ZARIA
The last of my suitcases are taken to the car. I should be more nervous than I am, but when I woke up this morning, it was as if I was resigned to my new life. Also, leaving the home where I last saw my father has gifted me a sense of peace. I’m not sure I would want to live here when his memory lingers. The reminder of what he did, taking his life haunts me.
I haven’t touched my phone since last night’s interaction with Finn. And as I slip the device into my purse, I don’t turn it on; instead, I leave it off for my trip. It’s meant to take me four hours in our private plane to get to Thorne Haven, and I intend on reading, perhaps even studying, instead of allowing myself to dwell in the darkness that is the bullies online.
When I get to the front door, Mom stands at the threshold. Her arms are folded across her chest as if she’s angry, or, she could just be holding herself together. Losing Dad, then sending me away must be taking its toll on her. But like my mother always says, don’t show your emotion. She’s convinced this is how people can break you down and use your pain for their benefit.
And as much as I want to cry, knowing I won’t see her for at least six months, I don’t allow myself to do so. I stop when I reach her, shrugging my jacket on, and swinging my purse over my shoulder.
For the first time in months, she reaches for my face and cups it gently. Her thumb swiping across my cheek, as if wiping away the non-existent tears that I haven’t allowed to fall.
“Remember everything I’ve taught you, Ria,” she tells me. “There are people out there that will gladly hurt you for their gain.” It’s the same warning each time we’re about to leave the house. I am certain my mother thinks that the ugliness of the world cannot penetrate the walls of our home.
Little does she know, it’s everywhere.
And it has been for a very long time.
“I know, Mom,” I tell her with a nod. She then shocks me by pulling me into her arms. She wraps me warmly into her embrace, and for a long while, I’m unsure of how to react. My mother isn’t the maternal type, and this might just be the first time she’s held me like this since I was a baby. I don’t fight it though; I allow her to hold me, and then, when she’s had enough, she steps back.
“I love you,” she tells me. “Thank you for being strong enough to do this. Our family name is important, the business will be yours one day,” she whispers, her voice lowering as she leans in close. “And don’t allow the Thornes to take advantage of you. We may be signing ourselves over to a union with them, but there are things at play you don’t know about. I need you to be the woman your father and I brought you up to be.”
My chest tightens at the mention of Dad, but what has me speaking is her previous statement. “What do you mean things at play?”
For a second, she looks like she’s about to spill the beans, but then Mom shakes her head. “Don’t worry about that right now. Soon, we’ll rule over the IT world with our name, nobody else’s.” There’s a warning in her tone, a threat of something I am not privy to, and yet, I’m the one about to step into the line of fire.
“You need to tell me what’s going on? Why am I marrying Finn Thorne? What are you talking about ruling the IT world?” Even though I know my father’s business was in the IT sector, it was never my passion. And he accepted that. He allowed me to have my dreams, without forcing his on me.
But my mother seems to have something else in mind. A small smile dances on her lips. “It won’t be long, give it two months,” she says then, before straightening as if she hasn’t just divulged a secret that I’m sure I shouldn’t know. It’s clear my mother has a plan, but what that is still isn’t clear to me.
“I don’t understand.”
Mom presses her finger on my lips to silence me. “You will soon. Just go, learn about the Thornes, enjoy your time there, and when everything falls into place, it will all make sense.”
“Enjoy my time?” My incredulous tone is clear. She’s sold me off to the highest bidder and she’s asking me to have fun as if I’m going on vacation.
“Ms. Abadi,” the driver, Winston, calls to me. “The plane is going to be waiting on us if we don’t leave now.” He offers a curt nod when I smile and leaves to wait at the back door of the luxury sedan.
“I’ll see you soon,” Mom promises before shooing me out the door. And then, once it’s shut behind me, I’m left staring at the bright sunlight glinting off the sleek black metal. With a long sigh, I make my way to the vehicle where I slip into the back seat when Winston holds the door for me.
Inside, it’s air-conditioned. I know the weather will be ghastly when we reach Thorne Haven due to the time of year. A shiver trickles down my spine from my neck to my butt. I sit back and watch as the grounds of the Abadi estate disappear behind me, and all I’m left to look at is the road ahead. Even then, I’m left with a sense of foreboding instead of excitement. Not that I would be looking forward to living with the Thornes.
The more we weave away from my childhood home, the tighter my chest gets, and the more my stomach churns with nervous energy. It would’ve been beneficial if I could drink, or smoke, perhaps it would numb my emotions. But the car isn’t equipped, and I don’t want Winston telling my mother about my extracurriculars. So, instead, I try to focus on the scenery as we head for the private airstrip.
“Ms. Abadi,” the gentle voice of the flight attendant jostles me awake, and I find that we’re no longer in the air. The plane has already landed. I didn’t expect to fall asleep, but my exhaustion must have gotten the better of me. “We’re here,” she tells me with a smile.
“Thank you.” I push to my feet, before I stretch and allow my limbs to wake up. I grab my purse and sling it over my shoulder before disembarking onto the tarmac. A car waits for me, and it seems my luggage has already been loaded into the trunk. The driver holds the door open, waiting for me.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Abadi,” he greets when I reach him.
“Hello,” I say before slipping into the back seat. Once the door is shut and we’re on our way, I finally flick on my cell phone. The moment it lights up, the notifications start flooding the screen. As much as I’d rather hide from the limelight, I should post about my arrival in Thorne Haven. A small smirk tilts my lips when I take a photo of the thick forest we’re passing. I load the image and type out a caption that I know will capture Finn’s attention. Even though I don’t love him, it doesn’t mean I can’t have some fun.
The thought has butterflies awakening in my belly, but when my mother’s words rush into my mind, it’s like a heavy weight, sinking those same flurries. She’s clearly got some plan that’s playing out, one I want to know about, because it involves me and my future. But I know that no matter how many times I ask, she won’t admit to it. She won’t tell me the truth, and that stings.
A message comes through from her, asking if I’ve arrived safely. For a moment, I want to act like a petulant child and ignore her, but I don’t. Instead, I respond with a curt, yes, safely in Thorne Haven, and leave it at that.