Damian took off his shirt as he entered his room. He hated it whenever his mum tried to have these conversations with him. He didnʼt need woman, he had no need for a wife. He was content having himself and Juniper. She was the only reason he still got in touch with Cecilia.
Damian took off his pants and entered the bathroom, he turned on the shower and allowed the water to cool him off. He got lost in the feeling of the cool water against his rugged body and only snapped back into awareness when he heard someone enter his room.
"Who is that?" He asked authoritatively. No one entered his room, not even his mother.
"Dad?" He heard Juneʼs voice call out.
Sighing, Damian turned off the shower, took his robe, slipped into it and came out of the bathroom.
"What do you want baby?" She weighed nothing in his arms as he picked her up.
"I canʼt find my teddy." She replied in a soft voice.
Damian took a deep breath. He knew what a teddy was used for but he didnʼt think having it was necessary.
Not knowing how to go about this, he asked another question.
"Did you bring it along with you? Besides what do you need it for?"
"To sleep." June gave her answer to the second question. Damian shook his head slightly, if she couldnʼt find it. Then it meant she didnʼt bring it with her.
He placed her down on the floor and crouched to her level.
Holding her hands, he said, "you know what baby?" June nodded her head eager to hear what he had to say.
"Weʼll go out tomorrow and Iʼm going to buy you all the teddies that there is out there. What do you say?" He asked. The smile that came on her face after gave him the answer he wanted. She was quite satisfied with it.
"Okay, do you mind if I walk you back to your room?" June shook her head, then he held her by her hand and led her back to her room.
"Sweet dreams, alright." He said as he tucked her into bed.
"Good night daddy." Damian placed a kiss on her forehead and left her room. He closed the door behind him as he came outside only to collide into his mother.
"Mum." He stuttered in surprise.
"I went looking for you in your room but I didnʼt find you." She said with her hands akimbo.
"You already found me, mum. What do you have to say?" He asked nonchalantly.
Darcy placed a hand on her forehead and exhaled sharply.
"Sometimes you make me regret ever birthing you." She
chided him.
"Iʼm sorry. Now what did I do?"
"You remember Crystal?" Of course he remembered Crystal. She was one of his failed attempts at having a marital relationship. Although, Crystal was the only different one among the other ladies. She didnʼt stay with him because of his money, he was sure of that. They had both loved each other genuinely and no matter how hard they had tried to make it work. It just didnʼt.
"Yes. I do." He said calmly.
"Sheʼs getting married. She called me, last night and told me about it."
"Good for her."
"Good for her?" Darcy questioned her son.
"Look, where are you going with this?" He burst out angrily.
"Itʼs the same old discussion weʼve always had." Darcy replied in the same angry tone. "Iʼm ordering you and this isnʼt just telling. Get yourself married, move on. Crystal found love. Donʼt you think you can?"
Damian palmed his face angrily. What did he ever do to come across such trouble?
"We would talk later, mum. Iʼm tired." He said and walked out on her.
Darcy stares at him unbelievably.
"Are you walking out on me?" She asked incredulously.
Damian didnʼt give a reply as he entered his room and shut the door behind him.
He groaned in frustration as he fell flat on the bed. Find a wife! Find a wife! It was the same nagging everyday. Like he needed a wife to survive.
~**~
Pete helped Olivia up from the bed as he steadied her against the wall.
"Feeling tired?" He asked with a look of concern. Olivia nodded.
"Maybe I should just rest a little bit." She told him. She felt weak, not fully recovered. But the hospital nurse had said she was fit to be discharged. She doubted that anyway but she was also eager to leave this place.
"Letʼs just leave." She said to Pete on second thoughts as she led the way while holding the walls for support.
"Do you mind if I carry you?" Pete asked her from behind.
"If my weight wouldnʼt be a bother, I donʼt mind." She replied.
She hadnʼt moved an inch further when she got swept off her feet. She flailed her arms in the air thinking she was about to slip only to find herself in Peteʼs arms.
"You should have given me a warning." She said to him as soon as she recovered. S**t, she had thought she was about to fall.
Pete carries her out of the hospital and signed the necessary documents to get her discharged.
As he placed her in the car, Olivia asked. "Are you taking me to my home or yours?" She was curious to know what the answer to this question would be.
"That would depend on you but firstly, do you have anywhere to go?"
"Yeah, a friendʼs. She lives in maple oaks and sheʼs very very loyal. In short, I trust her." She said looking at Pete.
Pete nodded in understanding.
"So where would you like to go?, My house or hers."
Olivia hummed for a while thinking, then she sighed.
"I would go with yours. I still need to rest."
"Okay then." Pete started the vehicle and sped along the road.
Olivia leaned back into her seat, the cool breeze flapping against her hair. She looked out the window and saw the houses that beautified orchard hills. She even caught sight of a woman sharing cupcakes to young children.
The smiles on the faces, their eagerness was what made her smile.
"This is a very good place, how does it feel living here?" She asked Pete.
Did his features stiffen or was it her imagination?
"Actually, I um. Iʼm only here for a while. I donʼt live here." He replied.
"Really?" Olivia asked surprised. "Then all these must seem new to you." She told him.
Pete gave a clipped nod, though he had not the faint idea what 'all theseʼ meant.
"This is my house." Pete said briefly as they rounded the corner and drove into a small yard.
The house was small compared to the Montgomeryʼs mansion but Olivia found it simpler. It had everything you needed to live. Rooms, a kitchen, the bathroom and toilet, there was absolutely no need for extravagances like vases and all that.
Olivia got out of the car staring at Pete skeptically. One of the two things he had told her recently was a lie. Either he wasnʼt a representative of the townʼs mayor and every word he had told her was a lie or maybe he just found it hard telling what living here felt like. She followed him inside silently, as she didnʼt want to ask too much questions especially on topics that didnʼt concern her.
"Itʼs almost five pm." Pitt announced looking at the clock.
"You plan to spend the night here?"
"Yes, So is there a room I can stay?"
"Of course, follow me." Pete led her upstairs and opened the door to a room. It had an inviting setting, with the bed and pillows neatly arranged.
"Did someone used to stay here?" Olivia asked him as she walked into the room.
"Probably. I usually have visitors when Iʼm around so I always make sure the rooms are tidy."
"Thatʼs very kind of you." She smiled and Pete smiled in return.
"I really mean it. This kind of hospitality barely happens in the city. You people in orchard hills are angels." She declared.
Pete let out a hearty laugh. "We also have devils but I
donʼt think thatʼs what we should call them. Just every place has its angels and demons." He shrugged.
"Not the city anyway. Weʼre all devils." Olivia said as she remembered what Victor had done to her. This was something she didnʼt want to dwell on but, how could she not? She sighed and sat on the bed.
"I will see you tomorrow." She said to Pete.
"Of course, if thereʼs anything you need, donʼt hesitate to let me know."
"Alright." Olivia called out as the door click shut.
She took of the cloth she was wearing and changed into a robe which she found in the wardrobe. The. She entered the bathroom and took a quick shower. One that didnʼt last two minutes. She dried her body as she came out and climbed up on the bed to take a nap.
Tomorrow would be a long day, first she had to draft out a plan but not until she had talked to Sophie.
Sophie was her rock, she could rely on no one else for now and together they would do what had to be done.