Song: Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B

Chapter Thirty-seven: Where I come from

I always said I hated silence, but now, I wasn't so sure.

Zane and his father were talking about business things I had never heard in my life, that was until the conversation landed on me.

His mother gave him a worried look. "So have you replaced Serena?"

Zane dropped his fork. "No one has replaced Serena."

I dropped my fork too. That didn't sit right.

I felt his eyes on me. "No one has replaced anyone."

Does that have like an inner meaning or something?

"Is that so?" His father asked.

He turned to his father with a steely gaze. "It is."

Am I missing something here? Shouldn't we be eating? Like food is life.

I smiled because I had no idea what was going on here.

"Is there something amusing going on here?"

I remembered Zane's words.

"I don't know. Is there?"

He stopped drinking his water midway to direct his gaze to me. "Apparently yes."

With newfound confidence, I asked, "May I ask what that may be?"

"No." He paused. "You may not." He went back to his glass cup.

That answer didn't surprise me one bit. I just wonder what he was finding amusing.

He didn't seem to want to speak again, so his wife started the small talk.

"Tell me about yourself."

I dropped my fork and rubbed my palms together. Uh... Where to start? Well, my name of course. Wait she already knows my name.

Actually she doesn't.

"My name is Charvi Brooks."

"Did you say Brooks? As in Nicholas and Amelia Brooks?"

He knew my dad? And I'm guessing Amelia was Mrs. Nicholas Brooks.

"Um yeah. That's my dad."

He nodded, and went back to his food. Is that all? No more?

"So... How do you know him?"

He looked at me as if wondering why I don't already know him. "He recently started working for me, but before I was just doing business with your mum."

Nope. Not our mum!

"She's not my mum."

"Step mum."

"Not that either." I think.

"Before I was just doing business with his wife." He corrected himself. The right way this time. And went back to his food. At least he wasn't giving me worried or pitiful glances like Zane and Shayan were.

I couldn't stand it. At least I knew where my dad suddenly got all his money from. Amelia and the leprechaun who owned the pot of gold, the rainbow and even all the land below it. I chuckled at my own joke.

"Anyways..." Shayan gestured for me to continue.

"Oh yeah. I don't have a favorite color, but I don't have any problem with any color except yellow." I frowned slightly remembering I still had a problem with Axel I hadn't yet straightened out. But I turned that frown upside down when I realized I was drawing attention. "Umm... My hobbies. My main hobby is actually reading. I love it."

"That reminds me of something." She beamed brightly at the memory. "There was this time Zane was reading a book and Zaiden ca-" Zane strained and almost warning voice cut her off. "Mum."

There was something he didn't want me to hear, but I already heard it. Zaiden.

Zaiden.

What a pretty name, but I prefer Zane.

Of course you do.

I wasn't being biased, I just liked it better. Anyways, who's Zaiden?

Probably that cousin, Zane said used to live here.

Then why wouldn't he want me to know?

I looked at my phone. "Look at the time. It's getting really late. My... They'll be worried. I better go." I stood up.

Shayan looked upset. "But you aren't done with your food yet. Should I call Rosita to pack it up for you? Rosita!" She called out.

"No, no. It's fine. I just don't want my sister to be worried, so I better go."

Shayan was about to oppose again when Zane said, "She's right mother. It's getting late."

I smiled at Shayan and poker-faced at Mr. Rivers. "Thank for having me and for the meal."

She nodded and smiled. "You're welcome dearie."

I turned to Mr. Rivers, but he just stared right back at me. I smiled. "Good night Mr. Rivers."

"Good night Miss Brooks." He said before quickly going back to his meal.

I sighed. This is going to be the start of a wonderful relationship.

With Zane?

No. Not with Zane. With Mr. Rivers as his son's friend.

As I walked out the dining room, I heard Zane saying something I didn't quite catch to his parents. Then a few seconds after, I heard his footsteps and then felt his hand clasped over my arm.

"Again with the grabbing."

"Again with the running away."

I scoffed. "I wasn't running away."

"Then what do you call that?"

I would have replied, I already had a reply, but then I took in his eyes. They looked like they had changed color. They looked like green, brown and gold together. What was that called?

"What color are your eyes?"

He gave me a confused and weird look before replying. "Hazel."

"Hazel? I thought they were emerald green."

He gave me a pointed look. "Your eyes are the emerald ones."

"They are? I thought they were bluish green."

"That is emerald."

"Wow. I need to touch up my eye color naming."

He gave me an incredulous look.

"What?"

He didn't answer and I found myself staring at his eyes again. Who would have thought that brown and green would look this good together?

"How am I just noticing this now?"

"It may be your ignorance or it may be the sun or artificial lighting."

My ignorance? I stare at him a lot. I doubt it's that.

Creep.

"Does the sun make your eyes change color? That's spectacular."

"That's normal." He deadpanned. "From what I know, it happens for any eye color with the shade of green."

"What color does mine change to?"

He seemed to be having a long time coming up with it so I just said, "You know what? Never mind."

"A beautiful shade of blue."

