Clashing Hearts

Chapter Two

“Leon!” a middle aged lady screamed as she rushed towards him and wrapped her arms around him tightly while Leon stood wide eyed, looking to me to save him. “You’re such a grown man now! How old are you?” she said cupping his face and pinching his cheeks. “I remember helping your mother wipe your bum when you mess it up, you were so naughty,” she said laughing and I did too because his face was visible red. “tell me you haven’t forgotten who I am?” Leon looked to me and I tried to mouth Auntie Sylvia, to him but he didn’t understand.

“I’m your aunt! Auntie Sylvia? the one who got you the toy guns when your mother, my sister rejected your request, how can you forget so easily when it’s only been ten years since we last set our eyes on you,” she said playfully hitting his shoulder.

“Oh aunt Sylvia, I could never forget you,” he said pulling her in for a hug. “how have you been?” I smiled watching their little exchange as they walked away, catching up on a lot of things.

I sighted mother across the room, bidding me to come over to where she was, standing beside a man whom I had never seen before, he was tall, fully bearded with a shoulder length wavy hair, but before i could make a move, like the speed of lightning, her expression shifted that familiar scowl. And I knew exactly why.”

Following her eyes, I turned around to see where the source of her scowl came from, and an involuntary eye roll followed suit as soon as I saw what she saw, who she saw. The Jenkins. All time rival of the Hawthornes. They walked in as a family, Mr. Jenkins leading the pack, chin high and gaze sharp enough to cut through steel, his wife, the blondie who is a pro at fake smiling and laughters, an air of pride surrounding her and her bold red lipstick standing out on her rather pale white skin. And last but not least, their only son, heir to the Jenkins empire, standing behind them with his head fixated on his phone and unbothered by the presence of anyone else in the room. Every time I hear their name, I feel immediately irked. They’re so sneaky, you never know what moves they have up their sleeves. They are known to only show up to events that benefits their pockets, and this is just a mere party for the elite, nothing fancy, so i wonder why they have decided to come.

I could sense the room coming to a stand still, eyes fixed on both families, wondering who will make way for who,

“are these the famous Jenkins?” Leon asked taking a stand beside me.

“yes they are. The thorn in our flesh,”

“hmm, the last i remember was leaving high school with their son, Larry.”

“i forgot you went to the same school as their son, what was he like? an insolent and obnoxious being i believe?” Leon shrugged,

“I didn’t know the guy, we never spoke,”

“what do we have here? the prodigal son finally returns,” Mrs Hawthorne said as she approached Leon, her eyes half lidded with raised brows and a faint smirk and her tone in a condescending manner, as she walked around him, “the streets were cold you had to run back to your mommy?”

“The streets were cold, you had to run back to your mommy?”

The air grew heavy. Conversations slowed, eyes darted toward us like moths to flame. Leon didn’t flinch, his expression unreadable, but I caught the subtle twitch of his jaw, the only sign that her words had landed somewhere deep.

“Mrs. Jenkins,” Leon said, his tone calm but sharp enough to slice through the smugness dripping from her voice. “Still fond of making scenes in public, I see.”

Her smile faltered for half a second, and that alone was victory enough for me.

“Oh, I don’t make scenes,” she replied, her voice sweet and venomous. “I just state the obvious. Not everyone can survive the world outside their father’s shadow.”

Leon’s lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. “And not everyone can build a name without hiding behind their husband’s wealth,” he said evenly.

The sound that escaped her throat was a low scoff part disbelief, part wounded pride. Before she could retort, her husband joined in, his tall frame towering over Leon’s.

“Careful, son,” Mr. Jenkins said, his voice deep, authoritative. “You’re standing in a man’s world now. Words like that could cost you.”

Leon took a step closer, eyes unyielding. “Then it’s a good thing I can afford it.”

A murmur spread through the room excitement, shock, and a flicker of fear. The orchestra had slowed to a whisper, and all that filled the air was tension so thick it could choke.

And then, as if summoned by the gods of drama themselves, I saw him, Larry Jenkins stepping out from the shadow of his parents. He’d grown taller, broader, older. His hair still had that careless wave that used to fall over his forehead in school, but his eyes, they were darker, colder, like he’d seen things that burned away his youth.

“Still causing trouble, I see,” Larry said, sliding his hands into his pockets as his gaze shifted from Leon to me. For a brief second, his expression softened just enough to make my stomach flip then hardened again.

“Some things never change,” Leon said, his tone flat, almost daring him to push further.

Larry’s lips curved into the faintest smirk. “You’d be surprised what ten years can change.” their exchange made me realize Leon had lied about not knowing Larry.

And just like that, the air between the Jenkins and the Hawthornes turned into a battlefield one where smiles were weapons, and words drew blood sharper than any blade.

“Now now, this is a party and not a battleground, you want to display your wealth, do so by being the highest giver to my charity organization, this is a time for celebration and meeting new people, not fighting an endless war.” Mr Hwan, the host of the event said, stepping in between us. “Now, break up this little heated arguments and go donate to my organization.” Mr and Mrs Jenkins walked away, while I stood beside Leon, watching the staring competition between him and Larry.

“Say Leon, why did you decide to leave ten years ago?” Larry asked putting his phone in his pockets with a smile on his face that caused Leon’s body to tense up beside me.

“I don’t see how that is any of your business. Go be busy or something,” Leon grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from Larry before i got the chance to anything. This was the weirdest encounter i ever had with that family. Why did their words have that much effect on him?

“I need to get a drink.” I said stopping in my tracks and releasing myself from his grip. “You go find dad and tell him his friends are here,” I said sarcastically and turned away from him before he said anything.

As I made my way toward the bar, one thought refused to leave my mind, the hatred between our families was nothing new. But whatever existed between Leon and Larry, that was something else entirely.

I made my way to the bar, my heels clicking against the floor like a metronome of irritation. What was that all about? Why did Larry Jenkins, of all people, have the power to make him look… uneasy?

“Champagne, please,” I told the bartender, forcing a polite smile.

I took a sip, exhaling slowly, letting the cold bubbles fizz on my tongue. The crowd had thickened, voices overlapping with laughter and music. I turned around slightly, scanning for a quiet corner where I could hide for a minute, but before I could take a step…

Crash!!!