Chapter 6
Upon his return to the office, Trevor immersed himself tirelessly in his work. Time swiftly slipped away when he was deeply engrossed in his tasks. A break only presented itself when the cellphone on his desk interrupted the focus. Glancing at the caller ID, he answered the call with an air of certainty, as if he knew precisely why she was reaching out to him.
"Hello, Mom, what did I do this time?"
"You're avoiding me, and as a good son, that is unacceptable," his mother's nagging voice filled his ear.
Trevor groaned inwardly, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Mom, you know the company is busy, and I have many things to handle simultaneously. It's rather unfair for you to think that way. Your son is hardworking."
"You can still make time for me and your dad."
Hearing her state this fact, Trevor felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't been home in a while, and the relentless demands of the company often forced him to stay late to meet deadlines.
"Alright, I will take some time off when everything gets settled here. Why did you call?" He lost his resolve.
He was indeed avoiding them because he also knew exactly what plans she had up her sleeves.
"I almost forgot why I called. We have guests for dinner and your father wants you home."
Trevor's fingers traced a weary path from the bridge of his nose to his temple, kneading the tension that had settled there. He was acutely aware that his father was innocent in this matter, yet he chose to shield his mother's lie from the light of truth. Despite his resolve to visit home regularly, every attempt was thwarted by an unwelcome pattern – guests consistently graced their dinner table.
The situation irked him, for his visits were intended solely for cherished family moments. However, his cunning mother orchestrated each gathering with ulterior motives, leaving Trevor with a sense of frustration and a growing suspicion that there was more to these dinner plans than mere coincidence.
"I'll endure it just this once," he mused silently.
"Who's coming over?" Without delay, he inquired with genuine curiosity.
"Some friends of your dad's. Make sure you dress appropriately. I don't want a repeat of the last time when you showed up in sweatpants and a t-shirt. It was quite distracting with everyone else looking presentable except you," scolded his mother through the phone.
"Alright, I'll be there in about an hour," Trevor replied, glancing at the clock on the meticulously painted office wall.
The clock struck 4 o'clock. Returning to his work, Trevor immersed himself in finishing the document he had been reading. When the clock neared 5 pm, he wrapped up his tasks and left the office. During the drive to his parent's house, he decided to elevate his mood and turned on some music. As Trevor navigated the familiar streets on his drive home from work, an old tune played softly in the background. The rhythmic hum of the engine seemed to sync with the nostalgic melody, and a particular set of lyrics caught his attention.
"When I saw you, I only thought of you," the singer crooned, and Trevor found his mind wandering to a distant chapter of his life. Memories with Saya flickered like images through the rearview mirror.
"When I love you, mhm," he repeated the line, the weight of those words settling into the quiet spaces of his car. The lyrics resonated with a sentiment he thought he had left behind.
"Did you miss me?" he pondered, glancing at the empty passenger seat beside him, as if expecting an answer. The road stretched ahead, mirroring the uncertainty encapsulated in the lyrics.
"Even if my heart changes, I️ will, wish you next," the singer continued, and Trevor's thoughts danced between the choices he had made and the roads left untraveled. The traffic lights painted the car interior with a warm glow, accentuating the contemplative atmosphere.
"Let's just stay as we are," he whispered to himself, as if grappling with the fleeting nature of time and relationships. The car carried him forward, a vessel for both the lyrics and the echoes of his own reflections.
"Will I be able to go back?" The question lingered in the air, intertwined with the engine's hum. Trevor's gaze fixed on the road, contemplating the journey ahead, while the lyrics played like a soundtrack to his introspective drive.
"When I saw you, always behind of you," he repeated, a quiet acknowledgment of the past that remained a constant companion, even in the solitude of his car. The road stretched on, each mile bringing Trevor closer to home and further into the depths of his thoughts.
He softly whispered, "Yeah, I'm always behind of you Saya."
The last notes of the song lingered in the air as Trevor drove through the ornate gate of the French-style Burton House. The grandeur of the house commanded attention, its unique architecture a testament to wealth and taste. Parking the car next to the elegant fountain, memories flooded back, transporting him to a time when the mansion witnessed a different kind of play.
His mind flashed to a warm summer evening, a day etched in the corridors of their shared history. His parents were away, leaving only Trevor and Saya, surrounded by the mansion staff. As he approached the fountain, he couldn't help but reminisce about the day they had a spontaneous water fight.
Saya, engrossed in a book, sat on the shady side of the fountain when Trevor arrived home from the office. Gently tapping the horn, he startled her, and she tumbled backward into the water. Panic momentarily gripped Trevor as he rushed to her aid, only to find himself pulled into the fountain. Saya's giggles echoed like the joy of childhood friends reunited.
With a carefree spirit, they played in the water, their laughter harmonizing with the soft babble of the fountain. The day unfolded with shared stories and childhood memories, the sun setting on a tableau of happiness. As the evening wore on, their soaked clothes clung to them, but the joy they shared eclipsed any discomfort.
Dinnertime called them inside, but the only regret was the inevitable consequence of their water escapade—they both caught a cold. Yet, the memory of that summer evening became a cherished fragment of their shared history, a reminder of the carefree moments they once enjoyed.
"Young master, everyone is waiting for you."
The gentle voice of the butler interrupted Trevor's stroll down memory lane. Opening his eyes, he found himself back in the present, the grandeur of the Burton House surrounding him. Stepping out of the car, he acknowledged the butler with a nod and made his way towards the back entrance.
"Tell mom and dad I'll be in shortly," he instructed the butler before disappearing down the hallway leading to his room.