The Broken Little Damsel

Chapter Eighteen

JAKE'S SIDE
Today was Saturday and I haven't slept  since Kristy wrote that letter last Saturday. Maybe she was right, there's nothing that has to do with me that is right. Dad left us and now Kristy  shutted me out for the whole seven days.
I tried sleeping but I couldn't.
I can't go on like this. These sleepless nights are very bad for my handsomeness.
I have  to go to her house and try to mend things with her.
I bathed and wore my dark jeans with a blue t-shirt and sandals. Going downstairs to find mom sitting at the table drinking coffee.
"Morning, mother"
Silence.
She was staring into empty space.
"Mom! Hello!", increasing my voice while shaking her gently.
"Ow! Sorry boy. Hey. You good,", she shaked her head.
"The question is, are YOU okay?".
I really needed to know because she ,too, had dark circles around her eyes. Is she too having sleepless nights? This can't be good.
"Me? I'm good", saying that and faked a smile.
" I know you better than you even know yourself. Don't lie to me. Talk to me"  i said these words and gave her a pat on her shoulders.
Sigh.
"Okay! Sit down", she stood up as I sat down.
"Would you like some coffee?"
I nodded and she made me coffee and brought it with choc brownies.
"Thanks.  Please tell me everything. It will be very  bad for Zullie to see us like this. I hope talking about it will help you".
"You won't like it. I'm so sorry my son. This is about your father. He left so that he could take care of us . He sent us money but I sent it back to him. I Don't know why, I guess I thought I was going to be a better single parent. I couldn't hide it anymore. It was eating me up alive. Please forgive me", her voice cracked at the last word . She sobbed softly.
So he didn't abandon us?
She hid that for that long?
But, whatever, she is still my mom and I love her. She  did a great job as a single parent. I stood up,walked to her, stood her up and hugged her.
"It's okay. Everything will be alright. No need to apologise",I really hope that those words soothed her.
"You really are the best son a mother can ever ask for", she said as I wiped the tears away and kissed her forehead.
I really love my mother.
I should search for my father. But where do I even start searching for him?
"Where did he move to?", I asked her and she frowned.
"I don't know. Why are you asking?"
"I was just asking. I was thinking of..."
I was disturbed by the ringing of the door bell.
"I'll get it", I said and walked to the door.
Opening the door,I was shocked. I wasn't expecting to see this person. But I'm happy anyways.
"Come in", I instructed while moving away from the door.
"Thanks. I thought you wouldn't welcome me after the way I acted last time."
No. I wouldn't. That would just hurt me.
"Join  us in the kitchen."
" 'us'? Who is the other person?"
"It's just me and my mother".
"The therapist?"
"Well... actually... she is a physio", I said straching my neck.
"What!?"
"Nothing"
We got to the kitchen and mom smilled. I don't know why.
"Mom,this is Kristy. Kristen Cruz. Kristy  this is my mother, Erica  Stewart .
"Kristy extended her hand to shake mom's,but mom stood up and hugged her instead.
Mom was whispering "I'm sorrys","It's all gonna be okay ".
When they finally pulled away from each other,both their eyes were wet and red.
"Thanks Mrs Stewart"
"Erica. Please."
"Okay, thanks Erica",Kristy said with a small smile on her  beautiful perfect lips.
Wait! Did I just say her lips are perfect?
Yep.
Whatever. Atleast it was not out loud.
"Join us for lunch. Please", that was mom.
"No problem. I need to talk to you both,by the way"
She needs to talk to us? About what? I really wonder.
"Go for  a walk. I will call you when lunch is ready".
I'll murder my mother. I tell you this now.
"Cool. Let's go Kristy ."
She just stood there and stared at her feet. Following her eyes to her shoes,I saw that she was wearing high-heeled ankled boots.
"Are you comfortable to walk in those shoes, honey? ", that was mom.
"I guess I'm not".
"What is your shoe size?"
"It depends on the shoe. I wear sizes four and five."
"Okay then. Jake,can you please got to my room and get my pale pink sandals."
Mom's word made me stop what I was doing. I was looking between them when they were taking.
They were having a spontaneous conversation. I'm impressed.
I thought Kristy  didn't socialise at all.
Someone cleared her throat.
It was mom.
That made me close my mouth. Wait! It ws opened?
Kristy  chuckled. Great!
"I sent you to my room,remember?",mom said and with that I rushed to her room and came back with her sandals on my hands.
