[Adam POV]

I walk inside the house and went straight to the dining room. The maids are preparing for dinner at the table. Mum is in the kitchen, cooking, she doesn't like other people to cook for us so she cooks with the help of the maids.

My eyes trail around looking for Nea but she was nowhere to be seen.

"What are you looking for, brother?" Sara looks at me puzzled.

"Nea is not here is she?"

"Nope" She popped the 'P' while doodling something in her notebooks.

"She probably went straight to your room, Adam. Look for her there" Mum said as she focuses on cooking.

I was about to walk away when Mum yelled loud enough for me to hear

"Dinner is almost ready, get Nea to freshen up and come downstairs"

"Alright Ma'am" I shout back.

I climb the stairs to our room and Dad was heading out of his workroom when he patted me at the back "Don't take it too long son, your Mum might turn green and bulky."

I chuckled "I might tell Mum on you"

Dad laughed out loud as he went downstairs and I heard mum asked him about it.

I open the door to my room and it's pitch black. I switch the lamp and I saw her at the edge of the bed, sleeping. She looks tired, jet-lagged probably. I try to wake her up, but to no avail so I hooked her arm on my shoulder and pick her up to place her on the bed. I tucked her in and take her specs off of her face.

"Mum.."

I heard she mumbles in her sleep as I pulled out the string from her tied hair, slowly.

Homesick? She must've missed her family while I'm not being helpful. I'm so selfish, sorry Nea, for taking it out on you.

I turned on the table lamp and went to the door. I switch off the light and turn to glance at her before I closed the door and went downstairs.

"Where's Nea?" Mum asked as soon as I sit at the dinner table.

"She's sleeping, won't wake up. Tired and jet-lagged probably."

"She's too tired Meg, just let her sleep and let's talk after dinner, okay?" Dad holds Mum's hands knowing she wants to talk to me.

Dinner is bland when I keep on thinking what mum wants to talk about and I know what is it about.

After dinner, Mum literally dragged me to the living room and order me to sit on the couch while she stands in front of me, both hands on her hips.

I wipe my face with my hands a few times, I'm tired and jet-lagged too, but Mum probably won't let me go anyway.

"What happened on the honeymoon trip?"

Mum finally starts voicing out. Dad and Sara sit at the nearest couch, all of the maids already went back home.

"Nothing."

"What do you mean by nothing Nicholas"

Mum always uses my middle name when she is mad, but when it's getting to the climax, she will use my full name.

"Nothing, nothing ever. We do our own stuff, no talking, sleeping or any others like newlywed if that is what you meant Mum." I'm getting annoyed.

"And why is that? How did things escalate like that? I know Nea and she will not behave like that unless.." Mum is trying to finish her sentence but I cut her off.

"Unless what Mum?! You barely know her, like what 3, 4 or 5 months before we get married while you've known me since you gave birth to me. And it's like she's your own daughter instead of me your son!" My voice started to raise up, but I try to control it a bit considering every possibility.

"Because I know you, you must have said something, Adam" Mum try not to heat things up.

She knows. She always knew me. I can't even hide anything. Even the things with Emily.

I lay back on the sofa as I speak "I told her. Everything, not everything but a summary of it which she probably gets by now."

I heard Sara and Mum gasp, while Dad takes off his spectacle and look at Mum.

"When?" Mum speaks as if whispering.

"In the car, from the airport after the trip."

Dad takes Mum who's surprised by my bluntness and make her sit next to him.

Mum keeps quiet after that. She didn't mutter any words as Dad takes her towards their bedroom. Dad pats me on the shoulder as he takes Mum away.

Sara looks at me silently and her mouth keeps opening to say something, but she didn't say anything.

"Say whatever you want to say" I look at her, tiredly.

She smiles softly and stands up. "Come," She says as she offers her hand to me.

I smile back and accept her hand as she dragged me to the bench near the pool. Usually, we will both dip our feet in the pool, but the season change and it's been chilly so we sit on the bench instead. We've always come here whenever we have something to talk about, between us.

"How do you feel?" She asks me as I fiddle my finger.

"Tired"

"Inside, Adam"

"Not good" I sigh slowly.

"Guilty?" She asks while trying to make me look her in the eye

"As charged."

She laughs a bit before putting her hand on top of mine.

"You know, you can't even be a mean person, no matter how hard you try"

I don't know, but I sure as hell that I hurt her already.

"You know what you should do?"

"What? Apologize"

"That and that"

"What?"

"Explanation. She deserves that"

"I tried. She shut me out"

"It's not enough. Try harder"

I sigh again, but this time I run my hand through my hair showing some stress.

Sara moves behind me and she put her hands on my shoulder, massaging it a bit for me to relax.

"You know, She's a good person."

I look up to see Sara's expression and she rarely talks about girls like that. She barely has any girlfriends because most of them used her to get to me, but she's close to my friends especially Lucas.

"What do you mean?"

"When I meet her for the first time, she had this reserve and shy personality. She barely speaks up, only when I ask her, but when she became a bit, relax, she somehow got me to want to befriend with her."

"Wow. Sara Kathryn Clark wants to be friends with a girl?" I tease her

She smacks me in the back "It's not funny Nicholas"

What's with the women in this house calling me by my middle name whenever they are mad.

"She's not like any usual girl, okay. She wears this outfit when we first met, a T-shirt with a jacket on top of it, jeans and sneakers. She doesn't even put any makeup on."

"Nowadays a lot of girls are like that, Sara." I rolled my eyes as if her words are common.

"But not to me, I've never met one. Most of the girls I met are full of makeup and girly stuff. You know what I meant"

She sat next to me while resting her head on my shoulder.

"Anyway, try okay? Try harder. I believe she will open up soon. She's fragile, Adam."

"You should probably get some rest now." Sara stands up, pat my shoulder and walks inside.

I stare at the night sky trying to unravel the knots in my head before I went to get the rest of the day.

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