Chapter 7
Justin Holland
I sat in my car, staring at the house Eloise had entered earlier. For a second, I wanted to follow her inside, but something held me back.
She wasn't fine. She looked pale. But since she didn't open up to me, there was nothing much I could do.
'I need to find out what's happening with her marriage'.
And with that in mind, I picked up my phone and dialled my brother's number.
"You remember you have a brother today, huh?" Levi scoffed the moment he answered the call. "I could smell you need me to dig into something for you again, yeah?"
Levi annoyingly knows me more than anyone.
"Yeah. I'm sending you the detail. Make it snappy."
"Ugh! When will you ever call to say..."
I ended the call before he could finish talking.
I sent Lucas's picture to him with a caption. 'Find out everything about this man'.
Levi's reply came in shortly after I sent him the text.
'Sure, brother. I'll get to work'.
I sighed, tightening my fingers around the phone.
My heart tightened as memories of years ago clawed back in. We would've still been together now if I hadn't traveled.
I could still remember how much my heart ached when I heard the news of her wedding even though we've already broken up.
My phone rang, and I sighed when I saw it was my mom.
"Hmm, Mom?" I mumbled after I hesitantly answered the call.
"Finally! Where have you been, son? I've been trying to reach you for the past three days, but you didn't give me audience." Her worried voice sounded from the other end.
"Mom, we've been talking on phone for those days." I reminded her. She would've reported me missing already if I hadn't spoken to her.
"Even so... It's not same thing as seeing you," She whined, and I exhaled sharply.
"Are you coming over to the house? I made breakfast. Let's eat together."
I glanced at my wristwatch for the time. 10 A.M.
"Don't tell me that you are not coming over, because I won't eat without you.* She continued, and I scoffed silently.
"I'll be there shortly, Mom," I guess that was all she wanted to hear because she ended the call as soon as she got the reply she wanted.
With one last glance at the house, I started the car and drove off.
I arrived at mom's place few minutes later.
"Goodness! I've been so worried about you," She breathed out the moment she saw me, pulling me into her arms.
"I'm sorry for making you worried, Mom."
"What happened to you, son? Your face looks pale. Did something happen? Are you sick? You don't look fine." her hands barely reached my face as she stretched them to touch my cheeks.
"I'm fine, Mom. You said you wanted us to eat together. Why don't we go to the dining room, hmm?" I pinched her cheek playfully as I smiled at her, and she nodded.
"But you haven't told me what happened, though. You can't tell me that you are fine with that pale face," She glanced back at me as she led the way to the dining room while I trailed behind her.
"I told you that I'm fine, Mom," I pulled out a chair for her.
"If only you are married, you wouldn't be like this," She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "When are you going to get a wife, by the way? You are twenty-nine already for goodness sake, Justin. It's fine if you are not ready to be a father yet, but you should get married,"
"Mom---"
"I need a daughter-in-law who would be a daughter to me. Is that too much to ask?" She whined, and I sighed.
"You said you wanted us to have breakfast together. Don't tell you lured me here for something else," I raised my brows as I teased her, and she scoffed.
"You are never serious with me, are you?" She scoffed, tucking her beautiful long brown hair behind her ear with her long straight finger.
"Just give me some time, Mom. I will get married soon," It was the first time I was going to give her that kind of answer ever since she was nagging me to get married, and the look on her face confirmed her shock.
She immediately leaned close with an anxious expression on her face as she asked. "Have you found a woman already? You sound different today. Tell me, who is she? When are you going to introduce her to me?"
I could not control my smile as the thought of Eloise crossed my mind. It didn't make sense to think about her in this situation, knowing she was married already and nothing good could ever happen between us, but what if something really happens between us? What if things really work out for us this time? What if we eventually end up together? Yes, there wasn't a big chance of that happening, but what if fate really want us together?
I looked at Mom and smiled as I muttered. "Soon, Mom. You will meet her soon,"