"Actually, I met your daughter at her school. We met for the first time today." Amaris started.
Watching Arya's grandmother's face for a reaction, Amaris continued carefully, "You see Ms. Laura, I..I lost my memories after hitting my head and now I can't remember my way home or where I come from so I begged Arya to let me stay with her for a while but she didn't want to agree to it. That's why I followed her home." Amaris lied in the most pitiable tone possible, even squeezing out two drops of tears as he did.
Arya with her tongue in her cheek gave the lying beast a scathing glare.
'He had the guts to lie! Now she seemed like the most horrible person in the world!'
Amaris who sensed Arya's anger cowered on his seat a little.
Well, he wasn't technically lying, he did hit his head on the bathroom wall when he crashed into this world and he really doesn't know his way home. The only thing he took out of the truth was his memories and the fact that he wasn't from here.
Although he was worried about Arya's anger, what he was truly worried about was if her grandma would buy his lies. Trying to take a careful peek at Arya's grandmother, he hadn't even raised his head fully when he heard her yell.
"Arya Isabella Jenkins! I taught you more than that!"
"Nana! I couldn't possibly bring a…stranger into our home!" Arya said in an outburst while also stopping herself in time for calling Amaris a beast.
"Still, you could have at least come home and consulted me first. Not waste so much time outside, making me worried sick." Her grandma yelled right back.
"But Nana, what if he was a bad person, a kidnapper, human trafficker, drug dealer, a thief or even…a beast?" Arya said before whispering the word beast underneath her breath.
"Or a what?" Laura asked, she didn't get what Arya said.
"Nothing! I'm just saying that I couldn't just bring someone I know nothing about to our home." Arya quickly defended. She didn't want her grandmother to hear what she said about Amaris being a beast but that didn't mean the beast himself didn't hear the low jab thrown his way.
'I deserve that.' Amaris thought with clenched jaws.
"Well, does he seem like any of those horrible people you mentioned just now?" Laura inquired with a fold of her arms. However, she didn't allow her granddaughter to reply to her question before she dropped a statement that seemed like a bomb to the already wearied heart of Arya.
"Anyways, Amaris dear, you can stay for as long as you want. At least till you get your memories back. Let me go get your juice." Laura stated before she headed to the kitchen not forgetting to give her granddaughter the eye.
'Don't make him feel uncomfortable.' she mouthed.
'And what if I do?' Arya mouthed back to which her grandmother gave her a sweet little smile that Arya knew was nothing close to sweet but rather a threatening one.
Her grandmother threatened her because of this beast! Arya pondered as she placed her quartz orbs on the beast one more time. 'He just came and ruined everything!'
Amaris felt Arya's gaze for the nth time today after she and her grandma exchanged some words between them that he couldn't decipher.
However, he couldn't help but marvel feel at their relationship which was more likened to two maidens of the same age than a maiden and a grandmother.
Laura gave Arya one last glance before disappearing into the kitchen.
When Arya's grandmother left to get him a glass of juice, Arya's scorching gaze became more intense.
Glancing at the ceiling, Amaris tried to look anywhere but Arya's face, hoping and wishing she wouldn't ask him any questions because he felt guilty.
Incredibly guilty. He was the one who pleaded with her incessantly for a place to stay but had somehow caused a rift between a girl and her grandmother.
But not all wishes came true.
"Sir Amaris." Arya called out, causing Amaris to stiffen on his seat.
Dropping his marine blue eyes from looking at the wood paneled ceiling, he focused it on Arya's quartz coloured ones and couldn't help but feel slightly mesmerized.
She was indeed incredibly beautiful and if it wasn't for her closed off personality, he would have thought she was one of those fallen goddesses from the Hyacinth Kingdom.
"Sir Amaris, what do you think you are doing?"
Her lovely voice brought him out of his thoughts and when she gained his attention, he realised that her eyes were still squinted at him. Amaris couldn't understand the irony that was Arya, if her voice was cool water from a spring then her eyes were molten lava from a volcano.
"I don't understand." He replied.
"You don't understand? I…you know what? Its fine, do whatever you want. You and grandma!" Arya enunciated before standing up to grab her school bag and headed to the stairway by the end of the room.
Climbing each stair whilst stomping her feet, Amaris figured she was going to her room.
Releasing a sigh he didn't know he held in, he watched Arya disappear amongst the stairs till he couldn't hear her angry stomps anymore. He survived this one for now, at least with the help of Ms. Laura.
Speaking of Ms. Laura, he found it incredibly strange that she accepted him into her house immediately just after a few lies from his mouth. One thing he knew was people are age were always more rational and calculating when it came to making decisions.
They had the tact that children of the lower generation lacked but to his surprise she just went with the flow. Well he did perceive that her relationship withArya was pretty close, maybe her granddaughter's mannerisms rubbed off on her throughout the years.
Amaris thought as he sunk into his seat whilst admiring the interior of the house. It had a touch of a humble modern flair with large boxy windows which made the living room appear bright and spacious. The layout gave out a relaxed and carefree vibe with sleek and simple furniture. The palette was mostly white with colours, blue, pink, yellow and turquoise giving it a slightly coastal vibe.
It was like the house was begging the guest to get comfortable and cozy straightaway.
While Amaris was busy admiring the interior of Arya's house, Laura, Arya's grandmother was secretly watching him from the space on the room divider.
Holding a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice in her wrinkled palm, her eyes twinkled in wonder and excitement.
'I can't believe a Lun is sitting in my living room right now!' She thought but when Amaris's head suddenly whipped to where was standing, her hazel eyes made contact with his marine blue ones and she couldn't help but freeze a little.
Gaining her composure back, she walked from the kitchen, past the room divider and into the living room to stop right in front of Amaris who was peering at her confusedly.
"Here dear, have this. It's freshly squeezed orange juice."
Handing the juice to him, Laura berated herself inwardly. She almost forgot that this guy was a wolf and had heightened senses.
"I'm sorry I just couldn't stop looking, but you are a very handsome lad. I really wish you were my granddaughter's boyfriend, you know." She said before taking a seat right next to Amaris on the white coloured sofa.
She didn't want to scare him away. Hopefully, he bought what she said.
"That's okay ma'am, I mean Ms. Laura." Amaris muttered as he quietly sniffed the juice for any oddities before taking a tiny sip. He was quite alarmed when he sensed excitement radiating from the back of his head so he immediately turned only to see Arya's grandmother grinning widely at him.
But from her explanation, she was just carried away by his beauty which was normal as it wasn't the first time that women but young and old got mesmerized by him.
"Alright dear, let's get you settled in. I'm sure you must be very tired and my granddaughter didn't have the decency to show you to your room." Laura said as she shot up from the seat with an energy a woman her age wasn't supposed to have while raising the pitch of her voice a little more than usual , like she was trying to let Arya hear her.
"Thank you very much Ms. Laura for your hospitality. Words cannot express how grateful I am." Amaris said with cupped palms, when Laura got him settled in one of the rooms on the first floor right beside Arya's room.
"It's alright dear. No need to thank me, I just did what any human would do to help a fellow..human." Laura replied with a tiny smile before she closed the door of Amaris room behind her, walked past her sulky granddaughter's room and headed downstairs.
"It's been ages but it's time to give Greg a call. Wonder if he's still in charge of portals." She soliloquized as she headed to her room.
Apparently, Laura heard everything that transpired between Arya and the wolf when they were outside her house.