Feather After // Chapter 59 // Bondings and Love

Aria's POV 

"Tell me what's going on, Aria," Nanna said for what felt like the nth time. She just kept looking at me while we're coming back from school. At first, when we got inside the car she didn't say anything because she didn't want Manchurian to hear anything but as soon as I stepped inside the house she continued to ask me the same question Again and again.

I quickly went to my room, dropped my bag on the table and lied down on my bed. I want hungry, it was all because of Ignatius that I hadn't gotten caught. But on the second thought, it was because of Ignatius that I and even thought or anyway did bunk school.

"There you go," Nanna said as she entered the room with a plate of pasta in her hand. She put it down on the bed after putting a small towel on the bed, "eat fast you have a dinner tonight."

I got up, what dinner?

"With whom?" I asked her while I grabbed the plate of pasta that she had just kept down.

"Your mother's business partner, dear," she sat on my bed and I huffed. God, when these fancy dinners will be over? These dinners were more of a show-off party where these rich people showed their jewelry and what not. She looked at me and took my hands in hers, "you know when you were a little baby girl, you used to tell me everything, one day in school, you stole this girls pencil and you promised yourself that you won't tell anyone. Do you know what happened? You came straight home and told me about the pencil you stole because you couldn't keep it away from me. I asked you why you told me that and then you replied, if I keep things from you, my tummy starts hurting."

She looked at me and smiled, I realized that just because of Ignatius I couldn't push Nanna away or I couldn't push everyone who had made me happy before just because of what Ignatius had done for me. Nanna was my family and she deserved to know what was happening, irrespective of what people had to say, she was my Nanna.

"I don't know what I'm going through Nanna," I looked at her and she smiled at me, I smiled back at her. She hurriedly got up and ran to the other side of the room and closed the door of the room. She didn't lock it but just shut it close, when I raised my eyebrow at her; she rolled her eyes at me and said in a hushed tone, "for precautions."

"I like Zachariah, I know he is the nice guy but I'm not sure if he is meant for me. I mean I do get it that he is rich and mother needs him and his family for money but this doesn't feel right. I really don't know, I don't know, I- I can't explain it, like-"

"Listen to me; it's okay to feel that way. I'm in no position to say anything, to feel that way for you. I wish I could do something for you. Sometimes Aria, sometimes, it's okay to keep your happiness above everyone else's. It's not a problem, neither it's that a big deal. It's okay."

I looked up at her again, I didn't know if she would feel the same way if I actually told her what was going on if I had actually told her that I was in love and the fact that she wouldn't approve of who this guy way.

"The guy, I like-" when I said that Nanna's eyes widened. She looked at me, opened her mouth and then closed her mouth again. She opened her mouth and then closed it again. Her hands were in mine and she squeezed them tightly.

"What?" She finally managed to say. I wasn't sure if she was happy surprised or sad surprised but she was surprised. Now I wish, I hadn't told her that part. I got too emotional.

"Yes, but I know mother won't approve of him, because he is not as rich as Zachariah," I told her, I decided that we were playing this honest game, I might as well be fully honest with her.

"Well, the real question here is, do you like him? Do I make your heart skip a beat? Does he-"

"Oh god, yes Nanna, you're embarrassing me now," I put my hand on my face and tried to hide my smile and my burning cheeks. Obviously, he made me smile and made my heart skip a beat.

Talking to Rachael was better because I didn't feel embarrassing at all, but with Nanna, all I felt was an embarrassment.

"Well, let me tell you what? Looks are just minor issues; it's your happiness that matters. I don't know how this guy is but if you like him, I take it that he is a nice guy. If he is the guy for you, we'll walk hand in hand down your aisle and if not, you'll always have my shoulder to cry on too," she said as she removed my hands from my face.

"I thought you are embarrassed by me, and that you'll feel disappointed that I- you know, I like someone when I'm supposed to be married to someone else," she smiled at me.

"Well, I'm proud of you. I always had a fear in my heart that you'll become this rich girl, who would lose her ability to see beyond looks, I'm happy that you have turned out to be better, better than that. What your mother doesn't realize is that you're too young for all this, but never mind, you'll be okay Aria. I'll always be there, to scold you and to praise you when you need it," she pulled me in a hug and then put her hands on my cheek, "you'll be okay. We'll figure this out, we are in this together. Now it's time to dress up, let's move it!"

