Ch 3: Windows and whispers

A knock from the door stirred me from the deepest sleep I'd had in months.

"Lisa?" Cole's voice floated in with that charm of his. "Just wanted to make sure you're alive. You missed dinner. We thought maybe Velorian air knocked you out cold."

I groaned into the feather pillow, too tired to reply with anything more than a muffled sound. He chuckled from the other side of the door.

"We're heading out– Megan, my uncle and I. There's a yacht inspection down at the coast, but I figured you might need a day to recover. Stay in, sleep. Eat too. The staff is at your beck and call."

My eyes fluttered open. Sunlight streamed through the high windows, painting the cream walls in gold. The sun was up, and Veloria now looked like something out of a painting.

"Oh, and Lisa?" He added with a mock serious tone. "Try not to get lost in the castle. They're secret passageways."

I smiled into the sheets as his footsteps faded down the hall. Pushing myself upright, I squinted at the ornate clock on the dresser. Nearly ten.

Slipping from bed, I padded over to the tall window and tugged the curtain aside. The grounds outside were breathtaking. Morning dew shimmered over the manicured lawn, and in front of the castle's long driveway, a sleek black car gleamed in the sun.

Megan stood beside it, her long hair tucked under a silk headscarf, sunglasses perched on her nose like some vintage film star. Beside her stood a man— tall, broad. I could only see his back, but something in his stance struck me as familiar. As he started to turn—

A knock came at the door.

I jumped.

"Come in," I said turning to the door. The door creaked open, and Jonah walked in.

"I figured you might want company for breakfast," he said casually, rubbing the back of his neck.

I blinked still adjusting to the sharp contrast of dream and reality. "Uh— yeah, sure. Just let me freshen up I'll meet you downstairs."

"Cool," he said with a half smile I remembered too well. "I'll wait for you at the gazebo. It's right through the east garden. You'll see it."

I nodded and he stepped out locking the door behind him.

Thirty minutes later, I emerged from my room freshly showered and dressed in a soft sweater and jeans. A young maid waited in the hallway.

"Miss Moon?" She asked with a delicate Velorian accent. "May I escort you to the gazebo."

"Yes, thank you," I replied, still tying my hair up as I followed her through polished corridors, down a flight of stone stairs and into the sunlight.

The east garden was even more beautiful in daylight. Roses, lilacs, and climbing ivy turned the courtyard into a living canvas. The gazebo stood like a little jewel among the greenery, with ivy–wrapped columns and silk cushions tucked into a shaded nook.

Jonah was already seated, a carafe of orange juice and a silver tray of breakfast pastries between us. He stood when he saw me.

"Well, you clean up nice," he said pulling a chair for me.

"Thanks," I replied, smoothing my sleeves and sitting down. "You're not too bad yourself, for a surprise breakfast crasher."

"Crasher?" He laughed. "Come on, Lisa. We haven't talked properly in years. I figured breakfast was safer than, ambushing you at midnight with unresolved tension."

I raised an eyebrow, "are we talking about your unresolved tension or mine?"

Jonah grinned, and leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Both. Probably."

I reached for a croissant breaking it carefully. "So.....how have you been?"

He shrugged, eyes fixed on the garden. "Good. Busy. I started working in media back home. Then ended up freelancing  for some documentary crew last year. Now I have another freelancing gig, two months from now. So when cole invited me here for a month, I said why not."

I nodded. "Yeah, he has a way of pulling people into this situations. Love him for that."

Jonah chuckled. "Thought you'd be a poet, surprised now you're a renowned blogger."

"Well, less heartbreak, more hashtags." I said with a smirk.

Jonah watched me with a softness i hadn't seen since junior prom.

"I missed you, you know."

I froze mid–sip of orange juice, arching an eyebrow. "Jonah."

"What?" He asked, a boyish smile tugging at his lips.

"Don't lie to me before I've had a full croissant," I said, laughing under my breath. "You ghosted me. You didn't even say goodbye after graduation."

He flinched slightly, "That..... wasn't intentional. Life got messy."

I tilted my head, unimpressed. "Life always gets messy. Wi-fi exists."

He let out a sheepish laugh and shrugged. "Okay. Fair. I didn't know how to reach out. Didn't think you'd want to hear from me."

I leaned forward, narrowing my eyes in mock suspicion. "Jonas Matthis....are you admitting fault."

He grinned. "Careful Lisa. I might start confessing everything."

I smiled leaning back. It felt weird but also good. Familiar but grown up.

He studied me for a moment. "You look different."

I raised a brow, "Good different or ran into a wall different?"

"Very good different," he said sincerely.

I scoffed, grabbing a piece of melon from the fruit tray. "Blogging builds character. And collagen."

He laughed.

Just then footsteps echoed across the stone path. Sarah emerged from the corridor in yoga pants and a cropped hoodie, sunglasses on her head looking vacation ready.

"Well, look at this cozy throwback," she said, sliding into their chair beside me. "Morning, lovelies."

"Morning," I said shooting her a grateful look for their interruption.

Jonah only raised his juice in a lazy salute. Before anyone could speak again, my phone buzzed.

Liam.

My brother.

I straightened. "Sorry, I have to take this. It's Liam–probably updating me on his cast or how mother has already signed him up for therapy."

I rose and stepped away from the gazebo, the garden path curling ahead as I pressed the phone to my ear.