From Grief We grew (Only On Wattpad)

Chapter 49 Hayden

“What did the cops say,” Emmet asks as we walk in.
 
   “There is no evidence of anyone trying to burn the house. The windows are all opened which is weird because we never opened them.” I frown thinking back at how skeptical Mrs. Larson looked at us. “I don’t know if the cops believe us. No traces of those two either.” I sigh and fall into the couch.
 
   “What about their clothes?”
 
   “Half gone. Half is there. Avery's things only a few items are missing like her pacifier, bottle, two dresses, and a pair of shoes,” Bea replies.
 
   “So no solid evidence of them trying to hurt you and leaving for good?”
 
   “No,” Bea whispers.
 
   I look up at him. He is watching us both with his hands crossed. “You don’t trust us, do you?” I ask. He doesn’t reply. He seems deep in thought. I feel Bea squirm in her seat. I sigh. “The child is mine, Uncle. I was drunk that night, we met at a party.”
 
   “Hayden…” I hear Bea hiss.
 
   I don’t give her a chance to speak. “We lost contact so she couldn’t tell me she was pregnant. Her dad looked after her and her child. He and the stepmom adopted the kid since I wasn’t there. But then her father died and Mira got abusive. She made Bea slog her ass off to look after her and the baby. Meanwhile, she secretly earned money through her success and swallowed the money without Bea knowing. The building she used belongs to Bea. She lied saying her dad sold it. Now that Bea found out about the building and Mira figured Bea and I are together, she ran. She took the child along.”
 
   “Why do you think she did it?” he asks.
 
   “Surely it’s money. She was my mentor. She kept trying to entice me during our sessions. Lady seems like a gold digger. She might even blackmail us for money. Or The child might have property on her name,” I explain my theory and he nods.
 
   “Do you have money if she asks?”
 
   “A little. I’ll arrange for something. Anything to get my baby back,” I say honestly.
 
   “Mmm, do your parents know about your blood?”
 
   “No. After Zayden's death, our relationship hasn’t been the best. I didn’t want to disappoint them. So I kept quiet.”
 
   “I hope you find the child soon.” He pats my shoulder. “Send me a picture of this Mira and the baby. I’ll see what I can do.”
 
   “Thank you so much.”
 
   Bea quickly walks downstairs to the basement that Tusha prepared for us. I run after her. I hear sniffles. I place my hand on her shoulder. “Sweetpea, are you okay?”
 
   She shakes her head and turns around. “W-why did you have to take the blame?”
 
   “Because I would rather say it’s my kid than have people judge you and accuse you.”
 
   She bursts into tears and clings onto me. “I just don’t know if I should be happy that I have an amazing boyfriend or sad because my daughter is gone.”
 
I pull away and cup her cheeks making her look at me. Looking into her emerald eyes feels like looking into my brother's eyes and I know I’m doing the right thing. “And you are an amazing girlfriend and mother. We will find Avery really really soon. I promise.” She nods.
 
   We go to Teagan's room to talk to her but her room is empty. Tusha informs us that Teagan came home and left quickly before our return. After Lunch, Bea and I head out to look out for Mira. We visit the houses of people Bea knew and enquired about her. Around 8 o’clock we get back home. Tusha tells us that Teagan still hasn’t come home. We go to her room and wait for her. Bea asks me what happened yesterday after I dropped her off and narrate everything that happened.
 
   “I feel bad. Lucah thinks Teagan likes me. He found her in my arms yesterday… She does so much for us but all I do is make things worse by looking like my brother.”
 
   Bea holds my hand. “Don't say that. We'll do something. I’ll talk to Lucah. We'll reunite them.”
 
   I nod. “We should.”
 
   Around 9 we hear the front door opening. We hear her mum hush and gasp. We both walk out of her room. Bea gasps in horror at the sight. Teagan's soaking wet. Her lips are purple and split. There is a cut on her forehead too. The bruise on her knee is bleeding again. “What happened?” I ask looking at her in belief.
 
   She shrugs. “I went skating. The ice broke, I fell but I survived.” Tusha gets on her knees and tends to Teagan’s wound. “Mama, I’m fine,” Teagan says and steps back. Bea grabs a band-aid and places it on her head ignoring her.  
 
   “Teagan what has gotten into you?” I yell.
 
   “Can you all stop!? I’m in a really good mood. This pain is nothing. I can barely feel it. Right now I feel alive and happy. So quit ruining my mood!” she barks and storms off to her room.
 
   “Emmet…” Tusha looks at her husband.
 
   “Is this about Lucah?” Bea asks.
 
   “Maybe we should call him?” Tusha suggests.
 
   I replay her words in my head. I went skating... I feel alive. I shake my head. “Don't. This is about her, not him.” All eyes fall on me. “I'll go talk to her first. Aunty, can you send a hot pack by Bea to the room and some Vaseline?” Tusha nods.
 
    “I’ll make her some hot cocoa,” Bea volunteers and I thank her.
 
