Chapter 38- Preparing for the dinner

Friday

I wake up to my phone ringing next to me. It's April, I haven't heard much from the people back home so I decided to answer.

''Hey'' she chirps.

''Hey'' I say back.

''I really miss you, we haven't talked in a while''

''I miss you too but I've been really busy''

''Oh can you talk now?'' she asks.

''Yeah''

''So how was your week?'' she asks.

''Good but very tiring'' I tell her.

''How was yours?'' I ask her.

She tells me about how much fun her trip to Florida was and how we all have to go there next time. She tells me how big the hotel was and the pool was the size of our house, she spent most of her time hanging out by the pool and did some shopping and she has to show me everything when I get back. I tell her how great it sounds and maybe we can go some time and she agrees. We both talk on the phone for another hour and she tells me that April is coming back on Monday and she'll call me as soon as she reaches back.

Kate turns in her spot then turns to face her previous direction while she's still asleep. I lie down and stare at the ceiling, it's been 3 days since I've heard from Hero and our fight that made me storm out. Every day that goes by without hearing from him drives me crazy. Today is the day that I was invited to dinner by Hero's father and also to dinner with Easton, Kate, and Savanna.

I want to attend the dinner so badly with Hero but I know that that will never happen. I really wanna go but I won't if it'll make him so upset and the last thing I wanna do is get him angry and have him say hurtful things to me again.

His words are powerful, they're like a bullet that goes right through you followed by the agonizing pain afterward. I saw the look on the man's face when I told him I would attend dinner, his face lit up with joy when he heard those words and I was guessing he was hoping that Hero would accompany me too.

I can't bear to see the despondency look on his face when none of us show. Hero and I aren't even talking right now so he won't know if I go or not. I can go to the dinner without him knowing, I won't tell him and I'll tell none of them to mention it to him to either.

I need to go, I want to go and everything inside of me is telling me to go, so it's settled I'm going without Hero knowing. I first need to come up with an excuse to miss dinner with Easton and Kate. I really do wanna meet Savanna but I really need to go to this dinner too, I can always meet her another time. Even if I go to the dinner with Easton and Kate I won't be focused or calm at all, I'll only be thinking about if I had gone to dinner with Hero's dad and his family and most of all about Hero, I would be too distracted.

I lie down for another hour coming with a convincing reason as to why I can't go to dinner with them. I hate lying, especially to them, they're my friends and I know that they'll never lie to me this much as I lie to them. I feel as though ever since I've met him my life has become one huge lie, I have to lie and hide everything but I have too because they can never know the truth, no one can.

I change my clothes and go on my phone for a bit. I haven't really been in contact with anyone back at home not as much as I used to be but that's my fault because I told them that I will contact them when I get the time. My mother has left me 16 messages in the last couple of days and I finally decide to reply to her and Nelson.

*I'm fine mom there's no need to worry. The internship's going good and enjoy your day at work. Love you.

I send her.

*Hi Nelson, everything's fine. I miss you so much too and I hope to see you soon too.

I hate lying, I've never had to lie this much before in my life, everything is fine and I do miss him but not as much as I did when I first got here and hadn't met Hero yet, but now I barely do. I'm a horrible person for doing this to him, he misses me all the time and worries and thinks about me all the time since this is the farthest we've been away from each other while I'm here hurting him with a guy who lives in the forest and does witchcraft, who doesn't even give a crap about me and constantly hurts me but yet I can't seem to get him out of my head.

He replies back 5 minutes after asking if he could come there on Sunday and we can go out. I completely ignore the message and lay my phone back down. I don't wanna meet him, I can't face him after what I've been doing, I can't see that sweet smile on his face as he walks up to me thinking everything is fine when it's not.

I really need to tell him soon but I keep putting it off, when I get back later I will think of a way to tell him and most of all when to tell him. Kate wakes up, changes her clothes then we make our way outside. Kate, Easton and I sit at the table, eat breakfast then hang out by the table for a little while. I figure that this might be the best time to tell them that I won't be going to dinner tonight so here goes.

''I have to tell you something'' I start off and they both look at me.

''I can't go to dinner with you guys tonight, I'm sorry but Nelson needs me tonight, he says that he has something important to tell me and he invited me over to dinner well he insisted that I come. I'm really sorry that I can't come through I was really looking forward to meeting Savanna. I hope I can meet her the next time'' I lie.

''Oh, uhm it's okay it sounds important that you need to go'' Easton tells me and I smile.

''So where has he invited you out too?'' Kate asks.

