Chapter 49 – Hold onto me, please.

Jack’s POV

“Zoe?” Shaking her shoulders, I tried to wake her up, she didn’t budge.

“Zoe? I am sorry Zoe. Come back” I call her panicking.

“ZOE” I shook her aggressively. She didn’t move. Her lifeless eyes stare at me.

Everything around me seem to stop working. I shake her. Trying to move her, I tried my best to control my tears.

“Zoe, please. I am sorry. Please” I plead holding her hand on my chest.

“I love you” I whisper as tears freely fall from my face.

Slowly her hands start to get cold.

I lost her, forever.

2 hours ago…

I brought Zoe to lake house 15 days ago. I never left her side. I watched her cry every day.

I saw my fun-loving Zoe turn depressed.

She didn’t even utter a single word after our previous conversation.

I tried everything to get her to talk to me. I promised her I will change. I asked her to stop crying. I plead her to yell at me, hit me, get her anger out. I beg her to forgive me every day.

Only thing she did was just staring at me with those sad eyes. The spark in her hazel eyes died every day in front of me.

I saw her defeat as reality hit her like tons of bricks.

She refuses to eat unless I forcefully fed her.

She refuses to drink until I forced her to.

She refuses to move until I carry her out.

She refuses to sleep. She… She just remains stuck to that one spot on the couch, the corner seat, facing away from me.

Even though her body refuse to work but I knew her mind never rest for even a single second.

I saw her shudder everyday as the memories play continuously in her mind.

Her hands shook in fear whenever I came near to her.

Her eyes remain fixed on my hands, the same hands who pulled Elijah’s heart.

The same hands that tortured hundreds of people.

The same hands that broke her.

Every day she drowned and took me with her.

First time in my life, I felt pain. Pain when I saw her every day. I did this to her.

Every time tears fall from her eyes, my heart bleed.

What was I expecting? Her to jump in my arms, even after everything. Yes. Deep down I want her to jump in my arms. Every day I woke up and expect her to smile at me, to hold me, to scold me but she didn’t.

Deep down I want her to forgive me.

I saw her body grew week every day, as if she already gave up. She gave up that fight which was never supposed to be fought.

She is not supposed to fight me, why doesn’t she understand that?

Today I woke up again on the couch beside her. As expected, she sat there staring at the wall, in her own little world.

“Good morning” I said kissing her temples. This time she didn’t even flinch. Her sad eyes stare me like every day.

“Did you sleep?” I ask her. Her eyes travel down from my face to my hands, like every day. Silent tears fell from her eyes as she hugged her knees tighter and looked away.

Sighing I got up, this can’t go on. She will be dead at this rate.

I got up and walked out of our master bedroom. Closing the door behind me, I walked to kitchen.

“Hi” Kevin’s voice boom.

Scrunching my eyebrows, I looked at him, “when did you come here? “

“Few hours ago. Angel wanted check on Zoe.” He said walking in the kitchen.

“Angel?” He called.

“Yes?” Her voice came, she was nearby but she was not in sight.

“Where are you?” Asks Kevin.

“Here” She smiled poking her head out of pantry.

“I made breakfast for everyone,” she said.

“Yeah. Thank you for coming. Zoe doesn’t eat much. Please feed her something” I said.

She nods, took a tray and left the kitchen without another word. First time I noticed that angel is afraid of me too.

She never talked to me, except for that only time when I found her small prism pendent.

“Is she afraid of me?” I ask Kevin.

He laughed, “Very much. Actually, she is afraid of you, not me”

“Really?” I asked confused.

“Yes. You took her very precious thing. You remember that prism? She fought with you for that if you remember.” He asks.

“Yeah, that prism pendent? I found it on floor near dining table, but I gave her back, didn’t I? “

“Hmmm. You did” He said. “It’s her mother’s pendent. This is the only material thing she love. She wants to give that to Zoe”

I just looked at him. Angel never shared that thing with anyone, not even max.

“How you been?” I ask him.

“Good. Just workload” He replied.

“Workload? I asked you to stop the shipment of girls and let them free. No such business” I said.

“Yeah, that’s what. Bid was already made, so convincing the bidders.” He said.

“Hmm.”

I pulled out a bottle of whiskey from minibar. “Don’t you think it’s too early for this?” Asks Kevin.

“No. Only this” I said pointing at the bottle, “is keeping me checked. I don’t want to lose my shit and do something that I will regret later”

Kevin just laughed.

“How are Amy and Sam?” I ask.

“In hospital. I checked on them yesterday. They are recovering fast. And I named the 50% of your deed to Sam, as you asked” He said.

I have decided to halt all illegal businesses and give half of my deed to Sam and other half to Kevin.

“Let’s go. I want to meet her too” Said Kevin walking to our room.

I followed him.

“… It will be easy if you just give in. I know what you are going through, just… Just try to give him a chance. He loves you” We heard angels soft voice as we reached to doorway.

Angel’s pendant in Zoe’s hand. She just stares at the pendant.

They still don’t know that we are standing there.

“You want me to live with rapist and a killer happily?” Zoe ask in small voice.

“He terminated all the illegal business, including human trafficking” Argued angel.

“What about the damage that already is done?” Asks Zoe.

