Chapter 15

“I believe we need to purchase groceries at this point. It’s weekend, we’re free the whole day.”

I glanced at Iris, who was typing on her phone as she spoke. Her brow was wrinkled, yet she was still capable of speaking normally.

“Yeah. This time, we’re going to have to make a lot of purchases. We were pressed for time the last time, and our supplies did not last a month. And...I’ll need to purchase a phone so I can contact you when I need help of something.” She raised her eyes and gave me a thumbs up.

“We ought to. So, shall we proceed to the city? There are no cellphone stores in this area. We can purchase online, but it will take time.” I gave a couple of nods before standing up.

I should change, then.

“Alright. I’m not feeling weak at the moment, we can go there right now. I’m sure mom won’t see me either.” I didn’t wait for her response and proceeded directly to my bedroom. Yes, getting a phone online was considerably safer than visiting a store in person, but I wasn’t sure I could wait for another few days.

I wore a white tulle sundress and brown sandals with it. I’d learnt to dress appropriately throughout the last few weeks that I’d been with Iris. Although not as good as she was, my style had improved because of her. Previously, I only wore long-sleeved dresses. Before I left my room, I applied some makeup. When I got out of my room, Iris was waiting for me already.

“Let’s go ride my pink Lamborghini.” She walked by me until we exited the house. As was customary, she would drive.

At times, I wished I could learn to drive yet was too fearful to do so. I was terrified that I might die earlier because of driving.

We parked in an open area when we arrived at the mall. Today, the mall was bustling with activity. Perhaps it was because it was Saturday? Iris and I simultaneously got out from the car and entered the mall.

We were unconcerned with people’s critical stares. I didn’t know them, so why should I be concerned about them? Time would pass, and they would forget about me as well.

“Let’s go buy your phone first.” We immediately headed to the location where Iris had previously purchased a smartphone. I knew nothing about phones because I’d never owned one in my entire life. I had merely a tablet when I was a kid. I did know how to call, as I frequently used my nanny’s smartphone to contact dad.

“Which one do you prefer?” Iris asked. I examined the phone she was holding; it was identical to hers, except for the color.

“Is it good?” I asked. I wasn’t too concerned with the design at the back; what I was looking for was one that I could use properly.

“Yes, it is, and it’s also waterproof.”

“I’ll take it; it’s identical to yours, isn’t it?” I asked curiously. She immediately nodded and took a glance on the phone. We proceeded to the desk to make our payment. Because I was the one who purchased, I paid with real hard cash. Except for my trust fund card, I didn’t have any other cards with me.

We headed to the grocery after purchasing the phone. There were numerous people inside, and nearly all of them were elderly. There were also teenagers present, but not quite as many adults.

We took only one cart, as Iris was the only one who knew what to get. Even if I took some goods, she would simply return it to the aisle.

“Do you eat this?” she asked, holding up a can. I shivered as soon as I saw those beans. I would never eat those in this lifetime. I didn’t like their taste.

Minutes passed until our cart was already full. Numerous foods were purchased, I didn’t know the others because Iris didn’t mention it to me a while ago. Maybe she would cook something delicious again. If it tasted good, then the ingredients were almost certainly strange.

“I’m just going to the meat section; I forgot to purchase some hotdogs, I need that everyday.” I didn’t wait for her response and left her at the counter. We needed to purchase some, as it was typically what I ate in the morning.

When I arrived at the meat section, I swiftly acquired the ones I required. Because they were all frozen, I was unable to hold them for an extended period of time. I was ready to go back when I saw a female next to me who looked familiar. When I realized who it was, my eyes widened. She was also in the meat department; I wasn’t sure if she purchased a hotdog as well.

I hastily averted my gaze as my mom turned to me. I hastily left the area, since she must have noticed me.

I had no idea where I was going to run due to the crowds. I was certain Iris was at the counter, waiting for me.

“Aurie?” My anxiety increased exponentially when I heard mommy’s voice from afar. I accelerated my pace till I reached the sweets section.

