Love Does Cost A Thing

Book three: Chapter eighteen

Zuri's POV

"She's an attention seeker!"

"Stop saying that Fia, just stop it okay? She has apologized to us so many times is it so hard for you to forgive her?"

"I have forgiven her, I have but I want nothing to do with her, tomorrow is supposed to be my wedding day and we're on our way to the hospital just to see her, what else or how else do you want me to feel?"

"Will you two just stop? I'm trying to concentrate on getting us all safely to Beverly Hills and you're distracting me."

Fia rolled her and huffed. "Tsk."

I shot her a glare through the rear view mirror, I caught Lui look at me glare at her before going back to looking at the road. I huffed as well, turning to look outside the window pretending I was admiring the scenery.

"Are you okay?"

"Yup." I lied. I was far from okay. Fia's sudden change in behavior is quite disturbing. She has become unbearable, they say it's attributed to being pregnant but at least she shook tone it down. Lately she's been easily irritable, getting angry at the least thing making us walk on eggshells around her, it's so frustrating! I want the Fia before becoming pregnant back!

"I know you're not, don't lie to me."

"Can we talk about this later? I don't want her to flare up again on us?"

"Continue talking about me like I'm not here, pretend I'm invisible."

I opened my mouth, ready to say something but shut it on seeing Lui bat his eyes at me to stop. I rolled my eyes then shook my head, turning to looking outside the window again.

We all kept quiet afterwards and soon silence enveloped the car like darkness overshadowing the world during night. I blew out another breath as I allowed my mind to wander far away from reality.

It's been a week since Paris apologized to us. Honestly hearing her apology was a shocker, we all least expected that yet she surprised all of us. I forgave her, like why shouldn't I? I'm not one to beat grudges and judging by her voice and everything you could see how remorseful and repentant she was. After listening to her apology, Paris and I have become close.

Not that kinda close we were previously, this one is genuine, we've formed a real friendship and I've realized Paris is going through a lot. It took days of coaxing before she opened up to me, telling me what she has bottled up all these years.

Her mother was the cause of everything that happened. I'm not excusing her attitude or anything but her mother contributed a lot to who she was. Growing up, Paris was under a lot of pressure from her mother to be the best, nothing but the best. She never had her way, she always did what her mother asked of her, she was the walking shadow of her mother for so many years and after growing up to a certain age she didn't how to be herself anymore and any disobedience towards her mother means being beaten or verbally assaulted.

That was when the bitterness set in, she resented everyone around her cause unlike them she wasn't able to stand up for who she truly was, whatever she did was what her mother asked but then she found love in Lui, the only good thing she had in her life. Unfortunately for her he didn't love her back, she knew this but didn't want to admit it and accept defeat, she's been nurtured to get whatever she wants even if that person or thing belongs to someone else.

She was fed up and wanted to give up but her mother once again butted in her life, threatening her to make Lui hers or else destroy everything she has built for herself.

So in short, she was partially not responsible for what happened. Her mother and Luigi's mum who were friends used her as a pawn in their own game, she was a victim as well as the injurer.