"Lexi, have you seen my boxes labeled office?" Mom asks, her chocolate brown hair swept up in a messy bun. I leaned on my 'stang, happy my parents trusted me to drive it here from the storage that it was shipped from London in. I gave my mother a nonchalant shrug and pulled the few boxes that fit in my car out. Thank goodness we got back to the Heights just before the blistering summer heat settled in. "Mom I'm sure they're being either shipped here or Dad's bringing them with his office stuff"
Mom crosses her arms dramatically and sighs, "if your father didn't wait the last minute we wouldn't be waiting for boxes to ship oversees. Oh nevermind the movers are scheduled to arrive in the morning so we'll stay at a hotel tonight" she smiles and holds out her hand. I take it laughing as we grab boxes and the few clothes we have for the night. I find my room and I'm in fucking awe. It's literally triple the size of the small kitchen we had at our house in the Low Heights and slightly bigger than my London bedroom.
Mom stands in the doorway with a smile on her face and this time it lights her face up, "I can already see you have notes for the decorators" she laughs, stepping further into the room. "Though I think that couch you saw on room me will work right here" she gestures to the space tucked in the corner of my room.
I begin to visualize everything since I've ordered my furniture weeks ago. I walk to my closet and I swear I think I might have came just from the size alone. My closet contains a well appreciated shelving system and jewelry armoire and a full length mirror. I can imagine how my Instagram photos are gonna look in here. I unpack everything, while throwing some clothes I'm my overnight bag along with all my travel make up and skin care when my phone pings with text from Adrian, my very on and off boyfriend from London, who's currently spending the summer with family friends in DC, while touring Ivy Leagues.
Adrian mwah: hey Loser how was the flight
Me: well gotta love flying private! How's Evie!
While I wait for his reply, I head to my parents just in time to listen to my mother rant at my father. "That was not what we agreed to, Charlie. You said a week to get things settled with your investor. I don't want this biting us in the ass we have Alex to think about" If that doesn't raise my inner collector suspicion I don't know what will. No Alex, that is not your life anymore. Truth be told, when we left Rosewood I'd never been more relieved in my life. My phone chimes with a text from Adrian and I sigh.
Adrian mwah: U knw Evi always a pain but supes psych abt visiting Brwn and Harvd just dnt tell my dad his bbgrl isn't plnng on going to Oxford u knw.
Me: yeah I get it Dad's on my ass about school not like a plan on backpacking through Europe again.
I knocked on my parents door just as my mother hurriedly hung up on my now screaming father. I raised my brows and leaned against the door jam, "uh don't tell me Dad's not coming this weekend?" Mom sighed, her brown eyes looked tired as she crossed the room and rubbed my shoulders, something she always did to sooth both of us. "No honey, he's got a few last minute meetings to get things settled in London. No worries though, we'll go shopping before school starts Monday and have a whole spa day now that we can afford to. How does that sound?" She smiles, waving her credit card in front of me. A smiles lights my face up because come on what girl can resist retail therapy and a spa day?
Driving into the Heights after being away for the last two years put my mind in a bit of a panic. What if I run to someone from school? What if we run into a member of the Collective? I know my parents have been rather tight lipped about the penance for our return home, because there is a price to pay for abandoning the Collective and the Carson family will most definitely have to pay it. I shoved my unease away as we pulled into to the Hundred Oakes Hotel. I shook my head, glancing at my mother, "Of course you picked a hotel with it's own exclusive country club. I'm sure Dad is thrilled about that one"
Mom pushed her sunglasses up her face just as the valet and bellhop approached. "Well yes, he thought I should've chosing the Grand, but seeing as we're only here for the night and everything was booked for the Arts festivals and upcoming shows," she explains walking up to the front desk. That isn't what concerns me. The Hundred Oakes hotel and country club is exclusive to Collective members, their heirs, or potential Collective members. Hell, there's even a NDA waiting for at the front desk and security is so strict you'd think the President of The United States was staying here. Though there have been a few POTUS who have visited that's not the point here.
