Rejected: A love story-Chapter 43: Let’s get a drink
While they were all focused on Leo—the "New King" of the Keith empire—I quietly stepped around the group.
I kept my head down, my sneakers making almost no sound on the stone steps. I felt like a ghost walking through a dream that wasn’t mine. As I passed them, I could hear Gabriel telling the boy about the history of the front doors, his voice full of a pride he had never shown me.
"Fiona?" Nathan’s voice caught me just as I reached the heavy oak doors.
I paused, but I didn’t turn around. I knew if I looked back at him—and saw him standing there with Natasha and the boy—I might actually break.
"I’m just going to go put my bag away," I said, my voice sounding thin and hollow in the vast entryway.
I slipped inside. The grand foyer felt colder than the air outsid. I hurried up the stairs, my heart thumping painfully against my ribs.
Immediately reached my room, I shut the door behind me. I didn’t turn on the lights. I just leaned my back against the wood and let out the breath I had been holding since I stepped out of Caleb’s car.
Downstairs, I could hear the muffled sounds of the front door closing, the high-pitched chatter of the boy, and Natasha’s melodic laugh. They were home. They were a family and I was the third wheel.
I walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, clutching my backpack. In the dark, I looked at the mirror where Nathan had held me this morning. It felt like a lifetime ago. He had promised loyalty, but as I heard Gabriel’s booming voice directing the servants to take the boy’s luggage to the room next door, I realized that loyalty was about to be tested in a way neither of us was ready for.
[switch pov---Narrator]
"I’m going up to check on Fiona," Nathan said, his voice firm. "She didn’t look well when she went inside."
Natasha let out a light, airy laugh, placing a hand on the sleeve of his blazer. "Oh, Nathan, she’s fine. She’s a college student, not a porcelain doll. Stop worrying so much; it isn’t like she’s sick."
Before Nathan could argue, he felt a small tug on his other hand. He looked down to see Leo clutching his fingers, his large eyes looking up with a hint of fear. "Don’t go," the boy whispered. "Stay here with me?"
"Listen to the boy, Nathan," Gabriel commanded, his voice booming as he took his seat at the head of the table. "He’s just arrived in a strange house. Spend some time with your son. Fiona can wait for one meal."
"He’s right," Anne added softly, smoothing the tablecloth. "She’s just resting. Let the boy have his father for tonight."
Nathan looked at the stairs and then back at the small, hopeful face of the child holding his hand. He looked trapped. With a heavy sigh and a visible tightness in his jaw, he nodded.
"Fine," he muttered.
He allowed Leo to lead him to the table. Nathan sat down, and Leo immediately scrambled into the chair right next to him, pulling it as close as possible. Natasha didn’t miss a beat; she slid into the chair on the boy’s other side, effectively boxing Nathan in.
She began to fuss over Leo’s napkin, leaning across the boy toward Nathan as if they were a perfectly normal family, while Nathan stared at the seat where Fiona should have been. Caleb whom had just entered told them he’d take a shower first then he left.
[Back to Fiona Pov]
I rubbed a towel over my hair, staring at my reflection. My phone buzzed on the table—it was Ella.
"Hey," I answered, my voice a bit steadier than before.
"Fiona! Tell me everything. Did the boy arrive?" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
"He’s here, Ella. And he’s... he’s a replica of Nathan. It’s undeniable. But honestly? He seems like a good kid. A bit lost, totally different from his mother." I sat on the edge of the bed, my shoulders dropping. "I feel like a third wheel, Ella. Like I’m the one person standing in the way of a family being whole. Seeing them all together downstairs... I just feel out of place."
"Stop that right now," Ella snapped playfully. "Listen, my brother and I are heading out for a drink to clear our heads. Come with us. You need to get out of that mausoleum for an hour."
I looked at the door, the idea of sitting through a stiff, silent dinner felt like torture. "Actually... yeah. I’ll come."
"Perfect! We’ll pick you up at the junction in fifteen minutes. Wear something cute!"
