Aching Heart

Chapter Two

"Damon King, welcome back to the Mother City." Caleb leaned against his car as his best friend, Damon strolled out of the airport. Damon smiled at the sight of his best friend and took his sunglasses off. "It is good to be back." Damon sighed, happy to finally feel the Cape Town sun against his skin.

"Man, this has been the best month" Damon said as he hugged Caleb. Damon climbed in the passenger side of Caleb's Tesla as Caleb placed Damon's luggage in his boot.

"So can you please explain to me why no one, besides me, knows that you are back? Not even your own fiance." 

Damon groaned. "She is not my fiance."

 "Yet" Caleb muttered. He knew Damon's struggle, he had it too. Because their families were really rich people, they had to marry for convenience and not for love. They only had their business in mind and nothing else.

"Look, I went to Europe in the first place to take a break from my family and their pressures. After losing the one person who never forced me to do something I didn’t want to do, I just had to leave. Now that I am back, I need a few moments to myself to prepare for what is waiting for me."

Damon's grandmother, who used to live with them, had passed away a few months ago. She was the only one who ever listened to him and always told him to follow his heart so when she passed away he was utterly devastated. He did not come out of his room for weeks, did not go to school and barely ate. He begged his parents to allow him to go away for a few weeks.

"Let's go get something to eat and you tell me about your trip."

Caleb stopped at the nearest McDonalds and they climbed out together. After ordering they took a seat at an open booth.

"So gotten with any beautiful chicks on your Europe tour?" Caleb asked Damon with a grin. "A Spanish or Italian girl? Oh a French girl, I heard they are really hot. Or maybe even a nice English girl?" Damon chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I did not go for the girls, Caleb. I mean they are really, really hot but half the time I could not understand what any of them were saying and they could not understand my South-African accent."

"Speaking is not the important thing my man. Who cares what they were saying?" Damon laughed at Caleb. If anyone heard him, they'd think he was a player when he really was not. "Look, I was not in the best mental space, okay. I went there for a break or, I don't know, to heal...if you want to call it that. I just needed to get out of South Africa."

"I get you bro, and well I'd say mission accomplish because you do look better than what you did a few months ago. But I'm still saying, you have never been away from Kirsten this long, and you should have taken your chance." Caleb said adding a wink at the end. Their order came before Damon could reply and he took some of the fries.

"Don't even bring her up. She called me none stop back when I was in Europe, even today, asking me when I am coming back." Damon sighed. She was a cool girl and been one of his friends since they were youngbut he really did not feel anything romantic for her, at all. Just because her family were rich, they have been "engaged" since they were young as a means to merge their business.

"Even me. Constantly nagging me if you have called me or messaged me. Poor girl, maybe she really does like you. I just know, now that you're back she's definitely not taking you out of her sight." Damon groaned out loud. She took the engagement promised by their parents to her head, completely. They were not even in love, or at least he knew he was not in love with her.

"Then thank goodness I am not immediately going back to school. There's still a few things I need to sort out and get to the bottom of." Caleb frowned at that. "What you mean by that?"

"Man, I need to figure out what is going on with my brother. Even before the passing of my granny things have been so weird between him and my parents. He even decided to give up on becoming a lawyer like my father and does not want to work at my father's company."

"You mean the same Preston who has always been so passionate about all things law?"

"Yes. Exactly.  That is why I am so worried. He would not give up on that without a real good reason. You know Preston has always been more like my father but ever since the weird vibes between them, my father has turned his attention to me, to make me the next ‘David King’." Caleb as always been able to relate to Damon when it came to parents deciding your future but he knew Damon had it far worse than him.

"I have seen how intense your father was with Preston when it came to his career, but at least he was interested in law. You, my friend, you don't know jack about law." Damon laughed as he took a bite of his BigMac. "My point exactly. In fact, I don't want any involvement in my father's business, you know I am more interested in art." He took a sip of his Sprite. "Just what David King wants in a son."

"Did you talk to Preston about it? I mean you two have always been close."

"Believe me, now that I am back that's exactly what I am going to. I haven't had the chance to speak to him before I left, because, well we both know I had a few issues but I did notice how Preston had changed. He barely spoke to me. During the day he never leaves his room but he leaves at night and comes home to next morning and goes back to his room. That was literally his daily routine."

"My guy really sounds like he is going through the most." Caleb noted. "You have to ask him what is wrong. Maybe it involves a girl? What you just explains really sounds like the actions of someone post break-up."

"I really don't know. I have never seen him with a girl and he has never mentioned one to me before." The issue with Preston really bugged Damon. Preston barely even messaged him during his month away. A few weeks before Damon left to go to Europe there had been constant arguments between his father and his brother. Whenever Preston were in the same room with their parents, the tension could be felt. This thought alone made him hesitant to tell his parents he was home. He did miss his family, but he definitely did not miss his father's coldness and his mother’s constant nagging about Kirsten.

