Sub Rosa Ties ( A High School Dark Romance)

Gerard

Another irritated growl escaped my lips as I sped down the familiar road.

Glancing to the right, I caught Bret's lips moving swiftly, a constant stream of chatter about some girl named Sarah or whatever her name was. He had been rambling on about how sweet and cute she was for the past hour. What the hell did that have to do with me?

I wasn't bothered by the fact that he had decided to play it cool and get a girl or take her out on a date.

What irritated me was the fact that he was adding to my already sour mood. Zera hadn't been picking up my calls or replying to my messages since yesterday when we had our little argument.

I still had no idea what she wanted me to say or why things kept going wrong between us. She knew what she meant to me. She was becoming my everything, and I felt there was no need to keep repeating that to her.

Getting on her bad side when things were beginning to get sweet between us was the last thing I wanted. I loved her, and she knew it.

Closing my eyes briefly, I released a heavy, frustrated sigh.

"Can you just for once..." I gritted my teeth, interrupting Bret's incessant description of Sarah's supposed cuteness. He paused, staring at me, and I continued with more force, "Shut the hell up. Just once, Bret."

Silence engulfed the interior of my car before it was shattered by Bret's mischievous laughter.

"Shut up? I can't do that," he retorted, his laughter still lingering. "I need to tell you how damn soft and cute she was when I held her last night, so you can understand how to cherish that hot girl of yours. You two had a fight, huh? Is that why you're so irritated?" Bret continued, his words laced with amusement as he prodded further.

"Damn it, Bret, that's none of your business," I gritted, feeling my anger bubbling up inside me.

I swiftly pulled over, parking my car on the street. "You know what? Get out of my car, now!" I raised my voice, my frustration reaching its boiling point as Bret continued with his irritating laughter.

"Fine, fine..." Bret raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and climbed out of my car. "Lover boy, take it easy. I'll just call my driver. No need for..." I didn't catch the rest of his words as I sped off into the road, the roar of the engine drowning out everything else as my frustration and anger propelled me forward.

Half an hour later, I found myself parking my car in the familiar garage for the first time in three years.

Mom had called me home, insisting we would be hosting an important guest. Despite her refusal to disclose the identity of the guest, I had a feeling it was someone I could tolerate.

Making my way slowly towards the garden, I brushed past the maids bustling about, ignoring their curious glances.

Sounds of laughter and whispers filled my ears as I neared the garden. "Oh, really?" A familiar voice pierced through the ambient noise, causing me to stop dead in my tracks as I came into view of the gathering.

Seated at the table was my mom, her face illuminated with joy and her beauty shining so brightly that one wouldn't have guessed she had recently been discharged from the hospital.

Across from my mother sat a woman with a chic, 90s-style bob, her short waves bouncing with each whispered exchange with my mom.

Beside her sat a figure I never expected to see anytime soon. Her long, ebony hair, usually neatly pinned up, cascaded down, framing her gentle, feminine features.

Serene as ever, she was dressed in her signature all-white attire, her favorite color. Her laughter rippled through the air, and as she turned, her eyes locked onto mine, her expression calm yet filled with warmth.