SWNOVELS Chapter 12 (Clare)
It was nearing sundown when Clare had enough. She was tired, groggy, hungry, and not a happy shopper. She put her foot down when her mother wanted to watch a movie. Since that guy at the jewelry shop, her mother had taken her through the whole mall. Twice. That pretty much summed it up. The car's boot now choked with clothes.
They were sitting at a restaurant, waiting for their order. The place was very old-fashioned reminding her of the little diner in the British capital. Dark wooden chairs and lightly varnished tables reflecting the warm roof lights created a relaxed feel.
When Michelle's phone rang, Clare, groaned. She wasn't going to sit and listen to her mother talk about MRI's and X-rays a minute longer. After a quick signal to her mother that she was going to the bathroom, she left.
She was nearing the toilet sign when she heard familiar voices laughing. An instant knot formed in her stomach. At first thought, Clare figured she was just imagining it because she was beyond exhaustion. He mother wore her out. The woman was relentless. Who knew there was eleven different styles of plain white t-shirts.
The voices carried louder as she focused on them. She always had better senses than most people but kept it to herself after reading an article about heightened senses being a sign of extra brain activity. Her intellect was her secret weapon against the world. Too bad it didn't cure amnesia.
Blocking out the other people in the mall her steps didn't falter as she followed the voices, in a trance. She stopped in her tracks and turned to see inside a small ice-cream shop. Her instincts took over and before she even registered her actions, she was walking in. Cursing under her breath for her unyieldingly inquisitive nature.
There they were. The first familiar guy she noticed was the Fire eyed hottie, who was wearing contacts, wow, she didn't figure anything could hide that blaze. Next to him sat the Asian guy, Alonso, who wasn't too hard on the eyes either, dressed in a light blue golfer, if you liked the giant caveman type who grew up in royalty. To her, he was the asshole who grabbed and threatened her in a church. It was no shocker to see them together.
Making her way to the table confidently, straightening her posture, and narrowing her eyes. Today was a new day, and though she was tired, nothing was going to send her running without some answers. Sitting at a corner table and eating ice cream, the duo was completely oblivious or ignoring the fact that she was practically in their vision as she made her way to the table. Feeling a little nervous she cleared her throat and sucked in the stuffy air as she stood in front of them. Angel-boy smiled slowly as he addressed her, melodically with his wavering fingers.
"The girl who couldn't stay away."
Alonso was not bothered by her presence, he didn't even acknowledge her, which ticked her off. But she shrugged, "I'm on holiday, it's a coincidence and unfortunate one in your case that we meet twice on the same day." She made sure the skepticism was laced heavily in her snarky tone.
Both of the men laughed, but just as sudden Angel-boy stopped and gazed at her with those unnatural black contacts. His features hardened as curiosity masked his face, "Did you come to spoil our fun, or are you going to tell me why you blocking my view? I was admiring the beautiful women that walked by but then you stood in front of me."
He rubbed his chin, eyes narrowing as it held her captive with a broody stare. Something tugged in her stomach, it seemed forced or unnatural. Tilting her head to the side, maybe her first assessment of her attraction to him was wrong. She frowned at the direction of her thoughts. He smirked as if he read her mind, or maybe he could have messed with it. No, She shook her head, that was crazy.
"Let me guess," Angel-boy gestured with his hands, "You have a habit of stalking hot guys like myself, not particularly saying that there are any guys like myself, so to speak."
Her temper blazed, "Oh just fu.." a small growl emanated from behind her, interrupting before she could finish, "ah ah ah, no cursing allowed, there are kids here."
Clare turned to stare at Nathan from the church, "Nathan, right?" she sighed at him. Waiting for him to be rude as well. Instead, he smiled, a huge toothy grin, transforming his face to a sports star, with killing GQ looks. Since when did she become so obsessed with how hot guys looked. Always, because she was only eighteen.
"Someone was paying attention, if it isn't the church burglar, sorry about last night or early morning."
Nathan winked, and she flushed from embarrassment, "Would you like to join us, sit down? I can get you an ice cream to make up for my friend's manners."
He shrugged, "It's not every day that we are graced with London's finest."
Clare was surprised, that he was acting really nice. These guys' voices. So masculine but full of silk. Intoxicating, like your finest brandy gliding down your throat. She cleared her own throat at that thought before she pointed to the duo sitting, "I think your friends here, especially the guy with the gingered weirdo streaks in his hair, who thinks he is heavens gift to earth, would prefer it if I left, so I'm just going to head out."
Alonso looked at her, "I don't, I'd personally be happy if you stayed, and Kalbreal's hair's naturally like that, it's weird, but a freak of nature is what I'd go for."
So Angel-boys name was Kalbreal, she thought. She looked from Alonso to Kalbreal, who now had his hands covering his face. Turning her attention back to Nathan who now stood beside her, she sniffed the Dunhill desire blue, mixed with a potent leather and metal smell.
He must wear leather a lot considering today him and his pals were donning jeans and t-shirts, smiling like he never threatened her bodily harm a few hours ago. But logic said he had answers, and those eyes of his was proof that there was more behind Nathan. As if a decision crossed her face, he said, "Well I guess it's settled then."
Gesturing for her to sit down, he pulled out a chair. She nodded, too tempted by the offer to pass it.
All these gorgeous guys, who could resist, she was about to say something as such when her mother walked in. Silence descended amongst them, Clare included. Nathan stood like he'd seen a dead body, as his focus switched solely to her mother.
Clare felt the hairs on her nape tingle with tension, her mother walking up to her slowly. Her eyes moving back and forth between Clare and Nathan. Michelle smiled as if she wanted to cry but chose another route, confusion set into Clare's mind knowing she was missing something very important.
Michelle hugged Nathan, kissing his lips as though she had done it a thousand times.
Clare stunned but not as surprised as she masked her face to be, "Mom do you...ah.. know these people?"
A weariness shadowed her mother's face before she nodded, "Yes I do, I wanted to do this after lunch, I didn't expect you to see them here. But you're all here now, so we might as well get on with it." Clare's puzzled face turned to Nathan, then back to her mother, "Get on with what?"
Michelle looked at Clare touching her cheek, "Oh, honey, Nathan is your brother."☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