Burning Passion

CHAPTER 137: SAVING NIKKI (Ten) and the Past

'SPECIAL CHAPTER EDITION: ENCOUNTERS"

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"Hello! Welcome to the White House!" Maureen was like a tour guide, welcoming guests. She then tells the love story of Elisha and Nikki's grandfather, Randolph.

"And they lived happily ever after and had a beautiful granddaughter!" Maureen was pointing her hand toward Nikki. 

"What are you doing?" she whispered at Maureen, pinching her cousin for her silliness. 

"Hehe…" Maureen giggles. "Hey, the long hair guy keeps staring at you. He is the younger brother, is it?" she teases Nikki, who blushes immediately. 

"Hey, stop!" Nikki holds not to crack up when Maureen keeps teasing her in secret. 

Elisha noticed the girls squealing on the side. She coughs then spoke.

"Ahem! Meet my granddaughters, Nikki and Maureen." Elisha introduces the two girls. Later, she whispered to them. "You girls get some refreshment for the guest." 

Elisha returned her attention to the guest and said to them. "Well, gentlemen, I'm sad to bid goodbye this early, but I have to take a nap. This old lady needs her beauty sleep." 

It sounds like a joke, and they laughed, willing to play along.

"You sure are beautiful, ma'am. Like your granddaughters." Jeremy said. He elbowed Theo with a grin on his face. "Right, Jeremy?" 

Nikki dropped a jaw. 'Gosh! He told his brother! Ugh.' 

Anyway, she can reason. My name is Nichole, so my family calls me Nikki. That's simple. Nikki giggled to her silly thought.

Elisha left them ahead, and Nikki turned around to follow her grandmother upstairs. But Maureen pulled her back. 

"Where are you going?"

"What? I will get the juice." 

"You stay here to entertain them, and I will get the juice." 

"I will help you!" 

"Wait, a minute. Do you have a crush in one of those brothers?" 

Nikki glanced at Theo and Jeremy, who started touring around the White House garden. People love to come to the White House to take a photo of the entire town from this height. Many are lovers to watch the sunset. The reason her grandmother cannot stay longer in the city is that she wants to take care of the house and the guests who ask to see her garden and the view from the highland. This place is where her grandparents' love blooms. Elisha met Randolph on this hill and fell in love.

Nikki shook her head. Maureen just left her behind. Now she can't decide what to do. To follow Maureen or follow the men to your then around. Sighing, Nikki sat on the bench under a magnolia tree. 

Ah, what now? Does she have to entertain them? 'Ah, grandma. Why did you use an excuse to take a nap?' Her grandma would only watch her favorite drama in the afternoon. 

Her heart pounding loud. Theo is walking toward her direction. 

'Oh, god! What should I do?'

"Hi." 

"Hey." 

"So, Nikki? Right?" 

"Yes! That's my nickname!" Well, gratefully her grandma wasn't here. She can play it more.

"Ah, okay. Nik…" 

'Ugh. His tone is teasing me. He knows my name is Nikki Lindsey.' 

"Well, how did you know this place? I mean, you aren't from Mainland City, right?" she asked afterward to break the silence between them after Theo sat beside her.

"Yeah. My brother and I heard about this place from our father's assistant," Theo replied. 

"Oh, really? He must have visited here already?" 

"Ah, no. It's my mother." 

"Oh. Your mother visited here before?" 

"That's what I learned." 

"I see." Nikki takes silence. Now she realized. Theo and Jeremy have different eye colors. He also uses 'my' instead of 'our mother'. Ah, she wants to ask a lot of things, but it is inappropriate to inquire if they have different mothers. It isn't her business to gossip. 

Gladly, Theo continued sharing with her... 

"My mother painted this white house and the town down below. She also painted the ocean from here." Theo gestures his hand toward the vast ocean where from their location, the clouds seem kissing the ocean. From this direction, cannot determine which the ocean or which is the clouds.

"Hm, sounds nice," Nikki commented. "People are coming here to either paint or take a photo."

"She has a painting of that church, as well," Theo added.

Nikki notices the sadness in Theo's voice. She was thinking about how to change the subject. "Um, that was an old church, and the interior designs are beautiful! I want to get wedded in there!" 

Oops, her tongue slipped the last part. Nikki bit her lower lip. 'What the heck, Nikki Lindsey?'

