173 YOU WILL FIND YOUR WAY BACK
Today was a very tiring day, where July had to run from one place to another to take care of a few things.
This place could still stand because the business that Knox left behind was still running and the profits from it were enough to manage the organization that opposed The Hound.
Sometimes, July wondered whether she was doing this because she wanted to irk her father or because she wanted to hold up this place together for when Knox finally returned. Just so there would be a safe place for him, for someone like him, the non- human being.
Or probably, it was a little bit of both.
July pinched the bridge of her nose, she wanted to take a warm shower and then slump in her comfortable bed, taking a good rest after a long bustling day.
However, when she was about to reach her bedroom, she saw someone standing near the door, leaning her body against the wall, staring at her with a pair of impassive eyes.
“Zuri,” July called for her. She almost forgot about her. It was indeed almost midnight and she had told her to make a decision before it.
Zuri straightened her back and spoke without missing a beat. “I will do it,” she said.
July was slightly surprised by her answer, she thought she needed to coax the young shifter to take the job, but apparently she had her own thoughts on this matter.
.....
“Where are you going?” July asked when she watched her walk away toward a different direction from her bedroom.
Zuri stopped walking and turned around to face July, her expression didn’t change a little bit. “I am waiting for you just to tell you that.”
Hearing what Zuri said, July wondered how long she had been waiting there before making up her mind to come up with that decision.
“Great,” July said. “We will leave early tomorrow morning.” And the only thing that she received was a curt nod from her, as she fixed the collar of her jacket around her neck, to cover the mark. “The mark...” she started and the question died down on her lips when she saw a dangerous look flickering in her hazel eyes.
“You better not ask something that is not of your concern,” Zuri spoke rigidly and then walked away.
Only when Zuri’s figure could no longer be seen that July could sigh deeply, it almost felt like she just dodged a bullet that was shot straight to her head.
She didn’t remember that the girl was very scary like this...
Well, eight years was a lot of time and a lot of things could happen and sometimes some wounds could be seen like the mark on Zuri’s neck, but the worst were the wounds that you were not able to see. And those are hard to heal...
The white hair girl walked away from the direction of her bedroom, but it seemed July knew where she was heading to.
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Zuri felt comfortable when her senses hit this familiar scent of the library, with the old books surrounding her. If only the fireplace was lit up, it would be perfect.
She walked toward the sofa. They changed the sofa, probably because the old one had been ruined, as she could see how much July tried to keep this house original.
Zuri sank her body on the comfortable sofa and hugged herself, and stared at the fireplace. She used to do this in the past and now she was doing it again just because she could feel the remaining part of her. She lost herself, the girl was finally home, but her heart couldn’t find peace.
However, before she could close her eyes, she heard the sound of the door being opened and she didn’t need to move her body to know who was coming here to find her.
“Blue, are you asleep?” Anne asked softly, she brought a blanket with her, as she approached the sofa, where she could see her white hair.
Zuri pushed herself up and sat down, so she could give space for her to sit.
Anne sighed deeply, as she sat down next to Zuri, yet the girl flinched and tried to put distance between them.
Knowing this, Anne tried to keep her desire to hug her and didn’t invade her space. She didn’t know what she had gone through, but when July mentioned to her about the mark on Zuri’s neck and now she saw it herself, she could guess it to be the worst.
“You skipped your dinner,” Anne said softly. “I cooked your favorite food, Blue.”
That was the reason why she skipped her dinner, because she didn’t want to see her, she was not ready, but then, this was unavoidable and she would go tomorrow. Therefore, the sooner she faced this, the better.
“Anne, I am not the girl that you know.” She lifted her head and for the first time today, she held her gaze and Anne could see how much damage she had endured for the past eight years. “And stop calling me Blue. That’s not my name.”
Anne stretched out her hand, but Zuri frowned and out of instinct, she backed away, yet she held her hand anyway.
This small gesture revoked something in her and her repulsion almost made Zuri want to claw her face, just to get rid of her hand from hers.
Yet, she endured it. Her body stiffened, as she held her breath to get a better control of herself.
“You are always the little girl that I know.” Anne looked at her gently. “You will always be my girl. You are just lost and you will find your way back, just like how you did this time. You returned to this house and I have never felt more grateful for that.” She repeated her words again. “You will find your way back, Blue.”
Zuri gritted her teeth, these emotions were overwhelming, to the point of suffocating.
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