Food Queen (Completed)

Chapter 10

At the countryside people seem to have a whole other life, a whole different universe. Even the pace is different. The high speed from London does by far not appear down here. People are moving in their own rate. Slowly and taking their time to breath the fresh air.

The church is standing on top of a green hill, billowing down to reach a square of naked oaks planted around it. Almost like taken from a picture frame. Only a few leaves left dangling from the branches, giving it a taste of orange. The tall brick building has a golden cross on top of the highest rooftop, shining in the afternoon sunlight.

I park at the entrence beside a white car and sprint the stairs leading up the hill. The fresh country air blowing over me, filling my lungs with new energy. I want to embrace it, feel it through my veins. Relax. When I reach the top of the hill confusion sets my throat on a spin. I look around, lightly curling my toes, feeling a lump grow in my throat.
There is no Kylie.

I take a quick walk around the church, looking everywhere, behind every tree, every bush, even beneath the rocky wall, but there is no Kylie to be seen there either. I even decide to run the risk of dropping my nose inside the heavy oak doors, but only to face disappiontment.

I kick my foot hard into one of the squares of the dirty pavement. Only causing a throbbing pain in my left bigtoe. Where is she? Have someone taken her? Is she lost? I refuse to believe this was all a joke. Kylie sounded so broken when she spoke. Like she was fearing for an outbreak to bring the end of the world. Besides she offered to pay the gas. She would never do that without reason.

I turn around to take a quick walk around the small town while searching. In the corner of my orb I catch sight of a new car arriving by the parking lot. The headlights blinks for a second before going out. It isn't even parked proberly, wryly, almost touching the side mirror of my car while there's plenty of space left by the other side.
I descend the stairs.
That's when a lean figure appears in front of me. His naturally blonde hair blowing over to cover his gorgeous crystal blue orbs.

"Hello Rose."

Niall irishly tilts his neck upwards so that he can fully look at my face. When I stand on top of the stairs he is the one being shorter, which hands me the advantage.
I like the feeling that gives.

"I wanted to say sorry." he says in his sexy irish accent.

"It's not a good time." I cut off, leaving no space for him.

"When do you have time then? I have called you all week but you never answer. We take this now okay?"

"Was that you?"

I feel my body drain from feelings. Shovel them out to disappear into the blue sky. All of them except for the rise of surprise slowly taking over my chest. The rest of my body only remaining like a thin shell.

"Yes." he replies. "Why didn't you pick up?"

He frowns irishly. I let my orbs go far around the place. Sliding across the rooftops. Taking in every oak. Every brick house with it's autumnized flowerless gardens. Noticing he drives a green Range rover.
Then my orbs meet his. Making me shower in crystal blue.

"It's seriously about time for apologizes." I say bitterly.

He stares into my purple orbs. Looking reset, then letting go of an irish sigh when realizing.

"No, I am not talking about the payment. It is still wrong of you to cheat with that but I have reached the point where I don't care anymore. I am talking about my behaviour at our house."

Now it's my turn to sigh. For God's sake, are all irishmen like this? Strictly following every rule known to mankind as if their lives depended on them?
Niall goes on in his usuall irish way, not minding me.

"So I can just tell you now or keep you suffering. I know you are. Since I am not a monster and have already caused you enough harm, I choose the first way."

He drops his irish hands into his irish pockets. If he tries to settle himself it doesn't show at all.

"I am really sorry Rose. I was a jerk to you. I acted like a piece of shit. So irresponsible. It was me practically inviting you to our house, and I was the one kicking you out. I've never heard of such a bad host in my whole life! So unirish!"

A shaky laugh slips through his lips. So kissable. Politly I force my thought to go to hell.

"Can you please forgive me?" he asks, casting a flighty glance over my shoulder.

I place my answer on hold. First we need to tangle out a much more important question.

"Kylie is missing." I reply, looking directly at his irish face. A leaf tumbling by.

"I would have picked her up but she is nowhere to be seen. Almost like the earth has swallowed her whole. Do you possibly know where she can be?"

It takes a split second for him to analyze my switch of subject. To my confusion his reaction comes with a laugh. Making the corners of his mouth go high.

"Oh!"

"What?"

I wince. He wags on his feet from toe to heel. Going up, going down.

"Don't worry about Kylie."

Niall shakes his head from side to side. Irish as always. Something unidentifyingly insecure flashing through his crystal blue orbs.

"She helped me."

"She did what!?"

The words burns inside my throat.

"So you two are inside a collusion?"

He nodds irishly, and for the first time it isn't me being the one blushing.

"Kinda..."

"Kylie is a hell of an actor! Don't you ever do this again!"

I press my hands to my tighs just to get hold of something, bursting into a heavy run. Past him, past the stairs, past his car. In the far back of my consciousness I can hear him call my name. Irish and bored. I don't turn around, don't even respond. I take the fastest flight to my car, ready to drive away as fast as possible through the narrow mess he caused by the lots. It's impossible to hear the last of his excuses. My head is ticking, exploding with noices.
Before he utters his last words, irishly sounding like my name through the dim distance, I have already taken off. Leaving him on the spot, never knowing what he would say or do.

With increasing speed the car starts to bounce from road to road. Driveway to driveway. I can barely control it.
Against my better judgement the shock is finally playing it's part. Wet tears begin to flood down my cheeks. Blurrying my vision into a dangerous condition. Without thinking twice I choose the first turn off possible, letting my speedometer drop to zero.
When my car finally stands perfectly still my body let's go of a great shiver. Then bursting into wet tears.

Why Kylie, why?