章節 4: Chapter 4 Smoke and City

I can't help but be wrong in the dark

'Cause I'm overcome in this war of hearts

I can't help but want oceans to part

'Cause I'm overcome in this war of hearts

-Ruelle

C A D E

It was quite amusing to watch my father stubbornly arguing with Athalia. Her face flushed with anger, while Dad did his best to contain his laughter, all the while giving her his most serious look.

"You never let me pet anything!" complained an angry Athalia.

"Who on earth pets a penguin?" Dad responded, looking up from his computer screen.

Liliath handed me a cup of coffee and observed them with a blank face.

"Last time, Alia wanted to pet a raccoon," Liliath mentioned to me, her gaze fixed on the penguin chick sleeping peacefully in Athalia's arms.

What an interesting choice of pets.

"Are you thinking of leaving again?" she asked, taking a seat beside me.

"I'm not sure, but I think I should stay this time," I admitted. Meeting everyone again after so many years had stirred up a sense of homesickness within me. Maybe this time, I could find an appropriate reason to stay.

Liliath gave me a small smile before taking a sip of her coffee. After a few minutes, one of the employees took the penguin away, and Athalia was still red with anger.

"So, this Athalia, does she live with Dad?" I asked Liliath curiously, as the most significant change that occurred after I left was this girl. Athalia.

It seems like Athalia has formed close relationships with everyone I know.

"Oh, I see. I mean, she lives in your same old mansion, and if you've decided to stay, I think you'll be living with her. As far as I know, your dad isn't home that often," Liliath explained.

"It's going to be a Tom and Jerry show then, I can easily tell by the death glares Alia is giving you, Cade," Vivene remarked from behind. I glanced up only to be met with Athalia's red face. She looked like a child who had just lost her chocolate.

Vivene kissed Liliath on the cheeks, and a faint blush appeared on her face. Am I still missing something?

"Cade, we have some news to share," said Vivene.

"Sure, go ahead." I sipped my coffee, curious about what they had to say. I nearly choked when I heard Liliath's words.

"We're dating."

Liliath and Vivene. Together. What else is waiting for me at home? Vivene was the girl who discovered she was a lesbian in high school, but Liliath, she was one of those beauty queens at school, always surrounded by boys. They were complete opposites.

"Since when?" I asked

"The day Lily found out she was bi. She came to me, cried, things got messy, and then we messed up the bed," Vivene explained. I teasingly mocked 'Wow, Lily.'

Nathan approached me with a fresh pair of clothes.

"What's up, you bastard?" That's how we greet each other.

"We'll reach New York in an hour, you should go and freshen up." He handed me the clothes.

"Where should I bath?" I asked.

"Athalia's cabin," Nathan shouted from a distance.

Great, just great.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

I am smelling like Athalia, a mix of strawberry and lavender.

I got dressed in a plain black t-shirt and jeans, with a light jacket. It was around 8 p.m. when we arrived at New York airport.

No, they didn't land that giant airship at the airport; it was placed far away from the civilian area.

Dad looked pleased when he found out I was coming back home, and so did Nathan. However, Athalia still seemed a bit upset with me. She had her head down and hadn't spoken a word to any of us. Plus, she was coughing. Maybe she had caught a cold.

Shit! I am feeling bad for her.

"Let's move. The jet has arrived," Dad said.

"Help....me stand," I heard Athalia speak after a long hour of silence. Nathan held her hand and help her to her feet.

"What happened?" I asked her, but all she did was stare at my face and then leave as if I were invisible.

'Ouch' Nathan mocked, throwing his arm around my shoulder.

"What's up with you, man? You seem quite interested in her," he teased.

"Interested? Your ass," I rolled my eyes and removed his arm.

I wasn't interested; I just felt sorry for her, or maybe for the penguin or I don't know.

I took a seat beside Liliath, as Nathan wanted to sleep, and I didn't want him clinging to me and disturbing my work.

I had to fix the bugs that my A.I. couldn't handle by herself. However, it was Liliath who didn't seem to stop talking. So, I put my earpods on and let her continue talking while I focused on my work.

After an hour, my father informed us that it would take longer than usual to reach California due to a heavy thunderstorm.

"You all should get some rest; it's night" Dad said, and then he returned to his seat and the lights dimmed down.

"Hey, Cade," Vivene tapped my shoulder. She looked tired and sleepy. "Can we switch seats? I need to sleep, and Lily does too."

"Alright," I agreed. I got up with my laptop, and the only available seat was next to Athalia, who was rolled up in a blanket. Great.

I closed my laptop as my eyes grew heavy from the lack of sleep.

I heard faint and struggling breaths, Athalia. I gently removed the blanket from her face, and she opened her eyes.

"Water," she managed to say, taking a deep breath. I handed her a glass of water, but her hands were shaking so much that I had to help her drink.

"What happened?" I asked gently, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. My voice sounded surprisingly polite.

"Nightmare.... it was just a nightmare" she replied, shaking her head. "I need to go to the washroom." She stood up, and I stepped aside to let her pass.

I watched her she walked toward the washroom, she glanced back at me before stepping inside.

Was she crying?

After half an hour, she returned to her seat and began to twist and turn, trying to find a comfortable position. Eventually, I felt her shifting closer to my side.

