Rose of Sharon |Courting Trouble BK 2|

Chapter 25 (Part 2)

Katrina finished up the last bit of her work and left her assistant to clean up after her. She had to hurry up, otherwise she would be late for the opening of Ryan's last show. She still had to clean up and that meant that she had to drop by the house and pick up a fresh change of clothes.

For some reason, Ryan had insisted on waiting for her and even now as she walked down the stairs and towards her car she reminisced the oddity of all of it.

Why today? she wondered. He had been perfectly okay with going on ahead of her on the first day and the second day and had even been okay with her skipping the next two days in order to rest her back. However, today, he was quite adamant that she attend the show and the fact that it was opening earlier than the other days left her feeling suspicious.

As she walked towards her car and her new driver, a figure approached her. She was so deeply buried within her thoughts that she did not notice ig until it was too late. Until the person had entered her car and was smiling back at her.

"Good afternoon Katrina? "

"Gina? " she whispered in shock as she stared down at the person that had entered the car ahead of her.

"Come on, get in. I am sure you have somewhere you have to be, right? " she smiled and Katrina could only gulp as a whole lot of thoughts crossed through her mind.

Malisha, Marcus, the Phaedra, the twenty year old. Was this her own version of the message being delivered? Why would Gina, who had avoided her for the last four years now want to have a word with her? Didn't she previously say that she was disgusted by her? And the way she had approached her all pointed to it being a some sort of a message.

"I have a message." the woman smiled and Katrina's heart almost stopped for a moment. "Hey, calm down we don't want you going into labor just yet." the woman had the gall to laugh when Katrina was almost peeing her pants in terror.

"Is everything okay madam? Should I remove her from your car? " the driver hesitated when he saw the terrified expression that had now transformed his mistress's face.

"No, it's okay Arnold. I know her. I guess we will have to talk as you drive me back home. " Arnold, formerly her grandmother's driver, nodded before helping his mistress into the car to drive her back home where her husband was now waiting.

"I will be fast." Gina told her after she had settled in. "From your expression I can tell that I am not welcome, but it is understandable considering how Phoebe and I ostracized you."

Yes phoebe. Back in the day the two of them had been inseparable and to see one without the other was quite weird to her eyes.

"Where is she? You two always walked around together."

"She betrayed me. " after seeing Katrina's facial expression, Gina laughed out loudly before going on to explain. "She met a man whom she felt was worthy of her and even now, I left her busy in Veterum chasing after him. "

"A man? " Katrina wondered. The Phoebe she knew had been always very shy, but to hear that she had left Gina's side in order to chase after a man?

"Yeah, yeah. At first, even I couldn't believe it, but I guess those two found something in each other." Katrina wanted to ask who the man was, but seeing how they had previously parted, she chose to remain quiet and wait as Gina poured out all the details. "Anyway, that is not what I am here to talk about. Like I said, I come baring a message from Malisha. You can't imagine how much she scolded us for ostracizing you. She bears no grudge, however, at the moment, she certainly cannot relate. At least, not in the way that you used to. She says that she has her own reasons and maybe in time, those reasons will fade and you can meet again as friends like you used to."

Katrina nodded, her mind working fast in order to digest the details and churn out the implications that it all had to her, as well as her life with Ryan.

"She wanted to know if you were happy? If you have found peace?" Gina told her and Katrina nodded.

"I am getting there." she added after some thought and Gina smiled at that.

"She wants you to be happy and if your happiness is with Ryan, then you have her blessings." At that Katrina's eyes teared. This woman, this woman whom she had wronged in every way and yet, she was still thinking of own her happiness as well?

"Thank you." she muttered in between sobs. "Is she happy? "

Gina nodded.

"Tell her that I am sorry. It was never my intention. I am sorry too for what Ryan did to her." she did not go into detail as she was not sure if Gina knew about all the details. "He is changing. Please tell that. He has been through so much, all because of me, because of my father, his father... "

"She is well aware of all that." Gina smiled. "And hence why she was gentler with his father. As long as he treats you well that is. She is okay with everything for she too has found her own happiness." Katrina nodded as she wiped away her tears. She had began so afraid of Malisha's retribution, but Ryan had been right.
Malisha was not that kind of a person. She could breath easy now, but still, she felt that she had not done her former best friend enough justice. She would have to find her own way for atoning for that. Maybe in future, their own children would meet together as friends and who knew, maybe her little boy would also be reunited with his biological father. This time in a proper manner.

Katrina looked out of the window and sighed. They had arrived to her destination too fast. She still wanted to hear more, but as they entered the main gate to the gated community, Gina stopped Anorld and she stepped out of the car.

"We will talk later." she told her with a smile. "Be safe Katrina." she smiled as waved away, looking forward to their next conversation.