Seeking

Part Three

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the morning air as I make my way to the kitchen. My mother is standing by the kitchen island fixing six cups of coffee.
"Last night was pretty wild, hey? " she asks me and slides a cup cross the counter to me. I take a long sip, thinking that the quicker I caffeinate myself, the quicker I can get rid of this alcohol induced headache.

"Yes, that was a strong batch of red wine. Are you guys trying out a new formula because that really was something." I said.

"New formula yes," she said lost in thought, "tell me, why did you look so... Disastrous after the main course was served last night. I was so grateful that your father escorted you upstairs before the whole room saw you."she says, then sips on her coffee waiting for an answer from me, but all I can think about right now, is what my father is keeping from me.

I need to start from the beginning, from when we were young. What could Papa possibly have against Seth? It seemed impossible to think of anything that Papa wouldn't like when he always insisted that Seth and I play together.
Okay, new plan. Let's start from my dospělost. That whole first week was quite a blur come to think of it. All I remember was-

"Hello? Is Jenna home, or am I talking to the walls?"she says. My mother snaps her fingers in front of my face.

"Yes, Mama, I'm here, just thinking..." I say.

"Well, I can see that, but you did not answer my question."she says and I sigh in response.

" I was by the pond with Seth Barry we wer-" My mother slams her cup on the counter."Tell me he did not touch you. Why were you speaking to him when you had three suitors here for you last night!" she gasps, "Does your father know? I have to tell him immediately."she says and walks off but I grab her by the arm.

" Mama, he knows. I told him when he took me upstairs. What's the matter with Seth anyway, he was never rude to you or Papa." I say while I try to seem calm and collected.

"Your right, he is a very respectful man. But he is not good for you. Trust me Jenna, his companionship will only curse you" she says and pats my back before calling out to everyone still sleeping to wake up. I finish my coffee and walk out to the garden where Seth and I were sitting.

There are still dents in the ground from where we were sitting yesterday. Images of our disagreement flashes through my mind and stops on what was bothering me whole evening. "You and your father ended our friendship", if only I knew what he meant by that.
A painful jolt shoots through my head. I shouldn't have drank as much I did last night, but I needed to rid myself of all the emotional pain I had to endure. It turns out that the carefree happiness wine gives you is ephemeral, and when the clock strikes twelve, it hits you with twice the pain.

My cellphone vibrates from the pocket of my evening robe. It's a text from an unknown number. This is a surprise because no one beside my parents has my number. I hastily open the message.

Unknown: Good morning Miss. Lindt, I'm holding that promise against you. I can't wait to get an exclusive tour of the village!

I really shouldn't drink wine again, have I made a new friend? Impossible, like Seth said; I'm a pariah, no one would dare to come near me at the cost of losing their reputation in this village.

Jenna : I can't fulfill my promise to someone that I don't know. Who are you and how did you obtain my number?

I didn't have to wait long for a reply, the person was Mateo, apparently I gave him my number after we danced and said that I enjoyed his company so much that I would like to give him an 'exclusive tour of the the village'. I responded to him saying that I would love to keep my promise and meet him later today. Somehow, it felt wrong to arrange a date with my potential husband on the bench I sat on with Seth Barry.
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It's currently 4pm and I'm sitting in a quaint little café with Mateo. So far, his company has been entertaining. I took him to all the local hotspots; the lake, the central park, the Den života shrine and finally, the Homegrown Café.

I learned that he and Jackson have been friends for years. Their parents are very good friends who frequently visit each other. He speaks so highly of Jackson, and one can see how much he admires and loves his best friend. It's a shame that they have to compete for my hand in marriage.

"How do you feel about this arranged marriaged situation?" I ask.
"It's not what I would prefer but my parents insisted that it would be good for our families to merge."he says and shrugs.
" I literally only found out about it yesterday. I was angry about my parents bargaining with my future, but when I first met Des, I decided that it wasn't all that bad to have someone to speak to."i say.
"I get that. I've heard about your reputation in this village, but I want you to know that if you ever need someone to talk to about anything; you now have my number." he says with a giggle and blows a kiss at me. I chuckle under my breath at his display of femininity, he truly is an interesting one.
" Thank you, really, I appreciate it." I say and look out the window at the hue of blues and oranges in the sky. It's almost sunset."I have to be honest with you, I don't think that I'm going to agree to the arranged marriage. I'd rather be alone than be one of 'those' woman, no offense." I say and look at him for reassurance.
"I understand where you're coming from; you don't want to be known as the woman who couldn't attract a husband. Remember, there's a reason for everything that our parents are doing. There's a reason why your parents chose the three specific families. Lastly, there's a reason why you have to choose. Believe me when I say that I'd rather choose my own partner; no offense. I'm glad that you're actually a person that I can speak to."he says and holds my hand across the table.
"You said that there's a reason, but I don't know why. Nothing was explained to me, how am I supposed to agree with everything, when I don't know anything. Please, if you know something just tell me." I beg him and squeeze his hand.
He looks like he is having an internal battle. A few moments later, he sits up straight and lowers his voice."I am not supposed to be telling you this and my parents- and probably yours too- will kill me for this. You know the rumors about the village secrets;" I nod, "they exist and I know them, but I can't tell you. I'm bound to a... contract of sorts. Kind of like an NDA, I can speak about it but I can't be specific. I need you to put the puzzle pieces together."

I contemplate if I should listen or not, what I'm about to hear could be life changing or it could be nothing at all. I nod for him to continue.

" The myths are true. The beast is real. Your father controls all of us, your father controls you. You're weak because you're alone, but there's someone made only for you. That someone is replaceable for reasons you have to find. There's so much more that I can tell you but these ones are important to your situation." he says. None of what he said made any sense to me, but I thanked him for it and told him that I had to leave because he gave me so much to think about.

As I was walking out of the door he called out to me:" Look for the book with the crescent moon. "
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💜A. N💜

Thank you for reading this far! Next chapter is coming later tonight so stick around! 😉

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