Chapter 46

“Okay, I'm listening” Maria Hall said, breaking the silence that had befallen the room. Maria Hall was not exactly happy with the way Laura was acting. They haven't seen nor spoken in a long time and rather than talk about the many happenings in her life or even ask how she had been faring, she just came here and all she really wants to do is have a long and a boring conversation with her.

Seeing that she got no response. Maria Hall proceeded to say. “You have been gone for so long and now, all you want to do is just sit here and act serious. Instead of you to brief me on what went on during your stay there.” Maria Hall said teasingly.

Laura returned the smile. “It's a matter of urgency and I don't intend staying here too long, nor spending the night here." Laura didn't want to believe what her mother had told her was true but at the same time she didn't want to find out. She was already concerned about being in Maria Hall's house but her curiosity and love for her friend brought her there.

"What! Why?” Maria Hall asked.

“I would be at risk if I spend any second more than the expected time,” Laura said as a matter of fact.
She couldn't lie to her friend and had to say it as it was.

Maria Hall didn't seem to understand what her friend was saying. “I don't understand”, she scratched her head, trying to grasp what Laura had just said but she couldn't. “Is someone after you?" She said, looking at the door, alarmed.

Laura looked at her friend and shook her head in pity. If only her friend knew the kind of danger she was in due to her greed, she wouldn't be here happily seated.

“Do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into?” Laura asked, trying to make Maria Hall understand that the matter at hand was serious.

Maria Hall, seeing that Laura's countenance had changed, sat up.
Pretending to be hurt by her friend's words and actions, she replied casually “Fine! What is this about?”

“You! All this is about you” Laura said, biting her lower lips in regret. She couldn't help but think that all she was about to say and all that would likely happen was totally her fault. She had needed to be away for just a little time but she decided to spend another year, knowing fully well that Maria Hall would likely get herself into trouble. It was not the first time she had been on those trips but it had certainly been her longest. Her mother had warned her but she still went on with her plans, she was carried away by the many wonders of such a place to have been bothered by the aftermath. The days passed by like seconds and before she knew what was happening, she had already spent three years. Although, she was yet to get all the information she had wanted to get. Laura had been to a new world, a place where her mother stays; the Oceans. It was a place that was meant for witches,magicians and on rare occasions, Alphas to show their strength. She had seen so many beautiful things, magic alike and had been so drawn to the place. Leaving had been hard for her, little wonder she didn't seem to have noticed the extra year she had spent there until she was gone.
She initially went there to get answers to questions troubling her mind. She wanted to know what's going on with her husband, her children and so many other family related questions. It was when her mother prompted her into enquiring about Maria Hall that she found out dark and hidden things about her friend. Her mother was of the opinion that Maria Hall seemed too good to be true and in a bid to prove her mother wrong, she had decided to try out one of those soothsayers. Her inquiries had only left her with regrets and a broken heart, because she genuinely loves and cares for Maria Hall.

Maria Hall looked at Laura without flinching. She braced herself for whatever Laura had to say.
What else had she not heard about herself? Maria Hall thought she would be ready for whatever Laura had to say to her.

“Maria, I know you've had two offers currently" she paused searching Maria Hall's eyes. “And those offers ar–”

“What the heck!” Maria Hall exclaimed with popped eyes and mouth agape. Laura's initial statement had just dawned on her.

Maria shot Laura a suspecting look. “How do you know that?!" Maria Hall asked her friend in disbelief.

Looking away. “I always know," replied Laura modestly.

It was not the first time Laura was telling Marai Hall things about herself but each time she tried to reveal something new to Maria Hall, she would always act surprised and ask how she knew that. Maria Hall, on the other hand, after asking her many times and not getting the answer she was looking for, assumed her friend was working by instincts but this one… no… it couldn't be instincts, it was more than that. Someone had to have told her.

Maria Hall rolled her eyes dramatically at her friend, causing a small smile to form on Laura's lips. If there was anything about her friend that Maria Hall loved, it had to be her modesty.

It could never be her, she thought.

“But seriously, how did you know? Who told you?” Maria Hall was really curious to know who. They had been secretive in their dealings, especially with her main boss, so she wasn't supposed to know that.

Laura watched as Maria Hall's smile slowly faded and was replaced by a worried look which spread quickly across her face.

Laura smiled at her friend's ignorance. She had told her where she was going to be for a while to get answers and she was here wondering how she got wind of her dealings with the wrong people.

Maria Hall was lost in thoughts, she was worried about what his actions would be should he know that someone else knew about him.

Maria was beginning to get worried about her friend's safety. She decided to wave the conversation off in order to “keep” her friend.

“So how was the trip?” she asked, taking on a new and brighter smile.

Laura only stared at Maria and shook her head. “Nice try but you are not fooling anyone” a soft smile playing on her lips.

Maria stood up on seeing how persistent her friend was. She walked to the doors and turned the keys to ensure it was locked. Next, she moved to the windows, looked outside to check if there was anyone there. Seeing the coast was clear, she proceeded to pull the curtains down from the curtain holdbacks and adjusted the curtains. Finally, she took two steps backwards and examined the window curtains to ensure they were properly covered.

Laura watched Maria walk about dramatically, checking this one and that one and couldn't help but chuckle. Maria Hall does things that are funny and at the same time, weird. She was acting just like she had acted the first day they had met. Maria Hall had hurriedly picked her things from the ground as if Laura was going to kill her and now she was acting the same way. A thought came to her mind but she waved it off immediately but on a second thought, she decided to thoroughly examine
Guilty?... Guilty! Maria Hall was guilty, she thought. That only means one thing, her mother was right about Maria Hall. All her mother had told her was true.