webnovel

Chapter 2

Ace's POV

"Thank you for coming" Eric greeted our today's last customer and flipped the open sign to close. he turned around and stretched his arms "It was a tiring day, Ace. why don't you hire more employees?" I can understand his tiredness by his voice.

"I'm trying, Eric" That's all I had to say at that moment. He sighed and went inside the kitchen to prepare dinner. 

I know he is mad with me or maybe sad but what else can I do? I'm trying my best to find someone to work in my cafe but no one wants to work here and it's only because of this place. They find this place scary because it is in front of the forest and away from the city and village and they also have a mentality that my cafe is not going well due to the location, so I will not be able to pay them properly and they are right to say because not many customers come here. but still, I'm doing well.

I sighed and took the television remote from the cash counter and turned it on. I picked up the water bottle lying on the table and sat on the chair.

On Television:

"Good Evening Rapture Town, I hope you all are having a good evening."

the lady on television said in a flirty tone. 

"This is Jessica from the news daily so let's start with the weather news. Today's weather has been very pleasant since morning but we have come to know from the sources that the weather can change at any time. 

Some scientists say that they have seen dark clouds moving towards Rapture town. So we hope that all the people of the town will have reached their home safely. Especially those people who come from village to city to work.

Her words scared me. If the weather is going to be bad then Zoe and Eric should go home early. But I'm not worried only because of these two. That's not the only matter, I'm worried for someone else too.  He is coming to have dinner with us. 

My best friend Christian Lane. He is a police officer and he works in a city police station. Although he is very busy, he still has dinner with me before going home. He lives in the village and his house is just in front of my home.

My home….

That was my home when my father was alive but after his death, I lost my home just like my father. Now only my mother lives there, alone. Because she feels that that night she lost her husband as well as her son. 

I felt the bitterness and pain inside my heart. It's not that I hate my mother but to my mother, I am nothing more than a mistake. I shook my head with a painful smile on my face and looked back to the television.

Now let's move on to today's breaking news.

Today's biggest news is about the town's best-known businessman, Founder, and CEO of "Cure Pharmaceuticals" George Smith.

I felt my body go numb. The remote slipped from my hand and fell on the floor and I wasn't able to hear the sound of it falling. The name starts buzzing in my ear.

It has just been found that George Smith's health had been deteriorating for a few days. He has been admitted to the City Hospital this morning due to a heart attack. George is 48 years old and there is no one behind him. He was so busy working to grow his company that he never got married. So the biggest question right now is that if something happens to George Smith, who will be the heir of his company after him?

"Liars... 

You all are fucking liars. he has his heir and if not then who killed my father?" Words came out of my mouth with rage. 

I thought someone came in by opening the cafe gate but my eyes were still on the television. My eyes were on the television until his screen went black, someone turned it off. I turned around to see who turned it off.

"Are you alright?" His voice is so calm and there's a look of concern for me on his face but there's something else in his eyes for me that makes me uneasy.

I looked away, avoiding his gaze "Yeah, I'm Okay, How was your day?" I asked while offering him a chair to sit on.

"Casual," He said while his eyes still were on me.

"Christian, you know what I want to ask you so just tell me without asking," I asked him without wasting any time.

His face looked terrified, he didn't say anything for a few seconds and then he sighed. "no one knows what happened to him, I'm not even sure that he got a heart attack or it was all just a trick." he looked frustrated.

I made an annoying face and said "I don't want to hear what people know and what he made them know, all I wanted to know is the truth." He rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand and looked at me again with those looks I hate the most.

"After a lot of investigation, it seems to me that the reason for his ill-health is his son whom he has hidden from the whole world and whom you and I have been trying to bring to the world for so many years." He said in as calm words as he could.

"what could that be?" I asked while shaking my head.

"I don't know and I couldn't go deeper because you know I can't do the mistakes Uncle Aiden Brown did." My eyes started moist after hearing my father's name.

Christian got up from his seat and came to me and took me in his arms. I pressed my head in the crook of his neck. A deep masculine scent sends chills to my spine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and his hands squeezed my waist. He still smells like 12 years ago.

His grip loosens and my hand slides down from his neck to his chest. my head was still down, he used his palm to lift my jawline to face him. His dark eyes are scanning my whole face and I can see them sparkling. I can see his lips parted when his gaze shifted to my lips. He wiped my tears with his long cylinder fingers. 

At this moment I can't resist him anymore. I closed my eyes and felt him pulling me for a kiss, our lips just a breath apart. His hot breath hit my nostrils harder when our lips were about to meet. 

you are disgusting, you can't be my son. This was all your fault, you killed your dad.

I opened my eyes in shock and pushed him away. Memories are still haunting me so badly.

"I'm Sorry" I apologize in a guilty tone. He stood still, didn't say anything, and looked so heartbroken. He sighed, put a painful smile on his face, and said "It's alright."

"The dinner is ready" Eric burst out of the kitchen door with a pot in his hand "Ohh, Hi Chris, How was your day?" he asked while putting the pot on the table. "I'm Good, What do you have for dinner?" Chris said while putting his arm on Eric's shoulder.

