“Mommy, you’re not eating,” Zion called out to me, and I snapped out of my thoughts to find the eyes of Ivan, Zion, and Aaron on me at the dining table where we sat having dinner.
I knew Aaron was the most curious of the three. When I got home hours ago, he asked why I had hurried off without telling the bodyguards where I had gone. I knew the guards he had placed on me had fed him information about my misbehaviour and disappearance. I wasn’t ready to talk about it, and I told him I just needed air. He knew that was a lie, but he didn’t place any form of pressure on me because he knew better.
I brushed it off casually: “Oh, do not mind, Mommy. She’s got work stuck in her head. Go on, eat your food, and you will be just as tall as Daddy and Uncle Ivan.”
“They are really tall,” he admitted, and I knew their height must have left him in deep thought once or twice.
“And you want to be that tall, right?” I asked.
He nodded vigorously, and without having to be told, he dug into his food and ate as fast as he could.
Ivan’s gaze didn’t stay long on me because he returned to his meal almost immediately. But Aaron’s did, and I knew he would want to know what got to me and killed my interest in the food.
After dinner, I helped Zion with the homework his tutor had given him today before seeing him to bed. I kissed his forehead and wished him good night. I closed the door to his room and made my way towards mine.
Stepping inside, I found Aaron on the bed, already tucked in. He had a book in his hand, and his attention was fixated on it, but as soon as he noticed my presence, he glanced up and shut the book.
“Is Zion already tucked in?”
I nodded, and he adjusted the bedsheets so I could get in. When I did, he pulled me closer. “How was your day at work?”
I sighed, relaxing against the feel of his warm body on mine. “It was fine.”
We wandered into silence again, and I knew he wanted to ask the important question but kept holding himself back.
“Do you want to talk about it?” His curiosity lingered, but I felt no sort of pressure in his voice. I peered up at him, and our gazes locked. I knew there was no escaping his question.
I recalled the events of the day, and I felt guilty about how things happened with Daniel and me. I was really the one to blame. I was the one who cheated, played with, and broke his heart because I couldn’t face my reality with courage. I dragged him along with me, only to drop him off when I was done.
I sucked in a breath. “I saw Nicole today.”
Aaron tensed up behind me but still maintained silence, so I continued. “She’s with Daniel, and I think she’s doing that to get to me. She’s taken advantage of Daniel’s big heart and need for love. He’s already too wrapped up in her web to see the truth. I fear he’s going to get hurt, and there’s no way to save him or help him because I’ve already hurt him badly in the past. I feel like a horrible person. Do I even get to call Nicole out when I’m no better?” I whimpered.
Sometimes, leaving someone in the dark does more harm than good.
Aaron didn’t say much-not as much as I expected him to. He just pulled me closer, and my head lay on his chest. “I’m sorry about what happened, and as much as your need to help lingers, there’s nothing you can do.”
It hurts even more. “She’s only in his life because I left him vulnerable, and that’s on me.”
“You can’t blame yourself; you didn’t know. I will see if there’s something I can do for him, but this is Nicole Kent, and I know what she’s capable of. Until the ritual is completed, I’d rather we steer clear of her path.”
My lashes fluttered, and I thought back to how hurt Daniel looked today. I was a horrible person. I might not save him, but I would not give up on him. I was going to fight for him like I knew he’d fight for me. Aaron spoke about things getting better, but I only heard a little because my lashes fluttered, and my mind drifted off into a state of sleep.
…
My phone in the dressing mirror went off, and I picked it up and saw Lionel as the caller ID. I smiled and placed the phone to my ear, and his voice came through immediately.
“Good morning, Zera.”
“Lionel, good morning.”
“How’s my least favourite sister doing?” he teased.
I rolled my eyes. “She’s doing great, and how’s my least favourite brother doing?” I asked him, and I could feel her eyes roll.
“You don’t get to use that line; you only have one brother,” he pointed out smugly.
“Says you.”
“Says a faithful father and a loud wife,” he said, referring to our father and mother.
“Are you still game for the day’s picnic?” he asked, moving on to the more serious discussion. “I think Tatiana has a boyfriend. I’ve seen the two together a few times. I think they must have met at her new place of work.”
My eyes widened, and my excitement kicked in. It was high time she moved on from Owens and found some happiness. “Oh wow, so much to discover. Count me in,” I told him, and then I realized I would have to come with my guards. It still didn’t matter; they would keep a safe distance that would give us a sense of privacy.
“Fine.”
“What about you?” I asked, and silence took over the seconds that followed. “Has any girl taken your fancy lately?”
“One has, but she scares the life out of me,” he answered, and I think I knew who he spoke about.
“You mean Sesi, don’t you?” I noticed the way he looked at her whenever she was close, and the few times I’d seen them, I saw how hard it was for him to keep himself together.
“Yes, and I will say nothing else,” he said. “Same time and place tomorrow,” he said, ending the call.
You can’t help who you’re attracted to, and though Lionel’s story looked like Daniel and Nicole’s, it was different. Lionel knew who Sesi was and what she was capable of, so he wasn’t being led blindly. Daniel, however, had no idea who Nicole was, and if he did, he would realize how evil she was.
‘What if he does and still loves her?’ the voice in my head asked.
I placed my phone on the dressing mirror. “Then I’d let them be, but I doubt he knew who he was falling for.”