EMPIRE: The Rise of A Queen

Chapter 7

Everything in my head was spinning. I didn’t know what to do or think. All I could think of was all the things I wanted to ask my mom about, to talk to her. She was the one that made this mess in the first place. I wanted answers. Or at least I thought I did. The questions I wanted answers to may not be the ones I wanted to hear. How did my life get to this point? Can’t being a witch be enough for one lifetime, not to mention my already existing family drama. But no, let’s make my life total chaos. Thanks faith. I had lost track of time by now and when my phone rang for the first three times I had ignored it but when dad called for a fourth time I turned it on silent. Taking the phone in my hands and looking at all the missed calls and texts from both dad and Victoria, along with one from Maya. I read hers ’I’m here if you wanna talk about it’ She kept it short and simple, which I appreciated. I would definitely call her later once my mind was a little clearer than it was right now. Looking up from my phone over the ocean I realize that the sun had already set. I hadn’t eaten since my small salad at lunch and my stomach made a howling sound in agreement. Thank god that dad brought pizza. Fred. Okay, eat first and dwell on my life issues later. I stand up from the cough and walk over to the kitchen counter where the pizza boxes were still sitting. They were cold by now but it was better than nothing. Suddenly I had a craving for some red wine and I almost jump out of joy as I remembered I had a box with some liquor and wines.

After a couple of slices and my second glass of wine I take out my phone and facetime Jennifer. She answers and I can see she’s out having drinks with some of our friends. I had wanted to talk about the news but I had to make good with all the ’good’ things that happened this week.

”Kendra!!! How are you? How was your first week?” Jen practically screamed over all the noise around her.

”Jen! I’m good, just moved into the beach house and I have to say that it’s even better than the video and pictures.” I told her with my best fake smile as I tried to forget about all the chaos that had just went down here.

”Really? Okay, show me the view!” She said and I just smiled and switched camera as I walked over to the open patio. I turned it to the sides so she could get the whole feeling and by the sounds from the other end she was jealous. ”Ken, that is beautiful! So have there been any hunks running around on that beach of yours yet or?” Her question brought a genuine smile to my face at the thought of Marcel. I turned the camera back on my as I answered her.

”Actually..” I started and that was all it took for her to go nuts.

”Wait? Already? Damn you work fast. So who is he? What does he do? How gorgeous is he on a scale of one to ten?” Typical Jen to bomb me with questions about a guy. This is what she did after every guy I ever met and date I went on. Since she met her boyfriend Jimmy she ’lived vicariously through me’ as she put it.

”His name is Marcel and I met him on the first day here. He saved me from falling in the ocean actually.” I couldn’t help but blush as there were whistles and calls on the other end of the line. ”He’s a lawyer, actually he works for the district attorney.”

”Wow, so he’s on the right side of the law at least. Is he rich too?” She asked. Usually money wasn’t a big deal for either of us as we both came from money and had our business.

”I honestly don’t know, we don’t talk about that. But he looks good in expensive suits so I guess he has some money at least.” I guessed. I didn’t know and honestly I didn’t care if he had money or not. I liked him and he seems to like me too so why should it matter.

”And how good does he look without a suit on?” She wiggled her brows at me, typical Jen. God I missed her.

”Jen!” I said and she just laughed it off. ”I don’t know. But his arms were big and firm, and let’s not forget about the six pack..” I started to drift off.

”Of course you find the hottest guy in LA on your first day there. So you two haven’t?” She asked in a little hushed tone which made me laugh.

”No, we’ve barely been on one date so.. How is everyone? Any new since I moved?” I decided to turn the conversation around to focus on my old life and my friends back home.

”No, it’s been the same boring week as always. Plus your life is a lot more exciting than anything in Stockholm so.” It wasn’t the answer I expected, the last thing I talked to Jimmy about before I moved was how he was gonna propose to Jen. But based on that line he still hadn’t asked her.

”My life definitely different I’ll tell you that.” I said in a low voice and all the memories from before came back into view.

”What was that?” Jen asked as she hadn’t heard what I said.

”Oh, nothing. I’ll tell you another day. Tell Jimmy I said hi. Talk to you later.” I threw her a kiss and she did the same.

”Later!” And then the conversation ended and I was left alone with my messy thoughts again. Jen was a good distraction but realizing how much I missed my old life didn’t help matters and new tears started to fall down my cheeks.

***

I had no idea what time I fell asleep but after eating pizza like someone that hadn’t eaten in days and almost chugging a bottle of red I had found it hadn’t been a tough task. That explained why I had woken up by the rising sun on the cough and a serious case of back pains. Picking up my phone from the floor and gasp as I see that I had twelve missed calls from dad along with at least ten texts. Let’s not forget Victoria with her impressive two texts but fifteen calls. Just to keep any of them from coming over I send texts to both of them telling them I’m fine and just need some more time. I close down the conversations only to freeze at the sight of the new text I had gotten, it was from Marcel. I look at the time and panic washes over me. The fact that he had asked me out on a date on the beach today had slipped my mind, understanding by the day I had yesterday. He was supposed to be here in thirty minutes. I sit up straight and the panic only grows. I needed a shower, all my clothes were in boxes and I had no idea in which ones. I take a few seconds to breathe and collect myself before I pull my phone up again to write back to him.

