Chapter 5

Ayla POV

If someone had told me 3 months ago that I would have ended up on this road, I would have laughed at them, but here I was. Driving back to my home town to live with my parents because I had no job, no home and a broken heart. I had failed at life and now I was crawling back to my parents with my tail between my legs. My mum and dad had moved out of my childhood home, with me gone and creating a new life for myself they decided to sell the home in the hopes that a new family would buy it and they would go on to create some amazing memories in the house which was a nice thought, they ended up buying some fancy apartment in the nicer part of town where most of the well to do people lived. I had been meaning to stop by and visit them, but life always seemed too hectic. Marcus never really wanted to come and visit with me. He always made excuses as to why he couldn’t come, and my job was so demanding at the time, but that’s not really a good enough excuse. I can see the welcome sign at the side of the road marking the beginning of town. As my car crosses the invisible border, a chill runs down my spine. It's just as beautiful as I remember and it brings back a lot of memories, but something feels different. The road into town is lined with large trees that reach across the road. Large white wildflowers sprout up and fill the spaces between the trunks, but I can’t smell the floral fragrance they release into the air, all I can smell is the cherry air freshener that sits in the slits of the air conditioning of the car. A large farm comes up and I think back to all the times my parents took me to see the animals there and I can't help smiling to myself as the horses gallop across the field. A car in my rearview mirror is speeding toward me, its lights reflecting off my mirror and blinding me, the car zooms past, making my car shake slightly. This road was notorious for young boys trying to race their cars. I’m not surprised this still happens now. The road is straight for miles. The car's brake lights flash red as the driver makes his way to the roundabout and out of sight.

Usually, I would keep driving straight ahead, going deeper into town, but my parents' new home is closer to the outskirts of town in a beautiful house I used to admire every time we drove past it when I was a child. It was an old Manor House that got turned into a home for old miners, it was a place where they could live out the rest of their days in comfort surrounded by the forest and wildlife, but it fell into ruin, and ended up being sold and turned into the lavish flats they are now. The road toward it is wide but winding, and large trees surround each side of the road making it look charming and quaint, the sound of the leaves rustling as the wind blows through them sounds soothing, but I can't help but feel a sense of dread mixing with my anxiety of having to start over again, having to try and rebuild my life and having nothing other the small bag on the back seat of my car and a small savings account which wouldn't last me long. A tall man dressed in black steps out from behind the trees and walks out into the middle of the road making my heart jump at his sudden appearance, he stands up straight allowing me to see his towering height and sending fear trickling down my spine. I could feel his eyes looking deeply into my soul, but a thick hood covers his head and hides his face so I can’t see his eyes, but I can feel them. I quickly spin the steering wheel making the car swerve to avoid hitting him, my foot slams down onto the brake making my car come to a screeching halt. My heart hammered against my chest and my hands shook. I looked through the back window taking deep breaths to try to calm my racing heart and settle my nerves which were in shreds right now, as much as I wanted to get out of the car to yell at the man for walking out onto the road. I wasn’t stupid, I had heard the story of the man lying in the middle of the road whilst his comrades waited to ambush whoever got out to help. I scan the road and the trees around the car but the road is empty and the forest seems still. My body went cold with dread. I sat forward looking over the hood of the car but I couldn't see anything. I leaned against the window but the road beside the car was clear. Maybe I hit him, maybe he's lying beneath my car and I'm just sitting here doing nothing. I quickly put my car into reverse and look at the small screen to see if anyone is lying on the road behind my car but all I can see is the tarmac and my skid marks I made just moments ago. I reverse back so I can see the front of my car but again all I can see is the road leading to home. I could have sworn a hooded figure stepped out onto the road, but I had only had a few hours of sleep. As much as I wanted to come straight home, I ended up going back to the hotel and catching up on some sleep so I didn’t crash in my sleep-deprived state, but it seems I’m now hallucinating instead. In all honesty, after collecting some of my things, I felt better and drifted off peacefully. I scan the trees once more hoping to see the mysterious figure, I can’t help but feel like I am being watched, all the hairs on my body lift sending an icy cold through my veins, but there’s not a soul in sight. I quickly looked around the car once more before I continued my journey down the road, heading to the one place I always feel safe, no matter where it was, my parents' home.

