Chapter - 49 - Protection

Mrs.Rogers smiled looking at Gianna and said, "Well, there is nothing wrong in what Frank said. You are not young anymore, so date a good man, marry him, have many children and live a happy long life. For now, have fun with your friend. I will take a leave now." Gianna stood there in bewilderment and spoke up after a few seconds, "Mrs.Rogers it's nothing like you think. Frank is just kidding."

Mrs.Rogers smiled and said while holding Gianna's hand, "You don't have to explain anything to me. This is your life, live as you wish but don't forget to use protection." Gianna's mind was shattered into a million pieces and she couldn't utter a word because of the state of shock she was in. Mrs.Rogers winked and left the apartment. Gianna still couldn't process her mind and stood there like a frozen statue.

In the study room, Rick also couldn't believe his ears. Rick heard every single word and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He never expected Mrs.Rogers to be so cool with these things. He slightly opened the door and peeped through the gap, to see Gianna's reaction. "Pfft" Rick couldn't control his laughter, when he saw Gianna standing like an ice sculpture.

The sound of his laughter brought Gianna back to her senses and she shot an icy glare towards Rick. Rick was taken aback for a second and apologized for laughing after he came out of the room. Gianna was still embarrassed but didn't want Rick to notice it so she quickly walked into the kitchen. Rick followed her quietly and sat on the chair as he opened the food container one by one.

Rick was dumbfounded looking at dishes. There was Spaghetti, Potato home fries, Coleslaw and Cornbread spread on the table. Gianna was used to Mrs.Rogers cooking ability but Rick was really surprised to see these many dishes were prepared by a neighbor for another neighbor. Rick looked at Gianna and asked, "Why is Mrs.Rogers so caring and loving towards you? Is there any other reason other than you both are neighbors?" Rick was really curious about their relationship.

Gianna placed the plates in front of them and served Spaghetti and other dishes on his plate. She didn't want to look at him nor speak to him but she asked in return, "Are we so close to speak about these things?" She was actually so embarrassed to speak because she was aware that Rick had heard their conversation earlier. Rick pursed his lips and nodded because her question made sense to him. He saw her eating gracefully, so he also wrapped the spaghetti neatly in his fork and placed the fork inside his mouth.

The flavors were rich and he was mind blown by the taste. He hummed as he kept eating the delicious dish made by Mrs.Rogers. "Delicious" said Rick in a low voice but in Velarian. Gianna instantly paused eating as she heard the Velarian word and slowly looked at him. Rick knew he said something which should not be said and locked his eyes with her. Both of them didn't want either of them finding out about their knowledge of Velarian language so looked away instantly.

Gianna didn't want to question him about it and continued to eat casually. Rick also didn't bother to explain as long as she asked him to and ate in silence. They finished eating and Gianna washed the dishes even though Rick insisted on washing. Rick had his pills and sat on the couch to surf about the daily news on his phone but it started to vibrate.

Rick walked into the balcony before attending the call and said, "Speak." "The Ellerbrock men are retracing your escape route. They are walking into every single building to find you because they know you were hurt. Be careful. I am trying my best to find a way. I will call you by midnight." said Derrick in a steady voice. "Don't worry about me. Find a way as soon as possible." said Rick with narrowed eyes and hung up the call.

Rick looked at the small forest in the distance but couldn't see any movements because of the tall trees. He turned towards the living room and saw Gianna cleaning the couch. He didn't know what she would say if someone came in search of him. He didn't want to threaten her, and also he couldn't escape from here. It was as if he was in between the devil and the ocean.

Gianna sensed a stare on her and looked in the direction only to see Rick staring at her. Rick turned away immediately and looked straight into the forest. 'What should I do now? I can't tell the truth to her nor threaten her. What excuse can I come up with?" thought Rick as he hit the railings with his closed fists. Rick decided to tell the story with slight changes and ask for her help once more.

Rick walked into the living room but Gianna was nowhere to be seen. He looked around and saw the study room was closed. He stood in front of the room and knocked on the door after hesitating for a bit. "What is it?" came her sweet but domineering voice from the study room. "I wanted to speak with you." "If you want to leave you can leave. There is no need for goodbyes." Rick still had no idea what kind of woman she was and his mind went blank after hearing her response.

"It's not that, but something else," said Rick. Gianna was busy with the project research and was in no mood to converse with him so she said, "Will speak later. I am busy right now. Go take a rest to recover soon." Rick couldn't force her so he went into the bedroom and thought he could talk to her once she finishes her work. He laid on the bed and slowly drifted off to sleep due to the effect of the pills.

Gianna continued to research about her project but was distracted when she thought about how fluently Rick spoke in Velarian. She was lost in her thoughts when her phone started to vibrate on the desk. She glanced at the display and saw a three lettered word - 'DAD'. A faint smile appeared on her face and immediately attended the call.