Feather After

Chapter 15

Feather After // Chapter 15 // Your Happiness In Your Hand

Aria' POV

I had enjoyed my time there. And it was fun. It was more than fun. I lived every moment and strangely it felt nice. It felt normal hanging around him. He was cocky or Ruthless but when he was normal, he was beautiful. I was currently standing in front of the school where he had left me. Ignatius wanted to drop me off, at the doorstep of my house but I couldn't risk him seeing who I was. He didn't know I was rich he didn't care if I had money or not maybe that's why I liked him.

Not that I was judging his character or anything but I was not new to these things. Money changed people, not only people but their habits, reactions, behavior, basically everything. It had happened to me before, with him. I didn't want history to repeat itself. It was much better if people knew me as some mysterious mad woman than a rich one.

I touched my cheeks and I realized it was paining. I had been smiling too much. They were warm and I could have imagined them being red as a tomato.

For some strange reason, my eyes were not red my cheeks were. I wanted to smile more. The problem was I was getting used to Ignatius, I was getting used to his presence and I didn't like his absence much, I hated when his odor didn't surround me, it was difficult to breathe without him, even if I didn't want to get attached to him, I was already in a deep problem. I knew I was going to get my heart broken but what I couldn't help it.

Being broken was acceptable to me, but not trying wasn't.

I started walking away from school, towards home. That was the last place I wanted to go but I had no other option. My mother and father were talking about something and I was pretty sure of it. I was pretty sure that it included me I was more scared than thrilled. My father and mother never really cared for me never cared what I did in my seventeen years of life now suddenly they did.

It was very strange. They were hiding something and I knew that, but I didn't know what it was.

I knew that even Nanna was hiding something from me I knew she wanted to tell me something but she didn't know how to tell me that. I had noticed so many times that she tried to say it, but then she stopped, countless times, during breakfast, dinners, and lunches when my father and mother were not home. But I didn't know what it was. As much as I wanted to know what was going on, I was scared of the truth they were hiding.

I walked home and I took a few deep breaths before knocking on the door. Someone ushered and shushed everyone in the house. I heard some footsteps and then Nanna opened the door. When she saw me, her eyes popped out and she literally jumped on me. She hugged me before kissing both of my cheeks. She hugged me tight and buried her face on my shoulder blade as if trying to make sure that whatever she was seeing was real and that she was not dreaming. I returned the hug and started rubbing her back and instantly felt her back muscles relax. I heard her take a deep breath and then she lightly pushed me away.

Her scared eyes had no fear anymore. Her eyes soon turned into something unreadable. And she just stared at me. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and raised her left eyebrow at me. I was in trouble, and I knew it.

"Hey!" I said and awkwardly raised my hand up and tried to wave. After seeing Nanna's expression my hand automatically fell down and I just stood there trying to make the best of the situation which was already out of my control now.

"Where were you?" She asked me. I didn't want to lie but I had no option. I knew she would get it that I was lying but I couldn't help it.

"I wanted some fresh air, that's why I left. I didn't go anywhere I promise. I just roamed around a bit and then I came back," I said and looked at her. What I was telling her was the truth but not the full truth.

"You should have told me at least, I was so worried about you! I thought something happened to you! Please don't do this to me ever again! Please! What if something had happened to you? I care for you! I love you! Please! Please at least take your phone with you where ever you go. You are my daughter! And I couldn't have lived knowing that I was the reason things happened to you! " She said and I saw tears streaming down her face.

For the first time, I felt guilty for what I did. I didn't know she would get hurt and I promise that was not even my intention. My sole purpose was to get out of the house because I was afraid that mom and father would find me listening to what they were saying.

"I promise you, I will take my phone next time. Please don't cry," I told her and touched her face, and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. I pulled her close, stood up on my toes and kissed her forehead.

A kiss on the forehead was a pact which was made by Nanna and I. Whenever we did something wrong which hurt both of us, the person who did the mistake kissed the forehead of the other person if she was truly sorry and wanted the other person to forgive them.

I looked at her again and tightly hugged her. This time I buried my face on her shoulder blade and took a deep breath. Nanna always smelt like cinnamon. She smelt like home does happy, welcoming and nice. Nanna was my everything and I couldn't see her hurt, because she was my family.

I pulled away and looked in her eyes and said, "I'm sorry. I will never do it even again. I promise." I said and raised my pinky at her, she looked at me and she tangled her pinky with me. I smiled at her and she smiled back.

"So where are mother and father?" I asked.

Nanna stiffened after hearing my question. I felt like she was trying to find the right words so it would hurt less. But the pain was pain weather be it big or small. We were still standing on the porch of the house.

I walked inside and she followed behind me. I gave her time to find the answer.

I know she still wasn't sure if should say it but she did. She had to.

Pretty words always helped.

"They left?" She said it sounded more like a question than an answer.

"Oh," That's all I could say. I did not expect my mother to leave me like that. At least she should have said something about it, at least she should have dropped some hints but she didn't. And here I was thinking that they were here for good.

What was strange was that it was never great. I'm not complaining that my life is not great but then, I was happy fifteen minutes ago and now I was unhappy again. The idea of 'your happiness in your hand' never worked for me, it never did. I tried to be happy and great and nice but somehow something or the other happened to me.

I turned around and climbed up the stairs, changed my clothing and sat down to complete my homework. How could I forget about the most important thing in my life? I didn't want any detention anymore. I just wanted to complete this year silently.

I completed my homework and kept all the sheets in the white folder and put it in my bag. I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes. I wanted to cry but there where no tears left anymore. My mind had accepted my fate but my heart didn't. As if it was telling me that something nice was soon going happen, but that's what humans called hope, which ended up destroying them completely.

Fingers crossed, heart. Fingers crossed.

I didn't bother looking at the time and closed my eyes. After five minutes I felt Nanna walk inside my room. Her steps were cautious but her aura wasn't. She sat on my bed and I knew she was trying to make sure that whether I was asleep or not. I kept my eyes closed and after a few minutes, I felt her take a deep breath and she spoke carefully, " I will protect to with my life Aria, I promise you that, my little girl,' she squeezed my hand and kissed my forehead and left.

Thank-you, Nanna.