Chapter 46: chapter 46

Happy 2025! 🎊🥂Eleanor's POV,"That's why I worry less about you and more about Shawn.", Kylen chortled freely, hearing my story.It was rare to see him laugh openly, like this.Infact, when I had talked to Sam earlier, Sam almost said the same things which I had heard from Shawn. So, Shawn wasn't exaggerating.Sam also added that Shawn's family detested him for losing me. And that people were calling Sam as 'Ela's kidnapper'.He is famous now. I don't know whether to laugh or feel bad for Sammy to be addressed like that.Today's a Sunday. Kat was leaving to her town with Rick. And I was missing Kylen.I didn't want to spend lonely time. I couldn't take my car out as the driveways were still blocked. They were yet to shovel the snow.Only my area had this problem!! Like I was practically on a lockdown.A bulb glowed in my mind. Someone is as lonely as me. How could I forget that?I walked to the nearest bus terminal, it was almost a mile far to reach. On the way, I bought some muffins and puddings. The bus took a quatre and an hour to reach the destination. Getting down the bus, again, I had to walk for a half a mile. I literally had forgotten about the hurdles of not having a car/taxi. Phew!But I loved this weather and the scenes. Kids were skating, men were snowblowering their roofs to get rid of blocked pipes and chimneys. A family was preparing for a barbeque.Getting into the premises, I exhaled a breath."Ela dear!", a warming smile cascaded Grandma's face, as the doors screeched, "What a surprise."But I couldn't ignore her condition. She was weaker and thin, seated on a wheelchair. The wrinkles around her eyebags had increased, yet she was cheerful from both outside and inside.She gestured a maid to collect my bag."Thank you, there are muffins and puddings.", I said to her and turned towards grandma, "Do you want to have now?""Why not? And Nita get us apple juice as well.""Yes ma'am.""What have you been upto?", I asked with funkiness."Boredom stroke me. Neither my son nor kids are at home! I was planning to watch a movie and an angle stopped by to see me.", she caressed my cheeks."Bingo! I came for you.", I giggled."Since you are here, I'll show you Kylen's album.", she said excitedly, "You would like to see it right?""Ofcourse!"We arrived at a new room. How many rooms does this mansion have?There was huge cupboard made up of teak wood. There was a shelf containing medals and photos.This must be the display room. "Wow.", I went through the racks. Not just Kylen's or Sam's achievements, but there were records of previous generations of Leightons. Kylen had won swimming medals, while Sam was a scholar, toping his high school."Oh god. Look at this.", I grabbed a frame, in which a boy was smiling devilishly at the camera with horns on head, probably dressed for Halloween."That's Kylen.""What?", I snorted, "He had bunny teeth?"Kylen looked like a troublesome boy, his none of face features matched with the adult one. He barely had eyebrows, his lips tiny and a nose like a potato. Was that halloween that made him look like that?I continued to guffaw."Oh these are nothing.", grandma picked an album, "Run through this one. You will end up on floor, hugging your tummy."Quickly, I started to surf through the photos."I must really say, Kylen had the best glow up. The only feature that coincides with current Kylen is his sharp eyes and his dark straight hair.""Well, Sam always has been handsome, you know."I stared at Sam's pics, he was surrounded by girls, "Woah. No wonder why he is this flirtaeous, he's good at studies, his looks too. I get it now."Maybe these are the reasons why uncle is planning to hand over his company to Sam, wholly.Grandma almost whispered, "Kylen would be a bright kid too-" "Not everyone needs to be! I love however Kylen is. Back then as well as now. He carries an aura that I can't define.""And that aura is felt only by the good hearts like yours, Ela.", a tear dropped from her eye and then followed by other as she looked away.I rushed to her, kneeling down, "What happened? Are you okay, Grandma?"She smiled, "It's the old age, perhaps. I get emotional over pecky things."With this observation, I could clearly make out that Grandma loved Kylen more than Sam. Whereas Uncle loved Sam more than Kylen.I kept my thoughts to myself."Are there any baby pics of Kylen?", I asked curiously.Sam was adopted when he was a kid. I don't think they would have Sam's pictures."It's in Kylen's room."That made me realize that I had never been to his room in this house. I don't like intruding to anyone's private space without their permission, so I brushed off the thought for now.Grandma and I were playing carrom, when my phone pinged.Damn! Awesome.I handed the phone to confused grandma."It's Kylen.", I winked.She swiped the screen to answer.It was a video call.Kylen probably was not facing the screen, "Nor, will you come to pick me up from airport-?"My jaws widened. He's back?!"Yes darling, I'll be there to welcome you.", grandma answered.I peeped at the screen, still hiding myself from the camera."Grams!", he shook his phone, being stunned.I shut my mouth, not to laugh.After a minute of absolute silence, "Wait, what are you doing with Eleanor's phone?? Is she-", he rubbed the back of his head."Tadaa!", I hopped in front of the camera.Grandma and I gave a hifi for catching him off-guard."Interesting. My two favorite women plotting against me.", Kylen rolled his eyes."Are you in LA already?""No, no! I'm waiting to catch the next flight. I'm half-way done already."He had a thinking face; he must be calculating the arrival time."Okay. I'll be there by 5 in eve."See, I guessed what he was thinking and I'm right!"Alrighty, I'll prepare something special for dinner.", grandma spoke.I threw my hands up, "And I'll be a helping hand!"Soon, the clock ticked ten past four."Ah. I didn't bring my car.", I ran to book a taxi, "Sorry, grandma, I have to leave now.""Don't worry, dear. Take care!"I was at the airport, at exact five. Kylen had sent the terminal details. Normally, people run like this when they don't want to miss bidding a bye to their loved ones.But I was darting across the gates, to welcome him.It's been nine days of seeing him! Dramatic me?My eyes bloomed when they spotted Kylen exiting the final gate. Surprisingly, he too looked at my direction and my heart skipped a beat.I was above to wave my hand, when my arms got tugged downwards, making me go blank for a second.Shawn fell on his knees, before me, holding my hands. He was shedding tears.My eyes went upto Kylen in reflex.Astonishingly, I saw a vexed expression dropping Kylen's happy face. He fisted his palm, seeing our locked hands.A small piece of my heart felt good to note that Kylen was jealous and grumpy, seeing Shawn.Coming back to Shawn,"What the hell are you doing?", I gritted.What followed next was a hella fking surprise...