I merely peeked back to see whether mom had caught up with me. And there she was, perusing the area as if on the lookout for someone.

“You look stupid.” I shifted to the side as soon as I heard that voice. I was certain that someone was referring to me. I was the only one hiding here who appeared to be a fool.

“P-Pierre!” I was not sure if I should be grateful that he was the one I saw right now. Why him? Couldn’t it be Ali or Iris? Geez, Pierre and I were not that close.

“What are you doing? You look stupid,” he asked, his brow furrowed. Despite the insult, I was glad I saw him here. We could pretend to be conversing.

However, there was a good likelihood that mom would see my face.

“Hide me,” I said in hushed tone. I was nervous; I could still see my mom approaching us out of the corner of my eyes.

“What?”

Nervousness caused me to bite my lip. I was sure Pierre would be perplexed if I mentioned that my mother was here. I knew he’d argue with me first before deciding to hide me.

“Aurie?” When I heard mommy’s voice again, all I could do was release the hotdogs and pull Pierre close to my face.

“I’m so sorry, Pierre; this is what the main characters did when they’re hiding from someone.” I didn’t wait for him to respond and pressed my lips on his swiftly.

I could see Pierre’s face flushed with surprise. He was at first unsure what to do, but eventually closed his eyes and stroked my waist.

I assumed it was a simple kiss, but I was mistaken. When I felt his tongue penetrated me, my eyes immediately opened.

What was he doing? I had no idea that everyone had to insert their tongues while kissing.

I was the only one astonished, because his eyes remained closed and he appeared to be aware of what we were doing at the moment.

I merely shifted my gaze to the side. I saw mom walking away. I was sure she felt uneasy seeing us kiss. Additionally, she wouldn’t think that I was kissing someone since I was too innocent in her eyes.

However, she was right. I did it solely to avoid being caught. My first kiss should be romantic, but I was grateful to God for allowing me to use it for something beneficial.

When mom vanished from my view, I instantly released Pierre. As I stared at him, I caught my breath. I felt a surge of humiliation when he looked me in the eyes.

“I apologize—”

“You’re here! I’ve been waiting at the counter for you for a while.” What I was about to say was cut short when Iris appeared. I could see her frown as she realized who was with me.

“How come you’re together—”

“Let’s go, Iris. We have to pay, don’t we? I’m also hungry; we really need to leave.” I scooped up the hotdogs I had dropped earlier and dragged Iris away.

Pierre might say something about what we did a while ago; it was humiliating!

“What was that? Why does it seems that you don’t want me to know why are you together?” She looked at me suspiciously, as if there was a nonsense thought inside her head forming. I sighed and gave her a serious look.

“Not that I want you to be unaware, but we do need to leave that aisle. I saw my mother, and she saw me as well. Then I took off and rushed into the sweets section, where I met Pierre. I used him to assuage my mother’s suspicions.” Her eyes widened, and her palm brushed against her lips. She appeared to be shocked, perhaps more shocked than I was.

“Oh my goodness. It’s fortunate that Pierre was there. What did you do to make her leave? Both of you just talked?” For a little while, I was stunned and unable to respond. I could feel the warmth on my cheek as I recalled what happened earlier.

“What? Tell me!” When I didn’t respond, Iris lightly slapped my arm. She would understand, right? If she were in my shoes, she might do the same thing.

I was left with no other options.

“We kissed.” When she abruptly fell silent, it was as if an angel had passed between us. After a few seconds, her eyes expanded again.

“Oh my goodness! So you already lost your first kiss? Together with Pierre? OMG, I’m not mad, okay? I may harbor anger toward him, but your situation is distinct from mine. I’m not concerned with whether you date him as long as you’re happy-“

“Iris, I did that so mommy wouldn’t see me. What are you referring to when you say “date”? I don’t like him,” I cut her off to stop her illusions. Her excitement quickly faded. She slapped my arm lightly and then rolled her eyes.

