Edible Arrangements (The Hollens Book 6)

Chapter 18: Shit-Storm

Kyle's POV

My mother was missing and I found myself desperately trying to find out how, where and when.

After making certain Zenobia was safe at her home, I went over to my Aunt Jackie's place. I stormed into the livingroom where I immediately saw her talking on the phone. Her voice shaking and frantic. She ended the call shortly after setting her eyes on me.

"Aunt Jackie, what's going on, where's my mother?"

I mentally slapped myself for asking and for being there. I shouldn't even care about the woman. I loathed her.

"Kyle, your mom is gone. I woke up and she was nowhere in the house. What if something bad is happening to her, what if it's another relapses..what if?"

"Aunt Jackie, please calm down. Where could she have gone?"

"I have no idea. I keep asking myself that question. I called the police and a couple of our mutual friends."

"Good."

A knock came to the door and in strode my mother with company. A young woman.

"JESS! Where the hell have you been, we were worried sick about you!" Aunt Jackie said.

"Why? I left you a note on your nightstand. I told you a friend of mine is coming into town and I was going to get her at the airport and invite her to stay with us. And wonderful, Kyle is here," she finished and turned to me with a sly smile. I knew that smile. She was up to no good once again and it was when she stepped aside, I saw the young lady much clearer than when she first walked in.

For a moment, my breath caught in my throat and I was stunned. It couldn't be her.

"What is she doing here, what is the meaning of this?" I asked angrily.

"She's here to spend some time with me," my mother answered.

"Hi Kyle, it's been a while," she finally spoke.

My friend with benefits slash crush from college slowly walked over to me. The clicking of her heels against the marble floors echoed with every step she made. Her hip seemed to be moving to a beat and as she got closer and closer, I picked up the scent of her familiar perfume.

Ladies Of The Night.

She made an attempt to hug me but I kindly swatted her arms away. Her face fell.

"Don't act brand new as if you didn't know we ended on very bad terms, Lina."
"I'm well aware that you and I have unfinished business," she responded.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm visiting my sickly mother and I've landed an interview here, and your mom thought it would be a good idea to stay here for the time being until I find a place for myself and somewhere closer to home."

"You keep up with my mother, since when? She has been absent from my life forever! How come you're both friends?"

"I'm also friends with your aunt Jackie."

I turned to my aunt, "Please tell me you had nothing to do with this."

"Let me explain. I knew you were friends with her in college and when I heard of her sickly mother, and she's also looking for a job here in Los Angeles, I reached out to her as a form of comfort. Jess was present but I had no idea she was coming here."

Lina was always a beautiful young woman with an intelligent mind but terrible ways and a cold heart. She was the type of person to smile at your face, pull you into a hug and stab you in the back right there and then and that was how I fell into one of her traps.

"Lina, I would strongly advise you to stay the hell out of my life and my business. I know exactly what my mother is up to but it's not going to work. I wouldn't let it," I cautioned her.

"What is your mom up to?" she asked with a smirk but I've heard enough. My mother wasn't missing and I wasn't interested with rekindling anything with someone like Lina.

I said my goodbyes to Aunt Jackie and I left. I drove back to the mansion and got into my bed, suddenly exhausted and thoughts circling my mind. I stared at the ceiling, wondering if a shit-storm was on the way between Zenobia and Lina. I already knew they would clash eventually but I would do everything in my power to prevent that from happening.

*
*
There was still a wedge between Zenobia and I, especially after the difference at the restaurant with the paying of the bill but I was no longer going to rush Zenobia to do something with me she didn't want. I believed in letting things find its way naturally. What's meant for me was going to find its way to me again.

The usual routine continued. Took the car Zenobia desires out the garage, wait for her to get into the backseat, sometimes we'll pick up Tiffany Smith, her best friend, on the way and take her to work. After work, it's basically the same thing in reverse.
*
*
It was another Friday and I had the weekend off. I was on my way to picking up Zenobia from the office. I pulled into her assigned parking space, got up, got into the elevator and strode into her office. I knocked and she calmly pantomime me to enter the room.

She was wrapping up an interview and I heard when she stated "You got the job. How soon can you start?"

"I wish I can start right away," the woman spoke and if my bottom jaw wasn't attached correctly in my mouth, it would have fell out and shattered.

Lina rose, shook hands with Zenobia and turned to me with the most evil smirk ever. My heart raced. This couldn't be happening.

The woman I wanted was about to be working side by side with the woman I no longer wanted.

The shit-storm was about to become a category five and I was going to be stuck in the middle like an eye.

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A/N

WELP!! Hiatus Is Over BelleGang. Yours truly is BACK!! 😊