*THE HOLLEN SERIES 03*
????????????EPISODE 31????????????
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*?? MORE THAN FRIENDS ??*
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Zenia’s POV
“I feel like such a charity case,” I outed to Ashley as we stood in front of my br@nd new Lexus Bold car EJ had purchased for me yesterday.
“Come on Zenia, he’s only looking out for you. You live on the other side of town now and it’s a longer journey to the boutique. Girl, I wish Alex would buy me a car.”
“I know that it’s all good but I’m losing my independence. I don’t want him to give me everything.”
“Well you’ve alre-ady rejected his ring, now you’re going to reject his car too?
Zenia, it was a nice gesture and he’s trying to do right by you. He’s trying to show you that he cares and he loves you. Come on, what kind of guy would he be if he doesn’t buy his girlfriend anything?”
Ashley had a point but it still wasn’t helping my feelings. I felt pathetic.
“I don’t want him to hand me everything that I nee-d. I was alre-ady saving up for a car. And did you know that the engagement ring cost one million dollars?”
Ashley’s eyes popped. “One million dollars?”
“Yes. For a non-living thing. Do you how much people that money could feed?”
“Zen, the Hollens are billionaires and with all fairness, they do donate millions to charities every year. Just last year at one of Evan’s event, he raised ten million dollars for cancer centers and modern hospital equipment.”
“I’ve heard,” I shook it off as we went back inside.
The conversation shifted to Madison’s mom death.
“She must really be hurting. I wish she could have fitted in with us but she’s a drama queen,” Ashley said.
“A total drama queen. Remember that time at the boutique when she called your dress a rag?”
“I wanted to slap the white off her face!”
We laughed aloud.
“And that time when she told EJ I had an ab-ortion.”
“Madison is crazy.”
We headed into the kitchen and made smoothies. Afterwards, we looked at television and gave each other pedicures. Then we designed a dress which was inspired to us from Bliss.
______________
At 5:30 pm, EJ arrived. Ashley and I were sitting on lounge chairs by the pool, enjoying the evening sunshine.
“Hey baby,” he greeted me with a ki-ss on my forehead.
“Hey sweetheart, how was work?”
“Evan being a constant pain in my as-s as always. Ap@rt from that, work was fine… Hey Ash.”
“Hi EJ.”
They shook hands before EJ walked away.
“Zenia, I’m so jealous of you right now. I wish Alex would let me move in with him and give me a ring and a car.”
“Please don’t bug him about it. Everyone is different and he’ll do it in his own time.”
“Sure. I’m not going to ask him for anything.”
________________
Ashley lied. That night, when Alex came to get her, she immediately began nagging him about an engagement ring. I heard the conversation between them as they got into his car before driving away.
Two day later, Ashley showed back up at mine and EJ’s house with red – crying eyes and a slump posture. She was a wreck.
“I told you not to do that Ashley!” I semi shouted at her. She was laying down in my b£d, crying her eyes out again as she explained why she asked Alex for a ring.
“I just wanted to know if our love was real. He told me that he nee-ded space because I’m wanting too much too quickly,” she cried.
I heaved a sigh of frustration as sat down next to her, ru-b-bing her back to draw some comfort.
“It’s going to be okay. Alex must be thinking about things and I believe EJ would advise him to pop the question.”
She picked herself up. “Do you believe that?”
“Yes I do.”
“Good.”
I pu-lled her out of the b£d and ushered her into the kitchen where we made our signature smoothies and ate junk.
After an hour, Jasmine arrived with Jevan in her arms.
“Zena!” he squealed and made attempts to break free from his mother’s hands.
I quickly took him and wrapped him in mine. “How’s aunty’s big boy?” I asked him. He smiled his tiny li-ps and hid his face in my ne-ck.
“He’s so cute. I love him,” Ashley said as she pla-yed with his hands.
Jevan drew all the attention to him until Jasmine spoke up. “Zen, I’ve been at the PH to talk to our mother. When I got inside, I couldn’t locate her or any of her belongings.”
“Good riddance,” I muttered lowly.
“Goor-dance,” Jevan repeated.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Jasmine asked. A frown and serious look appeared on her face.
I had yet told her about the conversation I overheard between mom and Martin and what mom had said to me.
