Red Herring ✔️

26. Where Do We Go from Here

Knock, knock, knock. 

She waited. 

Knock, knock. 

On the other side of the door, humans hustled about. Voices overlapped as they yelled at one another. She knew he was home because his truck was parked in the driveway. 

Unexpectedly, the door swung open to the most gorgeous middle aged woman with dark shoulder length locks, absolutely Kate Middleton regal in all their beauty, tucked behind her ears with reading glasses crowning the top of her head to hold back the tresses. She wore business professional clothes protected by a yellow and white plaid apron with lace details. Her eyes blinked rapidly at the sight of a drenched young girl on her porch, but then she smiled. The happiest light entered her eyes from the type of place inside of a person where genuine joy lives. She looked like a woman who loved her life no matter what it looked like. 

"Are you Mazie? Felecia and Rob's niece?" She inquired without a hello. She held the door open and tilted her head questioningly. 

She nodded, feeling a tad bit of fear rise up in her chest. A little too late, Mazie realized this wasn't the best first impression she could be making. "Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry about the intrusion. I was wondering if Christian was home and if I could speak with him?" She wrung her hands together nervously. Maybe Christian wouldn't like that she was dropping in like this. She just had to unload on him all that she knew now about Demi and Ailene and Lonny and everyone else. 

Then again, Christian first welcomed himself into her home - more specifically, her bedroom - and he also wound up frosting cookies the next time he came knocking. She shouldn't apologize for this intrusion. 

"Oh, no problem at all! Come on in! It's so freezing outside!" The woman, Christian's mother, opened the door wider and stepped aside for Mazie to come inside her home. 

The second she crossed the threshold, the most amazing smell assaulted her nose and consumed all of her senses. "Wow, it smells amazing in here." 

"Oh thank you! I'm making an Italian soup and bread rolls for dinner!" She closed the door and wiped her hands on her apron. "I'm Leanne by the way. I don't think we've ever met." 

When she held out her hand, Mazie smiled sweetly and made direct eye contact as she shook hands of the mother of the boy she sorta had a crush on. And it was frightening. "Mazie. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for having me in."

"Of course, Mazie. Looks like you managed to get stuck in the rain! Do you need a towel or anything to dry off? There's a powder room around the corner, if you'd like?" She offered sweetly, looking Mazie up and down with motherly concern. 

She shook her head and fingered her hair. "I've actually begun to dry off, but yes, I've been caught in the rain too many times today." She rolled her eyes, trying to play nice, but wasn't totally sure she was nailing this small talk thing. 

An alarm sounded from the kitchen and Leanne perked up. "That's my rolls! Sorry to cut this short! Let me get Christian for you."

"I'm here."

She heard his voice before she saw him, but her entire body erupted in chills and goosebumps just at the thought of his nearness. She was in his house, chatting with his mother, dripping leftover rain on his floor and wishing she hadn't ventured this far onto his property. Just looking at it from afar was enough. It was really scary on the other side of the door. 

Really, why did it not cross her mind to look in a mirror before she journeyed into the Slater's household where their hot, hot son lived? 

"Hey, Holly," Christian greeted her with a smirk, tucking his hands in his pockets.