The Devil's Web | Sequel

Heart Drop

After the unusual conversation with the nanny I stayed in the garden for a few more minutes before going back in the house, I'm really not looking forward to getting out of the house today,I've been putting off these dinners for awhile now because I can't bring myself to face his whole family all in one, I've only been around Nasius and Dove every single day and the rest have a hard time looking at me and talking to me,not surprising since they blame me for his...Leaving.

Yup it's true, I'm the one that gets the dirty glares from his mother and especially the other siblings besides Nasius and Dove, they're trying their best to hide it but I can see by the way they're talking to me that they're doing it just because they feel like they have to.

It bothered me for sometime but I accepted it for two reasons,one I do blame myself because if he never met me he wouldn't be bringing himself in any type of danger and two, it's his family that once spent every second of the day with him,and it's all gone because of me,I should be grateful they're even letting me in the house.

I'm trying to keep this whole family close because of the kids but it's getting harder and harder as days pass,we even stopped going to each other's celebrations and birthdays, the worst of it being not going to Friday prayers and the cemetery together like we used to,if he was here he would be forcing us all to get along,but unfortunately he's not,so I'm doing my best to follow his footsteps and do everything like he used to.

My beautiful boy,I miss him and his smart mouth more than anything, he would know exactly what to do and say in this situation.

I shook all my thoughts away and forced myself to quicky get dressed,I was feeling bold and decided to put on something I've been avoiding for years, something beautiful but makes my cheeks drench in tears when I look at it, his shirt. I used to wear it all the time,to bed and to the grocery store, everyone was getting annoyed by it at one point but I loved it so much.

It's black and reaching just a little bellow my knees,It makes me look like a homeless person but I sure loved the way it looked on him,I loved the way it hugged his muscles when he wore it,he always looked so handsome in it.

I don't think I'll ever love a man as much as I loved him,I don't even think I want that,the thought of starting over with someone new sounds terrifying to me, telling someone else your favourite things,all your traumas and fears, trusting someone like that,I just can't do it.

I put my hand on my chest and take a deep breath, feeling my anxiety creeping in.

The room spins in front of my eyes and I grip onto the dresser for support.

Great,this again,I can't have a single thought about him or I start feeling like I'm on a damn boat.

"It's okay Adelaine,just breath, you're not in danger,just relax and take deep breaths"I repeat to myself while inhaling sharply, making sure that each exhale comes after four seconds.

I don't think this breathing is working,it only makes me feel faint.

"If only you were here to help me"I whisper as a single tear slides down my cheek,by the lump that's forming in my throat I already know I'll have an intense crying session if I don't do pull myself together,I blink aggressively back stopping the others to follow.

Come on Adelaine, calm down you're going to be late.

I close my eyes and take another deep breath,a frown forming on my face as I smell something unusual, something that hasn't been used in this house for years.

His cologne.

My eyes fly open and I turn around,my heart doing backflips inside my chest.

Impossible,I threw it away years ago because the memories it held made me miserable,I couldn't bare to look at it let alone spray it and smell it.

I follow the smell and stand in front of the window, I'm now pretty sure if someone saw me leaning halfway out of the window while smelling the air excessively they would call me insane.

I lean in further and a branch stabs me on the cheek, making me wince in pain.

I'm embarrassing myself here, let's just hope nobody's passing the street.

I turn to the left and branch stabs me on the other cheek.

"Ouch damnit! This is absurd, it's probably one of the neighbors"I rub the aching spots on my cheeks with both hands and notice something moving in the corner of my eye.

I squint my eyes and glance at the street, frowning when I notice a tall man standing in the middle of the road, dressed in all black with his back facing me.

That's creepy,who does he think he is? He's standing in the middle of the road like a pinecone.

I wait for a few seconds to see if he'll move but to my surprise...He really doesn't,cars passed around him and kept honking for him to get out of the way but nothing, he still stayed under the hot sun, standing like a statue.

This whole neighborhood has lost its mind.

"Uhmm hello?!! Sir??! Not to burst your bubble but you have to move out of the way!! You'll turn into a road pancake!!"I shout but he doesn't budge.

"Oh for God's sake, hold on!! I'll be right there!!"He takes a robotic step forward and begins to walk slowly,his unexpected movement making me flinch in surprise.

This has to be one of my hallucinations, right?

I close the window and run out of the room, sprinting down the stairs as fast as I can.

Something is telling me he'll try to leave like nothing happened, that's why I want to beat him to it and see who he is,I mean this is a quiet neighborhood you don't see weird pinecone people here often, but when you do you'd want to know who the really is.

"Mama??!! Where are you going?!"Evander shouts as I run past him.

"NOWHERE EVANDER,GO GET YOUR STUFF FROM THE ROOM SO WE CAN GO"I shout back and swing the door open, running out on the grass barefoot.I look around and just as I expected, he's gone.

Or maybe he wasn't even here.

I sigh and rub my temples, feeling the sudden rush of adrenaline shoot through my veins and travel right into my head.

I'm seriously going insane,first the flowers, then the creepy not,and now the perfume and a pinecone man...Am I imagining all of it?