AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There was so much to still do. My scholarship covered the majority but I either had to apply for financial aid or determine if I had enough cash. Meeting with the advisor would bring about all those decisions.
The bank was my next destination to see what all my mom had left me. Mentally, I kept going over the lists of what I still needed to do in my head when I was slammed into from the side.
“Ahh!” I tumbled to the ground and yelped.
“Are you okay? Shit, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you.” A deeper, warmer voice full of concern talked to me.
The hit had been hard. It took me a minute to get my bearings as I was hoisted up by a strange
r into a standing position. I brushed myself off. “It’s okay. I’m all right.”
Glancing up, a black-haired blue-eyed guy stared back at me. His hair was slightly long but looked artfully done. That was something else that took some getting used to. At The Society, men kept their hair short. Looking at me with concern he put his arm on my shoulder. Instinctively, I pulled away. Matthew had been the only male to touch me there. Matthew.
The stranger stepped back. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you sure you okay?”
“I am. Thank you.” Securing my strap, I went to start walking, not knowing what else to say. It was ingrained that only minimum conversations should take place between women and men unless they were your intended or spouse.
Stepping in my path, he kept talking. “I’m Aiden.”
He gave me a full smile. There was something inherently gorgeous about him that had me wanting to take a second and third look. I refrained from ogling.
The way he looked at me had me flustered. I was barely able to get out, “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too. I’ll see ya around.”
His name was called from the distance. Aiden walked backward. He had that same shaped ball that was pointed on two ends that I’d seen yesterday. Giving me a quick wave he turned and threw the ball to his unsuspecting friend. A small giggle escaped me. Aiden glanced back my way and gave me a wink. Realizing I drew glares from girls from about thirty feet away, I left.
The last thing I wanted to do was to make any enemies and those girls were clearly marking their territory. Now, it was time to get to the bank that was about a thirty-minute trek.
THE SUN BEAT down on me and I was glad I had my water bottle. Wearing shorts was the way to go. The black stifling outfits The Society mandated were suffocating in the heat.
Finally, I made it to the glass doors of the big gray building that read First National Bank. Walking in, I was greeted by an elderly man in a suit. “How may I help you?”
“I’m here to get into my safety deposit box. The number is one-five-eight.” I hoped that was how I was supposed to say it.
He nodded. “Right this way. Let me look it up in the computer.” Sitting in the chair he quickly typed over some keys before addressing me again. “It looks like there’s a special note that only a birth certificate is required to get in. Did you by chance bring that?”
Bringing my backpack onto my lap, I retrieved the document from the inner pocket. “Here you go.”
“Perfect.” More clicking happened.
Then, he stood and walked toward a massive metal door. I followed.
Using a key to open a gate that had bars on it, he gave me further instructions. “I’ll need you to sign two forms in the safe, then we’ll get it unlocked.”
The safe was massive and filled from floor to ceiling with all sorts of box sizes. A card was placed in front of me on the desk along with a note binder. “Miss Brooks, please sign in these two locations.”
At first, I started to sign Sarah, but quickly recovered. A lifetime ingrained habit that had been a lie. I mentally scoffed as the truth became a murky mystical thing I once remembered being something pure.
Heading over to the box, I followed the banker’s lead and put my key in the empty slot. Turning them both, the door came open and my insides tightened with nervous anticipation. The sound of the sliding of the box reminded me of the belt straps running underneath my mom’s coffin.
Mom. The real her was in the box. What all had been a lie? What all had been the truth? I was scared of what that answer would be.
“I’ll leave you in here Miss Brooks. Let me know if you need anything.”
The banker stood there and I realized he was waiting for a response. To keep my hands from shaking too much, I fisted them. “Yes, yes. Of course. Thank you again.”
He left. A lump fully formed in my throat as my fingers shook, inching their way to the lid.