I sat Kristy down and took out her boots. Her  feet were beautiful, soft and warm. She had a pale pink nail polish on. She wore the sandals, and they matched her feet and nails.
"Thanks",her voice was hoarse.
I went to open the door for her. She stepped out and I followed close behind. As I closed the door I  heard mom shouting a long 'byie' followed by laughter from outside.
We walked in silence. My mind wasn't silence though. I wanted to to ask her why did she come to my house. Is it because she is pregnant after the second rape? That thought made me sweat on mg forehead.
Maybe you should apologise. Maybe that's why she came,to apologise.
"I'm sorry", we both say it on the same time.
She was contemplating on apologising too.
"Why are you sorry?", I asked her,"I'm the one who was wrong. "
"I'm sorry because the way I acted wasn't good. Yes I  have been through a lot and ao do you. I was supposed to give you guys a chance to annotate tour actions. That is being a loyal friend. So because of all that I'm sorry. I was jerk",we were standing still under a tree now.
I didn't look at it that way. I thought I was the ome who was wrong.  She really is something else.
"Okay. I'm sorry that I wasn't there when that bastard did that to you. I should have been there. I promise you it won't happen again. I really do", i meant every word I said.
I was looking straight into her eyes and she looked away.
Where are we?
I looked around and saw Carrie's house.
"Do you want to see her? ", I asked her.
"Sure".
With that we walked towards  the house.
She rang the door bell. Within a few minutes the door handle moved.
Carrie came into sight.
"Hey, you good babe?", Kristy asked her.
It's the way they call one  another: babe, love, honey , sweetie pie and  all  other swet names.
Carrie didn't answer. She hugged her instead.
Second time experiencing a women hug. God.
Carrie pulled away and said,"Now I'm okay.  I was worried sick about you honey".
See?  I told you.
"I'm fine now. Don't stress."
"Come in", she said moving away from the door.
My phone beeped. It was a text from mom. She was saying lunch was ready.
"We would like to  stay, but we can't. Mom just told us to come back, sorry"
"Its no big deal. See you guys at school then".
They hugged one last time and we turned away from the door.
As we walked back home,I remembered something.  I had always wanted to play a special song for her. When I heard '2u' by Justin Bieber, I knew that was thee song to play. So I took out my phone and played the song.
No limits in the sky
That I won't fly for you.
She froze  and continued to listen.
No amount of tears in my eyes
That I won't cry for ya, oh no
With every breath that I take
I want you to share that air with me
There's no promise that I won't keep
I'll climb a mountain, there's none too steep.
I sang along with J. B and she laughed at that.
I stoped the song and looked at her eyes and said," I missed that laugh. "
She blushed and that was so cute.
"Are you made up of Copper and Tellerium because you are CU-TE."
That made her laugh even harder.
I really missed her laugh.
We were at our house's gate.
"The last one to get to the door is a chicken", she said and  runned as fast as she  could to the door.
Unfortunately for her, I train every day and I'm a rugby player, so I do alot of running.
I got to the door first. She joined me a few seconds later.
"You are not a very bad runner,  chicken".
She sticked her tongue out as a child would do.
I laughed at her and she hit me on my forehead.
"Ouch! What was that for?", i did know the answer but I just enjoyed pushing her to the edge.
"That was for being a jerk and calling me a chicken", she said.
"But you are the one who said the last person to get to the door will be a chicken, chicken".
She sticked her tongue out once more and muttered a 'jerk'.
"I'm sorry. What was that?", as I said those words, I tickled her not giving her a chance to reply.
She laughed. I joined her and didn't stop, untill she said, "I'm sorry. I . Didn't.  Say. A. Thing."
Then I stopped. We stood there at the door and stared at each other's eyes.
It's been a while since I had genuinely  laughed. She really is my joy.
"Thanks. For today and everyday.",she said with an emotion ,In her eyes ,that I couldn't decipher.
"No. Thank YOU.  You gave me a reason to live.  Not only live ,but to enjoy life."
We were at our door. We moved towards each other. Her breath smelled of fresh strawberries. Her feminine cologne hypnotized me. I was falling so hard for her, but I was too scared that she might not catch me. Looking in to her brownish eyes, all my worries and doubts faded away. She was right here in front of me and she was about to kiss me. That is what I have  to focus to.
I could already taste her lips, even though I haven't touched them with mine,when someone opened the door. We both moved away from each other, as we tried to look unaffected by what almost happened.