Fall Girl

Kev

5 Years Ago

The peace of the morning was broken all of a sudden by the crash of a vessel, and I woke up suddenly from my sound sleep. I turned off the alarm, now showing 8 a.m., and turned sleepy-eyed towards the clock. Curiosity got the better of me, and I went out of the room towards the kitchen, where she stood with her back to me, doing something on the stove.

"Honey, when did you get here?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Renna groaned before responding. "About thirty minutes ago. I hadn't planned on waking you, but hunger had other plans as soon as I walked in."

Eager for my morning dose of caffeine, I made my request for coffee.

Turning my way, Renna set my mug on the counter with a mischievous grin. 'Yeah, I just spiked it.' Then Renna pulled the barstool, dropping her plate of pancakes next to it and poured a big amount of syrup before she started to tell me a long story of how she had ended up here after a tumultuous encounter with her father.

"Five minutes after arriving home at 7 a.m., my dad kicked me out. Can you believe it? With nowhere else to go, I remembered your spare key and decided to crash here," she shoved pancake in her mouth.

"You could have stayed at any hotel in New York, you know," I remarked.

'Yeah, if only I could do that. I may be a rich man's daughter, but I'm broke,' Renna quipped, adding, 'I was working last night, serving drinks to earn some extra cash.'

With an arched eyebrow, I questioned, 'And you weren't out partying?'

'Why can't a twenty-year-old girl have some fun and make money at the same time?' Renna shot back with a playful smile.

'You don't need to do these odd jobs. Your dad's company provides a lot of scope for you,' I said, hoping to rope her in onto a more stable avenue.

Renna stopped eating halfway through and fixed me with a stare before replying, 'Then why are you not heading back to Glisten and joining your dad's office?'

'You know I can't do that,' I replied with a tired sigh, but Renna wasn't done yet. She pointed out my past experiences in Glisten. 'You can't allow one person to run your life completely. It's about time you let go and stopped looking back.'

'And I've mentioned a hundred times she works at Moller Holdings. The probability of me encountering her is more than you could have imagined,' I replied, a note of frustration seeping into my voice."

As Renna finished her meal, pushing her plate aside with a yawn, she went into my spare room while I was clearing dishes.

My phone vibrated, and I looked at the screen to see my mom light up on it. One of the changes moving to New York brought about was unexpected changes in how we related to each other. Despite our troubled past, she had really made an effort to mend our bond, and now I finally understand why she left Glisten all those years ago. With a sigh, I answered, "Mom, I'll be there on time but I don't get it. Why are you working when you're eight months pregnant? You should be resting."

"I'm pregnant, not paralyzed," Mom retorted with a hint of amusement. "I can handle a bit of activity. Besides, David is out of town, so I'm keeping myself occupied by exhibiting my paintings."

"David's out of town for two days, and he is coming back tomorrow," I responded.

"Please, don't be late," Mom insisted, her voice firm but warm.

'Okay, and if you need anything in the meantime, just call or text me,' I told her before ending the call.

A text from David popped up on my phone, reminding me to look after my mom while he was away. I quickly responded and then tossed my phone aside. When I moved to New York, everything felt strange at first—the bustling city, living with my mom again and meeting Renna on my first day of school. But over time, I had grown accustomed to this new life. Dad gifted me this flat when I turned 18, after three years of living with my mom. A year ago, Mom met David at one of her exhibitions. Initially, I hated him, but as I got to know him, I accepted him as my mom's boyfriend. Now that they lived together, the news of my mother's pregnancy had initially caught me off guard, but seeing her happiness had made me embrace it wholeheartedly.

In the evening, Renna came out of the room, and I confronted her, stating, "You know I could be with a girl, so you should stop crashing at my apartment."

Unfazed, Renna scratched her head and plopped down on the sofa. 'I can tell if you are with a girl or not, so don't worry—I'll never catch you in an awkward situation,' she pestered.

Curious, I asked her back, 'How do you know if I'm with a girl?'

She explained, "You search for Margot in every girl and Last we met, I sensed you were near to breaking up with Emma."

Unimpressed, I retorted, "Your logic is as pitiful as your assumptions."

Renna stated, "You've been denying this for five years."

