And Then There Were Four novel Chapter 3

Pulling my suitcase into the cottage, I looked around at the set up my step-mother had ready for me. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. In fact, the rustic cozy feel of the home had me feeling like I walked into something out of a fairytale book.

Small fairy lights and greenery swept the walls, accenting the white drapery that lined the windows and cascaded down upon the floor. The cottage had a small living room with a kitchenette, and a bedroom with a bathroom off to the side. With everything here, I wouldn’t need to go up to the main house for much.

“Hmm… not bad.” I mumbled to myself as I drug the bags into my bedroom, and laid it on the bed. Growing up and moving around quite a bit, my mother always told me to unpack in the bedroom first. That way at the end of the day, the bedroom was done and I was able to relax.

As I slowly began to unpack, my phone began to chime with notifications causing me to groan. I had only just arrived at this place, and already I was being blown up. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I saw my fathers text messages and sighed.

‘Come inside. I would like to talk to you.’

Of course he wants to see me now. Yet, he couldn’t come to the airport to pick me up.

Sliding back on my flats, I made my trek back up to the main house, and entered through the back door. I had no idea where I was supposed to meet him in the big house, but Allison made sure to greet me in the kitchen to ensure I got to where I needed to be.

“There you are. Took you long enough.” She sighed, rolling her eyes. “Hurry up.”

I could already tell with the way she was acting that she wasn’t going to make staying here easy. Thankfully, I wasn’t the same girl I was when I was younger. I didn’t let people push me around anymore, and if she thought she could act however she wanted towards me, she would find herself mistaken.

Following behind her, she moved through the house with haste until she came to a large white wooden door. “Remember, always knock before you enter.” She remarked clearly, staring at me with a raised brow as if I was a child who didn’t have manners.

“Yeah, got it.” Rolling my eyes, I knocked on the door, and waited for a response. My father quickly replied to come in, and I made sure to give Allison a smirk of approval before I opened the door.

If she kept it up, I was going to make it my personal objective to do everything I could to piss her off. I may have been an introvert who loved books and nature, but I could be the devil if I needed to be.

My mom can vouch for that as well– I used to have a wicked streak.

Stepping inside his office, he stood from the dark brown desk in it’s center that he had been sitting behind, a smile lighting up his face as he saw me. “Ivy, goodness you have grown.”

“It’s been two years since I saw you last.” I replied with a smile as he came towards me with his arms open for a hug. The moment being more awkward than I would have liked it, but I hugged him regardless to show I was trying.

“Yes, it has.” He sighed, “I hope that you have found the accommodations to be more than adequate. Allison and I felt that you would like your own space now that you’re older. That way you won’t be disturbed by the chaos that seems to float around the main house.”

A chuckle left my lips as I nodded, “yeah, I love the cottage it’s very—”

“You.” He replied finishing my sentence.

“Yes, it’s very me.” I smiled and watched as he gestured for me to take a seat in the chair across from his desk. “You didn’t come meet me at the airport?”

My father sighed and nodded his head, “yes, and I am sorry about that. I am working a deal with a foreign dignitary right now, and I wasn’t able to break away. It was important for the deal to go right.”

“It’s okay. The guys were—” I thought a moment about how to describe them, and watched how my fathers face turned concerned with my hesitation, “they were welcoming.”

A smile crossed his face as soon as I said what I did, “Well, that’s good. Three of them attend the university as well.”