Eric folded his hands and responded in excitement "We have Broccoli Chicken Casserole, Meatballs, and Rice with White beans soup for dinner." "Mmmm, Sounds Yummy, Let me help you to serve everything." Chris went inside the kitchen with Eric.

I pulled up a chair and sat down trying to make myself comfortable. I still remember when Chris and I first kissed.

12 years ago Chris was my senior in school and also 3 years older than me. 

He always helped me with my studies and then one day when I was studying at his house I noticed that Chris was looking at me very carefully, especially my lips. I saw that his lips were parted while looking at me and he was licking his lips. I asked him why are you looking at me like that. At that time he looked very scared, but instead of giving any answer, he put his lips on mine. That was our first and last kiss because that made me so confused.

I was confused as to why I liked that kiss.

Why do I want to kiss a boy not a girl?

Why am I so attracted to a boy, not a girl?

And when I tried to find the answer I lost everything. 

I'm still confused about my feelings for Chris. I think I have feelings for Chris is only because I'm attracted towards boys not because I like him but the way he looks at me I can see the love in his eyes for me and that makes me uneasy around him.

I went out of my thoughts when I saw Zoe coming out of the kitchen with a cutlery tray. She pulled a chair and sat down right in front of me and put the tray on the table between us. 

"Where are Chris and Eric?" I asked while helping her to set up the plates on the table.

She looked at me and answer, "Both of them are bringing the rest of the meals, by the way, why is your face red?" while raising one of her eyebrows.

I got a little nervous and started touching my face with my palms and said "Me..... It's... It's hot today, maybe that's why?"

She didn't seem satisfied with my words and opened her mouth to say something but then the kitchen gate opened and Eric came out with another pot of food followed by Chris.

"Now that everyone has come, let's eat quickly, then you all leave for your home, I have heard on the news that the weather can turn bad at any time," I said in a worried tone.

Eric chuckled "Come on  Ace, stop trusting Jessica's every news, she gets paid to make nonsense news."

"I'm only worried for you guys,"  I said after hearing eric's words. 

After that Zoe starts serving the food. "Ace is right it's already late, let's eat fast and leave for home," she said in a calm voice.

Everyone started eating and as usual, the food was very good as Zoe has magic in her hands. Chris was constantly watching me and I was avoiding his gaze. I know Chris likes me since childhood but I'm confused about my feelings for Chris and I don't want to give him false hope.

As soon as everyone finished eating, Eric went to the kitchen to wash all the dirty dishes. Till then I, Joe, and Chris started talking about work stuff.

Eric came out of the kitchen and said, "Let's go, I've finished all the kitchen work."

We all go out of the cafe together Chris and Joey sit in Chris's car. Chris drops Zoe at home every day because Joe also lives in the village, just a little before Chris's house.

Eric sits on his bike and waves his hand to say goodbye to me, in response I waved my hand too. Then Eric turned his bike and headed towards the city. Eric has been living in the city for five years, alone just like me. 

"Goodbye ace, don't stay up late at night," Zoe said and both waved their hands I waved back with a plain smile on my face. Chris started the car engine and all of them leave.

I stood there for a while looking at the place where I last saw my dad. I took my eyes off that place because I don't want to cry anymore. I looked up at the sky, the twinkling stars are making me feel happy just like a festival is about to come but my happiness did not last long, I saw dark clouds in the forest from afar.

I felt anxious for my friends. I took the phone out of my trousers pocket and called Eric. as expected he didn't pick up the call because he was riding the bike. and then I called Chris, he picked up the call. "Hello Chris, are you both alright, have you seen the weather?" 

Chris chuckled from the other side and said "Ace it's all fine here, the weather is fine, It's just some dark clouds, don't be too afraid and go inside and sleep, Okay? Bye." He hung up the phone before I could say anything. 

I sighed and went inside the cafe. I closed the glass door but left the outer steel shutter open so that no one would think that the cafes are closed and if anyone wants to come inside due to bad weather then can come and I flipped the closed sign to open it.

I went up the stairs to my room. I took out my night suit from the wardrobe, put it on the bed, and entered the bathroom to take a shower. As the hot water started falling on my body, all my tiredness and stress started flowing with the water. 

I was taking shower in a very relaxed mood when suddenly I heard the thunder of clouds. I immediately came out of the bathroom and hurriedly put on my night suit and opened the window. Before I could see outside, a gust of wind pushed me backward. my eyes were filled with dust so that's why I could see nothing. I immediately closed the window and starts rubbing my eyes with my fists.

suddenly I heard the sound of rain. After rubbing my eyes when I become able to see, I slowly opened the window. I saw it was raining heavily, the trees of the forest were swinging in the strong wind, the lightning was thumping loudly and.....and....

Someone was walking towards my cafe while faltering. It was very difficult for me to recognize him or her in such a strong storm.

I closed the window and hurriedly went downstairs. I ran to the cafe gate now the blurred figure of that person was visible in front of me. He's on the other side of the road Looks like he's coming out of the woods. 

His or her figure was slightly visible now, and that person is wearing dark clothes and is barely able to walk.

But how is it possible, what would someone be doing in such a dense forest at night? 

And how did the weather suddenly change?