I felt a sudden spark of energy. I moved to the closet and pulled out a black mini flare skirt that showed off my legs and paired it with a soft, fitted cream top. I threw a stylish oversized cardigan over my shoulders to keep the chill off and laced up my heeled ankle boots. I brushed my hair until it shone and swiped on a nude shade of lipstick. Looking in the mirror, I finally saw ’Fiona’ again, not just a shadow of myself that I have always been.
I headed downstairs. As I walked into the dining room, the atmosphere shifted instantly. The clinking of forks stopped. Gabriel’s eyebrows shot up, surprised by my sudden change in mood and my outfit. Natasha’s eyes turned cold and judgmental, while Anne looked at me with a mix of curiosity and concern. Nathan just stared, his fork suspended in mid-air, his eyes darkening as they swept over my legs and then up to my smiling face.
"Fiona," Anne said, breaking the silence. "You’re just in time. Take a seat beside Caleb."
"Actually," Nathan interrupted, his voice low. "Natasha can sit there. Fiona, sit here next to me."
"Don’t bother," I said, my voice light and cheerful. I didn’t even look at the empty chair. "I’m actually heading out for a drink with a friend."
Anne’s eyes widened slightly. "Oh. Just... please don’t take any heavy alcohol, dear."
I gave her a reassuring smile. "It’s just coffee, Anne. Don’t worry." She smiled back, looking relieved.
"Pick any car from the garage," Gabriel added, his tone surprisingly formal. "The driver will take you wherever you need to go."
"That’s okay, Gabriel. My friend and her brother are picking me up at the junction," I replied.
Nathan stood up halfway, his face tight. "Fiona, it’s getting late. I’ll go with you. I don’t want you out there alone."
I walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping my expression bright and easy. "No, Nathan. Stay. You need to bond with your son and spend time with him. I’ll be back before 9:00 PM, I promise."
I looked at the rest of them, giving a polite nod. "Enjoy your meal, everyone!"
With a final wave, I turned and walked out the door, feeling lighter with every step I took away from that table.I walked down the long driveway, the cool night air hitting my legs. By the time I reached the junction, a sleek SUV pulled up, the bass of the music vibrating through the pavement. It was a popular, upbeat song, and I could already see Ella’s silhouette dancing in the passenger seat.
The back window rolled down, and I climbed in.
"Looking good, Fiona!" Ella squealed, turning around to face me. "Oh, this is my brother, Julian."
I looked toward the driver’s seat and caught his eye in the rearview mirror. He was definitely cute—not in the stiff, suit-and-tie way Nathan was, but in a relaxed, effortless way. He wore a simple black hoodie with the sleeves pushed up and a silver chain. He gave me a lopsided grin.
"Finally, I get to meet the famous Fiona," Julian said, his voice smooth. "Don’t mind my sister; she’s been on a sugar high all day."
The music was loud, the lyrics of a trending pop hit filling the car. Ella was already mid-verse, using her phone as a pretend microphone.
"I’m doing better than I ever was! Don’t check on me, I’m doing fine because..." She pointed the "mic" at me, her eyes wide and pleading. "Come on, Fiona! Sing the chorus! I know you know it!"
I shook my head, laughing and pressing my back into the leather seat. "No, no way. I’m just the audience tonight."
"Don’t be a bore!" Ella teased, leaning over the center console. Julian started drumming his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat, looking at me through the mirror with a challenging smirk.
"Come on," Julian encouraged. "It’s the best part of the song."
I finally gave in, the tension of the mansion finally melting away. I leaned forward and joined Ella, our voices blending as we belted out the lyrics:
"I’m taking back my life, yeah I’m moving on, turned the heartbreak into a brand new song!"
We both dissolved into giggles as Julian turned the volume up even higher, the car speeding away from the quiet, suffocating atmosphere of the Keith estate. For the first time in days, I didn’t feel like a girl caught in a scandal; I just felt like myself.
