Chapter six
1746 Words
Parsley arrived at exactly 5pm. She wore a short black leather pleated skirt and a white tee shirt. It was her usual outfit when going to meet up with her cousin. She always believed she could pull any man with a simple yet sassy outfit, and it always worked.
Sophia was preparing dinner when Parsley walked in behind her like a ghost. She placed both hands above her eyes and whispered into her ears.
“If I were a thief, you'd be dead.”
Sophia chuckled. “Thief's aren't exactly killers. They just steal things.”
Defeated, Parsley turned her around and hugged her. It was good to have her cousin back in the neighborhood, but more than anything, she was anxiously waiting for her golden hour to meet Mr. Father of three.
“Is he home yet?” Parsley looked out the window for a sign of life in the house next door.
The lights were dimmed by the thick curtains in their home which made it very difficult for anyone to tell if someone was home or not.
“He left hours ago to pick Ethan and his siblings from school. They should have been back by now, but I guess they must have stopped somewhere.” Said Sophia, her attention fully pivoted on the meal she was making.
“And you haven't called him to know where they are?”
“Pais. I thought you didn't like the guy? And why would I have his number when I've only known him for two days?”
Parsley walked to the fridge and found Sophia's unfinished wine. She poured herself a cup before returning to the living room to drop her handbag on the table and make herself comfortable on the sofa.
“I can't judge a man I haven't met. Besides I only said I didn't have a good feeling about you guys having dinner together.”
Sophia rolled herself at Parsley and continued with making dinner. She was done a few minutes later and joined her cousin in the living room.
They barely had time to do any catching up at the bar, so they did so now. Parsley went on and on about the different men who had put her in a bad state emotionally. Sophia always said she was the reason for her failed relationships, but in her defense, Parsley would say.
“Men don't want love. They just want someone they can treat like their personal slut.”
“Right, and you're trying to tell me you're not jumping around cause you haven't found the perfect d**k yet?”
Parsley smiled.
They sat in silence while they ate their dinner. The peace they shared was beautiful, and the love they had for each other was unbreakable.
Parsley watched her cousin stand and return to the kitchen. She looked happy, and different. She was no longer the girl who got her heart broken by Daniel. She was a woman of her own, and it made her happy.
When she came back to the living room, Parsley thought over it a few times before finally asking her.
“Have you heard from your parents since you came back?”
She sighed. “Mom says I'm stupid for going back to my past. Dad says he doesn't care what I do, but he'd be waiting for me when I come crawling back to them.”
“But do you regret coming back?”
Sophia was about to answer when the lights from her neighbor's car driving back into the compound called their attention. Both of them hurried to the window and watched as he carried all three kids; Ethan on his back, and Logan and the last born on his arms.
“You should go help him out,” said Parsley, watching as her cousin's handsome neighbor battled to stay on his feet as he walked to his door.
“Sophia, forget everything I ever said to you and go grab that bull by the horns tonight.”
“Shut up Parsley.”
“Come on girl. When was the last time you got laid?” Parsley asked.
They were still at the window watching. Lucas had taken the kids inside and came back out to lock his car doors, then he turned his gaze to the lights coming from her living room.
Suddenly realizing that he must have caught them peeking, Sophia and Parsley got down for cover and waited for him to return to his home, but he didn't. He walked down to her door and knocked.
“Is that him?” Parsley asked.
“Who else could it be by this time of the night?”
“Then answer the damn door.” She mumbled.
Sophia was hesitant. She walked around the room for a little while before going to the door.
“Who's there?” She asked, feeling stupid. There was no one else in their compound besides both of them. Everyone else lived either across the road or down the street.
“It's Ethan's father,” Lucas responded.
Sophia opened the door and found Ethan standing outside the door with his father. Before she could say anything, Ethan jumped on her, causing her to stumble backwards but luckily, Lucas stepped in quickly to catch both of them and stop them from falling.