’I might have overslept and is living in a house of chaos right now. If I’m not ready, feel free to wait on the patio.’ I hit send and rush upstairs. It just then hit me that I hadn’t walked around this place for my own. I had no idea where anything was. This was gonna be an adventure, that’s for sure.

I run around and after five minutes of searching for the right boxes I finally found my bikinis and one pieces, sandals and pretty much everything I needed for a day at the beach. My organizing skills and OCD had been helpful for once in my life. And thanks to helpful movers the boxes were in the appropriate rooms and finding towels, shampoo and all that wasn’t so hard. I jump in the shower and honestly I don’t think I’ve been this fast ever in my life. After the shower and trying to tame my long blonde hair in a braid to my side I throw on the outfit I had put out on the bed. I look myself up and down in the mirror, taking in my rushed look. It wasn’t that bad to be honest. I take my phone and sunglasses before hearing downstairs. As I reach the bottom floor I stop in my tracks. There he was, leaning on the railing of my patio. Slippers, dark blue trunks and a thin white tank top. I hadn’t noticed just how toned his body was. Sure the first time we met he was running shirtless on the beach but I was so wrapped up in his charm and those beautiful eyes of his that I hadn’t had time to look at his body too much. And the rest of the times we met he wore a suit so that wasn’t exactly helping. Suddenly he turned around and I realized that I had been staring at him for a few minutes. He smiled at me and it made my heart melt, he truly was perfect. I walk over to the patio doors and slide them open and the heat hits me like rock. Suddenly my stomach turns and I can’t keep it in. I run pass him to the edge of the patio and I lose any and all control of my body as it empties the little content I had in my stomach. i***t! I had embarrassed myself, again. Once I feel it’s safe to turn around I spit one last time and wipe my mouth. Please don’t be gone, I don’t blame him but please be there.

”You okay?” I hear him ask and first now do I open my eyes to see him standing there with worry in his eyes.

”Yeah, just a weird day yesterday. Guess it hit me harder than I thought.” I said with a smile, trying to hide the emotions that was about to take over me.

”Does it have anything to do with that empty bottle of wine and half eaten pizza in the kitchen?”

”Maybe.” I didn’t say anything else, not wanting to pour all of my problems on him.

”Come on, sit down.” He said and reached for some pillows from inside, out in the sun for me to sit on. ”I’ll get you some water and you can tell me all about it.” I tried to protest but he didn’t give me a chance before he was going through boxes in the kitchen for glasses. After a few minutes he came back with two glasses of water and a smile on his face. I sat down on one of the pillows and took the glasses from him, pulling them down on the wood beneath us.

”Okay, so what made you drink a bottle of wine on your own? I’m guessing you didn’t have company.” He sounded a bit unsure on the last line, like he hoped that I hadn’t shared the bottle with another guy. His insecurities was sweet in a way, he really cared.

”Well you guessed right. I didn’t really feel like company after the fight yesterday.”

”Fight? Are you some criminal mastermind or hitman or something?” He tried to lighten the mood and I really appreciated it.

”Not really, but you never know. ” I wink at him before continuing. ”No, my grandmother and dad got into a fight yesterday and some big new got dropped. Well at least it was news to me.” I fiddle with my fingers like they were the most interesting thing I’ve ever seen.

”Oh, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. But I’m here to listen if you want to.” He must have sensed my avoidance of the topic but I still felt like I needed to talk to someone about it.

”Thank you.” I said and take his hand as he offers it to me. ”So my dad might not be my dad. Apparently my mom cheated on him with some other guy and she didn’t know which one was the father. My father.” I said in one breath so I couldn’t back down.

”Wow, what did she say about it? Your mother I mean.” A tear fell down my face at his words, he didn’t know what he had said to upset me. But he didn’t know.

”It’s kind of hard to ask her. She died a while back.” I said and dried the tears from my face.

”I’m so sorry Kendra.”

”It’s okay, I’m just mad at her for always keeping things from me. You know she didn’t tell me I was a witch until she was laying on her deathbed. And now this? I keep thinking if anything she ever told me was a lie.” I was just saying whatever came to mind, it was uncut and harsh but it was how I felt.

”I’m sure she had planned on telling you but life got in the way.” Marcel tried to level with me, but my emotions got the best of me.

”Sure it does. And she got an easy way out.” I hated her for keeping things from me and I hated myself even more for having her. I missed her so much and I would do anything to have her back.

”You don’t mean that.” He said like he read my mind.

”I know. I’m just so mad right now and confused. I don’t know what to do.”

”Just take the rest of the day off and then you talk to you dad tomorrow. No matter what your birth certificate says your dad is still gonna be your dad. That won't change.” Marcel pulled me into his arms and I just laid there, happy with where I was in life.

No matter what had happened and who my birth father was my life wouldn’t change. It wasn’t like I was gonna search for the man, he hadn’t looked for me a second of my life so why should I look for him. I felt myself drift off as Marcel stroked me on my back.