“Ashley, can you take Jevan and give my sister and I some privacy?” I asked her kindly.
“Sure.” She took Jevan and walked into the other room.
__________________
I told Jasmine everything what transpired between mom and Jasmine’s father because according to Martin, his brother might be my father.
“How could she do something so terrible? After everything I’ve done and sacrificed for her, she had been getting three thousand dollars every month from dad for us?”
I nodded my head yes. “She said she was using the money to take care of us.”
“Come on Zenia, you know that’s bullshit! Mom was always broke and we ba-rely made it. There were times we came home from school and we had nothing to eat. We went to b£d hungry, wake hungry and went to school the next day hungry!”
“Jasmine, please don’t se-nd up your blood pressure. You’re pregnant.”
She heaved a sigh, raked her fin-gers throu-ghher hair and sat down on a stool in the kitchen. “I can’t believe her. What the hell is wrong with her!”
I jumped with fright as she slammed her hands and the island top.
“It’s okay Jasmine. We still pu-lled throu-gheverything and look at us today, we’ve made it. You have a wonderful husband and a darling son, and another little darling on the way.
I’ve opened my boutique and I’ve dating a wonderful guy who also happens to be your husband’s brother.”
We heartily laughed.
“You’re right. We’re in a much better place and doing better things but I think we should find Martin and apologize to him and make amends.”
“ZENIA!” We heard Ashley’s voice ringing from the other room.
Jasmine and I made a beeline for the other room and stopped short when we saw Madison standing there with three suitcases and mascara running down her face.
“Is EJ here?” she asked with a broken voice.
I shook my head no. “He’s not here,” my voice followed, “But why are you here?”
“I’ve came to ask EJ if I can stay here for a while,” she answered.
“WHAT!” Jasmine, Ashley and I said in unison.
My entire world fli-pped upside-down and inside-out at the same time.
*THE HOLLEN SERIES 03*
????????????EPISODE 32????????????
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*?? MORE THAN FRIENDS ??*
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Yesterday some of you showed me a side of you that I never knew existed, it was a beautiful experience, thank you all
I still remain me and nothing changes
Ethan Junior’s POV
I pu-lled my car into the garage, exited and took my briefcase out before heading indoors.
Once inside, my feet carried me to the living room where I saw Zenia and Ashley sitting, their eyes traveled to me with a blank expression on their faces.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked. I se-nsed trouble.
Zenia pointed at the far corner of the room.
“Hi EJ,” Madison greeted.
I was startled. “Madison, what are you doing here?”
Shouldn’t she be back in Maine for the burial of her mother?
“EJ, I’m having a really rou-ghtime adjusting to everything back home. It’s not the same without mom,” she cried as she walked towards me and wrapped her arms around my ne-ck.
My eyes went to Zenia immediately and she seemed bothered by Madison’s prese-nce and at her to-uching me.
“I know it’s ha-rdon you but shouldn’t you be back home?” I re-moved her hands from my ne-ck.
“That’s not my home anymore. EJ, can I please stay with you for a bit, until I’ve accepted the fact that my mom is actually gone?”
Her eyes were filled with tears, she looked like a trampled doll and she was shaking with burden. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
“I can’t make that decision by myself. This is Zenia’s house too.”
Madison turned in Zenia’s direction. “Zenia, I know I’ve been a constant pain in the as-s but I’m a changed woman now. Will you please accept me?”
“Where’s your aunt?” Zenia asked rudely.
“My aunt isn’t around anymore.”
I excused myself and took Zenia upstairs with me.
_____________
“No EJ NO! If that girl moves in here then I’m moving out. I don’t buy that crap that she’s a changed woman. From day one, she was out to get me and now you’re considering moving her in here with us?
Boy, you must be tripping.”
“Zen baby, I know that you and Madison are bitter with each other but she’s my best friend and her mom just pas-sed away. Please baby, she’ll only be here for a week. And then after that, she can move on without anymore grieves.
What would my parents think if they heard I turn her away at a time she desperately nee-ded a friend?”
“Well why can’t she move in with your parents? They have enough rooms in that mansion of theirs.”
“Madison wants to be around people her own age. Mom and dad are in their fifties.”
Zenia scoffed loudly and I pu-lled her into my arms and rested my li-ps onto hers.