"Where are we going to eat today? Are you going to come with us?" I asked her as she got up and pulled me with her.

She rubbed her hands on her skirt, slugged her shoulder and then looked at me, "well, I'm not going anywhere, so it's just you and your mother and your fiancé, you'll be eating in one of their hotels tonight?"

"Restaurants, I mean how many do they have in general?" I walked towards the closet to find an outfit. I really sucked with the outfit thing, no matter what I did; I always dressed awkwardly and almost never in style. And my mother never mind, she knew almost everything; everything that I didn't even know existed.

Maybe she knew that because she was a fashion designer or maybe she knew about it because it was her passion. Her brand new clothing line was supposed to be out soon and she was very stressed about it, but I guess she was more stressed about making me a good summer bride but little did she know I was not interested in being one.

I looked around; it wasn't a formal dinner or was it? I pulled out a dress from the closet and then looked at it. It was black in color and had two thin straps and went all the way to my knees. Then I put it back. I pulled out a pair of black jeans and a t-shirt which had a logo of Harry Potter in the front. I pulled my white converse from the shoe rack and in no time I was ready to go after taking a shower. I almost stepped inside the shower without a shower cap and then when I stepped inside, I almost burnt myself. So I adjusted the heat of the water a few times and then checked the temperature by shoving my foot in. I put on the clothes after taking a shower.

I pulled my hair in a ponytail and let me fringes lose. I shoved my phone in my jeans pocket. I walked out of my room and then my mom saw me. She looked at me and then I noticed she looked horrified. She was on her phone. When she saw me she rushed to me.

"What are you wearing?" She asked as she twirls me around. I raised my eyebrow at her but kept my mouth shut because I didn't want my smart mouth to get me into any trouble. "No, no, no, no," she mumbled when she looked at me. It was very offensive to let me tell you that.

"We have to change what you're wearing, this can't happen. I won't let my daughter in front of the whole Seattle Press looking like a cowgirl," she said and then grabbed my hand. I tried to say something to her but she quickly shushed me away.

She pushed me back in my room and then rushed inside her room. What the hell was she up to? She called out for Nanna and then she asked her to bring me to her room. I had not really been to her and father's room before. It was massive and beautiful. I mean I knew it was the biggest room in the house but it was so beautifully decorated. It could make anyone feel poor. It was so beautiful.

The room was pastel in color, the floor was marbled and then window panels and everything else had a wooden finish. There were three doors connected to the door. She saw me looking at them so she explained, "oh one of them is the washroom door, one is the closest and the third one is my studio," she said and made me sit on a chair in front of a huge mirror. She opened my hair and Nanna handed her a curling iron.

I would have really appreciated this mother-daughter bonding time if it wasn't for the press and if my mother would have been doing this for us, and not to show off in general. She curled my hair and I had never seen someone handle a curling ion so gracefully. I watched her wrap my hair around the rod and then she did her thing.

After my hair was done, she turned the chair around and brought a duffle bag, she opened it and emptied the content in the table behind me. The bag was filled with things I had only seen in a fashion magazine. I saw Nanna shake her head, in an 'oh no' look.

She put some make on my cheek and then she merged it with a brush. She then asked me to close my eyes while she did some more makeup. She smiled at me and then she started humming a song. I was shocked; the five years old me would have done anything to see her like this. See her like her mother and nothing else. I could see her like I wanted to see her then but the only problem was I didn't care now because I knew what she wanted from me, and the problem was I was not sure if I could give her what she wanted out of me.

"We're running out of time, chop, chop!" She said and pulled me out of the chair, I wanted to rub my eye but I couldn't, so I let it be. She went inside her studio and bought black colored pants and a dark blue top which was covered with blue and black studs. The pants had huge hollow ends but it was beautiful. It gave a very retro look but it was beautiful, at least way better than what I was wearing.

Soon she had loaded me and herself in a car and we were standing in front of the hotel were supposed to be in, in no time at all. As soon as we stepped outside our car, silver lights blinded me. They were shouting various things while the security tried to push them away.

I stepped inside the hotel after nearly falling twice and as I was adjusting the black pencil heel mom had given me, my eyes fell on Ignatius, what the hell was he doing here?

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MTTBB has been on The Top 5 Teen Fiction charts for more than two weeks. What the hell?
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