Craving For Her

I Hate You

Zoe’s POV
My world stopped at that moment and I gaped at my sister. My lips quivered as I tried to retrace my step. Where had it gone wrong? Had we been so late?
“But it's not what you are thinking, “ She continued, picking her words carefully.
“What?” I managed to ask. “What do you mean?”
“They are not dead, they have disappeared,” She revealed.
At this point, I did not know what to think. First, there was a relief and then questions started to mount each other again.
“When, where, and for how long?”
“After you got Andy out of the fire, the ambulance carried all of us here,” She said. “You and Andy were in the most critical condition, you have been asleep for four days,”
I kept mute so that all the details would sink in.
“Mum woke the next day after we got here, she was okay until she started acting weird.”
“Weird?” I asked.
For a second Regina kept quiet again.
“You were stable but Andy’s condition got worse. The doctor believed that he wasn’t doing too well because he is young but your mum…” Sandra but in.
“Mum said that they were after him, after us and that they caused the fire,” Regina closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. “She went crazy that they had to sedate her,”
I was only used to seeing mum cold and distant but the way they were describing her now made it seem like they were talking about someone else. “Who was she referring to? Who are ‘they’?”
“I don’t know,” Regina admitted. “When she woke up, she changed again, she was herself again,” Regina looked squarely at me. “She went back to the way she was,”
“Was?”
“She did not ask about Andy or you and she did not want to see anyone,”
I knew instantly what she meant. Mum had gone back to her nonchalant self. The one that did not act like a mother. The one that could leave home for two weeks at a stretch. The one I was hoping would disappear forever.
“We don’t know how she managed it but one afternoon, the nurse came to give her medicine but she was gone and Andy’s bed was empty too.”
Just like that? Nothing made sense anymore. Had she just taken Andy and abandoned us? Then I remembered something.
“Where is Todd?” He must have known something. He was supposed to have been sleeping on the couch in the living room when hell broke loose.
Regina’s features hardened a bit as though she could not fathom the reason why I would give a damn about the man.
“He must know something,” I explained. “He might have even been the one to start the fire.”
“He is in jail,” She told me. “And as much as I want it to be true he was not responsible for the fire,”
“How are you so sure?” I managed to ask, I was getting lightheaded again.
“You need to rest, Zoe,” Sandra’s worriedly told me.
I ignored her. I needed to get to the bottom of this. “Tell me,”
“Sandra’s right,” Regina said. “You have gone through so much,”
“All for nothing,” I deadpanned coldly. “Okay, forget about Todd, what about mum and Andy…”
“I don’t understand either,” Regina said hopelessly. “All that we know now is that they are gone. The police are looking but…”
“No turn-up,” I completed for her. There had to be some kind of explanation. She was trying to change. She was trying to be there for us like she should have been. I saw it. The last few days were really turning my head upside down. I felt numb at the moment but I knew that soon enough the full impact of this situation would hit me hard.
The door of the room opened and the same nurse entered with some other and a trolley. “We have to change her dressing, you have to leave,”
Regina gently squeezed my bandaged hand. I gave her an understanding look. At least I now had my sister but would that also be short-lived? She left with Sandra whose eyes lingered on me for a while.
The moment my ears caught the sound of the door closing shut, a mountain of emotion fell over me. My body hurt as well as my heart. Just when everything seemed to be running its course. Maybe this was karma for what I had with Louis. But I had done the right thing and broke it off with him for goodness sake. It was so unfair.
I wanted him here now, doing all the things he promised to do for me. His voice resonated in my scrambled head, ‘to hold you, to wipe your tears…” He had said that day in the cabin. I was glad that he was keeping away, it was better for both of us. I had to deal with the fact I needed him but I wiped my tears and tried to convince myself I was strong enough to take in the events of the past few days without losing it.
The nurse let me sob quietly as she did her job. The sting of the antiseptic felt good because it was a physical pain that momentarily distracted me from the hell that my emotions were going through.
*****
The days were long and felt endless with no news about mum or Andy. I later found out why Todd was not a suspect. He had been knocked out and left outside before the fire started. He was not burnt in the slightest. The fire was not meant for the Carters, it was meant for Agatha and her children. It only made our case more dreary.
My condition was stable and I could now use a wheelchair to move around. Regina and Sandra never left my side. Mr Callahan had come to greet me but kept his distance. I told Sandra about my former relationship with Louis and she did not seem too surprised. The way he had threatened her after what she had done to me had already raised suspicions. Regina and I grew closer than I ever thought possible. I hoped I wouldn't lose her too just like I lost mum.
