Chapter 5: Back to where it all Began
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Rika asked for the millionth time as we drove back to the hotel I was staying at.
“Yes. I’m fine.” I told them through gritted teeth.
My knuckles were white against the steering wheel and I was driving a few miles over the speed limit, but this was Ruthwell, the sheriff had only one job here and that was to solve family disputes and the odd cases of stolen lingerie. Nobody would care if I was driving at a hundred miles per hour.
But then again, with how my welcome back party to my hometown has been going on so far, I wouldn’t be surprised if I get pulled over for speeding and handed a thousand other bills along with them just for breathing Ruthwell air.
I never should’ve come back. Promise or not, this had been a terrible idea. I knew what I was doing when I decided to leave this godforsaken town for good and I have never regretted that decision in the past seven years that I had been away. But now that I wanted to make amends, make up for leaving my family, everyone was treating me like I was some kind of a goddamned murderer!
I brought my car to a screeching halt, making dust and dirt fly everywhere as the tires skidded to a stop. My head banged against the leather of the seat at my back and by the groans coming from both Angie and Rika, they had a rough landing too. Good. Serves them right for all the secrecy.
But when I looked out the wind screen, my eyes widened to find that I had stopped just in front of the wrought iron gates of Citador cathedral.
Citador was situated midway between Ruthwell and Downtown, where I was currently staying. It wasn't a humongous cathedral like they show in movies, but it was beautiful building with an old world charm to it. It was also the same cathedral where my grandparents got married, followed by my parents and then my brother, a year after I left.
For that reason, I wanted to get married here as well. In fact, my wedding with Jordan had been planned right here as well, before I eloped. But instead, it was Cathy who ended up getting married to him.
Which brought me to the most important question of all…
“How did Cathy end up getting married to Jordan?” I asked into the silence that had followed my rough parking skills.
Through the rear view mirror, I saw Rika and Angie exchange nervous glances. Finally having enough of this stupid drama, I slammed my hand down on the dashboard, startling them both.
“Why is no one willing to talk to me?” I screeched. “Tell me what the fuck is going on around here! Everyone is treating me like I’m some kind of a criminal but I don’t see any reason why I would still be treated like that! Jordan’s happily married to Cathy, my parents probably don’t want anything to do with me and everyone here has completely erased me from their lives! To be honest, I don’t give a fuck about any of them, because it seems as if everyone’s problems have been resolved. So I need a proper justification of the humiliation that I just received! Tell me the truth already!”
“Kyra,” Angie placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me down. “Cathy might be married to Jordan, but she isn’t happy. Her life’s a mess. She just…doesn’t show it openly.”
“What?” I blinked rapidly to make sure that I heard Angie correctly. “What on Earth are you talking about?”
“That night, when you escaped from your wedding, a lot happened afterwards that we didn’t have a clue about beforehand.” Rika cut in. “But first, let’s go back to the hotel, shall we? It’s not the best decision to be talking about this in the middle of the road.”
“And order a shit load of alcohol.” Angie added with a sigh. “You’ll need it. We’ll all need it.”
I wanted to scream at them and probably throw a few punches, but then I’ll be driving away the only friends I have in Ruthwell. And I didn’t want that. These two had been with me since childhood; we have had each other’s backs through thick and thin. I needed their support. I needed their strength.
“Fine.” I told them after taking a few deep, calming breaths. And then I thought about my discussion with Gabby a week before I left for Ruthwell.
‘You know, one day, you’re going to look back and think, I should’ve at least heard them out, or told them my side of the story.’
Gabby had been doing stretches on our living room floor, on top of her yoga mat. Her long, colourful hair had been in a tight braid across her back and she was wearing a black sports bra and leggings. She knew she always looked stunning in black.
‘So don’t let this one mistake be the end of everything. Don’t let this become the biggest regret of your life.’
‘Why do you think I have anything to apologize to them about?’ I’d asked her instead. ‘Why do you think I ran away in the first place? My choices have never had any value to them.’
‘Sometimes, all we need is a little communication.’ Gabby had shrugged. ‘Do you think my parents’ had always been this accepting of me? They’d thought, just like so many others out there, that I was going through a phase and it would go away. They had been disappointed when it didn’t. So I had to sit down with them and have a heart to heart conversation with them to get them to finally understand what I was going through and that this wasn’t just a phase. It was who I am.’
