Chapter 13

{ REALITY STRIKES }

"I missed you" He muttered and Ethel's heart skipped a beat.

Did he just say that word to her?? Is he mistaken or something?? He missed her??

Nathan broke the hug and their eyes locked,Birdie stared at him innocently waiting for his next word, he probably made a mistake by saying that to her right??

"Why are you quiet? I said I missed you" Nathan repeated and Ethel looked away from his eyes.

"You missed me but you didn't order anything from the restaurant, that's the only way I can see you" She muttered and Nathan nodded.

"I've been busy, a lot" He said and Ethel looked up again.

"I missed you too, I thought you were mad at me" She said.

"Yes I was mad at some point" Nathan replied.

"Why? Because I went out with Waylon? You didn't even allow me to explain, you concluded so fast, it's not nice" Ethel pouted and Nathan sighed.

"I guess...."

"It was because of you" Ethel cut in and Nathan raised his brows.

"What?"

"My dress...I came here to find you first but you were not here,I was on my way home when I met Waylon, I didn't dress up because of him" Ethel explained.

"Really?" Nathan asked.

"Of course, it's too bad you did not even allow me to talk. I was sad" Ethel said and Nathan touched her hair.

"What gift did you bring for me?" He asked and Ethel finally got down from his laps.

"You know I don't really have money right?" Ethel asked and Nathan scoffed.

"Why would you buy me a gift when you don't have money? Who does that?!" He asked and Ethel looked at him.

"You're scolding me again" she said and Nathan sighed.

"Now I can't even scold you?" He asked and Ethel smiled.

"I missed it" She said.

Nathan unwrapped the gift she brought, it's a wallet, no doubt it's looking so cheap and not up to his taste. He took it and turned it around, staring at it blankly.

"You don't like it, give me back..... " Ethel said, trying to take it from him.

"I like it" Nathan immediately said and she stopped.

"Really? It's quite....cheap" Ethel muttered and Nathan nodded.

"I know, but I will manage it. Thanks bug" Nathan said.

'Smiling won't hurt at least' Ethel thought, staring at his face.

Her tummy suddenly made some sounds and she grabbed it.

"Hungry?" Nathan asked and she sighed.

"I was about to go home so I will....." Nathan grabbed her hand before she could finish.

"I will order some food for us" he said.

"Us?" Ethel asked.

"Let's go to my place" Nathan said and Ethel took her lips in

"Or will your granny be worried?" He asked.

"I'm going to call her to inform her that I will be late" Ethel said and Nathan nodded.

They both got out of the company, the guards immediately opened the car door for them, Noah entered and Ethel scoffed.

"A gentleman would allow the lady to enter first" She said.

"Really? I didn't know" Nathan said and Ethel glared at him.

"You seriously don't know?" She asked .

"I mean I didn't know you're a lady" Nathan said and she frowned more deeply.

Nathan cracked and looked away trying to control his laughter.

"Take me to my house..."

"Hey sorry, gosh you get angry so easily" Nathan groaned.

"At least I'm better than you Mr Xavier Anaconda" Ethel rolled her eyes.

"I seriously wonder why you always get mad when I say that, I'm being seriously, bug. You're still a girl" Noah said.

Ethel ignored him and he chuckled.

"Cute" he muttered and focused on his phone.

••••

"Are you seriously not going to talk to me? You keep on drinking,you've almost finished a bottle, take it easy babe" Tere said, she's Vivian's friend.

"I can't believe a kid from nowhere will come just anyhow and get his attention just like that" Vivian chuckled.

"What are you talking about?" Terr asked.

"Nathan, he's hurting me so badly and he doesn't even know. That kid?" Vivian scoffed.

"Oh the one you told me about, are they really getting closer?" Tere asked

"I don't even care what happens at this moment, I'm going to make him mine no matter what. He's mine but haven't realized it yet, for real" She scoffed and Tere sighed.

"You can't just keep saying he's yours without doing anything babe,you know that" Tere said

"What else am I supposed to do? I'm sure he knows I have feelings for him,but he keeps pushing me away. I'm really fúcked up right now, I'm a mess. I can't allow that child win over me, I can't" Vivian said and pushed the beer bottle away

"I don't want to reach my limit but I wanna get him off my mind at least, it's not working anyway" She said and Tere sighed.

"Think Vivian, that space is yours from the beginning, you can't lose him now, never" She said and Vivian nodded.

"Trust me" She smirked.

"Good, that's what I'm talking about. Tell me if you ever need my help" Tere winked and Vivian chuckled.

"So what about Reagan? You told me she's also ban headache" Tere said.

Vivian scoffed.

"Nathan doesn't like her one bit so I don't really care about her, she's just fighting herself" She said and Tere laughed.

"For real, that's crazy" She said and they both laughed.

"I've known Nathan for years, even If she appears naked in front of him, he won't spare her a glance. But that little witch is making me worried" Vivian scoffed.

"She's nothing to you, she's not even sexy. What the hell does Nathan see in her?" Tere scoffed and Vivian sighed.

••••

"Everything is eight dollars in total" The cashier said to Arya after calculating everything she got.

'I still have ten dollars in my account, thank goodness' Arya said inwardly and immediately handed over her card.

