Trust in Love

63. Friendship 101 with Angeline Greenwood

"I told her you found a friend."

"Oh, the friend..." Alex nodded to herself. Right. Her mother wanted her to make a friend, "Huh, I almost forgot about it... hey, Lauren, want to meet my mom?"

Lauren's heart soared at the sound of Alex's question. Between her and Logan, Alex had chosen her to meet her mother. Well, she did know her true identity unlike Logan but who cared?

"I—"

Lilly shook her head frantically, "Uh-uh, you can't bring Lauren."

"What?" Alex exclaimed, "Why can't Lauren be the friend I introduce? She actually knows more than Logan does."

"That may be true but Logan found out first. You do remember that she wanted me to keep tabs on you about this so I told her about Logan. The friend she knows you have is Logan. If you bring Lauren instead, they'll find out about your secret being exposed twice."

That and maybe we had schemed this previously in order to push you into making a decision about him. It would have happened a lot earlier but Alex already went ahead of them.

Alex blinked her eyes twice at her aunt, "Logan? Meet mom? Tell me you're kidding."

A ringtone played through the air.

Alex knew that sound well.

She heaved a dreaded sigh. The inevitable had come. For a while, she thought she could avoid Logan finding out her identity. She could have used it as leverage against her parents if they ever did find out about Lauren.

Now, she had no room to escape.

Lilly gave her a sympathetic smile before leaving the room. She also gave Lauren one last look.

Lauren watched Alex in concern. Sluggishly, Alex reached for her phone. It vibrated on her side table. She twisted her torso and stretched her arm in slow motion. It almost looked like a movie, Lauren mused to herself.

Alex stared at the phone in her hand for a good second. It rang seven times by now. Before it the call could be auto-cut, she answered it in loudspeaker.

At this, Lauren skipped to her side and listened to the conversation.

"Hello?" Alex spoke first.

"Alex, darling!" The silky voice of her mother came out of the phone, "How are you?"

"I'm doing good. Aced my English project last week" she supplied. With her mother, it had always been better to add some detail to not let her feel shut out from her introverted daughter.

"Wonderful!"

"And you, mom? How are you?"

Angeline beamed from the master bedroom of the Greenwood Household. She and her husband had just come back from a trip to Bali. It had been such a good opportunity to meet up with her friends. They had lived separate lives for so long and had reconnected weeks ago.

Safe to say, she had lots of fun hunting for food and for beautiful sceneries.

They eventually had to part once again. Chibu had gone back to India. Delilah had another trip planned in Malaysia. Naia had taken a cruise down at the Carribean and Hana had a book tour ahead of her. It would be about a month before she could have free time again.

Who knew where they would be by then?

"Exhausted" Angeline answered. She turned on the lights of her vanity mirror, checking if she had any new blemishes, "Your father went in the bathroom just now. He'll be there for another hour. You know how he likes to soak in the bathtub after a long time away from home."