A large stone arch looms over the road leading up to the house with large black metal gates that are open. The stone arch is grand and beautiful and the stone wall connecting to it seems to run around the whole property. Just to the side of the metal gate is a sign attached to the old stone with the name of the luxury apartments ‘The Miners’. The road seems to go straight up to the house which looks larger than I remembered as a child, but I did only ever see this building from afar, as I drove through the gates that chill that ran down my spine as I crossed the border into town seems to reverberate through my whole body, and my heart begins to race. The house itself is spectacular. It’s large with two bays that jut out. On the very top of the right bay is a large bluish-coloured clock with a bell at the very top of the roof. Windows cover the front of the house, with the lower ones framed with beautiful white flowers. The very centre of the house has stone columns that run to the roof of the house and an arched door made of thick wood. Beautiful full and vibrant looking trees are the backdrop to this magnificent house. They tower above, making it look like something from a story my dad used to read to me as a child. To the right of the house is a beautiful garden. I can see a bridge that leads over the small stream that runs through the property with a bench looking over the water and a beautiful range of vibrant colours. Just beyond the garden is a large barn. It has large wooden doors that stop me from seeing inside. I pull up outside the house and climb out of my car, the air feels so fresh instead of being polluted with car fumes and I can hear the sounds of nature instead of cars driving past in a hurry and people speaking loudly for everyone to hear. I look up in wonder at the grand house before me when the door flies open.

“Wow, this is beautiful!” I gawk as my mum's arms wrap around me.

I can feel the love pouring off her, and my guilt starts to gnaw at me. How could I have left it so long to come and visit her and my dad?

“Just wait till you see inside, then.” She answers, pulling away, but still holding me as she gives me her loving smile.

My mother is such a beautiful woman, her hair is the same shade as mine, light brown but she has a few grey streaks running through her locks, she wears her hair just below her shoulder, but it looks healthy and full of volume.

“Hey mum, thanks for having me.”

“Don’t be silly, you're my baby. You will always have a home with me and your dad. Where’s your stuff?”

I pull away from her and grab the duffel bag out of the back of the car and throw it over my shoulder.

As I walk into the house, I have to stop so I can admire the beauty of it. A large square spiral staircase sits in the centre of the large entrance. The bannister is made of rich dark wood and it looks like a lot of detail has been carved into the wood. Four large dark wooden doors surround the staircase, each one has an arched window above them with the same dark wood that the door is made of weaved into the glass creating a beautiful design and the numbers 1,2,3 and 4 etched into the wood, up the stairs I can see a rainbow of light filling the staircase, I lean over the bannister and see an amazing stain glass window casting the colours into the house. Old pictures sit against the white walls. I step closer to inspect the pictures, intrigued by them. The black and white images are of old men, sitting peacefully at the front of the house, some of the men look worn out and tired, but every single one of them smiles for the camera. A large rug sits on the grey stone slabs that create the beautiful floor with a dark wooden table sitting on top of that. A beautiful bouquet of flowers sits on top of the table, greeting visitors as they walk through the door with its beautiful smell along with something else, something that makes my mouth drool, but I’m unsure of what it is.

“Come on, love, we are on the second floor.”

I turn and see my mum standing on the stairs waiting for me with a large smile on her face. She had been begging me to come and check out their new home and I feel guilty that the only reason I am here now is because I had nowhere else to go. My foot touches the first step and I feel that chill once again, it runs down my spine making my body shudder, but in a pleasant way. This chill feels refreshing, like a fresh breath of air cleansing me. As I climb the stairs I can feel something stirring inside of me, something exciting and enthralling, I can feel my heartbreak lifting, my broken heart seems to beat a little stronger and the pain that radiated through my body with each beat only minutes ago, seems to have evaporated. Being back home with my mum and dad has already begun to heal me. The second floor looks the same as the ground floor, it has the same brown doors with beautifully designed windows above them and each door has the numbers 5,6,7 and 8 etched perfectly into the wood, another square spiral staircase sits in the middle of the open hallway and I can feel it beckon me to keep going up.

“Not that way Ayla, that’s the way to the penthouse. We’re here, number 6.”

My feet felt stuck to the floor, my body was unwilling to move away from the staircase heading higher up into the house. I take a deep breath, catching that mouthwatering smell once again. I smile at my mum who is patiently waiting for me and force my feet to move away from the staircase and toward her, stopping in front of the door she is standing outside. I look at her excitedly. I can see her excitement matching mine and feel the guilt pushing down on me once again that it has taken my boyfriend cheating on me to come and visit my parents' new home.

“Welcome home, love.”

She pushes the door open and I step inside, speechless and in awe. It’s a large open plan living area, a top-of-the-range kitchen sits behind the couch, bar stools sit under a kitchen island with a large sink on the other side, and all the kitchen cupboards are white, and a black marble worktop makes the white pop. A large glass dining table sits to the right of the couch. The chairs look like black velvet and all have high backs and look expensive. All the walls are white and large windows let the room flood with natural light. Outside, I can see the trees and what looks like a magical woodland. My dad is sitting on the cream-coloured L-shaped couch. I can hear the sound of a large TV that is hung on the wall. He puts his paper down on the large wooden coffee table and strolls toward me, and pulls me into his arms.

