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Freaked out!

LYNETTE

I couldn't believe that Leone would dare to ruin things for me, by joining us in the car when it was so obvious that he could drive to wherever he wanted to go himself. Mum looked so excited that Leone was willing to join us in the same car, probably because she had been feeling nervous about being accepted by the children.

And I knew that he wasn't just joining us because he wanted to stop by the mall, but there was no way that I wanted Leone to be anywhere around me, or else I could sway. And he seemed bent on doing that despite the vivid explanation I had made about our situation as siblings.

Mum wanted to take the Maybach that she said Mr. Russo had gifted to her, and I decided to sit on the seat beside the chauffeur instead of sitting beside her. I allowed Leone to have that honor.

Mum tried to make a conversation with Leone who responded accordingly, but I knew that his eyes and focus were not on the person that was talking to him.

Every time my eyes trailed to the front mirror by the side of the car, our eyes would always make direct contact like he had been looking at me the entire time.

"Isabella has been asking about you since she woke up this morning,"I heard Leone utter suddenly from my back, and I knew that he was not talking to Mum at all.

"I think she already dotes on Lynette. She is one sweet little child,"Mum chirped in, and I chuckled a bit so that they could know that I heard what they were both saying. I wasn't in the mood to talk.

Leone surprisingly alighted from the car halfway down the road saying that he had something else to do, and winked at me as soon as the car drove off which made me roll my eyes.

A few minutes later, we were standing in front of a huge fashion design company to get Mum's dress checked. It was so beautiful, and I would have never thought of going to a place like that in my life, to watch Mum get an expensive dress for herself.

I sat in the waiting room where the groom was supposed to sit to watch his bride, while making a bucket list for all the places that I had planned to go to once I came to California. And for my college admissions too, I had to sit up tightly if I wanted everything to go well as I had planned.

Working so much had made reading harder than it should have been for me, and now that I had the chance I should make the best use of it. And appearing before me after minutes that she had gone inside, was Racquel Jordan who looked entirely different in her flawless dress.

"Do you think Emilio will love it? Check everything about this dress, how I look in it, and give your most brutal review. I need your forte right now,"Mum asked me nervously as she stood in front of me with her dazzling lace dress that was adorned with pearl stones, which made her look like a celestial being that was untouched; Pure.

"Dear Mum. You look amazing. You do not need to recheck your choices when it comes to fashion. You do it best,"I complimented her with a smile, so that she could feel confident even after all that has happened in her life. She finally got the best.

Mum didn't need any adjustments for the custom-made dress because it was perfect, but she decided that we would pick it up on the morning of the wedding. And with that conclusion, we went back to the car and the chauffeur drove us to the mall to get her limited edition diamond heels.

"I think you are on your own now, Mum. I need to shop for some things too,"I told her the moment we walked out of the elevator that took us to the last floor, and she frowned again like I had said something wrong.

"And whose credit card are you going to use?"She asked sarcastically and cocked my neck at her.

"Yours, Mum. You are the reason why I am in this town,"I reminded her.

"I want to shop for more clothes too for my wedding. And we should get you a dress too since you'll be my bridesmaid."

"I will pick a nice dress and stilettos from this mall by myself, Mum. Just do your own thing and I'll do mine,"I sighed in frustration, and she stretched the card she brought out of her purse reluctantly, which I snatched from her before she could take it back, "Bye mum."

I picked from rows and columns of every rack of clothes, shoes, accessories, body, and hair care products, makeup, and everything that I could think of. That I had tried hard to manage all my life, while hiding the holes in my shoes or trying to patch holes in my clothes. I checked everything out and picked the right choices that I had always wanted to have for myself.

Standing in front of the mirror to check out every piece of clothing that I bought, I noticed that something white was attached to my hair and I checked what it was. It was a piece of paper that had someone's phone number written on it. It read: Call me. Leone.

When I was done filling my shopping bags, I moved to the children's session and got nice stuff that I speculated that Isabella would like. I didn't know her size or anything, but I imagined that it would be Meredith who was wearing the dress.

Mum came back later to meet me outside the mall, and took time shopping for her clothes at another high-class shopping mall that was nearby. She made me get my nails done when she was getting hers, and my hair styled the same way she did hers.

For the spa treatments she had always promised to me ever since, we got them done too which was like the best thing of the day. All my bones that were terribly sore from working overtime, went back to their rightful place which I was grateful for.

"We are going to another place?"I questioned Mum in surprise as our loads got packed up into the boot, and she told me that she still had some places before it was night. I dropped off the car immediately she said that, and told her I had my business to do too.

"You do not know anywhere here,"she protested, "I cannot let you go by yourself."

"I have a map, and have eyes too. If it gets too crappy, I'll call home to bring a car. Remember you have a rich husband now,"I teased her and turned to leave before she would oppose me again.

Left alone to be by myself, I looked around to see if there was any place worth going since it was still evening. And of all places, the first one that caught my attention was a coffee shop on the next street after I had walked miles away from where I alighted.

I ordered iced Americano after I took my seat at a spot, and remained there for so many minutes thinking randomly about so many things. As much as I wanted to ignore the thoughts in my head about Leone, it was hard to not think about him and his words.

I knew that there were so many things to still do and finalize as being a part of the family, but I was losing focus in barely forty-eight hours because of Leone. I could literally see his annoying cute face painted in my head.

Instead of going to different places like I intended to, I just remained sitting on the spot and did what I love doing best. By the time I was done, I had sketched the lady that was standing by the counter to take orders off my head; She reminded me of my old self.

While I was still smiling while doing justice to my memory, I checked my phone to see that I had lost track of time. Quickly, I picked up my bag and paid for the second cup of coffee that I had taken before running out of the coffee shop.

I had not walked miles away when a brilliance of lightning struck through the sky, which was followed by a heavy rupturing of thunder that left heavy impacts on the street lamp, and other things around which freaked me out.

I walked so fast to be would be able to catch a bus on time, when the sky began to release its contents so mercilessly to the earth. Everyone around scampered away to safety for their heads, and the street darkened even more than it had been making it so hard to see.

I turned back immediately and ran as fast as my legs could carry me, back to where I was coming from as the rain beat me so badly.

When I arrived back at the coffee shop, I was so sodden from the rain already and shivering badly by the door. There were barely bright lights in the shop again.

"Come in and dry yourself,"I heard the voice behind me say, and it turned out to be the lady that was behind the counter.

I just nodded my head and followed her inside, and it seemed like it was only me that was left in the place. She entered the room located behind the counter and appeared later with some dry towels, and an extra T-shirt for me to put on.

"Thank you,"I muttered, still shivering badly as I curled like a collapsed prawn to the corner where I sat.

"Have this hot coffee. I would do you better,"she whispered to me, and I was so grateful that she cared so much to do all that for me.

More thunder, more fierce rain, more cold, coupled with being trapped at a coffee shop, I was so tired and stressed out because it was almost the same thing that happened the day before; When I jumped in the pool to save Isabella.

And just when I thought I would end up spending the cold night in a coffee shop stuck with an attendant, someone walked into the room after pushing the door open. The figure walked in looking around to the left and right, and I knew that I had seen something like that before.

'Was that Leone?'

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