“Just do that tiny favor for me and I swear if she causes any trouble, I’ll tell her to leave,” I pleaded again.
“Okay fine. One week with Madison wouldn’t kill me,” she muttered.
_________________________
Zenia’s POV
“Madison! You were supposed to wash that dirty plate last night. I don’t leave the kitchen dirty and go to b£d and you’re not going to do that while you’re staying here.”
“I’m sorry Zenia, I forgot.”
I felt like I was dealing with a child whose br@in hadn’t been attached correctly.
Last night, we had ice-cream cake for dessert. EJ and I cleaned the kitchen but Madison insisted on being greedy and had another slice of cake and left the plate in the sink while we were alre-ady in b£d.
If a guest stays over and had something to eat, shouldn’t they wash the dish if there’re no other dishes in the sink?
~
“Zenia, how should I open the dishwasher?” she asked me.
“The dishwasher? For one plate Madison?”
She looked at me like a lost puppy.
I handed her the dish washing liquid and a sponge and I even turned on the tap for her.
She placed a pair of gloves on her hands and washed the plate. She dried it afterwards and stuck it in the dish holder.
I shook my head and began making breakfast.
“Can I help?” she asked with a silly smile.
“No!” I snapped.
Her face fell just as EJ entered the kitchen.
“Good morning baby.” He placed a ki-ss on my forehead as always.
“Good morning. You’re early this morning, I haven’t even made your coffee as yet.” I looked at the wall clock, it wasn’t 7:00 a.m as yet.
“I know. I know. I have some unfinished business to attend to at HT so I’ll see you later.”
“But your breakfast?” My face fell too.
“I’ll get something in the cafeteria at work. Bye baby!” He was alre-ady out the door.
______________
“You know, when men are acting like that, it’s because they’re cheating or on the verge of cheating,” Madison conversed while she sweetened her tea.
“Not EJ, I trust him and he’s a really great guy,” I defended.
“Ha! He has you exactly where he wants you. You think that buying this house proves that he’s faithful? You think buying you a car or giving you a billion dollars proves that a man is faithful? My father gave my mother everything because he was cheating.”
“Madison, would you please shut up! The same guy you’re calling a cheater is the same guy you’re head over heels for. So what exactly are you trying to do here because you’re not fooling me with your tales.”
I drank from my teacu-p and looked at her. She settled herself in the stool across from me.
“You think I’m still into EJ?”
“Well aren’t you?”
“That ship had sailed a long time ago, sweetheart.”
I laughed lightly.
Yeah right.
“He loves me and I love him. I trust him and he wouldn’t do anything to hurt me or jeopardize what we got.”
“Oh really? Why don’t you go and spy on him and see for yourself. A young attrac-tive billionaire like that, I bet you’re bound to find out something.”
She peeled herself off the chair and left the kitchen.
Thoughts started bombarding my mind and even when I tried dismissing it, there was still that one voice saying ‘She could be right.’
_______________
I called Jasmine to come get me. I didn’t have a driver’s license as yet and I wasn’t about to take the risk of being caught without one. Jasmine recently got hers.
“Zenia, what’s this about?” she asked as she drove her white metallic Rolls Royce.
“EJ forget these doc-uments home so I’m going to drop it off for him,” I covered and she swallowed that up.
___________
“Floor fifteen. Floor fifteen,” I repeated as I walked into an elevator. With a swoosh, I was carried to the fifteenth floor.
I stepped out the elevator and walked to a secretary’s desk.
“Hello, may I help you?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m Ethan Junior’s fiancee and I’m here to drop off some doc-uments for him.” I showed my ring. I placed it on my fin-gerto gain easier access into the building. The last time I was here, I was almost dragged out by securities.
“He’s currently with someone at the moment. You can have a seat over there,” she guestured to the waiting area.
“No I’m not!” I semi shouted and made a beeline to EJ’s office. The secretary tailed slowly behind me, demanding me to stop.
I bursted throu-ghthe doors to EJ’s office and the unnee-ded doc-uments in my hand sli-pped out between my fin-gers and fell on the floor.
“Zenia!” he shouted from surprise.
“Oh god,” the other woman said with a panic as she quickly covered herself up and moved away from EJ’s desk.
TO BE CONTINUED…