"Ah. It's beautiful, indeed." 

Nikki hid her playful smile. It was kind of a joke, but she really admired that church. And the wedding reception would be held here in the White House where the guests could enjoy the beautiful hilltop view. She already dreams of it even before she meets Theo. She saw the photos when her grandparents got married and her parents' wedding. It was so beautiful. It was magical that her innocent heart wished for the same.

But she was contemplating if it could be possible, this is love in a first encounter? But he is her crush for a long time already. Maybe… 

'Gosh! Behave, Nikki Lindsey!' she scolded herself.

Now she dreams a lot more to get married to Theo in that church. 'Ah! It's embarrassing to imagine.' And it would really embarrass if Theo read what she was thinking at the moment. But he was very handsome! 

"What were you thinking?" 

"Huh?" His question dumbfounded her. Why is he asking about her thoughts? Did he have the ability to read her mind? Or is his intuition strong? "Um. Nothing."

"You said you want to get married in that church. Why? Do you already find the man you want to marry?" 

"Huh?" Stunned, her heart flutters. Why is he asking her about this stuff? Ugh. How to answer him? "What? I'm still a child. Why should I discuss having a husband and such stuff like weddings when I am a child, yet?" 

She defends herself. More like teasing him from what he phrases on the train. "She is a child." But she was curious about Theo's reaction, and it surprised her… He was smiling.

'No way!' Impossible, he's attracted to her. Also, his marriage was already arranged with someone else, which is the name she forgot. Even though he sounded like he was against it. Can she have a chance when it takes a while for her to grow as a woman? 

Ah. What was she thinking? She should not worry about this kind of stuff. She must think of other things to chat about. Marriage is yet too early for her to think. 

Nikki contemplating what topic she can open up. Theo also is silent. She wasn't sure what he was thinking at the moment. It worries her what impression Theo has thought about her. He should at least ask her anything. Ugh. Why is she the one worrying about this stuff? Nikki heaves a long sigh when she remembers something… She turned her head and peered at Theo's handsome face. Now it reminds her something familiar.

But it was the moment Theo turned his head in her direction and she was caught staring at him. Nikki blush and too late to avert her gaze. 

"Hm? Care to share your mind now?" 

"Huh?" 

"You were quiet." 

"Me? Aren't you?" 

"Oh. You seem into deep thoughts." 

'Huh? So?' Ah, it looks like they were just waiting for one of them to talk. 'But he was the adult one. He should be the one initiating a conversation!' Nikki stressed to herself. Does she then have the idea that maybe Theo is dumb when it comes to talking to a woman? How about confessing to someone? Is he that dope?

"Your smile is naughty," Theo commented. 

"Huh? My smile?" Oh, shot! Ahhh, she was staring at him while having a silly thought! My goodness. Nikki turned her head to hide her embarrassment. 'What are you doing, Nikki!' 

"Oh! I remember something is what I smile about!" she reasoned. It was true anyway. "I think my mother kept a photo with a woman whose eyes are like yours." 

"Oh?" It surprised him. Maybe he can hear more about his mother the time she visited the White House.

"Stay here! I will be right back!" she told Theo, who chuckled. 

"Don't worry. I won't go anywhere." 

Nikki turned around, confused by what Theo was saying. Ah, she better hurry than pondering what he meant about that. She climbs the stairs in the patio and rushes to the shelves where her grandmother keeps the photo album. She looked at a certain photo of her mother in her teenage years. 

"Found it!" Nikki took the photo, and she put back the photo album on the shelves.

"Here! Is that your mother?" She gave the photo to Theo. 

Theo scanned the picture. The photo was taken in New York, which the Statue of Liberty seen in the background. But the other woman. It's impossible! 

"Is she your mother?" Nikki asked Theo once again. He nods at her, but he seems not happy about it. "Is something wrong?" 

"What is your mother's name?" asked Theo afterward. 

"Lucy. How about your mother?" 

"Kristina." 

"Oh. It's a lovely name. Where is she now?" Oops. She should not ask casually! 

"She died giving birth to me." 

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." 

"It's okay." 

"Ah… do you know the other girl?" She was pointing at the third woman in the picture. 

"Her name is Nina.. She is Jeremy's mother."