Nothing Happened

Previous – Everything Will Be Okay

Misa

β€œI am not crazy!” I yell at Mr. Grim.

This is not how I expected to meet my boyfriend’s father, who’s also my boss.

β€œThere nothing on the cameras from here to Sharp Shooter Road.” Mr. Grim growls. β€œNo fat man, no red head, no vehicle, no wife.” He leans back in his black leather chair, wrapping a thick brown leather belt around his big hand. β€œYou are crazy.”

β€œEasy, Dad.” Emilian scolds.

β€œYou’re just a little anxious right now, baby.” Tehanie rubs Mr. Grim’s shoulders to calm him down. He’s tall and built, wearing a brown cowboy hat, black T-shirt, and blue jeans. β€œLet’s—” He swats her hands away before she can finish.

Tehanie stumbles backward, surprised by his coldness.

β€œWhere is my wife?” Mr. Grim asks me again, slower this time.

β€œEx-wife.” Emilian and Tehanie correct him.

I take a deep breath.

Just keep going.

β€œI told you. Pace and a red head woman took her.” I say it as slow as possible, so he understands this time. β€œI 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€œMm hm. And what road were you on?” Mr. Grim asks.

β€œSharp Shooter.” I respond, frustrated.

β€œJust making sure your story is on the up-and-up. Keep going.”

β€œWell, 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€œStatic… None of this makes sense.” He rolls the belt around his fist, making a small creaking sound. β€œAnother 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. That’s what they called me back then… Until I proved them wrong.”

Lost in thought, he unravels the belt and wraps his hand all over again.

β€œOh, Weston.” Tehanie sighs, hovering around him. β€œPerhaps Khiana just left for another man—”

β€œIT’S NOT ANOTHER MAN!” He booms. His belt wrapped fist bangs against his executive desk.

β€œYou better lower your voice when you speak to me, husband.” Tehanie scolds.

I look over at Emilian sitting in the distance staring at me. He’s been so quiet.

Does he think I did this?

β€œMisa’s tired of saying the same thing.” Tehanie hands me my purse and helps me from my seat. β€œEmilian, come take her home.”

β€œNo.” Mr. Grim stares at me. β€œNot yet. I want to speak with Miss Honey alone, without you two buzzing around here.”

Wide-eyed, I look over at Emilian. He just nods.

β€œI’ll wait for you,” he tells me.

Seriously?

β€œWeston, this is absurd. Misa’s been here for an hour explaining the same thing.”

β€œAnd she’ll 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?”

Tehanie huffs. β€œMake sure you don’t lose another.”

β€œYou better stop keepin’ on, wife.”

β€œHmph. Mm hm.” she mutters.

I watch Emilian and Tehanie leave through the large red double doors. They slam shut behind them.

β€œCome over to the couch with me.” Mr. Grim flops down and pats the cushion beside him. β€œCome on, sit down.”

I sit as close to my arm rest as possible.

Good. Now stay calm. Stay. Calm. He can’t be that upset if he can invite me to sit on the couch with him. Official conversations happen at desks.

β€œNow where’s my wife?” 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 Emilian’s. He smells good too, like leather and jasmine.

β€œI don’t know. They took her.” I look him dead in the eye when I say it.

β€œBy this Pace, and some red head. Associates of Timothy Hollow. A man I understand you dated before my son, correct?”

I let out a deep breath. β€œMe and Timothy went on dates, but we weren’t—”

β€œWhat happened with you and him?”

β€œI lost interest. Your son happened.”

He leans back, smirking at me.

β€œWhere are you from, Miss Honey?”

β€œFortune.”

β€œBorn there?”

β€œYes.”

β€œFamily?”

β€œNot anymore…”

β€œWhat do you mean?”

β€œThey’re all dead.”

β€œOh.” His face softens. β€œHm. I’m sorry to hear that… Very sorry.”

β€œYeah…” I whisper.

β€œI can’t imagine what you’ve been through.”

β€œOne day everything is fine, then the phone rings.” I feel my lip quiver. β€œYou just wanna hang up and erase what you heard, but you can’t.”

Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

β€œHow old were you when it happened?”

I pause for a moment, trying to calm my emotions. β€œSixteen when my parents died. My brother Micah went last year. I was twenty-one. He was twenty-three.”

Mr. Grim’s eyes turn into wounded pools. β€œTerrible.” He sighs deep.

β€œI’m getting a little better at accepting it. Probably why I can talk about it with you now… Strange.”

β€œHmm. So, your brother took care of you? Uh, Micah?”

β€œYeah. We helped each other. I cooked and cleaned.” I shrug. β€œHe worked a lot.”

β€œWhat did he do for a living?”

β€œMicah worked for um, ohmygosh, I actually don’t….”

What was it called?

β€œHm. Don’t worry about it.” Mr. Grim smiles. The first one I’ve seen from him. Makes me feel a little better. β€œSo, I take it you find family important?” he asks.

