Differences

Chapter 39 - Alaina

New Chapter!!!

Hey guys. Sorry for taking ages to update, uni has started and has been stealing away my time. Low key sucks but I will try my very best to continue to write and update this story as much as I can. 💪🏻🦄

Warning: This chapter explores theme of negative self-image, negative self-talk and ideas of suicidal thoughts. These are heavy themes, please take care of yourself and read what is most comfortable for you.

Anyways, decided to write something a little more wholesome today (towards the end btw)🥺✌🏻🌷

Enjoy reading!!!🧚🏻🧜🏻‍♀️

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As soon as Luke, Ash, Will, and Josh entered the room one by one, everyone else besides Mr Taylor stood up and shuffled a chair or two to make room for them.

These meetings were commonly reserved for the official heads and heirs to be in attendance, and mainly consisted of men. There were only two women that came in and out of these meetings as they pleased. And that was the wife of the Leader, Juliet as well as Cassandra Bates, wife of Alastor Bates since she was responsible for the management side of matters in this organisation.

Which meant that I wasn't supposed to be here. But no one explicitly told me to get out either. So, not exactly knowing where I belonged in this situation, I remained standing where I was. Staring down at the floor, while fiddling and crushing my fingers.

Was I supposed to leave?

Or was I supposed to stay?

What was I doing, of course I should leave. I don't belong here.

Despite being lost in my thoughts rather than the world around me, I recognised his scent. The soft woody, citrus scent that effectively pulled me out of my trance. I turn my face up, to meet his eyes, etched with concern and worry already looking down at me.

He gives me reassuring smile before saying, "Come on", as he gently untangles my fingers to take hold of my right hand and leads me further and further along the long mahogany table until I was only two seats down from Mr Taylor.

Luke gestures for me to sit down and I hesitantly take the seat as he does the same next to me on my left, while Ash take his seat on my right, Will and Josh taking their seats opposite us.

Once everyone was settled in their respective seats, Mr Taylor briefly summarises what we had discussed previously. I could feel their stares land on Mr Taylor and then to me as he begins to explain, especially Ash's who begins to tense from the given information. He had never liked my existence in the first place and this new information was another reasons put on top of many others I was sure he already had. Naturally, my thoughts continued to jumble all together in a hot mess.

What if they don't believe me?

What if they start to hate me?

What if they think I was involved in this?

"And what does the new letter say?", I hear Luke ask, realising that the uncomfortable explanation was finally over. But that didn't mean I lost their attention. I could practically feel Ash's hostility blazing towards me.

Mr Taylor begins to read out the letter, tone monotonous, sounding almost uninterested or maybe it was just in his nature to sound bored.

"To the Taylors,

The game has hit half-time. Well played. But not well enough.

Let us encounter once again where the waters meet the land.