Chapter Twenty

May’s POV

*We need to talk; I’ll see you when I get back. Don’t sleep too early, baby doll*

I kept on staring at the message that Nicholas had sent to me. I was confused about what I was supposed to do. Maybe reply or just ignore the message and act as if I didn’t get the message.

A car passed by on the road I was standing on, making me look away from the phone and face the opposite side of the road. Declan’s house was on the sixth floor of the apartment building that was erected on that spot.

When I called him before leaving home to talk about our plan, he sounded different and when I asked if everything was okay, he broke down on the phone, bawling out.

Even though he refused, I still insisted on seeing him and asked for his home address which he later sent.

“You look like a mess,” I said, as he opened the door, a sad smile on his lips. He was in a shirt and large trousers.

“A hot mess, you mean,” Even if he was sad, he still has this stupid ego of his.

“I met one of your neighbors, the old lady with the red hair, she’s crazy, right?” I asked, referring to the crazy old lady I’d met in the elevator. She was looking at me with her eyes close to my face.

“That’s Mrs Wang, She’s just different from every other person, that’s all”

I joined him on the sofa he was sitting on. His TV was on and a movie was paused.

“I don’t believe that. She was looking at me so close with her eyes almost on my face” I explained.

“That’s just her being friendly. Don’t worry about it”

“I’m not the one living with her, so I’m not worried” I replied confidently, and he smiled.

“What’s the name of this movie?”

“Lion”

“Lion?”

“Yes, Lion. It’s an Australian movie about an Indian boy who got lost and never knew his way back home until years later. It’s pretty emotional and amazing”

I collected the bag of chips that was with him and ate from it before putting it in between us.

“So, tell me, why do you want to move out of the castle? I thought you wanted to stay” He asked.

“I’m leaving because of someone. Someone I can’t stand” I replied “You fell in love with someone over there”

“No, stupid. Just someone who hurt me years ago that I need to avoid”

I didn’t know who I was referring to, be it Nicholas or Gabriel but I know I need to leave that place before things get out of hand.

“What happened this morning, DL? I thought you were the happy go-to guy. I didn’t know you were capable of crying”

He laughed and remained silent. If I needed answers, I needed to ask the questions.

“I’m serious Declan, what happened?”

“Memories happened. Shit happened but I need to move on”

When he turned to look at me, the tears he had been trying to stop, came down his face and I moved closer to hug him from the side.

“I’m messed up, May. I don’t think I can ever learn to forgive and go on like they said. I got really high last night that I almost killed myself, trying to suppress the memories that were hunting me but when I woke up this morning, I realized it all was still there, waiting for me to open my eyes to light”

“It’s okay, Declan” I comforted him as tears dripped down my own eyes.

“Is that what they told you too, May? That it is okay, that everything will be okay?” He asked and I nodded.

“Lies, fucking lies. It was not a dark night, May, it wasn’t stormy like they described in those novels, it was a normal night, peaceful one. I had late football practice at school and was on my way home. Suddenly, a hand grabbed me, pulled me into the bush, forced himself on me till I collapsed. I woke up in the hospital with a torn a** that needed stitching, a heart that needed healing. When I wouldn’t stop having nightmare, flashes about it, I shifted to drugs, it’ll make me feel better for minutes before fucking me up again”

He said, laughing bitterly.

“Whatever the fuck happened to you, May, don’t ever retort to drugs, do you understand me?” He asked.

“Yes! How do you know something happened to me?”

“Of all the persons living in my mom’s area, why do you think I tried befriending you? Because the wounded will always recognize the wounded” He replied.

I cried for five more minutes while Declan kept on comforting me when I’m supposed to be the one comforting him.

Funny enough!

We started watching the movie all over again, ordered pizza, had some fun before he went on to drop me off at the castle later that night.

I opened the gate, walked in for a few seconds before stopping when I saw Nicholas pacing at the front of the house, a hand behind his head and the other in his pocket.

“What happened, May? Where have you been?” He asked, walking closer to me.

“I went out to see a friend” I replied “Adam?”

“No, Declan. Why are you asking me? Why do you care? I don’t ask you where you go to, why are you asking about mine?”

“You got me worried, May. I’ve sent you thousands of messages, calls and you never replied or call back. I was worried”

I was surprised at his outburst. I wish I could go into his head and know his thoughts.

“Sorry about that. My phone wasn’t with me. Can we go inside now?”

“Not yet! Can we talk?”

“About what?”

“I need you, May”

My heart stopped beating for a while. I was not expecting him to say what he had said. I thought he was going to talk about me calling Gabriel a rapist and ask me to explain myself. But his word threw me off guard.

“The Queen traveled to our country this morning because my father was terribly sick, and she called me this night that….” He stopped.

Nicholas held my hand as if he needed me to support his stance. I reached out and touched his face with my free hand, looked into his eyes.

“That what, Nicholas?”

“My father is dead, May. He’s dead!”

“Oh my God”

Before I could think of what to say or do, Nicholas threw his hands around my tiny body, hugging me tightly as if his next breath depends on the hug.

“I’ll be going back in the next few hours; will you please go with me? I want you right there with me, May. Please, stay with me”