Long Awaited Lover

Chapter 4

Crystal pov

Back story

I leaned back on the seat and close my eyes. With everything that happened today, I can’t help but go down memory lane. I remembered the day when I had first met the Stone family, it was thirteen years ago. We were both on a vacation in France, to be precise, in Paris, the city of love. The day we met, it was really not that pretty or magical, I was eight and he was fifteen. I remember it like it was yesterday, my father and I had been caught in an accident, it was bad, the car flipped over and there was almost no chance for survival, I was not that badly injured but my dad had hit his head and suffered a couple of wounds around his body and was running out of blood fast, top it off with being unconscious. 

They had come a couple of minutes after the accident occurred, that day, it had been him and his brother and their team of bodyguards, they had come and helped us, calling for help, getting me out first then went to help my father. I cannot remember clearly what happened after, because after they got me out, the police had arrived and told everybody not to approach the car, that it was dangerous, something about oil and one mistake costing a life. They wanted us to wait a bit more for help, but he had had looked at me begging them to save my father, I guess he felt sorry for me because he rushed forward saying he could at least try. It had taken sometime but he managed to get him out, I was so happy, but being weak, I was slowly losing consciousness, before I was taken completely by darkness, I saw the car explode and his body sent flying, and that’s when pain pierced my heart, I had made a promise that time, if he survives, I will give my life to him till the day I take my last breath.

When I had woken up, it was three days later, and the first person I saw was him. He had told me about my father being fine, unconscious but fine, and that thanks to his training, he was able to stay safe and protect himself. From that day, he had been with me until the day we left the hospital, and that was a week later. And in that week, I had met his family and got to know about them and they got to know about me and my father. When we left we all decided to stay together for I could not bear to leave him, he had saved me and the only family I have left. The two weeks remaining of our vacation, we got to know each other, I looked up to him, and then fell in love at some point. The day my father and I had to leave, I was so devastated, I cried holding him instead of entering the plane, I didn’t want to leave him, he was so nice to me, he made me laugh and he always cared for me, so I cried my eyes out. My dad and his family tried to get me off, but he was holding me tightly as well, he was sad as well. So to get me off, thanks to the persistence of everyone, we made a promise, that no matter how long it takes, we will be together again, he promised to look for me even if it was the last thing he did. I was happy, but I had questioned about if he forgot me, so he gave me his family’s ancestral ring, it had belonged to his mother at the time. He said that no woman can be the mistress of the Stone family without that ring, and so I took it, it was our promise ring. I had left that day, looking at my saviour, my knight in shining armour, as the plane ascended into the sky.

 End of back story

I had waited for thirteen years before I got to meet him again, keeping myself for him, waiting patiently for the day that he will come for me, it’s not like I did not tell him where he could find me. I waited for him around the sandy beach of California for years, I waited but he never came, all I heard about him was that the business tycoon has finally found love. I was so heart broke but just decided to wait, maybe he will remember me and my hope paid off, when I got word that the matriarch of the Stone family is looking for me. Why she had to go all out looking for me like some sort of criminal is still beyond me. Being haunted by the Stones meant two things: one, you are dead and two, better get ready because you are dead. They are the most powerful family in the US, having their support meant that your business gets to flourish and you are pretty much untouchable by association, if enemies, well, you are in great trouble, they can destroy you just by lifting a finger. 

Anyway, she found me and told me about her son, and him getting together with a woman that could destroy them, so it was time for me to come back and pay heed to the promise we made, at first, I was not sure about it, but thinking about how I really want to see me and the hope that he will remember me, I gave in to her. But nothing went the way I had thought, instead, my heart got stabbed, he doesn’t remember me, and the love he once claimed for me was dead and gone, but I cannot change things, he is my saviour, and I did promise to give him my life, and I am not one to break a promise, it’s just the way I was raised, like daddy always says ‘promises are pretty much like glass and trust Crystal, once broken, you can never mend it. So I promised myself in that office, I will endure it, until the day I get to repay him, no matter what it takes, then get him to love me yet again, his Stormy.

I was snapped back to reality when I felt Mrs Stone shake me, I opened my eyes to find that the car has come to a stop, I knew this guy’s where rich, but standing tall in all its glory was the famous Stone mansion, this place could very much be a palace. My mouth was left hanging as I looked at the place before me, it was gorgeous. My family may own a chain of restaurants that were pretty famous around the country, but we couldn’t afford this. Looking at it, I began to have second thoughts, ‘I am not fit for this life, it’s just too high class for me’. I stood there frozen, debating whether to proceed with this or just leave, but I guess Mrs Stone could read my thoughts because she came and nudged me inside. “there is no need to be overwhelmed. I was the same when I first got here, but trust me, you will meet the most amazing people that will light up your world. Besides, the one where you will live is smaller, so no worries” the woman said in a cheerful voice, like this was no big deal at all, as she literally pushed me into the place. 

The minute we entered the house, I was pulled into a suffocating hug, I could barely breath. “my little Raven has finally found his love, he found his Stormy” I froze at the mention of that name, only Raven called me that, I wonder who she is to know it. I guess feeling my tense body, she let me go and I finally got a good look at her, she is the elderly woman that would never let us out of her sight, no wonder she knows the name, she always said that the Stone brothers are like her own children, I looked at her trying to remember her name, “old Jones?!?” I asked her confused with a whisper and she nodded from happiness, and I could felt my own building up, so much so that I was on the verge of tears. “I can’t believe it’s you, it’s been so long, I thought I would never see you again” I told her with a sob, you see, I love this woman, she is the one that nursed all of us back to health after that accident, she made even my stubborn mule of a dad to eat and follow the doctor’s prescriptions. Looking at her now, she looked much older, she did age gracefully, she now had full white hair, a wrinkled smile, her skin looks paler, but her beautiful black orbs still make her the most beautiful.

Where went to sit on the sofa, with everyone in teary smiles. It took some time to calm down but when I did, it was question time. “did my son really remember you Crystal, or are you just protecting him” the once happy Mrs Stone was gone, she asked in a firm no lies voice. So I looked at her and lied easily. “he did aunty, do you think I will marry him if he did not, I’m not the kind to force love or tell lies” I said looking sad and she bought it. “so what about that woman he lives with, you cannot live there with her” another firm question. 

“he told me that she was leaving today because of this marriage, that he will sort it out, so I should relax, go home and wait for him” despite looking straight and firm when I lied so easily, I was breaking on the inside, ‘will he ever remember me or will I have to live as the mistress without being the legal wife?’, I didn’t want to think about it too much, so I looked at them smiling, “I want to go to my new home now aunty” I told them in a cheerful voice. “it’s mommy for you now, and Mrs Jones lives with him, she will take care of you there”, she told me smiling. I opened my mouth to refuse but once again I was pushed outside and into the car, which was now on the road to my husband’s home. I don’t know what I was going to find there, but I’m sure of one thing, whatever it is, it may be strong enough to break me. I just cut my thoughts and braced myself for my new life.