Chapter 60 Chapter 59:
Clara:
Anna: Want to play a game of hide and seek?
The notification of Anna’s text comes through my phone and I stare at it in surprise, phone in my hand, I saunter to the living room, staring around. What is going on?
I watch the screen as the three dots start dancing, my phone pings.
Anna: You’re the one seeking, guess what? This is my favourite part, see I am outside Axel’s house right now, and guess what I am holding, a butcher knife.
My heart stutters, then roars to life, what in the hell is Anna doing? Is this some sort of sick joke to her? For days now, I haven’t received any calls from her, nor have I seen her in person, so why is she deciding to welcome me with this joke?
Anna: I am going to kill him.
My eyes widen, no. This can’t be right. I hit the call button frantically.
“Pick up the damn phone call,” I say, my voice trembling. My heart widens as it goes straight to voicemail. Damn it, I don’t have enough time to react, I am already heading to the rack to pick up my coat and dashing for my car.
As I start the engine, I send multiple texts to Anna, but it only shows delivered.
Me: This isn’t a game, Anna!
Me: You better not try to hurt him.
Me: Please leave him alone.
My eyes are blurry as I drive through the city in a haze, desperate to get to his house, I’m so scared right now. What if....she has hurt him or something? The moment I get to his house, I pull up, running straight for the door.
“Oh my gosh,” I tremble, as I enter the tall building, I meet the Hispanic man with the bright smile, I remembered when Axel took me to his place some weeks ago. “Roberto, right? I really need to see Axel like right now, sorry I mean Mr. Williams.”
Roberto smiles a bit. “I’m sorry, ma’am but are you on his visiting schedule today? If you aren’t, I am afraid I can’t let you in.”
“Please,” my voice breaks, “It’s an emergency.”
He sighs, stepping aside. “I am not supposed to do this, but alright then. You’re free to go up, ma’am.”
I can almost hug him right there in the spot but I have got other things to worry about right now, dashing towards the elevator, I step into it and cross my fingers, the moment the elevator dings, I rush towards his door.
“Please, please, please answer the door.” I ring the doorbell again and again in panic.
“Coming!” There’s the padding of feet on the floor but I am still breathing heavily, the door swings open and I stare at a completely fine Axel, his arms are crossed together as he stares at me. “Clara? What are you doing here? I have been trying to call and text you for weeks.”
“You are okay, you are....completely fine.” I stare at Axel, muttering under my breath. I step forward and wrap my hands around his waist. “I was really worried; I thought she did something to you.”
Axel sighs, pulling me closer, his hands find my hair and he strokes it gently. “Who’s she?”
I might sound like a deranged animal right now, but who cares. “Anna, she was sending me these text messages that she was going to kill you.” I sniffle, holding in the tears, “she was toying with me, Axel.”
Axel holds my hand and leads me inside. “What’s going on, Clara? I need to know, one time, you’re with me and the other time, you’re avoiding me. You can’t let Anna dictate your life anymore, she’s nothing but a manipulator, don’t let her play you.”
I sigh, Axel is right, all my life Anna has been there, telling me what and what not to do, in a very disturbing way, she was in charge of my life and the worst part was that I was scared, from little, I didn’t know how to be in control so I let her do everything, including controlling my own life.
Gosh, I am such a fucking idiot.
But right now, Anna might be able to play every single thing in my life but she won’t ruin this spark I have with Axel, she might have managed to when we were teenagers, but that was then. No more being weak, I am going to fight for this.
“I was worried about you; I thought I wasn’t good for you.” I confess, picking at the hem of my sweater.
Axel steps closer, his two hands encircling around my waist. “You know that is not true.”
“I know.” I look into his warm brown eyes and see nothing but deep love. “I love you.”
There’s a stunned expression on his face and then his eyes glow and damn it, I live to see that.
“What did you just say, Clara Hilton?” He squints his eyes at me, the tiniest of smiles playing on his lips, it makes my heart flutter with warmth.
“I am in love with you, Axel Williams.” I cackle. “Hell, I have been in love with you since I was fifteen years old, and I guess a part of me was so scared that someone like me couldn’t like someone like you and I let Anna get into my head, I let her deceive me.” We both stare into each other’s eyes deeply.
I don't flinch when he takes a step closer, so that our noses are almost touching. I don't move when his hand brushes a strand of my hair behind my ear.
“I love you, Clara Hilton.” He says softly, leaning closer. “There’s no other woman that has poisoned my heart except you...You just came and took my heart ever since we were fifteen years old, I can’t look at any woman except you.”
“Really?” I ask, blinking my eyes.
“I thought I could forget you,” he continues, his thumb tracing my lips. “God knows I tried. But every time I close my eyes, you are all I see....Clara Hilton, you are quite an unforgettable woman and-”
I shush him up by rising on my toes and pressing my lips to his.
He freezes for a second- just long enough for him to register what is going on and then, in a flash, his hand tightens around my waist, kissing me back like he has been starving for this moment.
“I fucking love you,” he whispers into my mouth and my fingers slid into his soft hair.
I pull away from the kiss, breathless. “I have just got to ask, what brand of shampoo do you use?”