"I really hope our parents will give us the freedom we need and trust us with the responsibility that we actually know what is best for us." Damon gave a half-smile at Caleb's words.

"You and me both, dude. Honestly disagreeing with them is not even worth it anymore. They really do not see that what they what and expect for us is sometimes not the best for us." Both Damon and Caleb sighed. Their hands were cut off. When it came to their future they really had no say. Damon was just glad for a friend like Caleb, who he could really trust and confide in.

"Man when has this become a therapy session? I have not seen you in a month and we are sitting here moping and being all sad." Damon laughed and finished the last of his meal.

"You're right, let's go and enjoy ourselves. I mean it is a Saturday and my parents does not know I am back yet."

Caleb smiled widely. "Now we're talking" He said as he and Damon stood up.

***********

Patricia King sipped on some red wine as she was sitting at her desk, going through the paper work of the school latest scholarship transfer student. The papers included the students' report cards throughout the years and teacher evaluation letters. In the top left corner a picture of the student was attached to the forms. Patricia pulled up her nose as she studied the black-haired girl that was smiling widely at the camera. Everything about her said lower class. If it were up to Patricia, she would never offer scholarships to students belonging to the lower class, but as David always said, they needed to look good in the public eye.

"Andrea Quinn." Patricia allowed her name to roll of her tongue. "Even her name lacked class." Patricia muttered to herself as motioned to take another sip from her glass but then realized it was empty.

"Vera!" Her voice echoed throughout her office. Within seconds a petite girl with mouse-like features entered her office. "Yes ma'am"

"Refill my glass," Patricia picked the glass up and handed it to Vera "oh and another thing," she turned her attention to the forms in front of her and loosened the picture of Andrea Quinn from the forms and handed it to Vera "Please throw this in the garbage can as well."

"Yes ma'am." Vera said as she hurriedly rushed out of the room. Patricia gave a satisfied smile as she looked at the forms that were free of the scholarship student's picture. Ever since the issues they had with Preston, she had especial bad feelings towards scholarship students and were very hesitant to transfer them to the school. Especially if it the student was a girl.

Patricia proceeded to study Andrea's report cards and what teachers had to say about her. She could not kid herself, this girl was extremely smart and most of the teachers loved her, only saying good things about her. Patricia just hoped she was smart enough not to interact with people she should not. As she continued to read the teacher evaluations she heard their doorbell ringing. A few minutes later there was a knock at her door.

"Come in" It was Vera. "Ma'am, your son is here."

"Preston?"

"No, Damon." Patricia smiled and immediately got up. "Damon, he is back? Why didn't he say anything?" She did not wait for Vera to reply as she exited her office and walked to their living room.

Damon immediately smiled as she saw his mother coming towards him. His mother's face lit up. "My dear son. It is so good to see you. Why did you not let me know your back and I could have let the driver pick you up?"

"It is okay, I asked Caleb and he picked me up. It is good to see you too Mom." Patricia pulled him in a tight embrace.

"Look at you. You need to shave that face, and oh just look at your hair. You are in desperate need of a haircut too." Patricia said as she pulled Damon at arm's length. He chuckled and rolled his eyes. "On my little vacation, my hair and facial hair was the last thing in my mind."

"I'll book you for an appointment at the barber tomorrow." Damon sighed and rolled his eyes. "Geez Mom, I am barely back let me breathe a little."

"What? You cannot let Kirsten see you like this. I was going to suggest that you and Kirsten spend the evening together but looking at the state you're in, we cannot let her see you like this. She might just decide to break the engagement." Damon clenched his jaw. This behaviour from his mother, was precisely why he did not want to be at home. He was not doing so well when he left for Europe, but the first thing his mother speaks to him about, was Kirsten. She did not even ask him how he was doing.

"Please don't bring Kirsten up." Damon muttered, withholding the urge to groan. Patricia laughed as if he was making the biggest joke. "Of course I must bring up Kirsten. She is your fiance."

"She's not my fiance."

"Damon don't say that. Of course she is, she might not be formally but right after you are done with school she will be. Get used to the idea son, she is going to be your wife one day."

"Did I mention how much I missed you?" Damon asked sarcastically. "I'm going to my room now, I am a little tired." Before his mother could even reply he was on heels, with his luggage to go to his room upstairs. He realized arguing with his parents was no good. They never heard him and he just gave up on arguing with them.

Damon placed his luggage in his room without emptying it out and fell down on his bed. Now that he was back in his room he started thinking of his Grandma again, her room was opposite his and he always went there when he did not feel too good. He decided he was going to pay her a visit today still. It was still early so he could go visit her after his nap.

Damon sighed deeply. He wondered if Preston was here and if he should go see him. He really wanted to understand why Preston just gave up on his dream. He finished school four years ago and was happily studying law when last year he had just dropped out.

Damon shook his head, to get rid of his thoughts and decided to sleep. He would speak to Preston when he woke up.