FATE

33. Mystery Woman

BROOKE

History is always made up of parts of the past that are worth telling and those in it are either models to look up to or people we should try our very best not to be like so we don't end up badly, like Hitler. Everyone has their own history as well, parts of our past that are worth telling like the first time we rode a bike or our first kiss in middle school but just like the general world history, not every story is told, some things are better when they're forgotten.

Some memories are better left buried.

The bell rings loudly and Miss Halliway who's been taking us history for a while now smiles brightly.

"I'll see you next week kids", she says.

I slowly place my books in my bag before closing it and strapping it over my back. When I look up, Andrew is at the door, staring and smirking at me. I smile back and he waves lightly before a dark-haired boy in jeans and an old army jacket pulls him out of class. Andrew and I haven't really spoken since the party where Jonah and I kissed. I wonder if it went as well for him as it did for me.

"Hey, ready to go?", Carmen asks from where she stands beside me. Mandy is next to her, chewing gum and blowing bubbles as she texts on her phone.

"Yeah but I want to see Jonah and Hailee quickly. I'll meet you guys at the library soon", I say and Carmen nods.

"Just don't be late", she says flatly as she walks out of class with Mandy next to her.

Arms wrap themselves around my waist from behind and Jonah buries his face in my hair.

"Hi, I missed you", he says in a raspy voice.

"I saw you just before class", I giggle.

"Yeah, but it was still a long forty minutes", he says as he turns me around and pulls me in for a tight hug, "library?"

"Yeah"

He releases me and stares at me, "walk with me to the car and then you can go"

I nod as he holds my hand and we walk out of class.

In the hallway I notice Cheryl talking to a friend of hers with pigtails. She sees Jonah and I and frowns in disgust. Jonah doesn't notice, his attention is fixed on Hailee who is walking towards us.

"You weren't in class?", I ask her.

She shakes her head, "nope"

She doesn't say anything else and I decide not to ask. We begin to walk out of the school building.

"Hey so I spoke to Blake yesterday and I don't know-", I say to Jonah, "can you come over tonight?"

His face is blank, it's difficult to tell what he's thinking but I know he's thinking something. "Sure, what time?"

"Is eight okay?", I ask.

"It's perfect", he says with a smile on his face.

We walk through the exit and towards the parking lot. It's a bit sunny and Hailee groans loudly.

"I hate heat, I hate the sun. When is winter again?", She whines.

"Vampire", Jonah mutters amusingly and Hailee sticks her tongue out at him. If I didn't know better, I'd say the same thing. Hailee is wearing a black shirt with blue shorts that show off her thighs. Her black boots cover most of her legs but her skin is almost visible and it is slightly paler than usual.

We get to the car and as Hailee inserts the key into the door on the driver's side, Jonah turns to face me, "So I'll see you at eight?"

"Yeah", I say and he smiles before leaning in to kiss me.

"Adella", a voice croaks and Jonah and I look up immediately. Behind the car is a woman who could be in her forties. Her long black hair is in voluminous curls but it doesn't hide her face which is actually very beautiful without so much makeup. She holds on to a scarf in her hand as she stares at Hailee and tries to repeat the name, she said seconds before, "Ade..."

"Hailee, get into the backseat", Jonah says sternly and it's only then that I realize how his hands have left mine and he is now next to Hailee, collecting the key from her frozen hands. "Get in!", He yells at her.

Some students in the parking lot are already glancing over at us. It won't take long before a crowd forms and they start making videos of the obvious scene that's forming.

Hailee's gaze doesn't leave the mystery woman until she gets into the car and Jonah shuts the door. He faces the woman and frowns at her, she stares at him almost pleadingly.

"You need to leave", he says in a cold tone. I know that tone because I heard him use it on me when we just met. I've heard him use it on his own father too. Whoever this woman is, Jonah doesn't want her around both him and Hailee. "If you don't leave, I'll call security"

The woman's lips whimper as her eyes get watery. She's trying to hold back tears so she doesn't cause a scene. She stares at Hailee inside the car and tries to move close but Jonah blocks her.

"I said you should leave now", he says, "we don't want you here"

Tears begin to stream down her cheeks and she bites her lips. She moves out of the way and Jonah turns to me.

"You should go to the library. I'll talk to you later", his tone hasn't changed. The look on his face is still the same. He's angry.

Cold, distant and angry.

It scares me.

He gets into the car and closes it loudly before pulling out of the parking lot.

What the hell just happened?

***

The clock strikes eight and I watch the seconds pass.

"Is something wrong?", Blake asks as he walks back into the kitchen, "you've been lost in thought since I got back from work"

I force a smile, "no, I'm okay"

"You don't think he's going to show?"

I shrug. Honestly, I'm not so sure anymore. After the scene in the parking lot, I can't stop thinking about if Hailee is okay and if Jonah will be too busy taking care of her to actually show up. I don't tell Blake about it. We cook and talk as Blake asks me more questions about Jonah.

"Stop worrying Brooke, it's going to be okay", Blake says as he walks out of the kitchen.

I hope it does.

There's a knock on the door and I hurry out of the kitchen but Blake is already at the door before me. He turns to stare at me before making way for whoever is at the door to come in.

Jonah's eyes soften as they meet mine. A wave of relief washes over me the minute I see him.

He's okay. He came.

"Hey, look who showed up", Blake says in a teasing tone and I roll my eyes at him as he chuckles.

It's only about five minutes past eight.

"Hey", I say to Jonah

"Hi, sorry I'm late"