Chapter 04.
1219 Words
Her mother accepting her back was something Lexi knew would not happen. Her mother had never been in support of her going into the stripping business. Lexi knew how much her mother warned her against it. But she didn’t listen. She wanted to do what she wanted to do.
She tried to make her see that it would bring them a lot of money, but Tessa, her mother knew that there were many other jobs that would earn them just the same amount of money. Despite all she said, she went against it. And now, she was the one suffering the consequences. Who else could she blame but herself?
After driving for what seemed like forever, Lexi stopped when she got to a house. Turning off the car and stepping out, Lexi sighed. Aleya alighted instantly, looking at her roommate.
‘’Where are we?’’ She asked, obviously perplexed. That was nowhere close to what she had been thinking.
‘’You’ll find out soon enough.’’ Lexi muttered and walked into the yard. Following behind her, Aleya remained quiet, observing the environment. Not too long after, they both got to the front door of the building.
Lexi had no idea what she was getting herself into. She had no idea what the outcome would be. What would she say to her?
Standing before the entrance, Lexi felt a rush of emotions. It had been a while since she stepped her foot on that road, let alone the house. A lot of memories came flooding back into her mind. She couldn’t dismiss them, no matter how hard she tried. It was not the first time anyway.
‘’Who lives here?’’ Aleya, who had been quiet the whole time, couldn’t hold herself anymore. Lexi chose not to reply to that question. After breathing in and out one last time, Lexi rang the doorbell. She played with her bracelet, unable to keep herself together. Aleya noticed and wondered who the person they were waiting for could be.
Then, they heard the door unlock.
‘’Lexi?’’There she was. The only person that kept Lexi going. The only person that Lexi lived for. The only person that Lexi loved so much from the depths of her heart. Trying to keep her emotions in check, Lexi muttered.
‘’Mom.’’ She couldn’t remember the last time she called out that word.
Aleya instantly realized.
‘’What are you doing here? Lexi you need to go.’’ Tessa said with the same quiet voice, ignoring the person standing beside Lexi. All she could see was her daughter.
‘’Mom please…just let me in.’’ Lexi pleaded.
‘’Why should I do that, Lexi?’’
‘’I just want to talk to you, mom.’’ After throwing herself at her mother, Lexi was finally allowed in with Aleya. The house was just how it was when she left. The shelves, the pictures, everything. Nothing was new. Lexi smiled inwardly at the thought that despite all she did, her mother never thought of erasing memories of her in the house. That was enough to tell her that her mother still cared for her. Lexi could never be more grateful.
‘’I don’t have much time to spare, Lexi. Let’s just…get this over with.’’ Done speaking, Lexi and Aleya sat calmly, then Tessa did same.
‘’Mom…’’
‘’Speak.’’
‘’I…I just wanted to let you know that I’d be leaving this city.’’ Tessa’s eyes widened but she made sure Lexi wouldn’t notice. Unknowingly to her, she already did.
‘’I…’’
‘’What do you mean leaving this city?’’ Tessa questioned her. Aleya knew she had no business talking, so she decided to keep quiet and let them have their conversation. She just scanned the house, totally shocked at how big it was not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. That was when she realized Lexi’s parents were truly rich. She couldn’t imagine how bad they must have felt when her father left.
‘’I…I have a lot of things going on…and I couldn’t leave without getting to see you again.’’ Lexi stuttered. She didn’t have the courage to raise up her head to look at her already disappointed mother.
‘’You thought I wouldn’t find out?’’ Lexi knew what her mother was talking about. Gut churning, mind whirling, Lexi looked at her mother, holding her gaze.
‘’Mom…’’
‘’Lexi what are you doing? I didn’t raise you up for you to turn into this!’’ Tessa exclaimed.
‘’I am doing my best out there to raise money for the both of us mom!’’ Lexi flashed, raising her voice to be heard all over the house.
‘’If that is how you intend on making money for ‘us’, they you can have that money all to yourself!’’
Lexi looked at her mother bitterly. ‘’After all I’ve done?’’
‘’Lexi please stop all of this. Don’t act like you didn’t know I was never in support of this! I warned you from the start! Now here you are, begging me, and telling me you want to leave this city! The police are after you! Everyone is after you! Not just you but the rest of you. Do you know how much trouble you can get in for what happened?’’ The troubled note in her voice drew tears to Lexi’s eyes and her heart lurched within her chest. All of this could have been avoided if she’d only known what she was getting herself into by being a stripper. No good thing ever came easy.
If only she’d understood the implications her mother warned her about. But she hadn’t.
‘’I’m sorry.’’ Lexi brought herself to speak with her voice pitched low.
‘’What can that solve now?’’ Tessa asked, not expecting an answer. Lexi sighed sadly.
‘’I…I just want to get it off my chest. I just want to know that I have come to meet you already. I don’t want it to haunt me forever.’’
‘’Where are you headed now?’’ Tessa asked again, like she didn’t hear what Lexi had just said.
‘’We don’t know where to go. We just want to be far away from here.’’ She murmured.
‘’Do you have any money?’’
‘’Y-yes.’’
‘’Is it enough to get you to wherever you finally decide to move to?’’
‘’More than enough.’’ Lexi replied.
‘’We don’t want to waste any more time. Just like you said, the cops are after the rest of us.’’
‘’I’m really sorry I’m causing you so much pain. I’m doing all of this for you...if only dad hadn’t gone, this wouldn’t be the case…I hope you understand.’’
‘’It’s fine, Lexi. You don’t have to apologize to me. You should get going.’’ With her heart bleeding inwardly, Lexi and Aleya stood up and with their mom following behind them this time, they got to the door. Lexi turned to look at her mother when Aleya had walked out already.
‘’I love you.’’
‘’I love you Lexi. Be safe.’’ Pulling her mother into a tight hug, Lexi inhaled her scent one last time before letting her go. After leaving the front door, they made their way back to their car.
The next moment, they were already on the road, swearing to never look back.
- Writer
