CHAPTER 92: IS THAT YOU?

"Rocky!"

"What is wrong with him? He’s been absentminded since he came back yester-night from wherever he went."

"Ikr, he was very enthusiastic when he left, but I can’t read his mood now,"

"Whatever! I don’t think that he will come with us today either; let’s just go and leave him."

Rocky heard his friends but chose not to mind them. His mind was too preoccupied with what he felt were more pressing things than hanging out with friends.

His mind wandered back to the day before.

He still could not understand it. ’Ava, of all people crying?

When he had heard her sniffles through the bathroom door, his mind had emptied of everything just to try and confirm whether she was indeed crying. Was his one and only Ebony Princess crying? Because of that fool of a brother she had?

He had schooled himself and turned back quietly and started cleaning up. It had taken Ava close to an hour to compose herself before she came out.

She came out with the usual vigour that he had come to associate with her. There were no signs of tears except the slight reddening of her eyes and he didn’t ask of it.

This made Rocky a little sad because he would have preferred it, if she had cried on his shoulders instead of by herself as if he was a nobody.

He was just getting ahead of himself as Ava would never cry in her younger brother’s arms for that was how she saw him.

Ava had stopped short, a slight surprise on her face. The place was very tidy once again, like the home she had grown up to love. Rocky had put everything back in its place as if he knew where they were supposed to be. The ones that were broken beyond repair were in a large box set aside. From where she was, she could see pieces of broken furniture and ceramics sticking out of the box.

A slight panic ensued, and he casually said, "I put them in that container in the middle of the room."

"Thank you, Rocky; you did not have to go through all this trouble." She was touched.

"... and who would do it if not me?" Rocky bypassed her o the bathroom and came back out with the first aid box himself.

"Sit Ava, let me take a look at your hand."

"I can do it myself!"

"Which hand can you use? Besides, I am a medical student and know best about things like this." He pulled her down onto the only seat left in the room.

’Medical student, my arse! Isn’t it just his first semester?’ Ava thought to herself as he bared out her palms and cleaned the bruises there. They weren’t much, and the wound wasn’t as deep as she had self-inflicted it, but Rocky took care of it as if it was a big deal, and she just let him.

"Let me accompany you back home."

Ava was too spent to argue with him, so she nodded because Rocky obviously knew that she would not sleep where her brother was likely to come back to when she had a perfectly safe new home. Rocky was happy that she had not rejected his offer because he was kind of apprehensive that the thugs would return for revenge.

Rocky picked up the big box and sent it out with the trash to be picked up later, perfecting hiding the strain he put on his wound. Ava was equally surprised and touched because even the front yard had been taken care of meticulously in that hour she had spent in there.

"Thank you, Rocky," She whispered.

"How are you going to repay me?" He asked cheekily, suddenly making her stop and glare at him.

"I’m just joking Ava, chill."

Rocky hailed a taxi for them amid Ava’s protests and sent her to her doorstep.

Ava’s phone dinged then.

"Is it from Shelby?"

"Yes, Ava replied looking at the text. She wants me to come over because her mother-in-law asked."

"Oh?" Ava didn’t realize that she had answered Rocky swiftly, unlike her usual self, who would have snapped at him not to pry in ’adult issues’. He smiled broadly and left right then.

However, he could not get the thought of the scene he had stumbled on, off his head.

’I need to do something about that brother of hers before he even considers selling her off.’ Ava had not told him, but Rocky had deduced enough on his own.

***

In the Trimshaw estate that morning.

"Katie, do you have word on the Ava girl yet?"

"No, ma’am. Miss Shelby said -"

"Katie?"

"Yes, Geneva,"

"What do I hate the most?"

"Erm, excuses?"

Geneva stared down at Katie, who relented and bowed her head.

"I’m sorry, Geneva, I’ll get to the bottom of this. But in the interim, I could go buy-"

"What is wrong with you people?"

Geneva interjected,

"... Why would I buy from the public when the girl is my daughter-in-law’s bosom friend? Don’t you understand these dynamics? Get that girl here by tomorrow, and I want no excuses! I have given you enough time by not asking you to bring her here today!"

