Parking her Toyota inside the rather small fenceless house, she reached for her boot and dragged the little luggage outside out, slamming the boot without mercy. Raina tugged on her coat, breathing on the view of the house. Nothing had changed from the outside, she was not sure if she could say the same for the inside.
She pocketed her car keys and walked nervously towards the front porch. Six long years she had last seen this house. She didn't have a reason too but now she wasn't sure why this was where she immediately longed to be.
Thankfully, she didn't give up on the third knock as she heard footsteps approaching.
She was face to face with aunt Lydia. Her dark hair still shone brightly despite her advancing age. Her petite frame could be mistaken for a timid person if Raina hadn't spent eighteen years in her care.
"You've decided to show up," Lydia broke the silence, "What do you want?"
Raina wasn't ready for that talk. "Can't I decide to visit home without actually having motives?" She sighed. "I just really hoped that one day I'm forgiven, Lydia."
"You bet," Lydia said, not still letting Raina in as her gaze trailed on the small luggage on Raina's hold. "You packed."
"Yeah. I was hoping I would crash here for a while. Things been tough for the last few days and I thought of home," Raina said, not wanting to give Lydia details. "Please."
Not saying a word, Lydia pushed the door ajar for Raina to enter, "Dan is at a friend's till eight. Maya is having a sleepover at a friend also. Need to get rid of them once in a while."
Raina only nodded as her gaze caressed the house. She had guessed that nothing had changed also.
"Your room is the way it was since you left. Maya cleans it once in a while. Dan, well, you would not like it when he returns." Lydia said as she set the table.
The smell of fried steak filled the room as Lydia dashed into the kitchen. Raina easily located her room. Lydia was true to her words, the room was still the way it was up to every single poster on her wall of celebrities she had fangirled on. Her bed still remained untouched like it was yesterday she left.
She settled down for a shower, few minutes later, she was out.
"Dinner's ready," Lydia called out.
She settled on the table as fried steak with baked biscuits were served. She noticed how the food was plenty. "Did you guess I was coming?"
Lydia paused. "No. Why are you asking?"
"You cooked for more than three."
Lydia noticed. "Oh. I cooked more than expected. You know."
Not saying anything, she proceeded to a meal, gushing everything down with a cup of water. She proceeded to her room for the night. It was hours since she talked with Lydia and few hours since she talked with McCabe and both did not go well for her. Both stories aligned. They said the same thing about being she being a fae and it was driving her crazy. That was why she took a last minute drive to her childhood home.
They weren't delusional. She was really a fae. That may account for the incident when she clocked eighteen. The mysterious men. She knew they looked too beautiful to be real. To be human.
She was finding it a lot difficult to sleep. She rolled on her bed, her thoughts on that day. Only in the early hours of work had the two men came and later on, Leslie, then McCabe. McCabe knew all this while that she was not human. Why didn't he say anything?
She tried recalling where Arion had told her to meet them.
"If you really need to see us, meet us at the place where the sun never set and you can find us there anytime."
The place where the sun never set.
"Why are you really here?" Lydia asked from the kitchen the next day just as Raina was about to watch a chicklit movie. "We both know you were forced somehow to come here."
Raina froze at the question. She adjusted herself on the couch. She had a tiny feeling that Lydia knew something or maybe it was just guilt feeding on her.
"You wouldn't believe me if I tell you,' Raina wished Lydia would give up.
"Try me."
Nope. Lydia was not giving up.
Raina still persisted on not giving Lydia details. "Like I said before, things have been tough and I immediately thought of home."
"You were gone for six years, Raina."
Both their gazes immediately turned to the direction of the incoming footsteps, revealing a dark-haired, taller and older version of Dan Verbana. "Mom, who were you talking..." Immediately his gaze landed on Raina. "What's she doing here?"
"Dan..." Lydia tried to calm him down.
"What is she doing here? Why did you allow her in?" Dan yelled. He had changed from the sweet little seven year old to the aggressive thirteen year old.
"Dan, go back inside," Lydia protested and she got the upper hand as Dan opened his mouth to say something but shut it and grudgingly went back inside.
"I told you about Daniel."
Raina sighed silently, she had more problems than she thought. "I may have suspected that he was mad at me. I mean, I left without an explanation," she rested on the sofa.
Lydia nodded.
Raina sat up straight to ask the one not-so-question that had invaded her mind although the night. "Tell me about my parents."
She noticed how Lydia tensed up. "You may need some coffee."
A/N:
Things are getting heated up for Raina. Do you think she'll survive the storm?