Previous β Everything Will Be Okay
Misa
βI am not crazy!β I yell at Mr. Grim.
This is not how I expected to meet my boyfriendβs father, whoβs also my boss.
βThere nothing on the cameras from here to Sharp Shooter Road.β Mr. Grim growls. βNo fat man, no red head, no vehicle, no wife.β He leans back in his black leather chair, wrapping a thick brown leather belt around his big hand. βYou are crazy.β
βEasy, Dad.β Emilian scolds.
βYouβre just a little anxious right now, baby.β Tehanie rubs Mr. Grimβs shoulders to calm him down. Heβs tall and built, wearing a brown cowboy hat, black T-shirt, and blue jeans. βLet’sββ He swats her hands away before she can finish.
Tehanie stumbles backward, surprised by his coldness.
βWhere is my wife?β Mr. Grim asks me again, slower this time.
βEx-wife.β Emilian and Tehanie correct him.
I take a deep breath.
Just keep going.
βI told you. Pace and a red head woman took her.β I say it as slow as possible, so he understands this time. βI left the building and got in my car. When I turned it on, I looked up and saw K-Khiana walking out. Then a blue car pulled up beside her and they grabbed her. I took note of the plate and followed them until they stopped. I-I was on the phone with Emilian too, but my call dropped.β
βMm hm. And what road were you on?β Mr. Grim asks.
βSharp Shooter.β I respond, frustrated.
βJust making sure your story is on the up-and-up. Keep going.β
βWell, I looked up from my phone and saw this weird black and white static crawling all over the car, everywhere. Then it was gone, and everyone in it.β
βStaticβ¦ None of this makes sense.β He rolls the belt around his fist, making a small creaking sound. βAnother wife gone. A witness and no proof. Damnit. I can hear the whispers now, just like when I lost my other wife, Lux. Murderer. Criminal. Thatβs what they called me back thenβ¦ Until I proved them wrong.β
Lost in thought, he unravels the belt and wraps his hand all over again.
βOh, Weston.β Tehanie sighs, hovering around him. βPerhaps Khiana just left for another manββ
βITβS NOT ANOTHER MAN!β He booms. His belt wrapped fist bangs against his executive desk.
βYou better lower your voice when you speak to me, husband.β Tehanie scolds.
I look over at Emilian sitting in the distance staring at me. Heβs been so quiet.
Does he think I did this?
βMisaβs tired of saying the same thing.β Tehanie hands me my purse and helps me from my seat. βEmilian, come take her home.β
βNo.β Mr. Grim stares at me. βNot yet. I want to speak with Miss Honey alone, without you two buzzing around here.β
Wide-eyed, I look over at Emilian. He just nods.
βIβll wait for you,β he tells me.
Seriously?
βWeston, this is absurd. Misaβs been here for an hour explaining the same thing.β
βAnd sheβll sit here for another if I want her to, Tehanie. I lost a wife today! Emilian lost his momma and I wanna get to the bottom of it. Is that okay with you?β
Tehanie huffs. βMake sure you donβt lose another.β
βYou better stop keepinβ on, wife.β
βHmph. Mm hm.β she mutters.
I watch Emilian and Tehanie leave through the large red double doors. They slam shut behind them.
βCome over to the couch with me.β Mr. Grim flops down and pats the cushion beside him. βCome on, sit down.β
I sit as close to my arm rest as possible.
Good. Now stay calm. Stay. Calm. He canβt be that upset if he can invite me to sit on the couch with him. Official conversations happen at desks.
βNow whereβs my wife?β he asks for the twelfth time.
Mr. Grim flings his cowboy hat on the coffee table, revealing messy short brown hair underneath and bright blue eyes that are kinder compared to Emilianβs. He smells good too, like leather and jasmine.
βI donβt know. They took her.β I look him dead in the eye when I say it.
βBy this Pace, and some red head. Associates of Timothy Hollow. A man I understand you dated before my son, correct?β
I let out a deep breath. βMe and Timothy went on dates, but we werenβtββ
βWhat happened with you and him?β
βI lost interest. Your son happened.β
He leans back, smirking at me.
βWhere are you from, Miss Honey?β
βFortune.β
βBorn there?β
βYes.β
βFamily?β
βNot anymoreβ¦β
βWhat do you mean?β
βTheyβre all dead.β
βOh.β His face softens. βHm. Iβm sorry to hear thatβ¦ Very sorry.β
βYeahβ¦β I whisper.
βI canβt imagine what youβve been through.β
βOne day everything is fine, then the phone rings.β I feel my lip quiver. βYou just wanna hang up and erase what you heard, but you canβt.β
Donβt cry. Donβt cry.
βHow old were you when it happened?β
I pause for a moment, trying to calm my emotions. βSixteen when my parents died. My brother Micah went last year. I was twenty-one. He was twenty-three.β
Mr. Grimβs eyes turn into wounded pools. βTerrible.β He sighs deep.
βIβm getting a little better at accepting it. Probably why I can talk about it with you nowβ¦ Strange.β
βHmm. So, your brother took care of you? Uh, Micah?β
βYeah. We helped each other. I cooked and cleaned.β I shrug. βHe worked a lot.β
βWhat did he do for a living?β
βMicah worked for um, ohmygosh, I actually donβtβ¦.β
What was it called?
βHm. Donβt worry about it.β Mr. Grim smiles. The first one Iβve seen from him. Makes me feel a little better. βSo, I take it you find family important?β he asks.
βI do.β
βThat why you chased after my wife?β
βWell, yeah, I meanββ
βEven though that Pace fellow scares you?β
How does he know that?
βShe was in trouble. I couldnβt sit there and watch.β
βEven though she crashed into your car on pills that Timothy Hollow gave her a few days ago? And kicked in your door?β
βHuh?β Iβm confused. βWhy would Timothy give your wife pills?β
Mr. Grim scoffs, shaking his head. βIβm being bamboozled.β
βIβm telling the truth!β
βNot bamboozled by you! Khiana!β He bangs his fist on the coffee table, making me jump. βMy damn wife.β
βWeston!β Tehanie scolds him from outside the office.
βAh, Iβm not mad at the girl!β Mr. Grim yells at the door. βSorry.β He looks at me, speaking normally. βIβm not upset with you.β He slides his hands down his face, looking exhausted. βIt all smells funny, you know? Khiana and I were just turning a corner in our relationship and now sheβs gone. Feels like the end.β
βWait. What? Someoneβs going to find her, right? Or find out who Pace is? And Timothy? You make it seem like thereβs no hope left or something.β
βSometimes there isnβt.β His long sigh sounds like defeat. βYou can go.β
βButββ
βYouβre good.β
I grab my things and head for the door before he changes his mind.
βAnd Miss Honey?β
I leave one hand on the knob. βYes, Mr. Grim?β
βMy condolences about your family. And thank you for your bravery today. I donβt think many wouldβve done what you did for my Khiana.β
Umβ¦ wasnβt expecting that.
βMaybe sheβll be okay. Just stay positive.β I smile lightly.
Mr. Grim sighs and nods. Iβm not sure what will happen, but kindness never hurts.
I open the door.
Tehanie rushes to Mr. Grim on the couch while Emilian scoops me in his arms tight.
βSorry for raising my voice.β I overhear Mr. Grim tell Tehanie. βJust so upsetβ¦ You think Khiana bailed on us again?β
βMaybe. But you still have me and Lux.β She says happily.
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