Chapter Fifty-six

Chapter Fifty -six

“I told you, you saved my life once, I'll do the same for a lifetime.” Oh. That was it. Everything falls back to that night, the night I became his slut. Can this get any better?

“I can save myself, unlike you who needed me to save you.” I said, trying to push him away, but he pushed back, pinning my back to the sink with his expression darkening intermittently.

“Miss Fields…” he growled from under clenched teeth. “I'd advise you to control your smart mouth.” He said, eyeing me with ashen eyes, and with a low growl in his throat.

“Or what?” I ask icily, but his lips curve up in amusement as he scoffs at me.

“You are one frustrating woman, aren't you?” He says huskily, a technique I find to be his subtle form of distraction.

“What happened to your face?” He furrows his brows at me and I scoff and look away from him.

“Nothing that concerns you.” I said, not sparing him a glance.

“It does now. Tell me, who did this to you?” He asks in an almost angry voice as his face squeezed further anxiously.

“I won't bother you with that knowledge.” I say coldly, totally ignoring his expression.

He shifted away from me, running his hand exasperatedly through his hair, sighing deeply, trying to dispel his frustration. I sure knew how to get under his skin. One moment, I'm crazily thinking about him, but when I see him, I can't help but fret him out of all spirits.

“I'll see you tonight,” he said with finality, and turned on his heel.

“What? How?” I called after him, but he didn't spare me a word as he walked straight out the door.

I sighed, leaning back on the sink tiredly. What was even wrong with him? See me tonight? What for!? He must be dreaming if he thinks I'd agree to meet him.

When I was out, I saw my mom sitting all alone with the food still untouched. Wait, was she waiting for me? Oh, no - I could feel the gasp escape my throat as I walked nervously towards her. 

“Hi mom,” I called nervously as I got to the table. She looked at me with an unreadable expression on her face as she watched me intently.

“Are you okay now?” She asked instead, rather coolly.

“I'm fine.” I nodded slightly before quietly taking my seat beside her.

“When were you going to tell me?” She squinted her eyes a little, “why did you lie to me?” She asked more seriously, and I could feel my heart drop beneath my bowels to my groyne.

“You've been lying a lot lately. Why? Why do you lie to me - and you know I hate it so much.” She said with pain evident in her voice.

I sat there quietly with nervousness eating up every part of me. My tongue had grown too heavy to speak, and I forcefully swallowed the lump in my throat to enable me to breathe properly.

“Why did you make me look like a fool, Galena?” She asked more painfully as her brows knitted just above the ridge of her nose.

A fool? God, I had no intentions of doing such. How can I make her understand?

“I - I was just embarrassed, mom.” I stuttered nervously, trying to sound as meek as possible.

“What about me? How did I feel when I found out everything was a lie?” She asked again with a small, sad smile crossing her face, and I knew that she was really hurt by what I did. But would this be the best time to apologize? Maybe let her calm down first?

“What would it cost you to be sincere with me? Am I not your mother?” Her voice cracked a bit. Gosh, wasn't she taking this too far?

“Mom, you don't understand it now…” I tried to speak but she cut me off.

“Save it, Galena. Just - please!” She looked away from me with pain in her eyes. “You don't only make me look stupid, now you think I'm too dumb to understand what's going on in your life. Hmm?”

Oh no! Why is everything getting so twisted?

“Don't say that please.” I beg with a squeezed voice in my throat. “Mom, please.”

“Here's your takeout, ma'am.” Someone said, startling us both. It was the plump-tomato-faced waitress from earlier, looking all flushed as she held out a branded bag that held some delicacies within it.

My mom retrieved the package from Miss tomato face, and she nervously left our side, walking as fast as her legs could carry her.

A moment of silence crossed us both, and it seemed we were both lost in our own thoughts. In our own world, maybe. I could not make out what exactly was going through my mom's mind, but in my own mind, there was a turbulence of guilt warring against the conscience of my heart. Guilt. I couldn't even face my mom for one bit.

“Brandon asked me to give you these.” She said finally, almost reluctantly, and my eyes flew open in surprise. Brandon? I thought he was damn mad at me!

“Uh… oh” I croaked, not knowing what to say.

Brandon, really?

**.   **

I need not mention how our ride back home was dead quiet, terrifyingly quiet. I could almost feel or maybe, hear the silence speak.

Mom has been giving me the cold shoulder - silent treatment. I almost feel dead. God! If Brandon had not showed up like that, maybe nothing like this would've happened. How do I make her understand that I was only trying to protect her, protect us both from him?

How can I make her see that he has a dark side waiting to be unleashed when he finally gets us to trust him? How do I make her know that that guy who she's so comfy and happy with is a big, big stalker and might be having really bad intentions towards us?

That even reminds me! What does he do for a living? How did he get all his money? What if his job is to stalk little girls and blackmail them? God, was I his next victim? 

What if? Oh no! What if he's alies with Roland Bones? What if he, Ethan and Mia are all working together, and I'm just their tiny pawn? Was that why they set me up that night, just so they can use it to blackmail me later? Oh no!

I need to find a way to stop him! I really do. Should I call him? Should I just text him? How did he intend to meet me this evening? Was he planning to come here? Oh no! He should just stop - whatever he's trying to do!

Why's he trying to get close to my parents? Why can't he just end it with me? Does he have to involve my parents?

Suddenly, there was a ping on the doorbell, startling me from my thoughts and recovering me from my subconscious fidgeting. Surely, that was Brandon. I need to get there before anyone else and just, stop him.

I made my way to the front door as fast as I could, even with the sprain on my ankle, and I opened the door without even peeking to see who it was first.

“Surprise!”