A Force Of Gravity✅

19

-Rose-Present-

"Every time I stand to leave my cage
In my broken body I stay."
-Body by SYML

Marissa brushes my hair like she used to do when I was a little girl. It feels so good that I close my eyes as the brush softly moves through my hair. She has been worried about me lately and this is her silent way of telling me that she is here for me.

I open my eyes and glance down at the message on my phone and the invitation beside it. Will's PI came around this morning and gave me the information about my mother. Hanna Walter, age forty, currently married to Derek Walter. He is a famous archaeologist and she is a housewife. The perfect couple who met five years ago, fell in love and got married.

The private investigator also got two invitations for a charity gala that she is hosting tomorrow night. It is a masquerade. I'm planning on going and seeing her from afar and learn more about her. I don't really know why I'm going but part of me feels like I have to.

"Are you sure about this, Miss Rose?" Marissa asks, her voice filled with concern and she is frowning. I nod and give her a small smile.

"I'll be fine, Marissa. I'm a big girl and I can handle myself." I say confidently but looking at myself in the mirror, all I see is a scared little girl. My nerves make me feel nauseous and anxious at the thought of finally seeing my mother after all this time.

"Why don't you ask Brooke to go with you? Or Cooper?" She suggests but I shake my head. Brooke is still grieving over her relationship and Cooper has football matches all weekend. I don't want to bother them with my problems anyway.

"I'll be fine." I insist slowly but she ignores me and goes back to brushing my hair. I reach out and lift up my jewellery box so that the little ballerina spins in a circle and it plays a soft tune. This is the jewellery box that my father got me when I was six, still his favourite little girl.

He has no idea that I'm going on this little mission. I know that he would protest for me to stay home and not visit her but this doesn't have anything to do with him. He can go off galavanting around the world with his new wife and I can go see my mother.

"You should eat something before you leave." Marissa orders and I roll my eyes. If she worries anymore than she is going to give herself a headache. She has already packed my clothes for me.

"I just ate an hour ago but I will eat something on the way. Now let me go otherwise I won't make it before dark." I exclaim and stand up so that she has to pull away from my hair. It is silky and soft to the touch now. I'm dressed in a blue summer dress, some golden high heels and I put my sunglasses on. I couldn't look more rich if I tried.

Marissa walks me downstairs and carries my suitcase for me. Although I am only going for the weekend, I have packed numerous outfits, shoes and jewellery, just in case. We stop in the hallway and she turns to me.

"Just be careful. I know you aren't foolish enough to trust her or love her but you can't let her manipulate you." Marissa tells me slowly. "I know that the memories you have of your mother are good and bad but you were young. Too young to remember how much she used to use you."

"Marissa, as much as I appreciate you caring, I'm smart enough to know right from wrong now." I snap grumpily because all I want to do is leave but she keeps giving me little lectures, as if trying to convince me to stay. "I probably won't even talk to her. I will see you Sunday."

I start walking out the house until I stop to see Will's black, sleek Ferrari parked outside my house and Will is leaning against it. A cigarette is placed in between his lips, his sunglasses cover his eyes and he is wearing all black clothing.