Adam could not focus on the ongoing presentation as his mind was preoccupied with Mimie's last message to him the previous day. 'I am keeping it.' His head did a forty-five-degree turn to locate her. His eyes must have burnt as she gave him a swift uneasy look. The number of times she'd stood him up was multitudinous and ignored his messages and calls were outnumbered. When she did reply or pick up, he had to make the best out of it: convince and threaten to the maximum. "You're not keeping that damn thing by any means." He tightened his jaws and unconsciously snapped the pencil he was swirling between his fingers. "Mr. Brown, any contribution to the presentation you wish to share with us?" Miss. Dough noticed. "No." "Okay. Please do me the favor of sitting like a student." Adam scowled as he straightened from his relaxed position. His face loosened up when his eyes met Gianna's. Still somber and detached as she'd been lately, Adam felt a sudden urge to hunt down Seth and disf
Sand Park to the first timer was strikingly different from the parts of the town she'd ever visited. In the shabby area were worn-out houses and several unkempt lawns surrounded by termite-damaged picket fences that gave an uninhabited impression. The wind that rustled some several days old tree-rejected leaves to her feet equally made her quiver with discomfort and apprehension. The cab driver honked, reminding her of her unsettled business with him. As regret washed over her for having shown up, considering that her inviter's message was not as precise as expected in addition to not having a means of communication, Gianna sighted a building that made her wonder how it still stood firm despite its dilapidated state effortly covered in colorful graffiti. Surprisingly fair to say, of all the buildings in her proximity, it stood out. 'Welcome to Sand Park.' An outdoor LED neon sign billboard read just above its flat rooftop. From the looks of it, the building still functioned as what
After consuming too much information in a day, it was about time for Gianna to confront her parents. Ever since the principal's office, she'd used her super understanding Dad to sneak out of her mum while the lady lingered in the office a moment longer. Adam who'd been impatiently waiting outside—to her surprise—pounced on her the very second the tip of her trainers sniffed freedom and persistently offered help. A very much appreciated and kindly rejected move.How could she stumble upon Kelly? She had a piece of her mind to share."I already informed Lauren about the situation." She heard her mother say from the kitchen during her walk to the room. Lauren was her mother's eldest brother who was an attorney. "He said he'll reach out to a friend specialized in youth drug crimes."Gianna readied to leave when the other voice said, "How many other things are you not telling me, Louisa?" Her father's voice, heavy with outrage, would sound calm to any other person's ears. "Like I said, t
With the stitches and bandages removed and an almost flexible hand, Gianna tilted her head to the side, studying the gruesome lines that made part of her body. She might have to remodel her closet with more long-sleeved t-shirts and high-neck blouses and bid farewell to basking in two pieced swimsuits beneath the blazing summer sun. Her fingers had begun to trace the rough flesh when the doorbell chimed.It did not bother her. More important things did, like paying a visit to the McCarthys for one and dutifully wondering what Seth was up to with his Greek Goddess of a girlfriend as she'd been doing for the past days. Her newly found guilty pleasure was skulking Luna's media sites where she'd come to realize how perfectly they complemented each other in photos of two despite her gut churning.Sometimes...point of correction, more often than 'some', comparison poked; Luna had one or two things every girl ever wished for. From flawless L'oréal Paris shampoo commercial-worthy hair down to
Mason remembered returning home after a long day at the yard. He'd taken a cool shower in the guestroom that had become his before jogging downstairs to microwave his share of meal. One of the very few times he'd absented family dinner and last.While he ate the delicious yet, insipid meal on the kitchen counter in the late hours of the evening, he wondered where Gianna had gone to that afternoon and how she came about with the old cigarette case. Too many questions, too many worries, little rest, and no peace within. He let the fork clatter on his plate as he leaned back with a heavy sigh. He needed help, he needed a shoulder to lean on, someone to talk to and despite how often his mother's image popped up in his mind, Mason bit back. The troubles drastically weighed on him that the solutions in his head webbed.His mama would've been of tremendous help, no doubt, but Mason being Mason determined to be a man."Okay, about time to call it a da—ouuchh," His backbone misplaced midway up
"Where are we going?" Gianna asked for the thirty-third time in the space of ten minutes. True to a once-upon-a-time, they'd planned a girl's day out just the both of them. But with the lashes of events that had been unfolding, Gianna decided to bury it in the back of her mind. "You'll see," the glowing red-haired said. Her mother's glow was a sight for sore eyes. Last she saw the lady that way, was anyone's guess. So much she wanted to ask but the notion of not being close to the woman battered her. The trunk was stocked with two tiny suitcases, hers and her mum's, just enough for a day or two's trip. Not exactly giving her a microscopic field of vision to fish from. "C'mon mum, that's all you've been saying since we left home," Gianna pouted. "It's getting annoying; I hate the suspense. I hate that I can't figure out where we going or what we'll be doing." Of course, they were neither going camping, relaxing at a spa, touring a Museum, viewing a comedy show, going on a shopping
"He confessed," Gianna said, in the midst of her parents readying to the field. Mason was rounding up with folding his wife's jeans slightly above her ankle."He did?" He was flabbergasted.Gianna nodded as she looked at her mother briefly. "We were right about them. Kelly McCarthy sent him.""I knew it! This is great enough evidence to incriminate them.""No, it's not, Dad," Gianna defended. She didn't want to put Jerome into any form of trouble. He was a victim too. "I mean, it's just this one thing that they can easily worm their way out of. And we're not even sure of Jerome spilling out the same beans.""Hmmm," Mason reconsidered. "So what do you suggest?""Well, I suggest we let it off the hook until we have enough solid evidence, and by enough Dad, I mean like two, three, and why not four?""Honey, Gianna's right," Louisa shocked them. "I doubt they'll try anything with all the security measures we've taken otherwise, they
Tears galloped down Gianna's cheeks like vying racehorses. "Do me a favor." "Yeah?" "Go to hell!" Adam bellowed. Kelly scoffed, "I've lived there my entire life. And I'm not being metaphoric. Imagine what it will look like now that your father fired mine." "Let's leave this place," Adam stamped more bills than necessary on the table and addressed Kelly one last time, with a piercing whisper, "Think of me when next you ever seed the idea of hurting Gianna again, be it psychologically, physically, or through someone else. I'll do your head the favor of flying it through a basketball hoop, I promise. I left enough to order some for your fam, or you might as well feast on our leftovers." With that, he dislodged Gianna, who had been transfixed since Kelly's last speech, with a slight force and gently pulled her to his car. "You did not eat your food. I'll take you to Mackhie's." "I lost my appetite. Take me home instead." Honestly, she wanted to be left alone. But knowing Adam, he wo