CHAPTER 45: WHEN THE PAST WALKS IN

HARLEM

Stepping into the house with Vi. I can smell the food in the kitchen and I’m starved again due to drinking so much Apple cider. I believe it almost killed me. And I’m certain it’s just going to make me eat more, yeah, I’m saying no to THAT beauty hack.

I hear the twins before I see them, arguing about something I couldn’t be less interested in, and I head straight to the kitchen while Zoran and Vi share a kiss. Nope.

I throw the door open and startle when I see my mother and Ezra by the cooker sharing a laugh. I turn and look around wondering if this is still my house or I stepped into an alternate universe.

I look back at them; Ezra is looking at me with a raised brow and mom is smiling at me. "My girl, you’re back. Ezra and I were just talking about how Hollywood is no longer the same. Can you also believe we have the same favorite actors? Ryan Reynolds fans for life. How was the bachelorette party though?" I don’t know what’s worse; the fact that mom is talking like this is so normal or the fact that Ezra Roth favorite actor is a comedian. Yeah, wrong house for sure. But I’m sure I saw Vi and Zoran kiss, so it can’t be. Right?

"You okay?" Ezra’s voice pierces my trance. He’s looking at me like he’s concerned but at the same time aware of the situation happening and he’s enjoying it.

I clear my throat "Yeah, I’m good. The hangout was fine, mom. Y’all seem to be having fun. I’ll just leave you to it" I make a beeline for the fridge and take out the fruit salad and leave without making eye contact with anyone.

I head to my room, or what used to be it. It’s now filled with mom’s tailoring materials and clothes. She’s into low-key fashion designing these days. My stuff are all still there, precisely intact actually. I smile as I sit on my bed and dig into my salad.

There’s a knock on the door and Ezra walks in. He glances at me and proceeds to look around my childhood room filled with anime posters, vinyl and LED lights. It’s not much different from my current room, just slightly nerdier.

"Wow, the ice princesses cave is very surprisingly ... warm." Ezra says and I stop chewing to stare at him. Did he just try to crack joke? I snort and he smiles at me. Today just keeps getting weirder.

"Mind if I sit?" he asks and I nod. He joins me on my medium sized bed. He silently watches me eat, although he steals one apple slice, but it’s comfortable and my heart threatens to burst from my chest. The proximity is quite... close.

"I like your family." He tells me when I’m done eating. I turn to him and he’s smiling. He’s serious.

I nod my head, trying not to show how nervous I feel deep down. "Thank you. You seem cool around them. How was the bachelor party though?"

"Bachelor-like. Didn’t know any other guys. Your brothers are two sides of the same coin, in a good way. Especially Zoran, he seemed friendly. Zeke was... well, he didn’t seem to really like speaking to me." I furrow my brows. Really?

"Oh. Zeke is... hard to understand. He has RBF. Definitely the opposite to Zoran’s coin." I tell him, hoping to God Zeke was at least NICE to him. Even though, I don’t quite believe it as I think it.

"RBF?" Ezra asks.

"Resting bitch face." I tell him and he nods like he’s making mental notes. I snort lightly. He acts so old.

"Anything funny?" he asks smirking at me and I snicker again to which his smile only gets wider.

When I’m done laughing, we just stare at each other for a full minute not saying anything. The smile on our faces long gone, conversation long forgotten and ’End of the world’ by Ariana Grande playing in the background on my vinyl.

Butterflies erupt in my stomach when he raises his hand to brush a stray hair away from my eyes so softly, I almost don’t feel him. Almost.

"You’re not acting the way you normally do. You look tense and I feel something is wrong somewhere. You know you can talk to me, right?" Ezra whispers softly, goosebumps erupt on my skin.

I don’t even realize when I open my mouth to tell him that I’m actually a disowned child in my own home and I’m not even supposed to BE here, when the door opens and Zeke walks in. Perfect timing. I shoot up from the bed and stare at him, ready to tell him platonic male and female friendships exists but then I notice his facial expression.

"What?" I ask, genuinely worried. He never loses his cool. He glances shortly at Ezra who is still seated on the bed and who I don’t dare turn to, when he says the words that make the not so good kind of goosebumps cascade over my skin.

"Mr. Tamrin has arrived." My breath hitches.

-------

I feel like I’m not in control of my body as my feet take me down the stairs after Zeke. I feel Ezra’s presence silently behind me like a spirit guide and my heartbeat can surely be heard two blocks away.

I see my mother first, standing with a worried expression on her face and I know that this couldn’t go any worse. I steel myself for the next few minutes... or hours depending on how WORSE it could go.

Standing a few feet away from my mom, I see my father staring at Violet as she smiles nervously at him explaining something. She sees me and her eyes go wide, which causes father to turn and stare at me. And boy does that stare hold emotions, which I can’t place my hands on.

Well, he looks like he has aged quite a bit with few sprouting grey hairs on his head and he seems to have lost some weight.

I stare at him and he does the same to me. His eyes go from surprised to cold in an instant. Here we go. "I thought I told you not to come back here if it wasn’t to apologize?" He says in his deep monotone voice.

My throat clogs up and everywhere goes silent. I bunch my hands into fists, to avoid them shaking. From my periphery, I see Violet’s eyes widen even more, if possible. Zeke tenses and Zaron takes a step forward but doesn’t say anything. Mom looks like she’s about to cry again and I FEEL Ezra behind me, watching the part of my life I tried so hard to conceal.

THIS is how he greets his daughter after four years? I should have known he wouldn’t change... but one could only hope. Stupid Me. My eyes burn but I don’t dare let the tears fall.

"It’s nice to see you too, Father. You shouldn’t worry yourself though, I’m not back." I say with a smile that’s so forced, it hurts. I turn to walk away when he speaks again.

"I was hoping you’d come back to your senses but I guess not." He says dismissively like always. My fists bunch up and I shut my eyes briefly, trying not to take the bait and after a beat, I walk out. Out of his life for the second time in four years. We sure as hell have a streak if not a relationship.