I smiled. The way he just said it was.. heartwarming. What was I supposed to say? Should I say thank you? I mean it was a compliment. We were just looking at each other.

You seem to be doing that a lot lately.

I don't mind.

He just had to break it by coughing. "Why are we even talking about eye colors anyways?"

"Because it's so random."

He raised his brows in amusement. "Was that a joke?"

"Pun. I actually better go. I'm going to get my purse." I turned to start heading upstairs.

"Let me get it for you." He walked passed me, up the stairs. I didn't bother objecting because I was tired anyways. I know the doctor said three weeks, but it literally only took a week before it stopped paining me as much. I guess they weren't as bruised as the doctor thought. Strenuous work was a little taxing, but then again, wasn't it always?

I sat at the bottom of the stairs, then contemplated. Was that considered unladylike? But before I could decide whether to get up, Zane had already jogged down the stairs and was in front of me, handing me my purse,......the book and car keys? Maybe it's just my eyes. I stood up and grabbed the purse. Actually I tried to grab the purse, but Zane gripped it tight.

I looked up at his piercing hazel eyes. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm handing you your belongings."

"You know to actually hand me my belonging, you need to release it."

He retracted his hands, including the one with my purse. "I would release it, but you know, where I come from-"

I cut him off. "You mean America?"

He seemed to think for a while even though we both already knew the real answer. "Maybe. Where I come from, people collect their things in alphabetical order. It's obviously the right way to go."

I blinked. And then I blinked again. You've got to be freaking kidding me.

"Where I come from, you know, maybe America, maybe not." I shrugged. "When you only have one belonging, there's obviously no need for the alphabetical order display. It's obviously the right way to go."

"In this case, you have three belongings."

He was handing me the book, and his what? His freaking car? It's not something you just give people.

"The only way I'm taking the book is if I accidentally drooled on it or tore it, and I need to get it fixed. And the only way I'm taking the car keys and/or whatever comes with it, is if I scratched it and need to repair it. And seeing as I did neither, may I have my purse now?"

"So you won't take a gift?"

"Firstly, it's two gifts. And secondly, you don't just give your freaking car to anyone."

"Well, that's the difference, you're not just anyone."

What's that supposed to mean?

I raised my eyebrows. "And that's supposed to mean something?"

"Yes?" He offered.

"No."

"Come on. Just take it."

"Fine."

"Really?" He looked surprised. Good.

I reached out and took the book, letter 'b' of course. Then next he handed me the car keys. Since he was focused on me taking the keys, I reached forward and tried to snatch my purse. Emphasis on 'tried'. He had raised his hand up and I had to jump before I could reach it.

Damn you, you stupid height.

"Did you really think I'd believe you'd just take it that easily?"

"I guess you know me better than I thought."

"Yes. So you should know me as well. I'm strong headed so don't expect to leave this house anytime soon. At least, not with your purse."

I glared at him. "Well, I'm relentless."

He smiled, teasingly. "Good for you. I'm sure you'll find our house a very nice place to spend the night."

My jaw dropped. "Why can't you just let me go?"

"Why can't you just let me help you?"

"I do not need your help."

"I am not going to let you walk all the way back to your house this late, especially when you know who is still out there."

I sighed because he was right about that, but like I said living in fear doesn't actually protect me from anything. I can't live a shielded life forever. "Then drive me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I wouldn't always be right by your side, Cherry. I thought you'd prefer to be independent."

"How am I being independent if I accept a goddamned car?"

"If it becomes yours, you could just see it as buying it."

"But I didn't give you any money."

"Then see it as a favor, because like it or not, people who care about you are going to do those. I don't see why you're so adamant on not receiving help."

"I don't want to be a burden!" I almost yelled. Then much lower, I repeated it. "I can't have my friends seeing me as a burden. As someone who just receives the benefit from their money without giving anything in return."

He took a step closer to me, and looked unsure of what to do. I would to if he had just spoken his mind to me.

He hugged me and said the most beautiful words I'd ever been told. "If I had a star for every time you brightened my day, I'd be holding the galaxy in my hands. And I think that costs way more than money. If the people who care about you can't see that, then they don't really care about you."

I hugged him tighter. "I honestly don't know what I would do without you."

We released each other and he gave me a bright smile. "Then it's a good thing you don't have to ever find out."

I smiled back and took the keys he'd been handing me, then my purse.

"You're not going to need it?"

He waved a dismissive hand. "Nah! I have a bunch of cars anyway."

"Living the life, aren't you?" I teased.

"Yeah, but it was missing something." Was? "That was until I met you."

I almost blushed. Almost. "If you keep flattering me, you'd make my head explode. I'm sure you'd love to see that happen."

He raised his hands in mock surrender. "I'm not denying it."

I punched his shoulder and we laughed a little. Everything was so much more beautiful with him. How on earth was I living before?

We're clearly doomed because he is bound to leave at some point.

Please don't remind me.

He walked me to the car, and we hugged goodbye before I drove home with a very silly smile on my face.

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All I can say is :), ;) and :D.

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