“Are you ok flower?”

I feel my eyes filling with tears, but I’m not sure if it is because of Marcus or because I’ve missed my dad. I pull away and give my dad a large smile and nod my head. Even though my dad is in his fifties he still takes great care of his body, he is tall and broad and no matter how old I am he is my hero. His dark blue eyes seem to shine from behind, like he has a light inside of him, his hair looks like salt and pepper but both my parents pull off the grey.

“It’s good to have you home.” He takes my bag off me and places it over his shoulder.

“This is your room,” Mum shouts.

I follow her voice to find she has walked down a small hallway. She stands smiling at me as she pushes a door open and walks inside the room. I quickly follow her and step inside the room and look around. Beautiful arched windows fill the room with the setting sun's warmth. Beneath the windows is a large window seat with large fluffy pillows scattered around. I can picture myself now sitting by the window at night watching the night sky and wishing on the stars. In the middle of the room is a large king-size bed with a tall, cream plush-looking headboard, and pillows that look fluffier than clouds fill the top of the bed and soft blush pink sheets cover it. White shabby chic bedside tables with one drawer sit at each side of the bed with a beautiful lamp on each one. I notice a door in the room and open it up. Inside is a rail that runs across the wall and shelves climb up the wall to the side for shoes. I close the door and look around, happy and extremely grateful for my parents.

“Thanks, Mum. Thanks, Dad.”

“Don’t be silly, flower. We’re glad you’re home.” Dad smiles.

“Oh, I forgot. I ran into Nicola and told her you were coming home. She’s going to pop round later to see you.”

“What! Mum!”

“Ayla, she's your best friend. Stop being so mean.”

I roll my eyes, making my mum glare at me. Nicola was my best friend in the whole world. She has been since we were 5, but I wasn’t ready to see her yet. She could be a tough pill to swallow sometimes. She was loud and sassy and always had an opinion on everything I did and didn’t mind telling me even when I didn’t need to hear it when I introduced her to Marcus on the rare occasion she came to Manchester she instantly took a disliking to him and I know she will be waiting with a big fat I told you so I just wasn’t ready to hear yet, despite her loudness and demanding ways, I loved her as if she was my sister.

“We will let you get settled in flower. I will shout you when tea is ready.”

My parents both walked out of the room, dad turned around giving me a loving smile as he closed the door behind himself, leaving me alone to get settled in my new room. I glanced around noticing how quiet it was here, living in a city for the last couple of years had made me accustomed to the loud noises that drowned out even my own thoughts at times, even the house I grew up in was louder than this and it was in the same town, but it was right in the heart of the town, there were always cars driving past creating a constant stream of noise, this was nestled on the outskirts of town, surrounded by forest, it was so silent and still I’m sure if I dropped a pin I would hear it hit the carpet. I walked over to the window and sat down on the padded seat, and looked out into the distance, the forest was right beside the house, I knew this forest, we would go for walks through it when I was a child, mum would make it fun and we would hunt for unicorns or pick the wildflowers that grew and dad would chase me through it, making me scream with glee as he pretended to be the forest monster, the large wall that was at the front of the house used to run all around the grounds keeping people out giving the miners their privacy but now I see a large metal gate that leads to the forest. This place was even more beautiful than I imagined. I was looking forward to having a proper look around. The garden seemed to have some interesting things in it and I couldn’t wait to go for a walk in the forest. I glanced around the room and remembered the walk-in wardrobe. I jumped up and grabbed my bag, throwing it on the bed and grabbing some of the coat hangers, so I could begin to hang the few clothes I had with me up. Once all my clothes were hung up, I dropped the bag onto the floor and pushed it to the back of the wardrobe with my foot, just as I heard my mum calling me.

“Ayla tea time!”

My stomach growled as if on cue. I hadn’t eaten since I had walked in on Marcus with that woman, the thought of food had made my stomach roll, but now my mouth fills with saliva at the thought. The whole flat smells delicious, like I've just walked into a Michelin-star restaurant. I follow my nose out of my room and into the dining area of the flat. Mum has gone all out and made a roast dinner tonight, a large beef joint sits proud and centre on the table with a plate of large Yorkshire puddings beside it. My mouth begins to drool as I sit down excited to get stuck into the food. My mum is an amazing cook and I never realised how much I missed her cooking until now. My eyes run over the delicious food, my dad grabs the roast potatoes and scoops some onto his plate, passing me the bowl so I can fill mine. The door rattles as three loud knocks echo through the open plan room.

