Chapter 83: 83- George
It was past two a.m. Sienna was drumming her fingers against her lap, expecting Hunter to walk in.
No. I’m not waiting for him.
And what if he doesn’t come tonight?
Yeah, he must have changed his mind. Last night he slept here, so he doesn’t need to come tonight either.
She pulled her legs up as her eyes stayed on the door.
Just then, Hunter decided to walk inside wearing pajama bottoms that hung quite low.
She wished being this handsome was a sin. She quickly looked away before he could catch her staring.
Tonight, she was actually decent. No ill-fitted gown, no absence of panties. Just an oversized t-shirt with loose shorts.
A faint smile tugged at his lips as he tossed his pillow on the bed. Sienna cleared her throat awkwardly, "What are you doing here?"
Hunter cocked up a brow, "I’m here because of you. I thought you needed me tonight," he replied lazily, "So here I am."
Sienna narrowed her eyes, "How do you manage to be so ... overconfident?"
"Thank you," he fake-bowed to her.
"That wasn’t a compliment."
"Still taking it!"
Before she could think of another comeback, he climbed onto the bed. Sienna stiffened as the mattress dipped under his weight.
After taking off his glasses, he reached over and switched off the lamp, "Goodnight."
Like the previous night, he simply stretched beside her and then, without warning, pulled her into his arms.
"Hunter..."
"Shh."
One of his hands started patting his head slowly, "Go to sleep."
In the dim light, Sienna watched his chest closely and gulped down this urge to shower light kisses on it.
"Hunter..." She cleared her throat, "I’m not a five-year-old."
"I know."
"I’m serious."
"So am I."
The room fell quiet for a moment. Then, before she could say anything else, Hunter leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against her cheek, "Night, menace."
Sienna tried to smile, but her exhausted body was already giving in to sleep.
***
It was past two a.m. when the front door closed behind Tom, and both women visibly relaxed.
Ruby kicked off her heels with a groan and dropped onto the couch while Mariana sat beside her, still holding the glass of lemonade.
The house suddenly felt silent.
For the first time since the funeral, excitement started replacing the tension.
"What do you think? Has he reached the village safely?" Ruby asked, leaning back against the couch, "I just can’t wait."
Mariana nodded and took a sip of her lemonade, "Urgh. Too sweet!"
Ruby laughed, like she actually laughed.
"Let him reach the village, and I’ll make you something bitter."
"Ahan. For example?"
Ruby thought for a moment and then made a pout, "How about some bitter gourd juice?" Mariana didn’t miss the mischievous glint in her eyes and elbowed her.
"Brat!"
Ruby laughed and got to her feet.
"Where are you going?" Mariana held her wrist.
Ruby tilted her head a little and tipped towards the small bar in the corner, "How about a drink before we take this call?"
Mariana stared at her daughter for a second before finally letting out a tired laugh.
"At this hour?"
Ruby chuckled with a shrug, "Mama. The way your elder daughter created drama, and we tackled it smartly. I think we deserve one drink."
"Fine," Mariana sighed, "But only one."
Ruby saluted, pressing her lips together, and walked towards the bar area. The soft yellow lights lit up as she grabbed two glasses.
Mariana watched her quietly for a moment.
What got into you when you decided to marry that sleaze ball? She asked her daughter silently. The moment replayed in her memory when, at the graveyard, Hunter pulled Sienna into his arms. Posing a perfect husband picture.
Yet she knew it couldn’t be fake. She shook her head in disgust and watched Ruby.
"You know?" Mariana suddenly spoke while rubbing her temple, "Your father nearly gave me a heart attack with this plan."
Ruby scoffed while opening the bottle, "And Sienna almost gave me a nervous breakdown when she told us about that shitty donation thing."
Ruby grabbed both glasses and returned to the couch, handing one to her mother. Mariana took a careful sip and immediately coughed.
"This is awful."
Ruby gasped with a dramatic expression, "Excuse me, Mom? A little appreciation goes a long way."
"It tastes like medicine."
"Are your taste buds fake-dead like Papa?" Mariana cracked up when she heard that.
Ruby also smiled and sat back beside her.
Suddenly, Mariana’s phone started ringing loudly on the coffee table. Both women froze.
Ruby nearly spilled her drink to grab the phone, "Seems like a video call," She whisper-screamed excitedly, "It’s him, Mama!"
Ruby handed over the phone to her mom and then pushed herself closer, "Hurry, Mama."
Mariana accepted the call with shaking fingers. David’s face appeared on the screen first, "We have reached safely," He announced.
Relief washed across Mariana’s face as her eyes filled with tears.
"Where’s George?" she asked impatiently, "I want to talk to him."
David chuckled as he turned away the camera, "Yeah. He got the consciousness a while back..." then he talked to someone, "Hey. Talk to your woman."
Mariana straightened immediately while Ruby practically climbed over her shoulder trying to get a clear view of the screen.
Both of them waited for George, but instead, an unfamiliar man came into view. He looked half asleep with messy hair. He blinked lazily at the screen like he had no idea what was happening.
For a second, they were dead silent as their smiles disappeared. David seemed to shift awkwardly behind the camera.
"George. Talk to her. She’s your wife!"
The unknown man stared blankly at the screen. Mariana felt her heart beat drop. Cold sweat broke on her face.
"What... what do you mean?" Mariana’s face drained of color, "Who is he?" She rose from the couch in panic, "Where is George?"
David thought the woman was blind, "This is George, madam."
Ruby felt her stomach drop. She tried to find her voice, but nothing came out.
Who is this man?
Where is Papa?"
