TW: Character suicide - NOT described but if you do not feel comfortable reading discussions around this topic, that's okay. This chapter can be skipped.
Chapter Fourty-five:
"Is this my fault?" Hazel snivelled, "Ria, do you think this wouldn't have happened if I hadn't slept with Reid?"
"No, of course not, Hazel." She tipped Hazel's head against her own. "You can't think like that. And we don't even know if anything's even happened. I'm sure it'll be fine." She comforted the younger girl before being quieted by the front door unlocking, her face rumpling up as she took in their countenances.
An older woman stood behind Reid and Blaine. Ria and Hazel had only met her only a handful of times. Still, she was the woman from whom Indiya had inherited the soft curve of her jaw and the homely brown and almond-shaped eyes.
The despondency on Ms Tengku's face, the red rim encapsulating Reid's eyes signifying several thousand broken capillaries and the whimper released from Hazel's freshly lined lips shook Ria to her core.
"I erm...I asked Ms Tengku to come back with us. They...erm, the police wanted to check the house and make sure there was no...foul play." Reid uttered the words monotonously, the tone far more coarse and blunted as it materialised from a red-raw throat.
"I hope that's okay." The woman muttered meekly.
Ria bobbed her head, wiping her cheeks as she glimpsed at Blaine. His head hung, and he goggled down at the floor. She wondered if he was willfully avoiding eye contact with her. "Can I get you something? Tea? Coffee? Something to eat?"
"I'd just like to rest."
"I'll show you my mum's old room. You can stay there...for as long as you need." Ria offered, breaking the imposing silence in the hallway. She guided the older woman upstairs, offering her a towel if she needed a shower and extra blankets, which she declined. "Is Indiya's dad staying somewhere else tonight? He's more than welcome to stay here if you want."
The woman emitted a small laugh. "We don't live together. He moved away five years ago."
"Oh. I didn't know. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I can't stand the man. Neither could Indiya, really. He was awful. Still, I'm sure he'll come back now - if he remembers he has a daughter."
Ria endeavoured to conceal her jaw drooping open. She couldn't recall a time when Indiya mentioned her parents had separated. Actually, she couldn't remember many times when Indiya spoke of her parents at all.
"Indiya spoke highly of you, Ria." Ms Tengku muttered unexpectedly. "She called you her sister."
Ria internally prayed the dam within her wouldn't break, unleashing a river worth of tears with it. "She was...is mine too." She corrected herself. "I'm really sorry for your loss. I can't even begin to find the words to—"
"I don't deserve your pity or your condolences, Ria. My own daughter was in the house with me, and I had no idea. I was the only person who could have stopped it, and I had no idea."
Ria stood frozen at the door, words escaping her; nothing she said now would ever be enough to console the woman.
"You know, the only thing that made Indiya happy was medicine. And she didn't even get to graduate. I'll never get to see her doing what she loved." The woman wept, using the sleeves of her blouse as a tissue.
Ria swallowed in response. Indiya had clearly not disclosed to her mother that she wanted to quit school. Ria wondered if the woman had any idea about the abortion that haunted Indiya or her involvement in Rayhan's death. She guessed not. She offered the older woman one final hug before pulling the door closed behind her.
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Under My Skin
General Fiction[COMPLETED] High-flyer Ria Aslan thought she had her entire life planned out perfectly. Except her plans didn't quite foresee the still unsolved hit-and-run that prematurely claimed her father's life. The unfortunate tragedy only amplifies Ria's n...