On a rainy night, the ambulance came in with its sirens blaring as usual. I was now used to peeking out the window to check if they had maybe found my brother and mother injured somewhere. The sight that greeted me, made my eyes grow wide.
A blond woman was pulled out of the ambulance and by her side was none other than Louis himself. They entered the building and I lost sight of them. The woman had hair the same as Nessa and that would mean one thing; That she was his mother. This only worsened my depression. I thought that he would at least be okay with his family and as atrocious as it sounded, I hoped that Mrs Rodriguez would have her husband to herself.
I couldn’t go and see him, that would be shameless of me so I drew the blinds. A few hours later Sandra came to see me. After an embrace, she whispered. “Louis is here,”
“I know,” I replied. “I saw his mum on a stretcher, What happened to her?”
“She slit her wrists,”
I gasped.
“Nessa also came with them, she is a mess,”
“What happened?”
“I am not sure,”
What could drive a woman like her to attempt suicide? I had my speculations already and they made my blood run cold.
“I don’t know how she is now,” Sandra eyed me. “Louis is in shock,”
I could imagine his tall frame, leaning against a wall dejected as he waits for news about his mother.
“What now?” I asked her.
Sandra shrugged. “They wait…”
*****
Sandra helped me into my bed and left me. I was tired and despite my best efforts not to, I fell asleep. When I woke up again, Regina was the one by my side. “Hey sleepy head,” She smiled.
I smiled back. “Hey…”
Before I could ask like I always did, she spoke. “No news,”
I did not say anything to that and just closed my eyes in frustration.
“Um, Zoe…”
“Yeah?” Without opening my eyes, I asked.
“He wants to see you,”
I opened my eyes and turned squarely to her. “Who?”
“He said you would know,” If she knew more, she was not showing it. She looked like she couldn't care less what he wanted to say to me.
“Mr Rodriquez’s son?”
“Yeah, I will sneak you to him after you take your medicine.” She told me complacently.
I nodded.
*****
“Be careful, I will be outside if anything…”
“Thanks, it is fine and I will,” She closed the door behind me in the dimly lit room. It was the place where medicine was stored. I wheeled myself forward to the figure that stood in the distance. Louis stood in the middle of the room with his eyes trained on me and unreadable.
“Louis, I am so sorry…”
“Save it,” He interrupted. He eyed me up and down, distaste staining his features a bit.
I gulped at his tone as he continued.
“Where is he, Zoe?” He asked.
I recovered from his cold demeanour quickly, “Who are you talking about?”
He chuckled darkly, inching closer. “I will ask one more time, Where is my father?”
My heart leapt to my throat. “He is missing too?”
“Stop the act, tell me where they went.”
“My mum did not elope with him, Louis,” I said, trying to convince myself as well as Louis.
“Oh really?” He said sarcastically.
“It is a coincidence, there is no way…”
Before I could complete my sentence, he flung a sheet of paper onto my lap. “Read,” It was an order.
I squinted at words on the paper in a bid to read it. It was a goodbye letter from Louis’ father. The last sentence was what knocked the wind out of me. ‘…so I am leaving to be with the love of my life, Agatha.”
I dropped the paper, my head suddenly spinning as I looked up at Louis. “No, no, this has to be a mistake…”
He hushed me with a hand, “Now tell me where they are.”
“I don’t know,” I cried. “You have to believe me.”
“Why the hell should I? Agatha’s daughter is who I should believe? You still so fucking naive.” He took my chin harshly. “All because of your mother, mine is fighting for life and you dare to cover for her.”
“I am not…” I croaked, I reached out to touch his hand but he flung my hand away.
“Don’t touch me!” He spat. “I promise you if you don’t start talking I will ruin you.” 

“But Louis I wouldn’t do that, you know me…”
“I thought did,” His voice became soft again, there was sadness intertwined with his words. “But I was wrong because you are nothing but a whore like your mother!” He snarled before picking up the paper and walking away. But before he opened the door, I heard him whisper full of venom. “I hate you.”
His words tore through me like a dagger as the door slammed behind him.

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Author's Note
I am elated to announce that this is the end of Part One of CRAVING FOR HER. I would love to say thank you for sticking with me and I love you guys.
But I am sorry to say that parts two and three will not be published on Wattpad and will be published on GOOD NOVEL. I know it is selfish of me but things are really not going well for me where I am and I want to support myself soon. I need funds which will help me achieve this so I have signed a royalty contract. Again, I am sorry if you really like this book. There will always be free quality books available for you so moving on will be easy. I will be publishing a fantasy book here soon so I am not gone just yet. But for now, Good luck.
Love, Esther