Geneva snapped, and Alex rubbed her back fondly.

Katie bowed deeply and made a mental note to follow up on it with Shelby later in the day to find out what the hold-up was.

Katie stepped aside for the older couple to walk past before she remembered something,

"Geneva?"

"What is it that cannot wait for me to finish my breakfast? Did you take the wrong medicine this morning Katie? You’re doing all the things that you know I will complain about today as if you are not my personal attendant nor the head of this household? What is it this time?"

"It’s Clara,"

"Who?"

Katie did not miss a beat, nor did she falter with what seemed like an unusual question to an outsider’s ears.

"You know, your new in-law. Shelby’s mother..."

One would have thought that Geneva would have mellowed her stance at the mention of the mother of the girl she now held in high esteem. However,

"And?" Geneva said blankly, clearly still irritated.

"She’s been asking to meet with you for a while... and -"

"It can wait Katie!"

"Bu-"

Geneva stopped and placed her hand on her waist, "Is she dying?"

"No, sh-"

"There you have it." Geneva strode forward, and Alex shook his head in amusement, following her as they headed for the central wing.

"Did you have to go that far?" Alex asked gently as they strolled forward.

"I just want to have my breakfast in peace. Is that too much to ask?"

"Are you this way because you are still upset that the Ava person is not here yet?"

"It’s not that. I just want to have that time to myself this morning without all these disturbances. The Clara woman only wants favours. I don’t know why she is so dumb! She doesn’t even know of the contract, can you imagine? She always goes on and on about how Ian loves Shelby and whatnot.

After meeting her just once, it just got too tiring. Also, I bet you that she’s going to come up with a request from some of those leechy-women in the circles. There is a reason I stay away from them, but this Clara woman knows nothing of the world that she so badly wants to be a part of."

"Hmmmmmm...." Alex sighed, thinking, ’My wife has even more issues than I do now.’

Geneva’s walk slowed down even more. She liked these morning times with her husband when there was no one else there and nothing that needed her attention. The leisurely walk took almost twice as long to get to their destination. They used the time to discuss their itineraries for the day.

Geneva suddenly remembered the unexpected call she had received the night before. She had thought long and hard about it before deciding what to do about it.

’Let me loop Alex in on this...’

"You won’t believe who reached out to me last night, Alex, it -"

Geneva stopped talking just as she arrived in the dining area, her face as pale as a sheet as she stared blankly in front. She opened her mouth and closed it, but nothing came out.

"What is it, dear?" Alex asked, also turning.

"OMG!"

Alex strode forward very fast and then looked at the young man with copper hair, who stood stoic in the middle of the place, with his hands clasped behind him and a small suitcase on the floor beside him.

"Currey? Where have you been?" Alex’s hearty laughter and voice boomed around as he approached Currey.

"How long has it been?"

Geneva snapped out of it and snapped at him,

"If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that you had locked yourself up with my good-for-nothing son!"

"I’m sorry, Mrs Thornston!" Currey bowed deeply. Geneva viewed Currey like a son, and that was why she was upset with him for seemingly leaving without notice.

"I had to travel and take care of some things back home. It was too abrupt, and I couldn’t say goodbye..."

"... and you couldn’t send a notice either?"

"I’m really sorry!"

"Geneva, stop making the man feel so self-conscious of himself and let him catch his breath."

Turning back to Currey, Alex continued, "Sit and have breakfast with us. I didn’t know that I would miss your presence this much. We have a lot to talk about work, and I am in dire need of your expertise. You know..."

"Can I have my breakfast in peace!" Geneva snapped, clearly irritated.

Alex let the conversation go and winked at Currey to take a seat.

"Did you hear about Ian’s situation? He-"

"What about me are you talking of..."

The whole room came to a standstill. The maids paused mid-setting of the table; Alex hovered in the air over his seat. Geneva paused with the cup mid-way to her mouth, as did every other thing in there. No one needed to turn to see the owner of the voice, yet they did.

It was so unbelievable that all those present felt that they had to confirm for themselves with their own eyes.

The sound of Geneva’s teacup shuttering was what broke the stalemate in the room.

"Ian? Is that really you?"

*********

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