β€œI do.”

β€œThat why you chased after my wife?”

β€œWell, yeah, I mean—”

β€œEven though that Pace fellow scares you?”

How does he know that?

β€œShe was in trouble. I couldn’t sit there and watch.”

β€œEven though she crashed into your car on pills that Timothy Hollow gave her a few days ago? And kicked in your door?”

β€œHuh?” I’m confused. β€œWhy would Timothy give your wife pills?”

Mr. Grim scoffs, shaking his head. β€œI’m being bamboozled.”

β€œI’m telling the truth!”

β€œNot bamboozled by you! Khiana!” He bangs his fist on the coffee table, making me jump. β€œMy damn wife.”

β€œWeston!” Tehanie scolds him from outside the office.

β€œAh, I’m not mad at the girl!” Mr. Grim yells at the door. β€œSorry.” He looks at me, speaking normally. β€œI’m not upset with you.” He slides his hands down his face, looking exhausted. β€œIt all smells funny, you know? Khiana and I were just turning a corner in our relationship and now she’s gone. Feels like the end.”

β€œWait. What? Someone’s going to find her, right? Or find out who Pace is? And Timothy? You make it seem like there’s no hope left or something.”

β€œSometimes there isn’t.” His long sigh sounds like defeat. β€œYou can go.”

β€œBut—”

β€œYou’re good.”

I grab my things and head for the door before he changes his mind.

β€œAnd Miss Honey?”

I leave one hand on the knob. β€œYes, Mr. Grim?”

β€œMy condolences about your family. And thank you for your bravery today. I don’t think many would’ve done what you did for my Khiana.”

Um… wasn’t expecting that.

β€œMaybe she’ll be okay. Just stay positive.” I smile lightly.

Mr. Grim sighs and nods. I’m 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.

β€œSorry for raising my voice.” I overhear Mr. Grim tell Tehanie. β€œJust so upset… You think Khiana bailed on us again?”

β€œMaybe. But you still have me and Lux.” She says happily.

Featured Image: Canva

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23

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  1. DEVANG UPADHYAYA

    Interesting!!!
    You are doing great job with the story.
    I got bit confused at some points. But, enjoying it.

    1. Kirsten

      Thank you for reading my friend! πŸ€—πŸ‘πŸΌπŸ‘πŸΌ

      1. DEVANG UPADHYAYA

        Thank you for writing my friend πŸ™ŒπŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»

      2. Kirsten

        Yea totally! Always a pleasure. πŸ₯°

      3. DEVANG UPADHYAYA

        🌟

    2. donmatthewspoetry

      You are not alone Devang. I got confused too. But remember it’s all crystal clear in the writer’s mind. I know……

      1. DEVANG UPADHYAYA

        True, and I adore Kirsten’s work, so I am happy to read it multiple times.

      2. donmatthewspoetry

        Yes, there are great advantages in multiple readings. Especially when the concept is complex. Also more rewarding to you….

      3. DEVANG UPADHYAYA

        Actually I don’t take pain to read multiple times for others work. It’s Kirsten’s work, I absolutely adore her work and I am a loyal reader. I am happy to spend time on my favourite bloggers.

      4. donmatthewspoetry

        It’s natural to hone in on certain bloggers you like and develop the relationship. I prefer a few loyal ones over those who flit in flit out …….

      5. Kirsten

        πŸ’•

  2. Pooja G

    Loving the story! By the way I was trying to get to your blog through my site and realised your username leads to another blog for your podcast not this one. Just wanted to let you know in case you didn’t know!

    1. Kirsten

      You are a superstar, Pooja. Thank you so much for telling me! After last month’s fiasco when my site was down, that site got bumped as the primary instead of this one. I went ahead and fixed it so that’s not my primary site. Haha, that explains why people were starting to listen to those old podcasts all of a sudden. Wow! Always something going on I swear. Thank you again! πŸ™‚

      1. Pooja G

        Lol that’s WordPress, there’s always something to fix haha. Glad it’s fixed now though!

  3. Jeff Flesch

    Excellent narration and character development, Kirsten. You’ve got me hooked. Eagerly awaiting the next installment. πŸ˜πŸ’žπŸ€—

    1. Kirsten

      Aww thank you so much Jeff, that means a lot. Kind words. πŸ™‚ I’m trying to get the next written asap. πŸ’žπŸ€—

      1. Jeff Flesch

        You’re most welcome, Kirsten. Always. Oh, good, I’m ready. πŸ˜πŸ’žπŸ€— Take your time, of course, I will read whenever it is ready. πŸ’ž

      2. Kirsten

        Thank you, my friend! πŸ₯° πŸ’ž

  4. Bridgette

    Such an engaging and interesting story.

    1. Kirsten

      I appreciate you Bridgette! πŸ€—πŸ’•Thank you for reading.

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  6. donmatthewspoetry

    Sheesh!……

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