Scarred Hearts

Away from Manhattan.

Dedicated to @summerbackthen

Summer approached sooner. It was barely forty eight hours to the official commencement of the summer holidays, his company had given him the special permission to go on and have fun for the holidays.

Ever since he landed the deal, everyone including the director of the company himself had all been treating Brian like a king. Brian liked it especially the fact that he could leave for the holidays without being bothered about any work.

His father had booked his tickets for that day since he was living in California and had to come over to one of New York City's finest resort location.

He would have preferred going hiking and camping alongside Errol but the fact that his best friend was busy solving a fraud case had made it impossible.

Now he was planned to spend his summer with his step sister, the only person he referred to as family. Brian and his father never really got along well enough. Not until he found out the secret they had been kept from him all eighteen years of his life. As for his step mother, he still wasn't ready to get back at calling her mother again. Ever since he found out, she wasn't his biological mother, he couldn't help but blame himself for showering her with all the love he thought his birth mother deserved.

Even though he had been told his birth mother had abandoned him at birth, deep down somewhere in his heart he couldn't help blame his father's new wife for pushing his birth mother away. After all this years he just hadn't found a place in his heart to forgive them for lying to him.

The flight had been booked for that day. Brian had packed the essentials including his camping bags, the previous night.

It lasted about six hours in air but even before noon, they had arrived. Brian was set to be received by a hotel sponsored ride while he waited for his sister and some of her friends to arrive since they were travelling in a private bus.

Brian was welcomed by a bunch of friends and school mates, one of the many reasons why he agreed to go on the trip.

" Hey men." One of the guys said giving Brian a hug.

" What's up, Jeremy ?" Brian replied fist bumping the other guy.

" I'm good. Meet  my girlfriend, Allison." Jeremy said introducing a petite young lady who stood aside him, her arms wrapped around his waistline.

" Oh hi. Allison." Brian waved as she nodded waving back.

" This way Sir." One of the hotel employees said leading him to his room.

Settling into his booked hotel room, unpacking his luggages. He called the hotel land line to check if his sister had arrived.

" Hello. This is the hotel's land line, how may I help you, please ?" A feminine voice said.

" Yes. May I ask if any Ms. Asher Dowell has checked in ?" Brian asked.

" No sir. " She replied.

" Okay. Thanks." He said putting the phone down.

Putting on a danty grey shirt and black pants, Brian laid down on the medium sized bed to have a quick rest.

***

T E S S A

{ Two hours earlier }

" Could you hurry up !" Tessa who was dressed in a camouflage jacket, ripped jeans and sneakers exclaimed.

" Wait !" Asher said trying hard to stuff more clothes into her doffle bag.

" Can't get the bag to zip up." She said struggling to pull up the zip tugging with the clutches of the bag.

" How many things do you have to take with you ?" Tessa said examining  the current situation. Clothes and shoes were scattered all about the place with other bags still sitting on the couch.

" Just the essentials. Nothing else." Asher rolled her eyes as she sensed sarcasm.

" Really ?" Tessa said eye widened.
" You call this essentials."

" It's summer vacation you know." She said a teasing tilt in her voice.

" Oh, it's summer vacation alright but here you are packing like you are about to move to the other side of the continent . Even a bride wouldn't pack this much you know." Tessa said.

" I need your help. Please." Asher said managing to zip up the bag.

" Sure you do. I'd be more than happy to help you carry it." Tessa said as they joked and laughed about Asher's shopping disease.

After a long while of chattering and elevator buzzing sounds, they arrived downstairs where their ride was waiting - a private bus.

"Sasha, Lola...." Asher screamed with excitement as she hugged a group of girls who also jumped from excitement.

"Give me a sec." She said turning back to her parents who stood over the pavement with sly grims on their faces.

" Now girls, I believe we know the rules." Pascal said to the two girls who obviously were confused.

" Mild to no drinking. No night stands. I repeat no night stands."

Asher just stood laughing and blushing knowing fully well what happened on her first summer trip while Tessa just stood stunned.

" Pascal, you know they ain't kids anymore." Matilda said slighting brushing his shoulders.

" Yes dad. We ain't kids no more." Asher smiled.

" I know it won't sound weird to say I'm confused here." Tessa said smirking.

" Care to explain." She said almost immediately as the designated driver announced they had to leave soon.

" Well I know as a matter of fact, Tessa is more trustworthy and Elon will be there as well." Matilda said.

Through the past few weeks, Tessa had gotten to know more about the Dowell's first and only son. It turns out his first name happened to be Elon but due to a few family feuds he preferably changed his name though the family still called him by his first name rather than the latter.

She had also built a quite beautiful relationship with them. The fact that her ex husband, like she liked to refer to him had no idea of her whereabouts was pleasing. Tessa had brooded over filing for divorce once she had settled down but she was also bothered by the fact that if she did so he would come to know about her location. Something she was comfortable with just yet.

This insecurity had left Tessa wondering rather to tell her new found family the truth about her past, so she referred to it or just keep it a secret.

It was tempting with all the love and care she received but Tessa hadn't learnt to trust anyone just yet. She had enough time throughout the trip to think about that.

" Off we go now." Asher said bidding a goodbye to the two older figure who seemed like they were going to cry while Tessa gave them a compound hug.

With a steaming engine and a bus full with a group of strangers she was yet to know, Tessa shut her eyes praying she wasn't dreaming yet again hoping all this was true and of course it was.

A readily packed bus was making its way through the ever busy streets of Manhattan to the perfect serene location for a summer vacation like Pascal had earlier put it.

****

What's your perfect idea of a summer vacation ?🤔

Slide into my PMs, let's have a brief discussion about this. Also open to finding new friends 😘😁