''Uhm I don't know, it's some Asian restaurant I think''

''Oh''

''I just thought that tonight was going to be so much fun with all the four of us'' Kate says and I look down at my fork.

''I'm sorry maybe we can go out another time'' I say and they nod.

We inform the leaders that we'll be going out tonight and they gave us permission. We spend the rest of the evening walking around, talking and hanging out in the tent. It's now 5 and Kate gets ready in the tent while Easton does the same in his.

Kate gets my opinion on some outfits and I don't really seem to like any but I finally choose a light pink knee-length dress for her to wear. We both walk to the showers with our bags in our hands. I take a warm shower but I don't seem to enjoy it as my mind is filled with overwhelming thoughts. Should I go to dinner? Should I go there alone? or maybe they just wanted Hero to come and not me but he figured that if he gave me the paper with the address on it that I might convince Hero to come.

Are they still having dinner?

Maybe they think I'm not coming? Where is Hero right now? I haven't heard from him in 4 days and the nights were horrible, every night that went by I hadn't slept, I kept thinking about if he went to the parties that they have and if he's with Brooke and if he, is he with her?

I shave my legs twice before I finally step out of the shower with a headache after all those upsetting thoughts came back to mind.

I blow dry my hair, change my clothes then do my make up. I decided on a white sleeveless tight dress that hits the middle of my thighs. The dress is so different and looks really sexy and my curves are quite discernible. I then do my makeup, I put on light eye shadow, foundation and pink lip gloss. I put on the one thing that I rarely wear, wedge heels, the heels are quite short, only an inch from the ground and are totally comfortable.

My outfit looks really sexy, I can't remember the last time I wore something like this before. I think it was only twice and they were both to dinners that I had to go to, oh and the other time when I went to the homecoming dance in school. I take a good look at myself at least three times making sure my outfit is perfect for tonight and not too excessive for tonight. I wish Hero could've seen me in it, I would love to hear his comments about my outfit.

The way he looks at me already makes me nervous when his eyes rake up and down my body, my mind goes vacant and my body becomes stiff until I feel him touch my skin then I loosen up and I'm under his spell. I pack up all my stuff and head outside to see Kate waiting for me, her mouth falls open at my appearance but she closes it quickly.

''Wow'' She says.

''Is it bad?''

''No no, you look different, it's a good different'' She says.

''Do you think it's inappropriate for dinner?''

''No, it looks great, Nelson will love it'' She smiles and we both head down the trail back to the tent.

''You look really pretty too, really that dress looks good on you'' I tell her as we walk down the trail.

''Thanks, oh I forgot to tell you I invited Elliot too'' She tells me.

''Really? How are you guys?''

''Good just friends''

''I'm sorry but maybe it's better off that way if you too just stay friends'' I tell her and wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her in for a side hug.

I hurry back inside before anyone else can see me and it's almost 6:30. It's been half an hour why won't they leave yet. I told them that Nelson's coming to pick me up because they can't know that I'm taking the bus they will get suspicious. I have to leave after they leave, why don't they go yet.

I walk them out to the trail and they hired a taxi to come to get them and I apologize once more for not attending and I really do feel terrible because it's gonna be a big dinner with some more friends and family coming to join but this dinner is more important. I look in my bag and get the one thing that this outfit's missing the necklace. I put it on and it looks even more beautiful, it matches the outfit perfectly and prominent on my bare chest.

I inform Ms. Wilber that I'm leaving and she tells me to be safe and call if anything and I tell her that I will.

I walk down the trail with my map in my hand telling me where the nearest bus stop is. I walk down the trail for about 20 minutes before I see the bus stop sign, I stand there and await the next bus which is supposed to be here anytime soon. I get in and sit down in the front near the driver. He tells me that he will drop me off by the taxi stand and I have to take a taxi up the street. I give the driver the paper with the address on it and as soon as we reach the street all of the houses are huge, they're all mansions with huge gates and security guards to the front. we stop in front of a huge black gate with the number 40 written on the sidewall as it's written in the paper. I get out and walk up to the booth.

I'm a bit anxious yet scared at the same time, I came here alone, I never thought that I would do that, at first when I decided to come I thought that Hero would accompany me but here I am alone and we aren't even speaking to each other but here I am going to have dinner at his father's house who he hates.

Should I really be here? What if the man isn't as nice as he presumed to be at the dessert shop?

What if he's a totally different man at home? What if he is the same violent man who Hero knows from childhood? or maybe he's not. I take a deep breath before I walk up to the booth and give my name.