“Just a minute. Dig in don’t wait for me.”

Dad gets up and opens the door. I can just make out a large man filling the frame. Dad opens the door more, and the man walks in behind him. He’s handsome, like out-of-this-world handsome. His blonde hair looks ruffled and his blue eyes look piercing against his sun-kissed skin. He smiles at me, and I feel my cheeks heating up.

“Hi, I’m Micha. It’s so good to finally meet you, I’ve heard a lot about you. I live upstairs with my two mates.”

I swallow the food in my mouth and stand up to greet him, holding my hand out.

“I’m Ayla. It's nice to meet you too Micha.”

He took my hand and shook it whilst smiling at me. I couldn’t help but smile back, Micha just seemed to be so full of life, I could tell he was a fun-loving man and his smile seemed contagious, I found myself genuinely smiling back at him, not a fake smile I plastered on, to not seem rude.

“I will let you get back to eating. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I just wanted to say thank you for taking my parcel.”

“Have you eaten yet Micha, we have plenty of food.” Mum cried out just as Micha turned to leave.

Micha stopped and glanced at my darling mother, then turned his bright eyes to me, giving me one of those contagious smiles again. I silently curse my mother for inviting the good-looking man to stay and eat. Especially when I look like I have just crawled through a bush backwards.

“It does smell amazing. Are you sure?”

“Of course, sit down, I will get you a plate,” Dad answers, making me look at him, confused. He usually gets annoyed if anyone interrupts at teatime. He has for as long as I remember. Micha sits at the dining table opposite me and I feel my cheeks flush once more. He is looking at me intensely. His head tilts to the side as his eyes scrutinise my face. I shift back in my seat slightly and look down at my food to avoid his probing gaze.

“Do I know you?”

I shake my head no and glance up at Micha. I am more than positive I have never met Micha before, I would remember someone as good-looking as him, and I do not remember him.

“You look so familiar to me, strange.”

“Maybe we met when we were younger. I’ve only just moved back here.”

“I would remember meeting you.” He answers, making me blush for a third time in the space of a few minutes.

The rest of the meal passed with pleasant talk, but I could feel Micha’s eyes watching me, every time my gaze landed his way his face was filled with curiosity as he tried to figure me out and how I felt familiar to him. As much as I was avoiding men at the moment, I actually enjoyed Micha’s company, he somehow felt familiar to me too, and I felt oddly safe in his presence. After we had finished eating, Micha stayed and talked more, and I found myself interested in what he had to say. He glanced at his watch and I knew it was time for my new friend to leave.

“I’m sorry, I’ve got to go. That was the best meal I’ve had in a long time. Iris, you are a goddess. Wyatt, thank you for having me and Ayla, it was a pleasure to meet you. I will see you around.”

Micha stands up and I can see the rippling muscles peeking out from beneath his T-shirt. I quickly look up at his face and nod my head, I wouldn’t mind hanging out with Micha again, he seems like he knows how to have a good time, he is so charismatic and I can’t help but feel drawn to him.

Dad stands up and walks Micha to the door, and I can’t help but watch as he leaves, I can hear Micha saying goodbye to my dad and thanking him for the food and I can see my mum watching me from the corner of my eye, I turn my attention back to my mum and glare at her, she is sitting at the table with a glass of red wine in her hand smiling at me.

“Mum!”

“Yes, love?”

“Did you set that up?”

She looks offended, putting her glass down on the table and standing up, grabbing the empty plates. I pick mine up and grab the plate Micha had used and follow her to the kitchen.

“No, he’s a lovely boy, and I thought it would be nice for you to have some more friends.”

“Mum, I’ve just come out of a relationship. The last thing I want is a new one. Please don’t push this.”

She mumbles, but nods her head in agreement, making me smile. As handsome as Micha was, I didn’t see him as my next lover.

“Look who I found outside,” Dad says, making me turn.

Nicola strolls into the flat, her presence demanding attention, her eyes run up and down my body as a look of disgust flashes in her eyes. I look down at my clothes and see why she gave me a heated look. I have my comfy clothes on. It’s one of Marcus’ jumpers that is far too baggy on me, a large hole is in the shoulder and it has stains all over it. Shit, Micha, saw me wearing this as well. Nicola looks flawless. Her blonde hair is pulled up into a sleek high ponytail, and she has a pair of tight jeans on and a black sequin top that seems to dip down the centre revealing the top of the breast. Her eyes are a deep blue but with the dark smokey makeup she has on, they really pop and her lips are painted red, making her look beautiful.

“Oh my god look at you, get dressed. We're going out!”