The Reincarnated (Book 2A of Wolfcreek Series)

Chapter 28

After my parents ordered what they wanted to drink, Alessandra left, leaving my parents and me alone at the table while she went to put our order in and get us our drinks.

"So, how was school today?" my father asked and turned his attention to me. "Did you make any friends?"

I shrugged and started to play with my hair while I slumped in my seat. "The same as I did when you both sent me out to explore that one day," I said while I looked at my hair. "I didn't make any enemies, which is good."

My parents looked at each other before they looked at me. Worry filled their eyes, and I had a feeling that they didn't like that my only friend was Bryson.

"Did you at least try to make an attempt to talk to someone else?" my mother asked, and I shook my head, no. "Why not?" She raised an eyebrow in question.

"Because they kept giving me cautious looks, and they made me feel like an outsider," I said. "And, you already know that I don't do well with that, so ya, I just kept to myself or just talked with Bryson."

Again, my parents looked at each other before my mother sighed and held out her hands for me to take.

She wiggled her fingers, and I placed my hands on top of hers. My mother squeezed my hands reassuringly before she rubbed the back of my hands, soothing me with only a touch that only she could muster. "Can you at least try to talk to someone tomorrow?" she asked. "Besides Bryson?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but she squeezed my hand and silenced me.

"You can talk to someone with him by your side, but I would appreciate it if you talked to someone without him nearby."

I bit back a snort and rolled my eyes. "That's kind of a problem because he is in all of my classes," I said. I paused and cocked my head while I stared at them, studying them and their reaction to what I had to say next. "Bryson knows Charlie, too."

My parents shot each other a nervous glance between them before they looked at me, trying to keep their faces still like a mask. They didn't say a word, waiting for the other person to speak and to give me a reason as to why Bryson knew Charlie.

However, they never did.

I sighed and shook my head before I pursed my lips in annoyance, not sure why they decided to keep a lot of information away from me, especially since I knew that they knew I would be able to find this stuff out on my own.

"Do you know if they have a connection between each other?" my mother asked, finally. "Has Charlie ever told you about him?"

I shook my head, no. "I think the connection has to deal with Cassandra," I said, making sure not to shiver at the sound of her name when it came from my lips. "Bryson i- well, was her son before she died, and I know that Charlie was her friend."

"Then that is how Bryson knows Charlie," my father said, and I knew that he was hiding something. "I am sure that he keeps an eye on him for her, even though she has passed away."

"But there is another reason why they know each other," I pressed gently, praying that they would tell me. "What is that other reason? I know that you two know something."

"About what?" Alessandra asked, coming over to the table before my parents could say another word. She set down our drinks before she clasped the tray in her hands and brought it closer to her chest.

I sent her an unimpressed look, and she looked at me with a smug smile on her face. "Do you mind?" I asked a little too harshly, and Alessandra's smile grew smugger. "We're kind of in the middle of something."

"Oh, I know," Alessandra said, interrupting my mother from telling me off because of me being rude to her. "And that is why I chose this exact moment to interrupt you three."

I groaned and leaned my head on the table. "You're unbelievable, Ales," I said and banged my head on the table some.

Alessandra chuckled and patted my shoulder sympathetically. "Oh, I know, Sweetie," she said in mock sweetness that almost had me gagging. "However, whatever it is that you are discussing needs to wait until the time is right." She paused dramatically. "You will know when that time is right."

"Oh, f you," I said teasingly, and she snickered. I lifted my head and looked at her just to make sure that she knew that I was joking, and Alessandra subtly nodded before she winked.

"That is what my husband is for, Dearie," she said, "and let me tell you, that is some sweet stuff right there."

"Gross."

***

Alessandra cleared her throat and glanced at my parents to make sure that she wasn't stepping past any boundaries before she looked at me again. "Oh, by the way, you can go searching around the place if you would like. You just can't go through the employees' only door." She shrugged and looked indifferent, as if she knew that I would end up there one day.

I leaned back and looked at the doors, and my heart yearned to go back there and see what was hidden from me, but I didn't. I looked at my parents and raised an eyebrow. "Can I?" I asked, wanting to walk around and see if I couldn't find anything that looked familiar to me, even though the whole building already did, and this wasn't even the building I had been in.

My parents looked at each other before they looked at me. They wanted to say no; I could tell. They didn't want me to look around and find something from the past that wasn't so long ago.

However, they knew that they couldn't keep me in the dark, and now that I was older, they knew that I would be able to find answers on my own, whatever answers those may be.

Finally, my mother sighed sadly and nodded. "Of course," she said. "Go ahead and go. Make sure to be here when the food comes. Is that understood?"

I bit back an excited grin and nodded. "Yes, Ma'am," I said and stood before I looked at Alessandra with a raised eyebrow. "Come find me before delivering the food?" I asked before I moved away from the table and pushed in my seat.

Alessandra smiled and nodded. "Of course," she said. She gestured for me to start walking around. "Now, go ahead and walk around and see what this place has to offer. I'll collect you when your food is ready."

I smiled and walked away from them to go explore the building, wondering what it was that they were wanting to discuss without me in ear shot.

Maybe, just maybe, my life was planned after all...