ZARA (ON HOLD)

Chapter 4: Zara

We traveled through the busy city and the quiet highway for an hour, Carl took the road on our left which was surrounded by tall trees, 'errm why would a town be in the middle of the woods...?' I asked inwardly.

Within ten minutes we were met with the beautiful town, "Wow" I heard Carl mutter with a smile. The whole setting of the town is beautiful, it looks as if it came out of a fairy tale but this is reality. The buildings were arranged according to their sizes, Carl drove to the edge of the woods where I had bought my two-story house, the down floor had two rooms while the top floor contained four rooms and a study.

Carl pulled over in front of the house and we both alighted from the car, Carl took the suitcase from the trunk of the car while I took the pizza boxes and my mini backpack from the backseat and shut the door, I took my cellphone and called someone.

A young man with hazel eyes, brown shoulder-length hair, a straight nose, a harp jawline, and tanned skin came within five minutes.

"Good evening," he greeted us both, we nodded in acknowledgment as he took the keys from his back pocket and handed them to Carl.

Carl went to open the door while I had a chat with the young man.

"I'm Zara and that's my brother Carl. I'm the new owner of this house and I learned from my agent you've been taking good care of this place," I said to him while he almost gapped at me.

"I'm Jake and yes I've been the one taking care of this place and I hope everything is to your liking," Jake replied with a playful smile.

"I don't dislike anything as long as it will last," I replied getting a card out of my bag. "Take this, I haven't paid you ever since I was told about you," I said as I handed him a silver card.

"I'm sorry I can't take this," he said handing back the card.

"I'm not taking it back, I know you are the breadwinner of your family. Your siblings and mother would need that even if you don't, think about them, plus I registered that in your name so it was for you from the beginning" I replied with a smile while he looked at me with a gaping mouth, I allowed a chuckle slipped out of me at his expression.

"Thank you," he said with complicated emotions swirling in his eyes. "Welcome, and this is my card you can call me if you need a job or anything I can hook up one for you," I told him as he nodded absent-mindedly before getting on his motorcycle and riding away.

"You're changing," Carl said with a smile. I nodded at his words, seeing Steven during the past year has changed me a lot but I don't want it to be obvious to others though because I still don't trust most humans, better be safe than sorry.

We walked into the living room, the living room was painted cream and white, there were two couches, a loveseat a squared tea table with a rectangular wine-colored rug underneath them.

A medium-sized LED TV hung on the wall facing the stairs and couches, the kitchen and dining were on the right side of the living room when you enter from the outside, and the large glass windows had white curtains that were pulled aside revealing the greenest forest I have ever seen, I smiled at the sight.

"Sweetie I need to get going, it's almost five pm," Carl told me with a sigh.

"Okay, lemme escort you to your car," I said tossing my back onto the couch and following him out of the living area.

"Take care of yourself and Steven for me," I told him kissing his cheek as he hugged me.

"Alright I will,  take care of yourself as well, and give me a brother-in-law before you return," he said with a wink causing me to chuckle lightly while he got into his car and drove out, that's it I'm a loaner again.  I walked back inside with a sigh.