“I'm so sorry. Ethan insisted on coming to see you before he went to bed,” Lucas explained.
Sophia quickly found her feet and held Ethan in her arms. “I missed you too darling.”
“Please come on in,” she offered, but Lucas declined.
“We just dropped by to say hello. If Mikel wakes up with no one around, he's going to bring the house down.” He said without smiling. Sophia never really understood how he did it, but his blank face with no expressions always made him even more appealing.
“Will you come over for breakfast tomorrow Miss. Sophia? Dad says we'll be spending the day at home.”
On hearing Ethan's request, Sophia and Lucas exchanged a quick glance before she answered. “If that's alright with your father, I'd gladly be there.”
Ethan and Sophia turned their gaze to Lucas. At last, there was a tiny hint of a smile on his face. He couldn't turn down a request from his son, so he nodded his head and said. “The more the merrier.”
Hearing that told Sophia it was time to finally introduce her cousin. “Speaking of more, there's someone I'd like you both to meet.”
She dropped Ethan on his feet and went in to call Parsley. She wanted her to meet Lucas and be the judge as she always wanted to be. They emerged seconds later and found Lucas still waiting, but there was no sign of little Ethan.
“Where's Ethan?” Sophia asked, taking notice of absence.
Lucas smiled. “He went back inside to check on his siblings.”
“Oh. I guess that's fine. Anyway, I wanted to meet my cousin, Parsley. Parsley, meet my neighbor, Lucas.”
Lucas stretched forth his arm and gently shook hands with Parsley, but he barely looked at her. His eyes were fixed on Sophia who stood behind her cousin expectantly.
“It's a pleasure to meet you Parsley. How long would you be staying with us?”
“Oh don't worry about me. I'm only here for one night so you can come back tomorrow evening,” Parsley smirked.
Lucas raised a brow at her sentence. He understood what she meant, but he didn't see why she said it.
“Actually, I was going to invite you to breakfast tomorrow, if that's fine?”
Parsley barely ate food during the day, and that was because she made sure she had her days full of food during breakfast, so being invited to one was something she found tempting, but was forced to decline.
“Maybe next time,” she said. “I'd be gone pretty early tomorrow, so I won't be able to stay for breakfast.”
Lucas smiled, and yet again, it was forced. “That's alright,” he answered. “I should probably get back to the kids. Goodnight Sophia, and it was a pleasure meeting you, Parsley.”
Lucas walked back to his house while Parsley and Sophia watched him. He didn't fail to cast his mysterious shadow on both of them as they tried their best to understand him.
“Everything about him says danger, but now I know why you're so drawn to him. Sophia, you'd better not mess this up," said Parsley.
Sophia smiled.
“Darling, when I want someone, you know I always get them.”
*****
Walking into his room that night. Lucas couldn't get the image of his son's happiness while he was in the arms of Sophia out of his head. She was doing the one thing no one had ever done, and that was to fit in perfectly as a mother even without trying.
The kids were drawn to her natural charm, and seeing them this happy made him feel complete. But he wasn't willing to accept any woman into his life.
After Gabrielle gave birth to the kids, they started making plans to get married once the kids were a bit grown, but everything was ruined when she ran away. Lucas could remember that cold morning like it was yesterday.
The kids were crying, and their mother was nowhere to be found. Her bags were gone, and the only thing she had left them was a note saying she would be back soon, but she never did come back.
Lucas went to the kids bedroom where they slept peacefully. He kissed them on their foreheads and went back to his office. There was a bottle of bear waiting for him like it would every night, but he didn't drink it, not this time.
He slumped into his chair and picked up his phone. Lucas was a software builder, but recently he had been absent from the company. He had several missed calls from the office, but one message struck his eye.
It was Gabrielle saying she would be in town in a few weeks, and a heart emoji attached at the end of her text.
He rubbed his hand against his chin and sighed. “Thank Goodness we moved out,” he mumbled and went to bed.
- Writer
