Long Lost Love

Chapter 2

Our past is a great part of us. It makes us who we are and influences our future decisions. It’s our past that leads us to our future and it’s also the one that keeps us stuck in the same place, when past demons arise.

“You guys know each other?” Jayden asked and I stood up from my chair before slapping Chris on the cheek and I sat on a different chair. I wasn’t a violent person but seeing Chris ignited a fire in me that just wanted to bite his head off, I was so furious.

“I take it they know each other,” Ben chuckled while eating his bacon with an amused expression.

“What the hell was that for?” Chris questioned his voice laced with anger. As if he had the right to be angry.

“Eight years Chris, eight long and painful years,” I yelled and his face became apologetic.

“I am sorry Lola I didn’t mean it,” he explained but I was too pissed off to hear his explanation.

“You know what Chris; you left me when I needed you the most. What the hell happened to being best friends forever and never leaving no matter what? I needed you when you left and I hoped you’d call to hear how I was but apparently you were too busy doing something else you forgot me,” I continued yelling and he tried to explain but I cut him off saying, “I want you out of my house now.”

He grabbed some bacon from my plate which made me slap him a little too hard on the arm and he walked out in a huff. Not caring about the tear that was flowing on my cheek I decided to get out of the mansion and visit the garden. The beautiful scenery was calming and I smiled to myself as I inhaled the scent from the different flowers. I found a hammock and laid in it trying to get my thoughts together.

As I kept swinging I then realized it wasn’t Chris coming that made me overreact. It was the fact that he symbolized a part of my past I didn’t like reliving and that scared me. His presence made me vulnerable and weak because he knew me inside and out, more than I liked.

***

“Can I take your order?” asked the waitress and I shook my head and I impatiently waited for Brenda, in case you’re wondering who Brenda is here is a flashback…

The blaring of my alarm clock made me wake up and head to the bathroom. I made myself a bubble bath before stripping myself and getting in. The bubbles and the warmness of the water relaxed me and for a moment I forgot all my life problems. I was brought back to reality by Rosie, the caretaker who was in her mid fifties and was quite a cheery lady. A few gray hairs colored her hair and a few wrinkles too. Her face showed she was beautiful in her days and she still was. Her smile was also warm which made me try not to snap every time I saw her and I had known her for a day.

“Good morning miss, sorry to interrupt but there’s a call from a Brenda Henstridge and she wants to speak to Mr. Henstridge but I didn’t want to interrupt him as he is having breakfast with his friends.” I frowned wondering who the Brenda Henstridge was before taking the home phone from her.

Me: Hello? (Brenda sighs)

Brenda: Let me guess, you’re the new booty call

Me: Excuse me?

Brenda: She’s also blonde. I meant are you the girl my brother is currently playing around with?

I nodded and my mouth made an o as I realized it was his sister although I didn’t know Jayden had a sister. Then again I didn’t really care about things to do with him.

Me: No, that would be someone else not me

Brenda: Who are you exactly? Me: Your future sister in law. In case you didn’t hear the news, your brother is engaged to be married.

Brenda: Oohhh I’m sorry I acted like a biach but every time I call a different girl answers.

Jayden really needed help like proper medical help. I don’t think I had heard or seen anything normal about him since we’d met.

Me: It’s okay, what did you want to tell your brother?

Brenda: It’s not important what is important is me meeting you. Lunch at 1 at the new restaurant, see you there. Bye. Ps don’t tell my brother about this call.

~~Flashback end

I looked around the restaurant looking for someone like Jayden until I spotted Chris coming in with a girl by his side. Of all the restaurants he had to come to this one, just great! Note the sarcasm. Chris then pointed to me and the girl he as with ran to my table and sat down with a huge smile, she must be Brenda, I thought to myself.

“Hey, you’re Lola right?” she questioned and I nodded while extending my hand which she took.

“So how do you know Chris?” I questioned making a frown at the word Chris and he rolled his eyes making me glare at him.

