171 GET BACK THE MCKELTAR
Zuri didn’t mean to avoid Anne’s advances, though there were a lot of emotions running through her system right now with a lot of things plaguing her mind, but she didn’t find it in herself to hate her.
The situation and the circumstances at that time were very complicated and she realized they thought that was the best for her, since she was only a child and her understanding was very limited.
However, the thought that Anne would hug her, wrap her arms around her body and she would feel her breathing on her skin, made Zuri back away. The repulsion that she was suppressing returned and she found herself having a hard time breathing.
Not only that, she couldn’t fake her feelings in time and Anne caught her expression. The confusion was so clear in her eyes.
“Blue? What happened?” she asked, her voice was so soothing in her ears, but Zuri couldn’t find it in herself to want to be close to her.
“I miss you, Anne.” That was the only thing that Zuri could offer to her. To show her even a tiny bit of her feelings right now. She missed her, she missed all the stories that she told her when she was a child. But that little girl was no longer there. She had turned into something else...
“I missed you too, Blue,” Anne said, looking hesitant to approach her again.
On the other hand, Zuri stole a glance at July, who narrowed her eyes at the spot on her neck. She knew it was still swollen and would always be like that until she finally accepted it, albeit her mate had died.
Unconsciously, Zuri pulled the collar of her jacket up, to cover the mark.
.....
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Eros nudged Emily’s body, waited until she woke up and lifted the blanket that covered her head. She looked at Eros with her swollen eyes.
“There is food down there, do you want to go and get it?” Eros asked her softly and then saw the little girl was about to shrink into her blanket again, thus he talked hurriedly. “They went out a few minutes ago,” he told her.
Eros could hear the little girl sniffing and then opened the blanket. Her big hazel eyes looked at him, waiting for him to go first.
“Come.” Eros stood up and then offered his hand to her, as he helped her to her feet. Emily didn’t forget to bring the worn out teddy bear with her before following Eros into the kitchen.
This house could no longer be said as a living place, since there were a lot of things scattered on the floor, including trash everywhere. It was a miracle that they could find something to eat.
“Careful, there is broken glass there,” Eros warned Emily, as he pointed at the spot where broken glass pieces of a bottle scattered on the floor.
Emily nodded, she walked closer toward Eros, and clung to him.
They walked down the narrow corridor and past the room, where the other night Josh beat her and she watched how he smacked the woman whom they address as ‘mother’ until she lost consciousness.
Emily shuddered and clutched to Eros’ hand tightly. She pressed her body against him, trembling.
On the other hand, Eros knew what made the little girl afraid and then fastened his pace to go to the kitchen to find the remaining food that Josh and his wife left before they went out.
“Here, eat this,” Eros gave the biggest portion of cold pizza on the table and watched Emily take a big bite of it, she was starving.
On the other hand, Eros took the smaller portion that was left on the box, before he threw it. Actually, it was not enough for him. He wanted more, but he couldn’t bring himself to take the pizza that he had given to Emily.
However, the little girl lifted her head and looked at him with her big doe eyes, then stretched out her small arm and put the pizza under his nose.
“Take a bite,” she said with her childish voice.
“I have eaten.”
“Just a bite,” she insisted, shoving the pizza to his lips until he took a small bite.
They were hungry and this pizza wouldn’t be able to satisfy them, but at least it was enough for them to last until evening. They just hoped there would be some more leftover food when those two people returned.
And no more beating...
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Zuri ate her lunch slowly.
Even though she was hungry, she couldn’t enjoy her food at all under the curious gazes of Anne and July, who looked like they were rather impatient to talk to her.
And when the situation became even more uncomfortable, Zuri pushed her plate away, which was still filled with up to half of her food.
“What do you want to say?” Zuri was really thankful that Hades was not there to disturb her. She didn’t need any distractions right now.
“Blue,” July started, but Zuri stopped her.
“Call me Zuri, that’s my name,” she said calmly, so calm until it left Anne frowning. She knew the little girl that she had raised for a few months, but she didn’t know the young girl before her eyes.
The way she talked, the way she avoided her eyes from hers and how she looked uncomfortable, even with herself, and that was not the young and cheerful girl that she knew.
“Zuri,” July said, correcting her words. “I know that this is too sudden...”
“Let’s spare our time and get straight to the business,” Zuri said, her tone didn’t change at all and her expression was very stoic.
For a brief moment, July glanced at Anne, but of course they couldn’t talk about what they were thinking right now about Zuri.
Therefore, July cut the sweet talk and got straight to the main topic. “I want you to help me.”
“With?” Zuri knew what she wanted.
“To get back the McKeltars.”
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