Frustrated, I countered, "At least I've had relationships. What about you? Why didn't you crash at Freddy's?" Before she could answer, I interjected, "Let me guess, you are not together anymore."

Defeated, Renna stated, "We are not together because I told him I was ready, but I chickened out at the last minute, as always, and like all boys, he cut ties with me."

I requested. "Please spare me with your sex stories."

Renna laughed. "Oh, because half of New York is aware of my sex stores, that is why boys have stopped pursuing me."

Renna and I picked up Mom for her exhibition, and while I was there, I talked to Sawyer. In the past five years, he's been the only person who has told me about Margot's life. He called me today to inform me that he had acquired the Parker South Shore Hotel, which Andrew Parker had previously owned.

I turned around at the sound of Renna's frantic scream, only to see my mom lying unconscious on the floor. Everything in the atmosphere was tense. What was a 10-minute drive seemed endless until I stood outside the operation room. Renna and I waited anxiously for any kind of news to come out about Mom. Amid all our worry, I kept David updated as he made his way to New York. It was not until long afterwards that the nurse came out of the room and announced, much to my delight, with a smile, "Congratulations, Ruth has delivered a beautiful baby girl." I quickly asked how my mother was doing. The nurse reassured me that she was stable and that we'd be able to see her and meet the newest addition to our family soon.

SIX MONTHS AGO

"I wish to have a handsome boyfriend like my brother Kay, " Meredith wished before blowing out candles for her fifth birthday.

Mom laughed when I looked at her and said, "No boys near her."

My phone started to buzz, and it was Dad. "Kev, I think it's time for you to come back to Glisten," Dad said, his words catching me off guard. It was a very strange request, something totally beyond my imagination after ten years of being away.

"What is going on Dad? I was taken aback as he never spoke to me in the past ten years. And when he explained to me about his health and the reason for not being in touch with me. I felt restlessness inside me. Maybe I knew where this conversation heading. I forgot about everything when he asked me to come back and handle the business before it's too late.

"Dad, we can talk about this," I said in a hurry. Dad was insistent, explaining how much it would mean to him that I become part of it all, citing past tragedies, such as losing Andrew, to really ram his point home.

"I am coming, Dad," I assured him, though his words weighed on my mind, mixing in feelings of concern and uncertainty about the future.

After a week, Renna joined my mom, Meredith, and David to bid me farewell. "I am going to miss you, jerk." Renna gave me a hug. I was walking to my private jet. Meredith yelled. "Remember Kay Facetime daily,"

I told her again. "Remember, no boys near you."

Everyone laughed, and after ten years, I went back to Glisten City. The moment I stepped out of my plane Dad waved at me. "You scared me, Dad."

Dad hugged me. "I got afraid too, Kev. I was all alone at home when all of a sudden I felt pain in my chest and fell on the floor, and when I came to my senses, I was in the hospital lying in bed, all thanks to my assistants, who didn't let anything out in media."

I assured him, "Don't worry, now that I'm here, I'll take care of you and Moller Holdings. Just rest and enjoy your life. By the way, have you ever considered spending your vacation in the Virgin Islands?" I added it with a wink.

Dad responded, "No, you just got back; take your time and catch up with your friends and with Glisten."

Undeterred, I insisted, "There is no need to catch up because I am quite familiar with Glisten. Therefore, tomorrow we are going to the office." I was born and raised in this city.

Dad nodded. "Okay, as you wish, son."

I spent the entire night preparing myself to face Margot. After ten long years, on my first day back in Glisten, Dad announced my arrival, and as I stood next to him, my eyes landed on Margot. In that moment, I realized that Renna was right—I never stopped loving Margot. Sawyer's observations about Margot over the years were accurate; she had indeed changed significantly. When I left Glisten, she used to wear clothes similarly to me, but now she appeared as a goddess with a flawless figure and a newfound extroverted demeanor. The way Margot's top hugs her curves while she wears her blazer made me want to touch her and trace the perfect arch of her waist. I couldn't breathe when I saw the soft curve of her ass. I shook my head and looked the other way. When Dad called my name Margot was shocked to see me. We looked at each other for a brief moment, and then I cleared my throat and started talking to the employees. Everyone stood up to meet me, but I noticed Margot wasn't anywhere to be seen.