"Declined" The cashier said and Arya frowned.

"That's not true, I have ten dollars. Please try again, please" Arya said and the cashier tried again like she said but it's the same

Arya checked her phone to see if there was any debit she didn't notice and there it was, someone actually used her card without her permission, she was scrolling when she found her mom's message also.

💌 SORRY BABY, IT WAS URGENT I HAD TO USE YOUR MONEY, I WILL PAY BACK. I PROMISE!

She read and didn't know when tears rolled down her eyes. She doesn't have any body lotion or her hair treatment left, she came to get them because her hair seems to be breaking already, and now....

"I'm sorry young girl....."

"It's fine" Arya muttered and wiped her tears, she turned to go and bumped into someone.

"You okay?" The familiar voice asked and she looked up to see Adam.

"Oh....yeah....." She bits her lips.

"Here, use my card" Adam dropped his card for the cashier,the money was removed and Arya's stuff was packaged.

"Here you go" The cashier handed the order to her and she took it.

"Thank you" Arya said to Adam.

"It's nothing" He muttered and they walked out of the store together.

"You came in to buy something right?? ..."

"No, I went in because I saw you" Adam replied.

"Oh" Arya took her lips in.

"Thank you again Adam" Arya said.

"Stop thanking me already please" Adam groaned and she smiled.

"Are you walking home? If you're taking the bus, you should go, I don't have any money with me anyway" Arya said.

"I love stretching my bones, so I'm walking you home. It's not that far anyway" Adam said and Arya chuckled.

"You're really nice" She said.

"You're welcome" Adam said.

••

"Goodnight Adam" Arya waved.

"Bye" Adam replied and walked away.

Arya entered the house and met Jenny in the living room, she was testing out a necklace she just bought.

"Oh, you're back. Check this out" She smiled,showing Arya the jewelry box.

"This is what you bought...with my money?" Arya asked in shock.

"What do you mean? It was only ten dollars, I added it to what I have, isn't it pretty?" Jenny smiled.

"Is this really all you're thinking about right now?" Arya asked.

"What am I supposed to think of? Your father is becoming useless everyday, I already told you to forget about college this year and rewrite the exam next year, I have to look good at least..."

Arya walked out of her sight and ran upstairs, she entered her room and locked the door. She sniffed in her tears and sat down in front of the dressing mirror, she removed her hair tie and checked her hair,it's really breaking.

"Gosh" She muttered and immediately brought out the hair treatments she got. She can't even remember when last she washed her hair with something nice, she's not used to the ones she's been using.

"Finally, gosh Adam is an Angel at this point" She muttered and took her phone, she checked the message she sent to Nathan, still no response. She sighed out and dropped her phone slowly.

"What else should I do now?" She muttered sadly.

••••

"Ethel is not home?" Hailey asked again.

"Yes, she called and told me she will be late. Maybe she has a lot of work to do at the restaurant" Granny Olivia said.

"She said that?" Hailey asked.

"No, I just guessed. Where else would she be?" Olivia asked, sitting down.

Hailey scoffed.

"Seriously? Now it's everyday?" She muttered and went out.

"Is there something wrong? Did she lie or something?" Olivia asked no one in particular, wondering why Hailey reacted that way.

••••

"Why is he not down yet?" Ethel sighed looking up the stairs, Nathan went to freshen up according to what he said, but she's downstairs waiting for the food they ordered. But Ethel being herself, she was restless.

"Should I go upstairs?" She asked herself and took her lips in.

The moment she stood up, she heard the door bell.

"The food" She said and immediately rushed to the door, but before she could open, the door opened by itself and Ethel stopped walking.

Vivian came in and her eyes widened when she saw Ethel, the rage and hatred in her eyes were so obvious and visible.

"What are you doing here?" She threw the question immediately.

"Oh, I came with A..." Ethel swallowed, she almost called Nathan Anaconda.

"You came with who?"

"Nathan." Ethel said and Vivian scoffed.

"The gut, seriously? Nathan? Who the fúck do you think you are to call his name like that?!" Vivian snapped.

"He invited me over by himself,I don't know what you're talking about" Ethel said.

"Are you crazy?!" Vivian yelled angrily and raised her hand to slap her, Ethel flinched and quickly turned her face away waiting for the slap.

"Don't touch her" Nathan's voice made her stop and Vivian looked up angrily.

"What is she doing here?" She asked.

"This is my house, I don't think I owe you any explanation Vivian" Nathan said.

Ethel swallowed and quickly moved closer to Nathan.

"What are you doing here by the way? I didn't call for you" Nathan said.

Vivian couldn't talk, she kept on glaring at Ethel who quietly hid behind Nathan.

"If there's nothing, then you should leave" Nathan said.

"Delivery here boss" A guard showed up with their meal.

"Drop it in the dinning." Nathan said.

The guard went in and dropped it, he went out again.

"Don't tell me....she's spending the night here" Vivian asked , with shaking hands.

"It's not her first time" Nathan said and Vivian's eyes widened, her breathing stopped for a second.

"Goodnight" Nathan muttered and closed the door on her face.

Vivian stood there, shaking and trying to stop herself from screaming.