218 Inevitable Crash (10)

The next day was Friday, and Kyro left just as early as before. Once he was gone, Iris slept for a while more, then went to take care of Lucy and shopping. They lived in a residential area now, so the shops were far enough for her to call a taxi.

In a few hours, she was done and finished. Bored, she cleaned up the house, then watched some TV dramas. She hadn't watched them too often in the last few days, so they kept her interest for more than a few hours.

Around five, a doorbell startled her. Who could have possibly come? As far as she knew, nobody was aware that they had come to stay here. Kyro would have warned her if someone of his acquaintance planned to show up.

Fear spread through Iris' system, but she couldn't be certain. What if it was just some kind of delivery? The previous incident should have been a solitary event. The robber was detained, awaiting his trial.

'It's just gonna be a quick glance and that's it,' Iris told herself, unwillingly stepping forward.

By the time she reached the door, the bell had rang two more times. Iris opened the peephole and saw an older-looking woman with a bright smile. "Good evening!" she hollered, her smile going even wider. "I knew you were home!"

Her enthusiasm looked real, but Iris couldn't figure out the reason for it. What was there to be so happy about? "A moment," she said while unlocking the door and opening it up. "Good evening."

"Come, call Kyro and let's go have dinner. The table is ready, and everyone's just waiting for you. We thought you were gonna come yourselves, but when you didn't show up, I came to pick you up. Can't pretend you forgot!" The woman cackled then, her eyes drilling into Iris, just daring her to refuse.

"But…" Iris was a bit at a loss after that barrage of words, all of which was said at a speed as if it was a tongue twister. "Uhm… Kyro isn't home."

The woman's expression soured. "What do you mean not home? We agreed to have dinner when you just came."

"Work, he's been returning home really late every day."

"True," the woman said with a frown. "I was wondering about that, planned to ask later."

Wondering? Planned to ask? Didn't that meant that she'd been watching them? She sure had too much free time! And it was a tad disturbing how she spent it to spy on her new neighbors.

"No matter, come." She shook her head and took Iris' hand. "If he's not here, at least we can have you." When the woman noticed the panicked expression on Iris' face, she laughed, her expression relaxing. "Don't worry, we're not gonna eat you. We just want to learn more about the woman our little Kyro chose."

Iris wasn't convinced, so the woman leaned in closer to speak in a conspiratorial voice. "We can share some embarrassing stories about Kyro. I'm sure I can find some pictures, too."

That was an impossible to resist temptation. A smile bloomed on Iris' face, and she turned to the woman, enclosing the hand with which she held hers. "I'd be delighted to meet everyone."

The woman laughed knowingly, but didn't say anything more. They walked to her house, which was on the corner straight ahead. The building wasn't awe-inspiring, but cosy-looking. There weren't any wall-length windows, just a few large ones to the east and south.

A small veranda was at the front, where seven people were already sitting. Most of them were elderly, around their sixties, with only one pair looking forty plus.

The group showed expressions of surprise when they noticed that Iris was coming alone. Their probing stares set her on edge, but she kept the smile plastered on her face. It couldn't be that bad. They would stop looking at her once they all sat down, for certain.

Still, she missed a familiar presence by her side. The whole event would have been so much easier to face if there was someone to stand with her.

"Welcome, welcome," one of the women said, standing up to greet Iris.

Everyone introduced themselves then, but due to her nervousness, Iris forgot the names the moment she heard them. She felt like an animal at the zoo put on display, and it wasn't a good feeling. 'It was a huge mistake to come here, I just know it.'

The reality proved it when one question began to fall on her head after another. Some were comparatively easy, like what she studied and where she lived before, but the rest… How could she say that she hadn't come to America of her own volition? Or why she dropped her studies right before the last exam?

Once Caron, the woman that had come to bring Iris over, brought the food, the conversation finally shifted and Iris could take a breather. Everyone complimented Caron's cooking, and Iris joined in as well. It was truly good, unlike her own.

Soon, the men stood up and went inside the house. They were bored by the talk about how to better season the beef and didn't hide it in the least. The women then shooed them away, telling them they were good-for-nothings that would starve on their own.

It was fine for ten minutes or so after that, with Iris just listening and trying to understand all that was being said. She didn't know half the spices they mentioned, let alone having used them.

"Anyway, I really wanted to ask, why are you not married yet?" one of the women asked out of nowhere, changing the topic without a care and turning to look at Iris.

"I… We…" Wasn't that a bit too sudden? She needed time to prepare for weird questions like that! "We don't think we're ready yet." 'That should suffice, right?'

She was wrong. Absolutely wrong.

"Then what about children? Are you pregnant?"

Iris shook her head with violence, her hair flying in all directions. Her relationship with Kyro was such a novel and fragile thing, she didn't dare to think about anything more than necessary.

"You don't want to get married?" Caron asked, joining in the questioning. "You think it's a stupid, outdated tradition?"

It was weird to hear such a sentence from an elderly person when it was said without sarcasm. Iris shook her head, normally this time. "No, it's just…" How was she supposed to express it? "I like him, but it's not been long since we met…"

Heat was rising up Iris' cheeks with every word. Since she was more or less alone at the moment, she hadn't talked about this with anyone. Her feelings for Kyro hadn't been voiced before, and doing that was strangely freeing and absolutely embarrassing at the same time.

"Yet you already live together," Caron stated with a grin on her face. "Or are you going to tell me you don't like it?"

"I-I…" Iris was certain that her cheeks were the color of cherries. "I don't mind it," she muttered in a voice the volume of a mosquito's buzz.

All the women chuckled at her response. One of them, the youngest, put a hand on Iris' shoulder, since they were sitting next to each other. "Then you should drag him to the altar before another can come and snatch him away. Trust me, no point in wasting time."

"D-drag him?" Iris asked in wide-eyed horror.

"Certainly," Caron agreed, then clapped with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "We should help you trap him. It would be so much fun! What do you think girls? Should we help our new friend?"

Before others could react, Iris rose from her seat, shaking her head. "Please no!" Her sudden reaction elicited a few raised eyebrows, and shame filled her insides. However, she couldn't back out anymore. "It's fine," she said in a more level voice, a painful smile on her lips. "I'd rather our relationship got some time to evolve on its own."

"On its own?" One woman nodded, but the rest seemed a bit annoyed, disapproving of this kind of way to reject their good intentions.

Caron looked pensive for a time, then a smile bloomed on her face again. "Jessica, wasn't it?"

"What?"

Caron didn't look at Iris anymore, but turned to her friends. "Girls, do you remember when Kyro was in seventh grade?"

Understanding suddenly appeared on everyone's faces, and their annoyance evaporated like it had never been. Only the woman by Iris' side seemed just as puzzled as her.

The next moment, three pairs of pitying eyes settled on Iris. They were clearly feeling compassion for her, but… what for?! She stared back at them with confusion, wondering what in the world could have happened to Kyro in seventh grade and how it could result in pity for her.

'Someone, speak up!'