Gabby was right. I needed to have a conversation with my parents. But that wasn’t going to happen until I found out the whole truth, no matter how ugly it sounded.
Turning the keys, I started the car back up and this time, drove carefully and safely back to my hotel. The fifteen minute ride went by agonizingly slow but I had to grit my teeth and bear with it. Neither Angie nor Rika spoke a single word the entire way, probably knowing what was coming and mentally preparing themselves for it.
I was doing the same thing too. But honestly, after everything I had endured in my short twenty six years of existence, it took a great deal to surprise me nowadays. But the second I had set foot in Ruthwell, it was one shock after another and it made me wonder how much more of this I could even take before it broke me completely…before I was finally driven off the think edge I seemed to be teetering…
But this was about my family and the events that changed my life forever. I was sure nothing was going to prepare me for what I was going to learn today.
When we finally arrived at the hotel, I did as Rika had told me before, ordered a shit load of alcohol, for me and Angie. For Rika I got only a can of beer because of her diabetes…and since she was going to be the designated driver to get Angie back home when this was all over.
After we had all settled in my suite and the food and drinks had been delivered, I finally turned to my childhood best friends. “Tell me everything. And don’t leave anything out.”
“Yes.” Angie sighed, knowing she could no longer delay the inevitable. “Let’s get back to where it all began.”
Chapter 6: Revelation “It all started eight years ago, when your brother came back from college.” Angie began. “You must remember that he wanted to open his own business and asked your dad for money?” “Yes.” I frowned, pushing my hair out of my face in frustration. “What does any of this have to do with him?” “Everything had to do with Kyle, trust me.” Rika pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration before taking a gulp of her beer. “Just stay calm and listen.” Oh, she had no idea exactly how calm I was right now. But if I had to wait any longer to find out the truth, things were going to get ugly really soon. “As I was saying,” Angie gave Rika a glare before continuing. “Your father basically gave Kyle all of his savings so he can get his business up and running. But after an entire year of struggling to get things together, the business crashed, badly. Your family was in debt and your brother could go to jail at any moment. That’s when Jordan’s family stepped in to help.” “S
Chapter 7: The Ugly Truth He’s dead…he’s dead…he’s dead… The words kept reverberating inside my head until it was all I heard. He’s dead…he’s dead…he’s dead… I clutched at my head with both hands, trying to make it stop. Trying to silence the ominous voices that kept on repeating those dreaded words over and over again like a stuck tape-recorder… “Kyra!” Angie and Rika were on either side of me in an instant. “We’re really sorry, Kyra.” Rika told me, her hand around my shoulder in a comforting gesture. “This is why we were so nervous to tell you about this, because we knew you would feel guilty for it even though you didn’t have anything to feel guilty for.” “It’s not your fault, Kyra.” Angie told me reassuringly. “Please know that.” I shook my head, finding it difficult to get words past my throat. “Kyra…we’re right here, okay?” They both reassured me, their embrace warm, but why did it still feel so cold? “She didn’t even tell me…” I managed to whisper finally, my voice ho
Chapter 8: Running Away 7 Years ago… I looked at my reflection in the mirror, wondering for the thousandth time: What was I doing with my life? My make-up was light, hardly falling in the category of make-up at all. The light smoky eyes and the nude lipstick made me look paler than normal. There were two stud diamond earrings on my ears, no necklace since the collar of my dress was already high enough to cross all levels of decency. My hair was also a simple bun at the back of my head, with a jewelled clip to hold my veil in place. The bridal gown was pure white and simple. The skirt was flowing with a slight train and the sleeves were lace. Although my father had objected to the ‘unconventional dress’ at first…but he had changed his mind at the last minute when my groom’s father, and by father’s good friend, Mr. Davis, had reminded him that this was the twenty first century and women dressing in lace sleeves was appropriate enough. And yet…Mr. Davis hadn’t thought that arranged
