Her Emerald Eyes Pt. 02

"There's 80 bucks in there," and that was it. He took off without a second glance.

The electric fan was oscillating but the blades weren't turning. The carpet was sticky and I dare not think what I would see around the room if I had a blacklight. The scent of stale alcohol, cigarettes, and weed permeated my sense of smell without even sniffing. I jumped when I heard a knock at the door. I looked through the peephole slowly, imagining it could be someone who wanted to hurt me. Hurt me physically, inside I was broken.

I saw the figure and opened the door. Bianca leaped at me, pulled me into a loving hug and I broke down. I cried and cried, inconsolable. Everything had come crashing down around me, twice I'd nearly had everything I ever wanted and twice I'd been so self-absorbed I'd lost it. I'd lost her. Bianca almost forced me into her car and took me to her place.

When we arrived it looked like a typical suburban home. The door was already open as we pulled up and a figure was pacing on the driveway. Before the car had even stopped the passenger side door was opened and I was pulled right into a bear hug.

"Ivy, I'm so sorry, anything you want, anything it's yours," Said Jaime, Bianca's brother I'd only met a few times, yet he treated me so kind, "bloody hell, look at that eye, come on in I'll get you some peas."

I recounted the events as best I could. It took hours as I had to pause to cry multiple times.

A few hours later Jaime was examining my eye, "No signs of an orbital blowout, no signs of a fracture, just a bruise as black as Newgate's knocker". I didn't fully understand the anglophones of their home nation but based on how sore my eye was, Newgate's knocker must be pretty black.

"What am I gonna do guys, I've got nothing, my family doesn't want me, Holly's got to go through all that alone, what am I gonna do?"

***

If we have to.

If we have to? They didn't 'have' to do anything. I re-read the letter from the start.

Ivy, I didn't want to write this but you deserve to know at least. We're leaving Connecticut, please do not make this harder than it needs to be, don't try to follow us or find us. I think we have made it perfectly clear that you are not welcome. We have paid for one month's storage of your things. This will be our very last act of charity. For what it matters we will make sure Holly is happy, If you truly love her as she claims leave her alone, forever, or there will have to be consequences for the both of you.

"Who gave this to you?" I asked Jaime.

"Your brother, he was the only one there, the place looked bare." I hung my head, this had all become so fucked up so fast.

"Babe," Bianca said to her brother, she saw I was on the couch, smiled, and lowered her voice, "what did he say?"

"What did who say?" She looked almost annoyed as If I had eavesdropped, really she doesn't whisper as quietly as she thinks she does.

"Well, we had an idea," began Bianca, "you know you're welcome to stay here as long as you like." I could hear in her voice and see in her eyes she was completely sincere, I looked at Jaime and he had the same look.

"But maybe staying in Connecticut isn't the best idea, find a fresh start somewhere new," said Jaime.

"Okay, where?"

Bianca and Jaime looked at each other, turning to me Jaime spoke first.

"How's your Mandarin?"

***

I was waiting at the baggage carousel, hard to believe my entire life packed into a single suitcase and backpack. I looked around, taking in the environment of Pudong airport. I grabbed my suitcase as it arrived, walked out of the terminal, and ordered a didi. Jaime told me it was Chinese Uber. The Li siblings had been above and beyond, they paid for my flight, found me a small apartment, they even taught me a little Mandarin.

It was remarkably simple, wait for my eye to heal a short course online after getting my college degree and I'm apparently a qualified English teacher in Shanghai, I'd always wanted to visit the far east. Although in my dreams I had a traveling companion

***

10 months later

"What did you just say?"

"Deebee eses," his hand holding the door open.

"You don't know what you're talking about," I was still trying to close the door against him but with every second I was trying less and less hard.

"But I'm using it correctly aren't I?"

"That doesn't mean anything."

"Deebee eses."

"Stop it!" I started to well up wishing so desperately it was her saying those words to me," why are you doing this, what do you want?" I was saying through tears.

"Because, despite my initial reservations, I'm gonna reunite you with your girlfriend."