Intimately Enchanted → pjm ✓

Chapter 42

Stepping into her hometown was nauseating, to say the least. She hated everything about it. 

Her hometown was very different from Los Angeles, it was smaller, greener. One could even be fooled into thinking it was liberating, wide spaces, flower gardens, the kind where one wants to elope with their lover. Perhaps it was, it could have been, at least. But the air reminded her of how it stung against her cuts. It was famous for its food, Lorraine thought perhaps that was the reason she was never big on eating. 

Coming here after ten years...Lorraine almost thought that it was a mistake, and all she wanted to do was turn around and get on her jet once again, flying back home. But in a twisted way, it was also kind of uplifting how she had rose from the ashes and had come back ten times stronger than before, only to mock and spit on the godforsaken land. 

Lorraine refused to meet her mother at her house, so they arranged the meeting in her office. 

"Raine," The woman averted her head to the side to find her brother walking beside her. He took her hand in his. "You've got this."

She sighed, looking ahead of her. "Yeah. I've got this." 

As their car drove past the tall trees, Raine was convinced that this place hadn't changed much. Still felt suffocating despite being a small town. Fucking disguised nightmare of a town. And by the time they reached the building her mother's office was situated in, Lorraine's legs were shaking. 

She stepped out of her car. She hadn't felt this kind of fear lodge in chest since years now. God, she couldn't even remember her mother's face completely. She could only remember her face in certain expressions. Pain, anger. Couldn't really remember her mom with a straight face...or a happy one. Doesn't remember ever seeing her like that. 

And now suddenly she had to see her.

Tom and Lorraine stopped in front of the door the receptionist had guided them towards. It seemed like her  brother had avoided coming to this place as well. 

"You don't have to go in." He suddenly said. "You don't have to. I can manage by myself. Raine, I don't wanna distress you." 

Lorraine clenched her jaw. If she was to back out now, she'd just become an epitome of cowardness for her mother to laugh on. 

"Stop talking like you're all grown up to me." 

"Stop being stubborn." 

"Shut up."

She glanced at the guard who was standing by the door of the office and that was enough of an order from him to open the door. It was Tom who entered first, Lorraine rolled her eyes and stepped in once he was inside. Her guards followed. 

There was a conference table, and by the end of it, there was a woman. Lorraine sucked in a sharp breath. Yeah, now she remembered her face. But it was different. She was older, her blonde hair were turning white in places. But she had no wrinkles, as if she had never really laughed. 

 Their eyes met and Lorraine found it hard to define the inferno of emotions that took over her like a tide. She felt like throwing up, cold sweat brewing on her skin and she just prayed it didn't show. 

"You're here. Sit." 

God, now she remembered her voice too. And Lorraine wished she didn't come back. Recalling everything, reliving it...it was too much. 

Gathering herself up, she started walking. Tom sat beside the woman that they called their mother once. Lorraine sat next to Tom, him acting as a barrier. 

She could feel the woman's eyes on her, observing her, shredding her apart just from her unwavering gaze. 

"You look different." The woman said, making the actress freeze. "Stronger."