Chapter Fifty-five

18 9 1
                                    

"Please be sure to stay warm, the weather is a bit chilly" Iris' mom's worried voice came from the other side of the line.

She couldn't help the smile that broke out on her face as she replied "Yes Mom, your daughter would be sure to stay safe, you can go to bed now."
"Jacqueline says Hi"

"What? She's there with you?" Iris inquired curiously.

"Yeah, guess who's going to be taking your cosy little room tonight, have fun!" Jacqueline's overly excited voice sounded through the phone.

"She didn't tell me she was going to be coming over today though" Iris stated, mostly to herself but her mother seemed to catch it as a reply came almost immediately.

"Yes, she's going to be meeting with a client very early tomorrow morning so she thought of passing the night here since the meeting is set at the cafe right next to us" Her Mom simply explained.

"Ah" she nodded in understanding. "Well where is she right now, I don't hear her anymore." She says knowing Jacqueline wasn't exactly the kind to stay silent for a knowledgeable period of time.

"She had to go back into the kitchen to check what she's cooking. She's making us dinner." Her mom smiled, always having liked the idea of having two daughters, easily finding the other one in Jacqueline.

"Alright well, don't let her bother you too much, just tie her up or something if she gets too much" she joked, pitched already going higher as she fought back a snicker, drawing out a muffled giggle from the voice at the other side.

"Take care of yourself sweetheart." The older woman mumbled in an ending note.

"I will Mom, say Hi to Dad for me." She replies before dropping the call.

Dropping the phone from her ear as she let out a smoke filled breath, definitely owing to the sudden change of the weather, not sure if she had just not noticed earlier or it had always been this cold from the spot where she stood, opting to overlook that fact as her attention suddenly got drawn to the dark night sky, immediately falling into the spell of the beautifully twinkling lights of the dozens of stars that designed the sky, looking on for what felt like hours but was really just a few minutes as she felt at peace, clearing her mind and head of any bothersome thoughts until she was pulled back to reality by a voice coming from a few feet behind her.

"Aren't you cold?" Byron's voice sounded as he stepped forward to join her in her spot outside the hotel, entrance now a little out of sight to them as they lounged in the garden area, almost completely covered by trees, in a quest to not totally rid the space of its closeness to nature, she guessed.

"No, not exactly." She breathed out ".....just....are you out to get something from the car?"

"Nah, I came to keep you company" He replied, sparing her a quick glance, long enough to catch a slight nod as she muttered an "oh." Before he turned his attention to the space her eyes where previously fixed on, Iris doing the same, both of them now looking up into the pitch black sky, save for the little dots of light, scattered across the surface, basking in the silence and that sense of comfort being in the presence of nature provides for any normal average human, until-

"Thank you" the suddenness of it prompted Iris' features to twist in confusion as she turned towards the man, who now had a half smile on his face as she let out a soft "For....what?"

"Just... Cameron" He breathes out before continuing, "I know we're both still working our ways to getting closer but one thing I know for sure about him is that he's not exactly what he puts out for the world to see. You just need to get to know him to see he's actually just a big softie that needs to be protected and I know he's not exactly perfect and that he's not the best guy in the world but still..... to some extent, I can say he's one of the best out there, in his own way. Obviously, lacking in certain, probably undisclosed ways but, for choosing to stay and know him, wanting to be with him and yeah just....I appreciate that, so thank you for that" He finished now smiling as he spoke the words out into the night but surely for the ears of the one standing next to him.

THE SMITHS Where stories live. Discover now