Free Web NovelChapter 272: Visiting Malo’s house
I was at the convenience store shopping for snacks. It’s what I could do since Princess’s personal PA and the school’s popular errand boy wasn’t feeling well.
He hadn’t come to school, and I called his phone multiple times but got no answer. The line had just kept ringing and ringing until the robotic voicemail message cut in, which wasn’t like him at all. Then I tried my luck again and his mother picked up. She said Malo wasn’t in a position to speak, and I asked if I should come over to see him, but she said there was no need and that when he got well, he was going to call me.
Obviously, I don’t buy it. The woman’s tone had been way too quick, almost defensive, like she was trying to push me away from the receiver as fast as possible.
Something was off. Malo was sick one time and he still came to school. I thought maybe his health had deteriorated and that was why he didn’t come to school, but when I told Princess yesterday, she said Malo would come to school even if he was in a wheelchair, and he never misses her calls.
But he did. Three of her calls had gone straight to voicemail last night, leaving a heavy, quiet tension inside the clubhouse.
So I decided to buy some snacks and his favorite donut toppings as an excuse to go and meet him at his house. I wanted to confirm if he was actually sick.
As his best friend, I need to check on him. That dude is a money-making machine who doesn’t let anything get in his way of making money. He wouldn’t just abandon his daily hustle and ignore his phone unless something was seriously wrong with him.
And he has been acting strangely lately.
"How much?" I asked Tisha. She happened to be at the counter, and Beam was stacking up goods somewhere around the shelves.
"65," she said.
I gave her my phone for payment, tapped the screen against the card reader, waiting for the little beep that signaled the transaction went through.
"Those are Malo’s favorites," Tisha said, packing the goods. She slid the donut boxes and the bags into a larger container, her fingers moving quickly.
"Yes, they are his. I’m heading to his house. I need to check on him. He is not feeling well." I said, leaning against the counter. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
"Oh, that’s the reason I haven’t seen him here for three mornings in a row. He usually comes to buy groceries before heading to school. That boy really is the only one who does all the things parents should be doing. He feeds everyone, even his parents. He also buys liquor for his dad..." Tisha muttered, shaking her head as she tied the handles of the bag into a neat knot.
That boy was not just a hustler but a family boy. Being ill wasn’t a choice for him. Hearing her words only made the knot in my stomach tighten, my.instincts telling me that his absence had nothing to do with a simple cold.
"When you see him, tell him I said hi." Tisha added, sliding the heavy bag across the counter toward me.
"I will. Bye."
"Bye."
I was standing in front of Malo’s house.
I have never been to his house. Maybe before moving away I did, but ever since I returned, I haven’t. I only visited his mom at the hospital when Charlie was delivered. The building looked quiet, the porch light throwing a pale glow over the small front lawn.
Seeing the mailbox sign written Griffin.
Yep. Definitely his house. The white painted letters were peeling slightly at the edges, but the name was clear enough.
I held his donut box in one hand and the other snacks for his siblings in the other. Then I dropped the nylon bag on the doormat and pressed the doorbell. The button clicked under my thumb, the ringing sound echoing faintly inside.
It took forever for someone to open the door. I stood there tapping my foot against the concrete, my ears twitching as I listened for any sound of movement on the other side.
Finally.
The lock turned with a sharp, metallic click, and the door swung open a few inches.
It was a little boy, the same height as Kaye, but he had the resemblance of Malo.
"Hi," I said.
"Hi," he repeated, his voice tiny and shy.
"I am Faye Grande, Malo’s friend from school. I heard what happened to him, so I brought him his favorite donut toppings. Is he in?" I said politely. I tilted the cardboard box slightly so he could see the colorful logo on the front.
He shook his head giving me a dull puppy look.
"My big brother is not home..."
"What? Then where is he?" I asked, my heart dropping instantly as my hand tightened around the handle of the snack bag.
He was going to answer, but someone touched his shoulder from behind.
It was his mother. She stepped into the light of the porch, her hair tied back loosely and her face looking entirely drained of color.
"Hi, Mrs. Griffin."
The woman looked at me. Her expression was unexplainable. Her eyes darted away from me completely, a strange, nervous energy rolling off her body that made my inner wolf stand on high alert.
"Eddie, go check on Charlie in her room."
"Okay, Mommy."
The boy left. He scampered down the hall without another word, his small footsteps fading into the back of the house.
Then the woman smiled at me.
I know a fake smile when I see one.
She was definitely forcing that smile. Her lips curved upward, but her eyes remained completely cold and tight, her fingers trembling slightly where they gripped the edge of the door frame.
"Faye, long time no see. What are you doing here?"
"You said Malo was sick, so I brought him his favorite donut toppings and some other stuff for his siblings," I said. I held the packages out toward her, watching the way her expression twitched at the mention of her eldest son.
Before I could finish talking, the woman collected the box and nylon bag from my hands, still wearing that smile. She snatched them away quickly, her movements hurried, as if she wanted to take the gifts and send me on my way before I could ask any more questions.
"Malo is currently on bed rest and can’t talk right now. I will make sure to tell him you stopped by. Thank you for this."
The woman was about to close the door, but I didn’t buy those words.
Not when that little kid had just said his brother wasn’t home.
I shoved my leg right into the gap, the thick leather catching the edge of the frame with a solid thud that forced the door to stop instantly.
"Even if he can’t talk, I can still see him. I didn’t come all the way here for nothing. I want to see Malo and tell him that I stopped by," I said straight to her face. I didn’t back down an inch, leaning my weight against the door as I locked my eyes onto hers.
I don’t give a fuck what excuse she pulls next.
I am still going to insist on seeing my best friend. Something was seriously wrong in this house, and I wasn’t going to walk away until I found out exactly where Malo was.
