Right Behind You

Chapter Fifty-Seven: After The Storm

"Did you ever wonder?

Yeah, do you ever wonder
What he might be going through?
On his own and
The demons that he's facing alone
I hate that sometimes I can't go home
And it ain't just the same on the phone, no
But everybody's gotta go on
Don't they? (Yes, we do, baby)
So if you need a hero (if you need a hero)
Just look in the mirror (just look in the mirror)
No one's gonna save you now
So you better save yourself
And everybody's hurting
Everybody's going through it
But you just can't give up now
'Cause you gotta save yourself."

The sun'll come out
Nothing good ever comes easy
I know times are rough
But winners don't quit
So don't you give up
The sun'll come out
But we've been struggling endless days
Someday we'll find the love
'Cause after the storm's
When the flowers bloom."

-Kali Uchis ft. TylerTheCreator (After The Storm)

Andrei:

It was just Omid and I as we sat at the table waiting for the others to join us. Him at the head of the table and me, not too far off from his right. The table was opulently set with dinner-wear that could rival heads of states and royalty; the entire dining area looked like something out of the palace of Versailles, fresh flowers and candles were placed in the middle of the set, cascading down until it's reached its end at the edge of the wood.

            It was clear Omid liked his home like a statement piece. He wanted his friends and enemies to know how much money he had...how much power he held. It was crazy I was sitting inside of his place of residence, no one ever got to come to Omid's home unless they were trusted...very trusted. Or an enemy awaiting their execution. This place could easily become heaven to someone, or just as fast, a living hell.

            Part of me wondered what part Alexei was being kept in, had he already killed him?
             My eyes focused on Omid again and he looked rather calm sitting slightly slanted on his chair, one leg over the other contemplating to himself. We hadn't spoken a word to each other the entire twenty minutes we had been sitting here, patiently waiting. I pondered to myself where everyone was and what was taking them so long; was Omid bothered by the wait? He didn't seem as if he was, the minute I thought that his eyes slowly averted over to me and I quickly looked hoping he hadn't caught me staring.

            I could feel his eyes on me, but I pretended to focus on the vintage paintings hanging on the wall that looked like they belonged in a museum somewhere; he probably paid a fortune for them to be hung along his walls so frequently like they were digital prints from an online retailer.

            "Waiting on something, Andrei?" I heard his voice call out to me.

            I swallowed hard and slowly turned my head to meet his sun-fire eyes, it was crazy how I didn't see the similarity between him and Kae before; the eyes were a very distinct feature that could almost exactly pin-point their relation. "Just wondering where everyone is?" I said to him in my best calm voice I could muster. Omid made a fluttering motion with his idle hands.

            "Women need their time to get ready, no? Patience is key, boy if you want to see women look their best you have to earn that time waiting for them to show you their absolute finest." He responded poetically.

            I nodded, "I see." I said simply.

            Another wave of silence washed through us as I lightly tapped my feet against the Persian rug underneath us. My eyes continuously looked around the room with nervousness; it wasn't every day you sat by your potential father-in-law, who you weren't exactly quite sure how he felt about you.