Between Love And Hate

Chapter Thirty

Raven

For one, I and Janelle had a weird kind of relationship. Not the normal kind. And I had never expected to get a yes from her. Actually, it felt like I was asking her to marry me.

And to make it worse, mum made a necklace especially for when I would get an actual girlfriend "[...] it's the family ritual, pudding." she had purred, showing me the gold chain dad had given her. It had a small golden grizzly bear as a pendant.

I facepalmed, -probably because my parents had made an effort to invite Janelle over for dinner without my consent-. "I don't know what she likes eating much." I'd tried to sound convincing.

"So, what kind of food does she talk about?" Mum asked, her hands, balled into fists so they could support her chin.

My lips curled up in a smile as I thought of Janelle secretly loving Italian food when the rest of her family loved Chinese. "She likes Italian. And one of you is the perfect one at making Italian." I said, pointing at the both of them.

Mum glared at me, she wasn't that good at making Italian food. But dad was, his mother, my grandmother was an Italian woman. Now you get why I'm scared of the old lady.

I just rolled my shoulders forward in a shrug and rushed out of the kitchen. I had just four hours tops to do my homework, play with Paris and get ready for dinner. And I had tons of homework.

Half an hour later, my whole room was littered with worksheets and homeworks while Paris stood in her pirate costume and threatened to rip my hair off my head if I didn't do her bidding.

"Aye, for you shan't. I'm naught, but the captain of this beau and I will not give it up."

"Aye aye, captain. Then get ready to lose you golden locks!!" And with that, she attacked. I maneuvered through arranged papers, crept under the table, dodged a couple blows before finally getting thrown off my own bed.

I fell with a heavy thud. And I could hear Paris giggle from on top my bed as she jumped up and down on it. "I won, I won, I won!!! I told you I'd win! In your face Ravey! You owe me some cotton candy!" she screamed in her childish French accent as she held up the blond wig I'd been wearing.

"Alright," I huffed, getting up. "You win. I'll get you whatever you want!"

She gave me a toothy grin, "Okay, but you have to pinky promise." she stuck out her pinky finger and I locked mine with hers.

I was still cleaning up my room when Roshni knocked on my open door. I paused a second to look at her. After I waved for her to come inside, she closed the door behind her.

"I need to talk to you, Ravi. It's urgent!" she said as she sunk down into my bean bag.

I glared. "Get up. Sit down on the bed or somewhere else, that's my favorite bean bag." she stared back at me, confused for a second and then getting up and walking towards my armchair and plopping down on it. She wasn't even offended. That was weird.

"It's important that I talk to you today before it gets late. Were you and Janelle enemies at first?" She asked.

This again! I stared unbelievably at her. "We were. But somehow we got along and I started to fall for her along the way."
Roshni nodded slightly. "She wasn't dating or seeing anyone at that time?"

"Nope." I answered. "Why do you ask though?"

Roshni squeezed her hands together. I knew her long enough to know it was a nervous habit. "You can tell me anything. You know me very well." I said.

"Okay, sure. So last week, Sunday night, at your grandparents anniversary a waiter pulled me into the old storage room down stairs. He claimed you took Janelle from him and he wanted me to help separate you both, cause he thought I wanted you back."

I silently listened on, "And?"

"He isn't nice at all, he kept rubbing a fresh scar on his face, I think someone broke his skin or something, the injury was stitched." she shrugged.

"Wait, he didn't say what his name was?"

"He did. He said his name's Jace Hemingway. And from the looks of it, he isn't nice at all."

I glared at nothing in particular, I was just glaring. Jace had escaped police custody. They'd told my parents he Prolly died. The idiot faked his own death. He was that sensible? I'm surprised.

"Well, don't worry, I don't intend to bring harm your way. Besides, Jamal has asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes. So, I'll be returning back to India."

I raised my brows, she didn't know what Jace was capable of doing. But then again, I'm still thinking why a stupid criminal should have such a nice name.

"You can't leave yet, you have to help me here. You don't know what Jace is capable of. He might decide to kill you if you don't join him in his quest for revenge." I said, dropping the worksheet I'd gathered on my reading table.

She gasped loudly. "You're joking right?" I shook my head no. She squeezed her face and it looked like she was about to cry.

"You can choose to stay and help out or have Jace hunt you down."

"Alright, fine!" She huffed, "what's the plan?"

I smirked, "The plans simple. But Janelle doesn't have to know about this. I'll get detective Jones, so we can talk to my parents. We'll be in the study after dinner. You have to be there."

She nodded, getting up and brushing her skirt down. "It's not like I want to get myself killed, so I'll come."

I watched as she headed for the door. Before she'd open it, I stopped her,

"Rosh, congrats on accepting Jamal's proposal. The guy had been waiting long enough."

She smiled at me before closing the door behind her. I picked up my phone that surprisingly wasn't harmed after my play with Paris. I immediately called the town's police station.

"Hello. Good evening, ma'am."

A pause,

"Can I speak to Conan Jones? Yes, it's urgent."

Another pause

"Uh, Thank you. I'll wait."

A longer pause.

"Hello, Jones. Raven Grey here. I'd like for you to visit the Grey mansion tonight."

Another pause.

"It's urgent. I know Jace Hemingway has escaped."

A little pause.

"Certainly, see you at 9 pm. Please don't come here with a police car. And oh, thank you."

I cut the call and threw my phone back on the bed. Three hours wasted. I took a bath and changed into knee length khaki shorts and a blue hoodie.

I think I was ready for dinner...