Axel’s stunned by my question but then he bursts into a fit of laughter. “You are something else, Clara and I love that part of you.”
“Why don’t we have a proper date tonight? One that doesn’t involve manipulating ex-best friends.” I chuckle and Axel smirks.
“Alright, I will pick you up at seven tonight.” Axel smiles, “I love you.”
“I love you too. I have to go, there are some things I have to attend to, something I should have done a long time ago.” I kiss him on his cheek and jog out of the door. As I approach my car, I pull out my phone and call someone.
“Clara?” Arya’s voice is wry, I don’t blame her though, I wouldn’t like me too. “Why are you calling me?”
“Arya, it’s been long and all I just want to say is that I am sorry for everything.” I get into the car and slam the door. Axel is standing outside, waving at me with a bright smile. “I have a feeling that you’re planning to take Anna down, am I right?”
There’s a brief silence on the other end before she says. “What are you planning?”
“Nothing,” I shrug, igniting the engine. “I just want to help, that’s all.”
“I thought Anna was your best-friend.” I hear Arya scoff. “What changed? What happened?”
Through the window, I stare at Axel still waving excitedly, I smile at him. “I guess love makes us take risks, it makes us do what we are scared of doing.”
Arya sighs. “I’m heading somewhere, I will text you the address,” the line goes dead and I stare at Axel again.
Love is really worth fighting for.
\--
Liam:
I have a disturbing feeling that just keeps drawing me back to my mother’s journal, almost like an obsession, if I may say. I have been flipping through the pages with any chance I have, in the balcony, in the bedroom, while eating, I am always with the journals.
My mind keeps telling me that I have to search deeper, my mother always told me not to skim the surface.
‘Dive deep, that’s where the real story lives,’ and I guess her words have always helped me, it was what made me believe in the stories I wrote.
Presently, the pages of the journals are strewn on the dining table, my laptop and phone are placed beside the journal, there’s a pen and a book for writing any new observations.
“Sooner or later, you are going to end up stressing yourself.” Wanda says behind me, handing me a cup of caffeine, “you are going to need that, did you even sleep last night? Liam, this isn’t healthy.”
I take a sip from the coffee, it does nothing to boost my nerves, if anything it makes me more jittered. Looks like they don’t make coffee the way they used to anymore.
We’re in Wanda’s house, she wants me by her side in case of any intruder, I really do hate it that the incident that happened has made her doubt herself and her security. Damn it.
“I am okay,” I finally say. “You shouldn’t worry about me.”
“Well, you have been looking at your mother’s journals for a long time now.” She takes a seat beside me, finding my hand and squeezing it gently. “I know this is a lot to take in, but you don’t owe anything to anybody.”
“I know that.” My eyes are still glazed on the papers, “but I just have a feeling that there’s something in here that might help us with everything.”
“I believe in you, so Arya is coming over in a few minutes from now.” Wanda informs me, standing up from the dining chair. She kisses the underside of my chin, before padding her way to the living room.
I read one of my mother journal entries,
‘These days, I don’t know what is wrong with Barbara. She has been acting quite strange and just last week, I found out something so dire. Perhaps I will call myself idiotic to pour out my revelation in a piece of paper rather than talk to people about it. Robert has always said I was weirdly strange.’
I keep on reading, tracing the words with the pen.
‘So, back to last week, Barbara was in our house. Of course, I invited her even though Robert doesn't really like her, he says there’s something off about her, but I have known Barbara for a particularly long time. Anyways it was just one of our girls' nights again, I couldn’t sleep, so I thought of having the cookies Barbara and I made earlier. Since I did not want to disturb Robert, I thread carefully downstairs, but there was Barbara making a phone call.’
My phone rings, it’s from my assistant back in the U.K, I decline the call and text her that I can’t talk right now. I continue reading.
‘I didn’t want her to see me, of course, and so I hid and watched her, she was muttering Julian over and over again and she said words that I don’t think I would ever be able to relieve. ‘I am pregnant, and it’s your baby, Julian.’’
It ends there. What. The. Fuck?
I flip the journal over, but that’s it. That’s the end of the journal, it looks like the pages were ripped off or something, did somebody already had access to this book before we did....or did my mother purposely ripped it off. It looks like she did.
“Damn it,” I curse under my breath. I try to think hard...Julian? Why does that name sound very familiar? I take my phone and send a text to Devon, Xander and Leto.
Me: You guys have to get here asap, there’s something I just found out.
“Arya is here!” Wanda calls out from the living room and I push my chair aside, my head throbbing. Fuck, I haven’t had anything to eat in like fifteen hours, I feel like a zombie crawled over me or something.
I enter the living room and Arya smiles at me, flashing a box of McDonalds.
“Oh thank God.” I say happily, snatching the box from her. Arya shakes her head, smiling while Wanda rolls her eyes playfully, jerking me in the elbow.
The doorbell rings and Arya goes to open the door, shortly after, she comes back and beside her is a blonde woman.
“Clara?” Wanda asks, “What in the hell are you doing here?”
The woman-whom I just found out is Clara picks at the hem of her cloth, raising her hand. “I know that you guys don’t like me but I have some information regarding Anna that I want to talk to you about.”