"Ah Mrs. Carson, lovely to see you again," Mr. Carmichael beams at my mother, handing her a room key. "Your husband was rather specific about your accomodations for this evening and I'll send the champagne as well as a private masseuse to your room" I raised a brow at that and Mr. Carmichael gaze shifts to me. "Ms. Alexandra, you've grown up! You look so much like your mother it's uncanny. Are you going to enjoy the art festival this year? I hear Mr. Richards has a few pieces he's debuting this year"
Just like that, my breath leaves my body at the mention of the name Richards. There's a few artists in that family, but none who'd bother showing their art in that fashion other than my elusive best friend Alexander James Richards. I shifted uncomfortably, Xan and I both shared a love of art and while my creativity has been geared more towards writing, Xander's first love will always be his art, "Um well I'll have to see. We're still getting settled with the move, but I'm sure I'll catch a few shows this weekend" I lied, I had zero intention of going anywhere I'd be easily recognized. My mom notice my tension and grabs my elbow gently, "Well I'm sure they'll be plenty to do this weekend, Adam as always it's a pleasure to see you"
Once we made it to our suite, I collapse on the bed as my mother pours two glasses of champagne. "So have you spoken to Xander or am I misinterpreting the tension radiating off you" she sighs handing me a glass. I down it without breaking eye contact. "No, I haven't spoken to anyone. How would I even go about that say 'hey Xan it's Alex, you know your former best friend who skipped town without a goodbye' um no thanks" I snap, pouring myself another glass, "and are you gonna explain why you already have a room waiting here?" I asked with a raised brow.
"Alex, sometimes you don't need to know everything. Just know your father and I are taking steps to make this transition easier" Mom's dark brown eyes hold my green eyes that I'd inherited from my father, along with his ginger locks, though mine have a few lighter strands from various dye jobs over the years. I don't expect my mother to be very forthcoming with what our penance will be, but if she's meeting directly with the senior members of the Collective, then I'm more than sure the members of the Core will be in attendance as well.
Our masseuse arrives just in time ease the tension mounting and I can't help, but take in the striking features of the man. Eyes that remind me of Killians icy baby blues, a face chiseled in stone. I held my phone up with the pretence of texting, schooling my features into bored impatience all the whole allowing the facial recognition program Luca, the tech guru in the Core, set up on my phone back in junior high. I turned to the window, making sure that while I appeared distracted, my attention was on the man getting very familiar with my mother.
"So are you excited about going back to Academy?" mom sighed "oh yes right there, Frederick, I've been so tense" I rolled my eyes and checked my phone for texts from Adrian "Not particularly. It's not like I left without any way to keep in touch. I'm pretty sure they've moved on with their lives" I shrugged dismissively watching the streets below fill with tourist and natives alike. None of this intrigues me until my gaze latches on to Michael and Donavon Richards, Xander's father and grandfather.
"Frederick, is it?" I smirked, glancing at my phone in time to note that our lovely masseuse is also personally vetted by the Richards family. The man gives me a small smile, but I think by now he knows I've picked up on who he really is. I see the moment he forget himself and I deftly reach into the back of my jeans, palming my knife, my eyes never leaving his, I give him a choice "you can either remove your hands from my mother and run along back to the Richards or you can die by my hand it's entirely up to you"
"The Richards aren't my only employers, child. I've been personally assigned to keep you both safe while your father is away and the Collective is meeting to discuss the vote" he huffs, wiping oil from his hands. He turns toward me, annoyance clear on his face. "I take it Michael is here" I turn back to the window to see the man in question shaking hands with Weston James, Killian's father. I fold my arms across my chest, barely sparring him a glance. Shits going down and I intend to find out what the hell it is.
YOU ARE READING
Prodigal Thorn
Non-FictionWho says you can't come home again? Well if it was up to Nate, Killian, Luca and Xander, former friends, crushes and Core members, I should've stayed gone. What's the Core you ask? It's what we called our little group of oversees the Thorns, the...
