THE INN

Chapter : 13 When Someone Finally Tells The Truth

Gloria rose to her feet and turned to face the wall behind her. She looked back at Skye and Stiles for a moment. 'Amanda and I were best friends. We practically grew up together. We used to spend most of the time playing, and roaming here and there. We were friends, but we were very different from each other. Like you two are. You know, it's interesting to see such an interesting combination. One person is shy while the other one is more of a people's person. I don't need to point out which one of you is the shy one.'

'You know she is talking about you, right?' Skye whispered under her breath.'

'Thanks for the confirmation.' Stiles whispered back.

Gloria turned to face the wall again. 'Amanda knew how to live her life to the fullest. She could talk about anything and everything for hours with anybody. Greywald is a kind town. Here people do not waste their time interfering in other people's business. I think this is because they secretly enjoy watching misery. I have learned one thing in my life. Knowing somebody better than you know yourself can be unfortunate for you.'

'Can you please tell us more about Amanda?' Stiles asked, hoping to get more information.

Gloria picked up a photo frame from the side table. 'Amanda met Henry when she was nineteen. He moved with his family in the house next to mine. His family was very warm and welcoming. They used to invite our neighbours all the time for their weekend parties. We were hesitant at first, but Henry's mother was a fantastic cook. Her pot roast was breath-taking. I have been trying to make that like she used to make it for years now, but I failed. Amanda was a lucky girl to get such a nice guy and new family. Henry and Amanda got married three years later. Henry's family move into the city. They had a beautiful daughter, Kelina.'

Gloria kept staring at the photo frame. Stiles and Skye were unable to see who was in the picture. All they could see was a golden, round frame. The frame was embellished with blue ribbon cut in the shape of tiny flowers. Gloria rubbed her eyes with her cold knuckles.

'What happened next?' Stiles asked furiously.

Skye punched him softly enough to not let Gloria see or hear anything. 'Tone it down a bit, 'Mr I-don't- have-feelings'. Are you capable of doing that?'

'What's with you...' Stiles paused. 'You, Ms-Ms Punching bag?'

'Not good at insulting people, are we?' Skye said, imitating Stiles' voice.

'No, insulting people is not my forte. Please, teach me. Pretty please!' Stiles fake smiled.

'Henry and Amanda used to fight just like you guys. They always whispered all kind of things to each other. Even after their nine years of marriage, they adored each other.' Gloria put the frame back in its place.

After hearing Gloria, Stiles and Skye slid away from each other. They looked away in different directions. To make the situation less awkward than it already was, Stiles left the couch and went to sit on Gloria's chair. He could now see the photo frame Gloria was holding earlier. In the picture what Stiles presumed was the younger version of Gloria. She stood in front a beach, holding a little girl of about two years. There was a woman in the background, too, holding a red flag on the top of a sand castle.

'Who is the woman and kid in the picture?' Stiles asked.

Gloria turned towards Stiles, her eyes were red and moist. She tried really hard to hold her tears back.

'It's Amanda and Kelina when she turned three. We went to Hawaii for a holiday. Just me, Amanda and Kelina. What memories!'

'We know it's not easy for you. And, we really appreciate you helping us. We really do, but I have to ask this 'How did Henry die, Gloria?'

Gloria slowly walked back and forth. 'He had an accident. He went to the station to receive his friend. As far as I can remember, Henry's car crashed before he could get there. It was terrible. Amanda was pregnant and,'

Before Gloria could finish the sentence, the red rotary dial telephone beside the photo frame rang. Gloria picked up the receiver, sobbing.

'Stiles, look at this.' Skye called him.

Skye picked another photo frame from the shelf on her side and showed it to Stiles. It was the second picture of Gloria with a small child.

'It can't be Kelina. He is a boy, right?' Skye pulled Stiles' hand.

'Maybe it's Amanda's second child or it could be Gloria's kid, too.' Stiles sounded unsure.

'They look so happy,' Skye watched the picture carefully.

'And I thought you can't be emotional and snappy at the same time. You never fail to amaze me.' Stiles took the frame in his hands.

'Stiles, dear.' Gloria called Stiles.

Stiles practically threw the frame at Skye. Not to let Gloria see the frame in her hands, Skye put the frame back on the shelf.

Stiles pointed his forefinger at Skye. 'She is the one who touched your stuff. I asked her not to.'

Skye pinched Stiles' arm from behind. 'You must have been miserable when you were a kid.'

'I'm still miserable, so, the joke's on you.' Stiles' regretted his choice of words as soon as they left his mouth.

Holding the receiver in her hands, Gloria said. 'It's Amanda. She says hi to you both.'

Skye and Stiles looked at each other, frightened. Gloria held the receiver for them. Skye signalled Stiles with her eyes to do something or give a reaction to what just Gloria said. The next second, the telephone hit the floor. Gloria fainted and dropped on the floor. Skye rushed to get Rick while Stiles went to check up on Gloria. He made sure she was breathing.

Fifteen minutes later, Skye arrived with Gloria's family doctor, Dr Alan Woods. Stiles with the help of Rick carried Gloria to the bed. Dr Alan gave an injection to Gloria so that she could rest peacefully.

'Don't worry, Rick, she is going to be fine' Stiles patted Rick's shoulder.

'I know. Grandma does that sometimes.' Rick muttered.'

'Does what?' Stiles asked.

'Scare people. She is good at it.'

'Dr Alan will come again in the morning. You already have my number. Call me if you need anything,' Stiles handed the medicines to Rick and went out to the eating area where Skye was waiting for him.

'What are you doing?' Stiles asked as he saw Skye going through his phone.

Skye jumped on her spot. 'You scared me.'

Stiles picked his phone and cancelled the ongoing file transfer from his phone to Skye's. He was shocked when he figured out what exactly she was doing. She already took the pictures of all his work e-mails and transferred all the word files he sent recently to Oliver.

'How did you even opened my phone? It is password protected.'

Standing up, Skye walked to Stiles. 'Please, let me explain just once.'

'Explain what?'

'I'm an undercover reporter just like you. I know who you are, and why you are here.'

Stiles placed his hand on his forehead. 'You mean to say, you already knew every-everything? You knew all about me,'

Stiles backed away from his spot. Suddenly, every conversation the two of them ever had ringed in his ears. The things he shared with her in the morning, his personal experiences in Greywald

'You planned it all. Didn't you? I told you everything because I trusted you, and I don't even know why. I thought you genuinely cared... You are right about one thing, I do need to make my emotions invisible or else people like you are going to keep fooling me.'

'Listen to me, please.'

'Now, I get it why suddenly you invited me here. I should've known that you made up that story about the girl to keep me here. You wanted to fulfil your own selfish needs. Two are better than one, right?'

'It was true. It was all true, believe me.'

'You fooled me,' Stiles took his jacket. 'No, I made a complete fool of myself.' He said and left.