“He’s my fiancé,” she replied as he sat down and they gave each other loving smiles which made my heart drop, so Chris didn’t even bother calling to tell me about his engagement. Things really did change with time.

“Oh I had no idea,” I responded my mouth making an o shape and Brenda nodded with a grin. I turned to Chris before mumbling shocker making him glare at me while I chuckled.

“So let’s order shall we?” Brenda asked and I nodded as I was hungry, I didn’t have any breakfast because of Chris.

When the waiter arrived I ordered a cheese burger and cola, Brenda order fries and chicken and Chris ordered a cheese burger and cola like I did.

By the time our order arrived I had learned Brenda had run away from home for about three months now and only her brother, Jayden knew of her whereabouts. She had runaway because her parents were controlling and she wanted to explore the world before going back home with her tail between her legs according to her parents. Brenda was a year younger than Jayden and she was a model and doctor. Her engagement to Chris had been for about a year now and after she had fixed her relationship with her parents they would talk about marriage.

“Thanks so much for lunch Brenda,” I stated as I was getting up to leave and she stood up and gave me a hug with her huge grin still on her face.

“I hope we can see each other soon,” she said and I nodded before taking my cola and throwing it at Chris’s face.

“What the hell is wrong with you Lola?” he questioned his accent sounding British.

“That’s for leaving your best friend for eight years,” I responded and Brenda giggled before smiling at me, again. I waved and left the restaurant in a much happier mood.

The sound of my ringing phone made me wait before entering my car. I took the phone out of my purse and answered not bothering to check the caller id.

Me: hello?

Caller: Hey Lola, it’s me Jayden

Why the hell was he calling? As far as I remembered we didn’t call each other. That just made my mood drop despite me having been happy.

Me: What do you want?

Jayden: Um my mom called inviting us to dinner so I just wanted you to know I’ll be picking you up at half past five.

Me: I have my own car, I can go alone plus I don’t even want to go

Jayden: My mom wouldn’t be happy if we missed her dinner

I really wanted to yell no one cares about your mommy before I restrained myself. I didn’t exactly want to anger him.

Me: Fine, pick me up at work

I cut the call off before he responded and got into car. Banging my head against my steering wheel for a couple of minutes I shook my head before heading towards my work place. It was going to be a long day and it was just getting started.

***

I spun myself in my office chair for the billionth time since I had gotten to my office. There was a huge pile of papers that needed me to read them and I wasn’t at all in the mood for work. I tried scrolling through my i********: but I got bored and went to back to spinning. As I was bored I decided to sleep but was interrupted by Moira who was telling some guy not to get in my office. I looked to see my door being opened by Chris and Moira was right behind him.

“It’s okay Moira,” I told her and she smiled before leaving the room.

“What can I do for you?” I asked coldly and Chris sighed before holding up a pink box with what I assumed were doughnuts.

Snatching the pink box I sat down and kept looking at him coldly which made him laugh much to my annoyance.

“I am here to apologize for what I did eight years ago. The reason I left is because my dad is not dead, he’s alive and he’s a notorious drug lord. He called me and asked me to be his son once again which I refused for the record and he didn’t take that very lightly. After that he forced me to stay with him and learn about the business or he would kill my mother and everyone I love including you. He also gave me a couple of his companies to run here in America so I only got to come back a year ago and I was too busy to get in contact with everyone.”

My face was blank as he said all he said and it remained the same. I didn’t know how to react, his father was alive and he was a drug lord. At two that’s when Chris’s father died and he had grown up with his mom only. I was his only friend and I supported him when the realization of not having a dad dawned. I knew how that news probably damaged him but I tried my best not to break and start apologizing but as soon as I registered his last words all sympathy flew out the window leaving me annoyed.

“So I’m just everyone now?” I questioned annoyance lacing my voice.

“Of course not, you’re my best friend who’s been there for me when no one else was. I would have called if I could during those eight years but I didn’t have a phone and when I came back I guess I was scared of you reacting this way,” he explained handing me a doughnut which I gratefully took.