   I knock on her door. “Can I come in?” She tells me to wait. After a few minutes, she calls me in. I walk in and she immediately says,  “I'm not in the mood for a lecture, Hayden.”
 
   I raise my hands. “None of that. I just want to see you.” She nods and gestures to sit on the bed. Now wearing clean clothes. She leans back onto the stack of pillows and closes her eyes. I sit by her and look at her lips. “Does it really hurt?”
 
   “Not as much as it hurts here,” she whispers poking her chest. I stay silent not knowing what to say. She chuckles and opens her eyes. I look at her in confusion. “I should be crying. Well, I did- whole night but right now I’m caught in the moment.” She closes her eyes and smiles. “Mentally I’m still skating on the ice. The wind in my hair. I feel so free and alive like I’m flying.”
 
   “I'm glad.”
 
   “Mmm, I even saw him.”
 
   “Lucah?”
 
   “No. Zayden. He is the one that saved me. He told me I shouldn’t die. I’m not allowed to. I need to live. I don’t know how but he got help.” She looks like she’s dreaming in her sleep with her eyes closed.
 
   The thought of her dying tightens my chest. I remember the time Teagan tried to kill herself three months after Zayden died. Did she try it again? “What about you?”
 
   She opens her eyes. “Mmm?”
 
   “At the moment, did you want to d-die?
 
   She shook her head. “Just a few months ago I wanted to die. I went to the tracks to end my life. Lucah was the one that saved me and now, I want to live for him.”
 
   She tried to kill herself again. I let the information sink in. I could have lost her. I should have reached out sooner. I could have lost her.
 
   “I panicked when I fell in. All I could think of is Lucah. Of you. My parents. How hurt everyone will be. For the first time in a long time, I prayed. I prayed to God and asked him to save me and that’s when I saw Zayden.”
 
   I squeeze her hand. “Don't you dare leave me!” She leans forward and wipes my cheeks. That’s when I realize I am crying. “Promise,” she whispers. “I'm sorry I made you worried. I’ll be more careful next time.”
 
   I shake my head and hug her. She hisses in pain and I quickly let go. “Still sore from the fall.” Right, then Bea walks in. She places a blanket around Tegan that she heated for Teagan. She hands her the hot chocolate and Teagan thanks her. Bea proceeds to rub Teagan's feet with the hot pack. She protests but Bea doesn’t budge. After she is done drinking, Bea then massages her hands with the pack. Meanwhile, Teagan asks us about Mira and we update her on everything. Including what I told her dad to which she just nodded. Then Bea rubs Vaseline on Teagan's lips.
 
   “You should rest,” I say and get up. Teagan shakes her head and holds my hand. “I’m not tired. Stay.” Bea excuses herself saying she is going to help Tusha with dinner.  
 
   “Are you happy?” she asks. I look at her. “In college? Life? Your environment? Like do you feel alive and yourself? I know you are happy with Bea, I’ve seen how you look at her but what about everything else?”
 
   “Well college is a struggle not going to lie but then I come home and Bea is there. We sing 3 days a week. You know how much I love to sing. When I’m alone, I’m writing songs. Making music.” I pause for a moment to think about my life. “Yes. I’m pretty happy.”
 
   “You should totally start a YouTube channel where you upload covers and originals,” she suggests.
 
   I nod. “Maybe. After all this.”
 
   We fall silent. For a few moments, we just sit like that then I find myself saying, “I just hope I survive college. Now with Mira gone, I don’t know how I’m going to learn.”
 
   “Hayden…” she places her hand on my shoulders. “You don’t have to. You can Qu-“ I shake my head and tell her, “I can’t. Don’t talk me out of it. I’m doing this for my parents and Zayden. This one thing. I have to.”
 
   “Okay… well I can help a bit. We can maybe paint together and I'll teach you whatever I know.”
 
   I smile. “That would be great!” she nods and closes her eyes again. “What about you? Are you happy? Are you happy with college? Mmm with life I know you aren’t since he’s gone…” I trail off not knowing what else to ask.
 
   She shakes her head and looks at me. “I was. Last week. I finally felt like I belong in this world again. A purpose. The job, Lucah, it was perfect until I screwed up.” I notice tears in her eyes.
 
   “You should talk to him, Teagan. Or at least let me do it.”
 
  She shakes her head. “No. Not yet. When I see him I want to tell him I love him. My words will only make sense if I tell him everything.”
 
   “Teagan…” I place my hand on hers. “He loves you. He just needs to know you love him too. You don’t have to tell him everything all at once. You can little by little. He hung around this long, I’m sure he'll be patient.”
 
   She nods. “I know. I know.” She pauses looking around. “I just need to get the strength to let go. The drawings. His clothed. I need some time. I-I booked an appointment with my therapist again. I need some time.”
 
   I open my mouth to say something but then I don’t. I find her looking at the book with the golden spiral that’s on the shelf. Her face is full of determination. I know my words will be useless.