"Hey Cad..." she started, a little yawn escaping her mouth. "Can I sleep like this?" She put her head on my shoulder, waiting for my permission.

"Hmm," I responded. Maybe she wasn't feeling well, and I should let her rest like this.

"Thanks," she whispered and snuggled into my neck. "You're so warm," she mumbled against my skin. Holy shit! It sent a sensation down my spine. I pulled her closer as she fell asleep.

No one was watching, but before I could argue with my mind, Nathan passed me a dirty smirk, silently mocking me with a "I told you" look. In response, I just closed my eyes.

We slept like that for more than three hours, and it was around 2 a.m., with everyone else still asleep. Athalia's body lay across my chest, and her small hands were wrapped around my torso.

I carefully reached for my phone, but her tiny form shifted in response. I moved back into my previous position, leaving my phone untouched. She stirred, blinked a few times, and yawned quietly.

I was already watching her actions, her head turning in my direction. "Good morning," I said.

She rubbed her eyes with her sleeves and gave me a sleepy smile. "Good morning," she replied.

I thought she might pull away after realizing our position, but instead, she hugged me again. "You know, you're like a warm teddy bear. I don't want to move," she said, sounding like a 5-year-old, and wrapped the blanket around both of us.

I couldn't help but sigh, feeling amused by her behavior.

Knowing Athalia is not suppose to move i grabbed my phone. 42 messeges and 2 missied call from Lana. Why the hell she think i would reply back after she killed me. I knew It wouldn't even take a month for this relationship to break. I just blocked her. She had been nothing but a disturbance in my life, and finally, I was free.

Athalia shifted inside the blanket, her head turned to meet my gaze.

"Are you joining Quantech again?" she asked. Quantech was the research center and university I was enrolled in - Quantech Institution of Research and University.

"I guess so," I replied, looking up from my phone.

"It would be great," she said, sitting up with her legs crossed.

"The autumn semester is about to start. Do you do research in partnership?" Athalia asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.

"Well... I don't work in partnership unless the person is actually helpful to me." Quantech was famous for its research background, focusing on A.I. development and robotics.

"You know, people there talk about you a lot," she mentioned.

"What do they say?" I asked, not really interested but wanting to keep the conversation going.

"I don't know, never cared much," she shrugged and opened a bottle of water.

"We are about to land," the pilot announced.

"How do you know they are talking about me-" I began to reply, ready to make another sarcastic remark, but she cut me off.

"Move aside, i have to go washroom" she cut me off.

"I know everything they talk about" she whispered before getting up.

Something inside me screamed that this year is going to be amazing, just amazing.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

As soon as I stepped inside the mansion, I was greeted by a charming old lady who pulled me into a hug. She was the maid who had taken care of me since childhood, like a grandmother.

"Oh, Cade, look how grown you are," she said, cupping my face with both her hands, while Athalia laughed her ass out at this.

"Aunt Mae, can we do this after I freshen up? I'm really tired," I pleaded to escape the excited old lady's grip.

"Of course, my child. I've already cleaned your room. Take some rest, and I'll call you down after I prepare something special for breakfast," she replied and headed to the kitchen, still over-excited.

I shot a glance at Athalia, who was still laughing. She stopped.

"Oh, it was quite adorable," she teased.

"You should rest before this old lady drags you to the kitchen," she advised as she started climbing the stairs.

"Right," I followed her and noticed that her room was next to mine.

"Good to have a neighbor now," she giggled and closed the door to her room.

Maybe... It's good to have someone around this fucking big mansion.

It's good to see everything in the same place as I left them, untouched. Thanks to Aunt Mae.

My bedroom, painted in black, dark as I like it. I went to my desk and picked up the photo frame with a picture of my mom. She was smiling brightly, holding a squirrel in her hand. I miss her.

My clothes were still arranged in the wardrobe, all in dark shades, either black or blue, my favorites.

I went down to my workshop, which wasn't the same as I expected. It had a unique touch, no longer just a consistency of my technology. If something was same it was Crisa. I think I owe this credit to Athalia.

After my quick shower, I heard Aunt Mae shouting my name, an over-excited old lady. My father and Athalia were already at the breakfast table.

"Are you joining Quantech again? I suppose you don't need to," my father remarked. I may not need to, but I want to.

"Maybe, just for this semester," I replied as I took a seat beside Athalia.

"Isn't it nice, your son is back home?" Athalia defended me.

"I never said I had any problem," my father replied.

"You were working on quantum, right?" Athalia asked while taking a bite of bread. I gave her a nod, maybe she had read my old notes.

"Great, we can do research together for the Autumn semester," she exclaimed, "if you want to."

Partnership, but only after seeing her capabilities.

"After you show me what your brain's got," I replied.

"Of course, I have endless possibilities and ideas." Physics is not as easy as you think, but once you start thinking against the laws of nature, that's when you can beat the greatest minds.

After we finished breakfast, she dragged me to her room, clearly excited to have my parents as witnesses. She was ready to work without any quarrel. Let me check intelligence, machine skills, thinking skills, and a beautiful face to look at when I get bored. She would work better than Nathan.

"Partners," she offered her hand for a handshake.

"Partners," I agree.