ma, please." My voice caught in my throat.
I had cried. Cried for two months and now all I felt was this numbness, I felt dead inside. But hearing his name, it was still painful.
I remember the first time he had visited, it was just a few hours after I reached home. I was upstairs when I heard his voice, he was begging Dad to just let him see me. And just by his voice, my breath had got uneven, my fingers trembled. I had got a panic attack.
Since then he had not tried to see me but I knew he secretly came here everyday. I've seen his car parked down the street from morning to night.
Maybe he was just waiting for me to come out.
"Mel, honey, what about you? Are you just going to accompany her all day long?"
She shrugged,"It doesn't matter,"
My mother sighed, "Your grandmother called, she said that....maybe you could transfer from Glasgow to a University in Paris. She said she could arrange it. For Mel too, if she is interested." She said hesitantly.
I paused. Transferring? That meant I could never go back to Glasgow.
I would never see Azrael.
"Mel?" She prodded when I didn't answer.
"I'll go where she goes." She said nonchalantly, looking down at her fingers.
No.
I wouldn't do that to Zach.
Sweet, protective Zach who calls me everyday to ask me if I'm fine but never tries to justify his bestfriend. Zach, who makes my bestfriend laugh.
"Think about it, both of you. It's a good opportunity if you want to get away from everything but remember running away from problems doesn't solve anything." She said and kissed mine and Mel's forehead before softly closing the door behind her.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and felt Mel sitting next to me.
"Y'know Will.....we could get away from all this. One word and it's done. I'll go anywhere with you."
That was my breaking point.
I flung my arms around her as I sobbed into her chest.
She held me tightly as I cried and cried, "I-it just hurts s-so bad, Mel."
"Shhh, it's fine. You'll be fine." She whispered.
"But I don't know w-hen I'll be fine. I m-miss him, I miss him so much. I-I can't live without him, Mel, I can't. I need him but I'm just so hurt, I don't think I'll ever trust him again. I can't."
"Willow, maybe you should talk to him. Hear him out, maybe it's all just a huge misunderstanding. Azrael doesn't look like someone who cheats." She said hesitantly, rubbing my back.
I nodded, "I just need more time, Mel, I can't face him."
"Y'know Will, I read something really interesting yesterday."
"What?" I sniffed.
"Even if the sun is hidden by storm clouds today, the light will definitely shine through tomorrow. Beautiful isn't it?" She murmured softly.
I nodded and shot her a weak smile.
"So what do you wanna do today? Ben and Jerry's night?"
I shook my head.
"Hmmm, with white chocolate mud cake? And maybe some Pizza?" She asked slyly.
I hesitated and then nodded.
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"Will, you have a guest." Wes pops his head in, giving me a tentative smile.
"Who is it, Wessypoo?" Mel cooed, pinching his cheeks.
He swatted her hands away and flushed deep red, "I'm not a baby, Mel." He pouted.
"But you'll always be our baby." I pouted right back, peppering his face with kisses making him shriek and giggle.
I felt good to atleast act normal.
"Any way, who is it?" I asked, once he had calmed down.
"Oh, one of your friends. Rachel."
Rachel?
She was probably angry, considering the fact that I didn't even tell her or Tammy about anything. I do feel terrible but I just can't face any one right now.
But she's already here.
"Where is she?" Mel asked when I stayed silent.
"She's here." A female voice said and my eyes widened as she stepped inside, her hands on her waist.
The pissed off mom stance.
Shit.
"Um...hi?" I mumbled awkwardly.
"Where the fuck were you, Willow. And don't you think for a second you're off the hook, Melantha-" Mel cowered back,"You two were gone. For two fucking months, you're phones are switched off, we don't know where the hell you guys scurried off to. We didn't know if you were alive or not!" She yelled.
"I-I'm sorry Rachel- wait what's that on your finger?!" I gaped, looking at the gorgeous ring on her left hand.
She grinned, "Leith proposed!"
"Oh my God!" I squealed happily, throwing my arms around her.
"Congrats Rachel!" Mel shot her a rare grin.
Leith Ali was studying buisness and was one of the few guys who really was respectful. And with that Arab look going on, he had girls - and boys - throwing themselves at him left and right. It's no wonder that a stunning girl like Rachel fell for him.
Ah, I love fairytales.
"Well, we decided the wedding will be after like six months. Y'know after he graduates. He was not ready for it, the idiot wanted to marry the next day," she rolled her eyes, "I convinced him but he wanted an engagement party. It's here in New York. And you both are coming." She said firmly.
"When?" Mel asked,
"This weekend," she stared at me, "You both will come right?"
"Ra-"
"It means the world to me. Please" She pouted.
"Y-yeah I'll be there." I stuttered.
"Mel?" She prodded.
"Ofcourse."
"So that's decided." She clapped her hands excitedly and a lump formed in my throat at how happy she was to know that we'll be there.
It made me feel guilty too.
We spent the rest of the evening chatting and squealing about the wedding and the ideas. Until we reached the topic I was desperately trying to avoid.
"Will, why did you and Mel disappear from Glasgow without telling anyone, if you don't mind me asking. You can totally tell me to shut up right now-" she said hurriedly.
"No. It's fine, I-I just needed a break from everything." I told her weakly.
"Azrael is not in Glasgow too. And Grey's miserable but he wouldn't tell me what's up." She sighed.
Sometimes I forget that she's Grey's sister.
Which means Azrael will definitely be there for the engagement party.
I froze.
"There's some problem with you and Az right? Please don't let that stop you from coming." She pleaded.
I nodded.
How can I face him?
I'm not ready to face him. I'll either kiss the living daylights out of him or beat him to death.
Or maybe I'd do both.
Rachel left a few hours later and I mostly stayed silent throughout the conversation. After she had gone I felt Mel sit next to me.
"You want to say something, don't you?" I muttered,
"I do. Do you want me to?" She asked calmly.
I nodded.
"I think you should go. He'll definitely be there, talk to him. Please, just try to hear what's he's got to say. I'm not telling you to forgive him if he's done something wrong but I just don't want you to regret anything. Sometimes it takes us too much time to see what went wrong," she said, a faraway look in her eyes.
I wrapped my hand around hers,"You can talk to me if you're going through something, Mel. You know that right? You'll tell me if something goes wrong, won't you?" I whispered.
She smiled, it was the same smile she has been giving me for years when I ask her the same thing. And she always said the same thing, her favourite quote,
"There are somethings you can only learn in a storm."
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Hey guy! I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update.
You can expect a chapter for ' Zephyr ' . YAY
I'm also going to start a new book, it's called 'Love In The City Of Gentle' the aesthetics are already posted. I'll be updating the first chapter and I'm super excited.
So what do you guys think about this chapter?
Have a good day.
XxAelinAsh