It’s been two days since the wedding. I notice that I’ve been acting like a chicken. No one knows about Nate’s and my interaction except for Augustus. After the wedding, I immediately went home without talking to anyone. My parents asked me about the wedding and I answered with a curt, “Fine.”
They knew something happened and I am grateful they didn’t try to squeeze out the answer from me. Nero still locked himself in his room, unwilling to get out. We’ve tried persuading him to at least come out and have some fresh air. Instead, he would yell, “Go away!”
Augustus is my personal leech after the wedding. He would stay close to me as I train everyday with Ziggy. At night, he would disappear to visit Aurora and then he’ll be back in the morning. I can see the bags under his eyes due to the lack of sleep. Not only he has to take care of his pregnant mermaid sister, but also keep an eye on me.
“You should sleep, Augustus!” I argue with him in the morning. It scares me to see him looking half-dead.
“I’ll be okay,” he says weakly, taking a seat on the sofa. His eyes droop.
“No, you won’t unless you get your butt on your bed.”
Augustus is about to reply when suddenly his head drops and snores leak out of his slightly cracked lips. I smile at how adorable he looks when he sleeps.
Augustus and I share kisses once in a while, but we have never talked about us. That worries me.
What if he only kisses me because I’m a good kisser? What if he only wants me temporarily? It’s not like us shifters have mates like werewolves. We have to pick our own mates, just like how mum and dad picked each other.
I glance at the clock in the kitchen. It is eleven in the morning. My training won’t start till four so I have lots of time to spare.
Lisbeth must be with Caleb and Eleanor, Wendy is with her grandmother, my parents are God knows where. I have no idea what to do.
I take a peek at the small piece of paper again. I’m so tempted to dial the number and see what Nate has to say. Another part of me urges me to just stay low.
If Nate somehow knows that I’m his sister, the demons might go after him once again. I don’t want him to be in danger once again! Especially since he has a family of his own.
But Nate deserves to know.
With a little building courage, I steal Augustus’s phone and call the number.
“Hello?”
My breath hitches. I’m not ready for this. I feel like vomiting out my breakfast.
“Hello? Anyone there?”
I take a deep breath and try to calm myself down. “Hi.”
Nate is silent for a moment, maybe processing my voice. “Is this Laney?”
He doesn’t know is me. My shoulders slump in defeat. “Yes,” I answer softly.
“I know you know something about my sister’s disappearance,” he says almost sternly.
I gulp. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t give me that garbage!” he snaps angrily. “I was kidnapped by a bunch of people who is after my mother who I thought been dead for almost eleven years. I was forced to live in silence until someone rescued me. I was told that my family betrayed me!”
I keep quiet, unable to speak. Inside, I’m angry at Tyler and Thomas for what he did to Nate.
They are going to pay.
Nate sighs tiredly. “Can we meet somewhere?”
“What about Uncle Sam’s café?” I propose. The second I say it, I pale. Nate knows something is really odd now.
I used to love going to Uncle Sam’s café whereas he loves Dave’s Bistro.
I just gave him a tip that I’m Melanie Meridian.
“Okay,” he replies expressionlessly. Maybe he doesn’t notice my slip. “I’ll meet you there in an hour.”
I hang up without saying anything. My heart beats faster at the thought I’m finally going to see Nate in sixty minutes! I look back at Augustus who is still falling asleep.
I take a piece of paper and write down a note for him when he wakes up: Going to town for a bit. I’ll be back soon. –Mel.
The house is empty except for a sleeping Augustus so I don’t have to worry about sneaking out. I take my Harley Davidson out of the garage and ride my way to town.
Butterflies flutter in my stomach. Nervousness overcomes my system.
Along the way, I stop when I see an abandoned mansion for sale. It is close to town and I still have one hour before I meet Nate.
“Hello, miss. Are you interested in buying?” a monotone voice asks me. I turn to see a man wearing a suit. The thing is, he looks like hell with his tie not properly tied, shirt wrinkled, and hair in a mess.