“I’m sorry I overreacted,” I partly lied and he smiled before saying, “We were best friends before neither one of us could talk, I know you’re still pissed and it’ll take time for you to forgive me and that’s okay. Anyway how did you cope after I left with the news about Vanessa?”

The name Vanessa made tears sting at my eyes and I just replied, “Time.” A tear escaped without me noticing and I didn’t bother removing it. This was why I’d overreacted when I’d seen him. He knew things that I didn’t like thinking about, things that weakened the walls I built around my heart and he saw through the façade I put up.

“Are you okay?” he questioned and I completely broke down.

“I’m not Chris, the day you left for the United Kingdom I was told I’m barren which means I can never ever bear a child and the only child I got to have is dead and you brought up her name so do you expect me to be okay?” I yelled tears trickling down my cheeks. tears I’d never allowed myself to shed but now that someone poked through my walls I completely broke down feeling vulnerable and weak. Feelings I hated more than anything.

He came and hugged me and whispered it was okay and I leaned into his shoulder while continuing to cry knowing it wasn’t okay. It never was going to be okay because I lost a part of myself. A part every woman dreamt of but I could never be one of them. The door was opened by Jayden and the look on his face made me want to spit. He looked angry as if he had caught me cheating. He didn’t even have the right to be angry.

“When I heard you two had a history I didn’t think you were exes.”

I glared at him for a long time before taking my bag and running out of the room trying my very best to control my anger that would make just lunge at him and hurt him in unimaginable ways. Chris scolded Jayden before running after me yelling my name but I didn’t stop.

“Lola wait, where are you going?” he asked and I replied home before getting into my car.

He opened the passenger door and got in with the box of doughnuts. I took a large bite of one of the doughnuts and moaned as I tasted it before starting the car feeling my anger melt away with the chocolate on top of the doughnut.

“Gosh I hate Jayden at times. I can’t believe he thought the worst of me,” I screamed and Chris laughed while eating my doughnuts.

“He’s my best friend but he’s a d**k at times but he’ll warm up to you eventually.” I looked at him with the, are you kidding me right now look.

“He’s going to warm up to me? I’d rather be dead than have that animal warm up to me,” I muttered and he shrugged with a chuckle while eating another doughnut.

“Hey the doughnuts are for me silly,” I said slapping his hand he dramatically put his hand to his heart making me smile feeling so much better.

“You really have it with hitting me today,” he commented as we arrived at the mansion. We both got out and headed for my bedroom. I showered while Chris took out some clothes for me to wear to the dinner. As weird as that sounds it worked when we were kids, why wouldn’t it work when we were adults? Even after eight years apart, we took off where we’d left off.

I walked into my room with my towel wrapped around me and Chris was lying on my bed talking to some girl. “Is it Brenda?” I mouthed and he nodded before continuing to smile like an i***t and I couldn’t help but smile.

I dressed up in the long black dress that showed some cleavage with a long pleat that was from my knees that Chris had chosen for me in the closet. Appling some light makeup so that I wouldn’t scare Sylvia and Joshua I also decided on jewellery that would stand out I took a silver necklace and a silver bangle. When I finished dressing up I went to show Chris who smiled and nodded before going back to talking to Brenda. Rolling my eyes at him I grabbed my clutch and waved at him before going to wait for Jayden.

“Mrs. Henstridge, Mr Henstridge is waiting for you outside,” the chauffer announced and I nodded while following him.

The chauffer was in his forties and he had a few strands of grey hair in his hair. His smile was perfect but his voice was so hoarse which made me almost jump every time he spoke. He opened the door to the white limousine and I got in and noticed Jayden was dressed in a black suit with a black tie and black formal shoes that went with the shoes.

The drive to the Henstridge mansion was quiet as Jayden loathed me so much but I didn’t mind it. I just wanted to get the stupid dinner over and done with. When we arrived, Jayden opened the door for me and took my hand like a gentleman before leading me into the mansion. We were greeted by Sylvia who had a bright smile on his face. After all the greetings and everything that follows, we headed to the dining room.

Cecelia was also there and that alone told me dinner was going to be a mess.