“But we can change our future”

Zoe didn’t answer, she just closed her fist with pendent inside it. Slowly the blood ooze out her fist, the edges of the pendent cutting her soft skin.

“Some people are only capable of destruction” She said.

“Yes. You are right” Said angel as her shoulder slumped.

Kevin looked at me questionably.

“But he is trying, please give him a chance” Pleads Angel.

“You gave them chance, are you happy?” Zoe asks angrily.

Angel jumped back at her audacity.

“This is exactly what they are capable of” Said Zoe angrily “Look at you. You are nothing better than those girls. You need help as much as those girls. “

“You have all the symptoms of a tortured person. You are nothing but a puppet for them” Yell Zoe as she threw the pendent on the wall, breaking it into small pieces I felt Kevin stiffen beside me.

Angel’s eyes widen.

“Zoe, apologize” I shout.

Startled she stare between me and Kevin.

“Angel come” Kevin’s said angrily. Angel got up, slowly collect the broken pieces.

“I said, come. Now” Yell Kevin.

“See, you are nothing but a puppet. They just love playing with our feelings. We are nothing but a playtime for them, a sex toy” Yell Zoe looking at Angel.

The rage inside me, that I buried deep down, threatened to come out now.

“That was my…” Angel’s broken voice came as she stares at the broken pendent in her hand.

Kevin stomp inside the room and grabbed Angel’s arm harshly.

“Don’t you dare touch her,” yells Zoe pulling Angel towards her.

“Zoe” I warn.

“What will you do huh? What else is left?” Said Zoe in utterly calm voice. But the anger behind that calm didn’t go unnoticed.

Kevin was shaking in anger. I was angry too at her audacity. No one ever talk to us like this.

No one disrespect us, let alone hurt Angel.

“Zoe, apologize.” I said coldly.

“I am so sorry, puppet. Or should I say sex toy? Whoever you are, I am sorry that – “ Zoe said mockingly.

“She is my wife” Growled Kevin.

“We all know what the truth is” Yell Zoe. “You monsters are not capable of love”

“Kevin. Leave” I said. She needs to learn, and I will teach her.

Kevin dragged angel out of the room with him, “I won’t forgive this, jack. I want to listen her screams” He said glaring Zoe from doorframe.

He closes the door behind him, as he left.

“Is our Almighty King angry? “ mocks Zoe.

“Zoe” I warn again. I know I won’t be able to control myself if she continues even for a minute.

“I don’t love you. I will never love you. I love my family, not you” she yells.

I took deep breathes. “That pendent you just broke was too precious to her. You will go out and apologize to her right now” I said.

“I didn’t ask her to give it to me” She said.

I grab her hair making her look at me directly in eyes, “apologize now” At this point I know I am so close to lash out.

She spit on my face.

… And I lost it.

I roughly grab her neck and pulled her up. Her legs instantly trying to kick me, her hands clawing my hand.

Her face turning red instantly.

“You.are.a.monster” She croaked out.

“Yes, I am” I said.

I anger that gathered inside me every time she refused my touch. Every time she flinched. Every time she looked at me with disgust. Everything just bounced back.

I threw her on bed. She coughed harshly holding her neck.

The only thing running in my mind is her. She was right in front of me for days, but I couldn’t touch.

I tried to be gentle man. I tried so hard.

Now, I can’t.

“Jack, stop” She said sticking her hand out.

“You didn’t stop when I asked you too” I said removing my shirt.

She starts to back off, I pulled her by her ankle.

“No!” She yells still coughing shoving my hands away.

Her neck started turning slight blue.

“Zoe?” I panicked rubbing her back.

She continued to cough hard, “what happened?”

She struggled to breathe.

“Kevin. Angel” I shout panicking.

“What happened? “ Asked Kevin as he ran inside.

“She can’t breathe” I told him.

Angel hand me a glass of water.

Zoe started coughing more vigorously. Her eyes rolling to the back of her head.

“Zoe. No. No. No” I yell.

“Get the car” I yell.

Kevin ran outside immediately.

“What’s happening?” I ask looking at angel.

Angel looked sympathetically towards me. “We all love you, Zoe” She whisper.

“You are the bravest and honest girl.”

I picked her up in my arms, she opens her mouth, gasping for air.

I ran outside. “Hold on” I whisper as I reach the end of the porch.

She stopped moving. Her hand Fell to her sides.

“Zoe?” I call placing her down.

“What happened? “ Ask Kevin as he ran towards me, “car is ready, let’s go”

“She is not moving” He said shaking her shoulders.

“What? “

“She.. She is not moving” I said again as a sharp pain erupt in my chest.

Kevin checks her pulse. “She is dead”

“NO. SHE IS NOT” I yell. “TELL HIM ANGEL.”

“Zoe?” Shaking her shoulders, I tried to wake her up, she didn't budge.

"Zoe? I am sorry Zoe. Come back" I call her panicking.

"ZOE" I shook her aggressively. She didn't move. Her lifeless eyes stare at me.

Everything around me seem to stop working. Continuing to shake her. Trying to move her, I tried my best to control my tears.

"Zoe, please. I am sorry. Please" I plead holding her hand on my chest.

"I love you" I whisper as tears freely fall from my face.

Slowly her hands start to get cold.

I lost her on the same place where I proposed her.

The same place where I confess, I love her.

I lost her forever.