“How much for this house?” I ask him, looking at the mansion.
I know someone who needs this house. At least before I die, I want to do something that I know I won’t regret, like buying this house.
The man springs into action. “It’s very cheap, miss! I’m even giving you discount! Would you like to enter to see for yourself?”
Since I have lots of time, I agree to look around. It looks just like my parents’ mansion, just that it is emptier and creepier. I can almost imagine how it will look like when I renovate this place.
My smile drop when at the thought I will die soon. “You know what, Mr. Crawfurd. I’ll take this.”
It surprises me how easy it is to buy a mansion with cash. It’s not my fault my parents have a lot of money and they gave me more than enough. I want to use the money for good purposes.
“Thank you, Miss Raquella!” Mr. Crawfurd says when I sign the documents. Once the mansion is locked up, I jump on my bike and make my way to Uncle Sam’s café.
When I am in front of Uncle Sam’s café, I look down at my attire which is jeans and leather jacket over my white shirt. I don’t doubt I look like a goth especially with my short hair.
Nate is sitting alone by the window with a cup of coffee. When he sees me, he gives me a tight smile. I notice he’s not alone; baby Victoria is in the high chair close to him. Victoria laughs gleefully when she sees me. I know she’s too young to remember this when she’s twelve, the age she stole the potion to visit me.
“Hello,” I say, sitting down opposite of Nate.
“Hey, do you want some coffee?” he asks me.
I nod, removing my leather jacket. Once again, I want to whack myself for my mistake.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, I chant in my head when he stares at my Xiuhcoatl tattoo. His eyes widen.
“You’re one of them,” he hisses at me, standing.
“No, I’m not. Please sit down and I’ll explain everything,” I say, looking around the café to see if someone is suspicious of us. The café is empty, except for a few workers who pay us no mind.
“No lies,” Nate tell me, sitting down.
“No lies,” I agree.
Nate stares at me when he asks, “What did they do to you, Mel?”
I shake my head, not surprised that he called me by my real name. “They didn’t do anything, Nate. It was my fault. I should have told you that I was going to die before the hybrids attacked.”
“Wait, hold up. What does that mean?”
I lean back, ready to tell him everything. “Your daughter, Victoria, visited me in my dream. She and your son, Nick, and Cassie. They stole a potion from a witch so they can contact me.”
“Witches exist?” Nate asks in bewilderment.
I nod. “Yes, they’re not bad. They’re on our side.”
“Side?”
I explain everything to Nate, not missing any information. I told him about Director, Augustus, our parents, the future, the war. Nate listens carefully, not interrupting. He would glance at Victoria when I mentioned about her visiting me from the future.
“Mum’s a Medusa, you and dad are shifters. Lisbeth, our friend is Athena’s daughter and a Peacekeeper. What else?” Nate lists down with his fingers.
I bite my lips. “I think I’m in love with Augustus.”
Nate looks at me before bursting into laughter.
“What?” I ask in annoyance. It feels like normal again. Nate and I talking.
“Isn’t it ironic that my not-love-believing- sister is admitting that she loves a guy. Wait, it’s a guy, right?”
I laugh. “I’m not gay, bro.”
“I want to meet this Augustus,” he says seriously. “I want to give him the big brother talk.”
I smile. “You will.”
“I think he deserves you. He gave you your dream bike on your first date, right?” Nate says.
“Yeah, that Evolved Lizard surprised me.”
“Evolved Lizard?” he repeats in confusion.
“Augustus is a dragon shifter,” I explain.
He laughs in realization. “I bet you two are adorable together.”
We’re silent for a minute.
“There’s one more thing I want to tell you, Nate,” I say nervously.
He sips on his coffee, eyes train on me.
I take a deep breath before exposing my deepest secret, “I’m going to die, Nate.”
Author's Note
I won't be around next week (because I'm going to my hometown in Kuching. There's no wifi there! *cries a waterfall*) Anyway, why did you think Mel bought that mansion? And she finally told Natey! Now imma gonna kill Nate soon! Mwahahaha.
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-M.