Chapter 9: The First Time We Met Getting to New York was a chore indeed. My two friends had covered for me until I was out of the church building, and then Ms. Stonewall, my dance teacher, had driven me to the bus terminus and provided me some of her savings to use in times of need. ‘Use it well, Kyra. I trust you and I believe in you.’ ‘But…this is a lot, Lydia!’ I had looked at the card in astonishment. ‘How do I ever return this favor?’ ‘Oh, don’t worry, I will get it back with interest.’ She had grinned at me. “When I see you perform on some of the biggest stages in the world. That would be my biggest reward.’ She had no idea how much her words had encouraged me to move forward. She wasn’t just my teacher or my mentor…she was my idol. And one day, I planned to make her proud. And preparations for that day, started right now. That day, I had gotten a good few stares from the people who had boarded the bus with me, everyone wonder what a woman in her wedding dress was doing i
Chapter 10: What She MeantThe morning started with an abrupt interruption to my peaceful slumber. The despicable sound of loud rock music rudely pulled me from the depths of sleep. Rubbing my eyes, I stumbled out of bed, cursing under my breath about the unnecessary disruption.Stepping into the living room, I found Gabriella in her usual morning ritual—stretching and twisting into yoga poses as if she was auditioning for Cirque du Soleil, all while the music blared sky-high in the background. Irritation bubbled within me, and I couldn't help but voice my frustration."Gabriella, seriously? Do you have to blast music this early just to do yoga?" I asked, my annoyance palpable.To my surprise, she turned to me with an unflinching demeanor. "Kyra, this is how I do my yoga. Music helps me get into the flow," she explained, her tone unwavering. “You should know that as a dancer.”I sighed, not wanting to escalate things. "Fine," I muttered and decided to ignore her, since it was kinda cl
Chapter 11: The First KissGabriella and I were polar opposites; not just in looks, but in every aspect of our lives. That much I had established from the very first day we became roommates.She was the contemporary champion and I was the ballet protégé. She preferred rock music, while I preferred country classics. She preferred ‘blow-the-top-of-your-head’ kinda spicy food while I preferred my meals, what she called ‘flavorless’. I preferred pastel colors and she was vibrant enough to turn me color-blind.I was shy, reserved and mostly kept to myself, while ‘Gabby’, as everyone called her, was energetic, outgoing and the most extroverted person I had ever met. She could be out partying till 2 in the morning but still manage to ace a test with her eyes closed.And no matter how much irritation I felt at having such a roommate, the one thing she and I had in common was probably the one thing keeping us from ripping each other’s hair out. Our love for dancing.Whenever it was Gabby’s tur
Chapter 12: Winning Her OverI never meant for it to happen the way it did – that unexpected kiss that left me stunned and bewildered. But before I could even process what had just occurred, she rushed out, leaving me standing there, trying to comprehend why that fleeting moment affected me in a way I hadn't anticipated.My heart pounded so hard that I feared it might burst out of my chest. And even though the landing hadn't been the least bit smooth, I could still feel my lips tingle from the kiss…Thankfully, no one seemed to have witnessed the unexpected incident. The relief of privacy shielded me from any further confusion or embarrassment. As I stood there, grappling with my thoughts, my phone suddenly rang, breaking the uneasy silence.It was Angie and Rika, my best friends. Their cheerful voices greeted me, asking about my well-being. I couldn't help but put on a facade, telling them I was doing great and sharing details about life in my hometown. Little did I know, their call
Chapter 13: Tension in Between Us“Practice before dinner.” Gabriella told me. “Or your stomach will be upset if you start to practice right after dinner.”“I’ll get the area ready right now then,” I cleared the table swiftly, eager to dive into the dance steps. Gabriella led the way to the living room, our makeshift dance studio for the evening."Where should we start?" I inquired, trying to mask my excitement and nerves."Let's begin with the basics," she said, adopting a patient tone. "It's about feeling the rhythm and letting your movements flow with it."Trying to emulate her steps, I ventured, "Like this?"Her correction was gentle. "Not quite. It's about the fluidity, the smooth transition between steps. Watch my feet closely."I absorbed her movements, gradually grasping the nuances. "Ah, I think I'm getting there. This step here, then there..."Gabriella's encouraging words buoyed my spirits. "That's it! You're catching on faster than I thought."The exhilaration of progress