Chapter 70

Claire closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the evening sky was painted in a shade of orange and purple, which made her smile.

"Look at you, enjoying the sunset," Jasmine's said, as she came towards her friend.

"Isn't it beautiful, whenever I look at the sky, it calms me down." Claire said, her eyes were fixed on the sky.

"Hmm, so what happened that you need to calm down?" Jasmine inquired, she saw Claire was looking relaxed but there was something going on in her mind.

"Maria wants to meet me." Claire took a deep breath, she was curious why would Maria suddenly ask her to meet. She wasn't scared to meet her, but she was surely tensed, Maria has never requested something like this before.

"Then go and meet her, I don't think you need to worry about her!"

"You know how she is, she surely has something on her mind otherwise, she won't have called me."

"Just go and meet her, don't think so much." Jasmine tried to calm her, "Do you think, I have any other option, if I don't go, she will create a scene in front of dad." Claire shook her head, "I'll go and get ready."

Claire went to take a shower, after she was done, she chose grey hoodie and a matching jogger, she tied her hair in a bun, and applied lip balm and she was ready to meet her.

Maria hated whenever she saw someone in joggers and Claire loved to make her mad, who will leave a chance to irritate someone they hate.

Claire reached her dad's house within fifteen minutes, knocking on the door, she waited for Maria to open the door.

"You're late!" Maria said, as she opened the door for Claire to enter, "Is dad home?" Claire asked, entering inside, ignoring her question.

"No, he is not, what would you like to have coffee or tea?"

Claire gazed at her in disbelief, "Why are you being so formal, I'm not a guest!"

"Well, you're a guest for me, and nice try to make me mad!" Maria said, eyeing her grey jogger. Claire just smiled, but soon frowned.

"You? Don't forget this is my home too." It hasn't even been a minute and the woman was getting on Claire's nerve, "Did you ask to meet me, to piss me off?"

"You're always angry on me so not a big deal, but there is something really important I want to talk to you!" For the first time in fourteen years Maria was looking serious.

"What is this about?"

There was a moment of silence, "God speak up, you're making me worry!"

"It's about your mother." Claire became stiff when Maria said that, "You know I don't like to speak about her!" Claire clenched her jaw.

"I know but please listen to me with a cool mind," Maria pleaded.

"Yesterday, I was coming back from a mall when I saw a car standing outside our house, when I went near it...."

"Wait! What does the car have to do with her?" Claire was confused, "Will you let me finish!"

Claire nodded muttering a sorry, "I saw a woman was sitting inside, I couldn't see her properly, but she looked like her."

Claire tapped her foot nervously, "Come on Maria, maybe that woman might look like her," Claire tried to reason with her.

"I hardly thought there might be a woman looking as cunning as your mother!"

Claire wanted to give her a befitting reply, but she did agree with her.

"Don't worry about this, she will never come back." Claire said confidently.

"So, this was it, then I'll leave!" She got up from the couch and left, without waiting for her reply, she decided to walk till the next lane, her mind was completely on the conversation she had with Maria, 'She will never come back!' Claire tried to assure herself.

*****

Claire's phone vibrated, she took it out from her pocket and saw it was Jason calling her, "Hello,"

"Umm...hi Claire, I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"No, you're not,"

"I.... wanted to talk to you about something."

"Okay, tell me!"

"Not on the phone, can we meet?"

"Oh, sure." Claire could hear, Jason was a bit tense, "Jason are you okay, is something wrong?"

"I'll tell you once we meet, tell me where you are I will pick you up!"

"Right now, well...I'm near my dad's place!"

"Good, wait there I will be there in fifteen minutes." Saying that Jason hung up without waiting for her reply.

She went towards the shop in front of her and decided to wait there, she didn't want to go inside her home once again and wait there.

While waiting for him, a question kept bugging her, while she was staying at Jason's mansion, Sarah once talked about her mother, Jason still didn't tell her how she knew about it, she was sure that Jason knew everything about her.

While she was lost in her thoughts a black car came and stood in front of her home.

"Wow, what a punctual guy you are Jason!" Claire complimented him, he was wearing a white t-shirt and a long-sleeved black shirt, with blue jeans, and his black sunglasses were a plus point, Claire was almost drooling on him.

Jason smirked and said, "Are you complimenting my punctuality or my looks."

Claire rolled her eyes and said, "Now don't be a narcissistic!"

"But tell me what you wanted to talk about?" She asked trying to change the topic, "I will tell you that after you get in the car, but why were you waiting outside?"

Claire nodded at his words and sat inside his car, "I came to meet Maria and after we talked, I didn't want to stay with her it would have been awkward, so I waited here, now tell me why you came so urgently to meet me?"

Jason chuckled removing his black sunglasses, "Sometimes you speak a lot?"

"I know!"

"So, for your information, we are screwed," Jason suddenly sound tensed, "Don't speak like that you're scaring me!" Jason's tone was making her feel scared.

"But before that I want to ask you a question!"

Jason frowned but nodded, "You still didn't tell me how Sarah knew about my mother?"