“Whatever. I’ll pay for your hotdogs. I’ll use my card, and if you want to pay me, you may do it at home. You can’t stay at the counter, Aurie. Your mother may see you there. You should stay here and wait.” She swiftly turned away from me and headed over to the counter.

I waited on the side until she was able to pay for everything. We asked the assistance of a crew to assist us in transporting our groceries. I did pay them to deliver everything to Iris’ car.

We exited the supermarket smoothly and never saw mommy again. I missed her so much, but I still didn’t want to go home. When I first saw her, I wanted to hug her. Fortunately, I was able to control myself. Perhaps if I had held her earlier, that would be the only regret I would have in four months.

I had no idea that a simple hug could change everything. If only I could hug her without facing a consequence, I would.

“I’m starving. Where do you wanna eat?” Iris asked. We brought nothing but the cellphone I purchased. Our groceries had already been loaded into Iris’ car.

“Everywhere, not just in expensive restaurants where my mother frequently dines. She may see us there.”

“Okay, then. Let’s eat at fast food restaurants. I’m sure your mother won’t bother eating there.” We began heading toward the nearest fast food restaurant. There were a lot of people there, and the majority of them were teenagers and children.

Iris and I sat in a corner. There was no waiter to ask as to what we desired, so Iris placed our order at the counter. Clearly, this was the first time Iris had eaten at a diner of this type. Even if she didn’t express it verbally, her actions made it quite clear. It was evident that she didn’t know how to order at the counter, as she was taking an excessive amount of time. I could empathize with her because this was my first time eating at a fast food restaurant as well.

Iris returned with drinks, smiling. The lunch she ordered arrived moments later.

“Thank you,” I said as the crew put down our food. Before she turned back and walk away, she smiled to the both of us.

Iris and I began to eat. The food was excellent; I wasn’t expecting it to be that delectable.

“Tell me about your mother. All I know is that she’s an excellent lawyer.” I was taken aback for a split second when Iris stated that. This was the first time she asked something about my family.

“My mother was the same as your father, Iris.”

“What do you mean the same as my father? Is she also a guy?” she asked, her brow furrowed. I giggled and hurled a tissue in her direction.

“What? No! I mean, she’s just like your father; she’s frequently at work and frequently doesn’t return home.”

“Oh, so you understand what it’s like to be left alone at home, huh?” She drank water while maintaining her gaze on me.

“In fact, no. I still have a family member at home. My father was always with me. Mommy was truly my only issue at the time, as she consistently failed to attend major events.” I grinned grimly as I recalled my last birthday prior to that disaster. Because my mum was late, daddy and I were the only ones celebrating. I was so unhappy that I ignored my mother for a month.

“I’m envious. I hope Dad will do that for me too. He believed that it was okay if I was alone at home. Perhaps he reasoned that it was acceptable for me to survive without the affection and aid of my parents.” Iris chuckled, but I sensed her sorrow as she spoke those words.

“Iris, you have me. You won’t be alone as long as I am with you.” When she heard what I said, her grin grew even sadder. Did I say something wrong?

“Bitch. Regrettably, you’re going to leave me shortly.”

“At the very least, you met me, right? Even if I am no longer with you in a few months, you have memories of me. Additionally, Alister is there to be with you. I understand you’re angry with him, but he’s trying, Iris. I’m not sure why you hold a grudge against him, but I see that he’s regretting what he did. Additionally, I know that I will not be your only friend during this lifetime. And, be assured, I will leave you in the care of my relatives. I’ll tell my mother to look after you.”

“Really? You’re going to do that for me?”

“Certainly! Mom would be overjoyed to learn that I had made a friend before I died. I’m sure she’ll look after you very well because you’ve been kind to me as well. Additionally, my mother is alone, so when I die, it’s a win-win situation.”

“You crazy bitch. Why are we discussing this, by the way? We should avoid talking about this, Aurie. We should savor the remainder of your days, right?”