Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Before a week passed our mother passed away sadly in her sleep. The doctor told us it was just her time after all she had a long and meaningful life even if she had a few years to go but we all had to go home eventually whether we liked it or not. I for one feared death now, I didn't want to die, I wanted to be immortal. Every time someone brought up the mere mention of death I got depressed and scared because I knew all living things died eventually nothing lasted forever and that's what bugged me, when I was a kid I was told we were going to have flying cars in the future and have immortality but that never happened curse you uncle Ruldoff you lied to me why did you make me have such high hope for the future.

Year after year the vision of flying cars and other life-changing gadgets got moved further and further many years to come, I didn't get why they just didn't say anything and complete the damn thing before announcing a date that just kept being moved up. For me, death was such a funny concept. One second you were just minding your own business crossing the streets seeing no cars coming and then boom some reckless drunk driver runs you over and you're gone, done, caput, never coming back or to be seen again. You'd end up in hell, heaven, purgatory, reincarnated or maybe just a wandering soul with unfinished business depending on what you believe in, I for one knew I was heading downstairs with a wonderful parade in my grace for what I've done in my youth and adulthood speaking mainly about Veronica, of course, may her soul continue burning in her.

For some, death was a blessing. I even once considered it that but now I realise there's so much to live for. While some deserved death, the real demons on earth, the ones we keep sentencing to prison but there are millions of them worldwide, even some still in the making, to put it simply death was a curse and blessing it just depended on how you looked at it.

My mother's death took quite a toll on me, for the entire week I was a wet blanket only going out when I needed to other than that I was wrapped around in my blanket cowering away from the world. Gary covered for me at work making sure to send me all the invoices and detailed emails of what went down for the day, he truly should've been the manager not me all I did was have a nervous breakdown every time a customer made a complaint.

Cole had gone off on his own little mission taking his things with him, whenever he did that it was no doubt he wasn't going to be around for a few days at minimum, he probably couldn't wait to get out of my hair since after that kiss everything has been so awkward. Haley was a paranoid mom more than usual fearing she might be next to this mysterious killer who was coming for our family. She was so paranoid she sent Kyle to school with a damn bodyguard. Seriously, the girl had officially lost a few marbles. I thought maybe Tyler would knock some sense into her but he seemed to agree with her giving me advice on being careful when I go out alone, I didn't understand where they got the idea that someone would want to come after us the only thought that came to mind was Veronica's family but Diana and her father weren't killers but then again it doesn't take much to make one.

I didn't make myself paranoid like them. Instead, I just cried over the death of my mother and rarely sought comfort in Randall who was constantly checking up on me making sure I was still alive, he was such an angel I don't know how I even got so lucky with him.

"What should I put on?" Speaking of the devil, he came over to accompany me and make sure I ate something.

"Does it matter?" I asked blankly, staring at the tv not seeing what was on as my mind wandered all over the place. The most important ending being why did every movie, series or book have to revolve around the whole evil and good concept or always have a happy ending. In the book 'The Giver' the ending was quite a shocker it wasn't a good or bad ending just left it to the imagination which was a good ending because to this day I'm still wondering whether Jonas and Gabriel made it, damn that book was good and so was the movie any movie with Brenton Twaites is a masterpiece.

"Yes, because I'm trying to cheer you up," he said, pulling me into his arms as he kissed the top of my head. I snuggled into his side resting my head on his shoulder while Lido was taking his nap on the floor in his dog bed. The dog was so well behaved.

"Fine put 'The Good Place' then," I mumbled, remembering none of this was Randall's fault. He was just trying to make me feel better and I was just biting his head off, which was unfair of me. The good Place was an alright show as far as a sitcom goes but I did learn a thing or two from the show and I liked how they showed the concept of a possibility that people could change in the afterlife if given a chance, it was a bit of a far stretch but I was enjoying the show and I was already on the last season it was a pretty good show to watch when you're bored or good family show. It also helped me rediscover my love for ethics and philosophy.

"Are you sure this is what you want to watch?" Randall asked me with a scrunched up face, his adorable scowl brought a smile to my stone-cold face, I guess the show wasn't for everyone.

"What do you wanna watch?" I asked, feeling less tense and a little calmer.

"Bumblebee," he excitedly said, somehow I knew he would say that the whole week he'd been talking about going to watch it at the theatres when I felt better even though I told him he could go watch it alone but the man was stubborn as a rock and wouldn't go without me. I was so curious about why he wanted to watch the movie so badly so I wanted to see it for myself so I saw the trailer and got excited and one thing led to another and the next thing I know I was watching it on Netflix and I must say it did not disappoint but now I felt guilty for watching it without him.

"Yap sounds good," I said with guilt written all over my face, he gave me a long glance tilting his head to the side in shock with his mouth partly open.

"You didn't?" He asked with a pout

"I'm sorry," I said, trying so hard not to smile while staring at his adorable pout.

"You'll pay for that," he said, pouncing on top of me and began tickling my sides mercilessly.

"Stop!," I laughed hysterically, hating the fact that I was so ticklish, he didn't have mercy on my soul as he tickled me to the point where I felt like I was going to piss my pants.

"Stop I'm going to pee," I cried through laughter with tears of joy in my eyes

"Serves you right," he chuckled, pulling me upright as I was still giggling from his attack.

"I'm sorry ok but the trailer was so good and I just had to watch it and oh my god you would not believe what a masterpiece it was especially th-" he cut off my sentence by covering my mouth with his hand

"Don't you dare," he warned playfully, I licked the inside of his hand making him retract it like my spit was acid.

"Gross," he groaned, rubbing his hand on my shirt.

"Serves you right," I threw his words right back with a wide smile

"Come here," he teased, pulling me into his lap before surprising me with a tender kiss on the lips that was filled with love and longing. I poured as much love and passion into the kiss as he did, enjoying the moment and getting out of my shell as I cupped his face kissing the life out of him.

"Mhm," he hummed, pulling away with a satisfied look. I couldn't help the wide grin that spread across my face as I gave him one last quick peck before he began the movie holding me in his embrace with a fluffy warm blanket covering our legs.

"Wow that was pretty good," Randall said after the movie finished

"I know right," I agreed with a yawn stretching my sore legs

"Tired?" He softly asked me

"It's two in the morning," I said blatantly with a raised brow.

"Right bedtime then," he chuckled, switching the tv off, "Let me just take this little guy out for a quick pee before we sleep," he told me, putting the leash on Lido who was up and about when he saw his leash.

"Ok be careful," I told him tiredly

"Always," he reassured, kissing the top of my forehead before heading out. I switched off the main lights before practically crawling into my bed, the chill air leaving my body as I snuggled into the blankets with a content sigh. After about ten minutes when I was dozing off the front door opened, Randall came back with a tired Lido who trotted into the bedroom clawing at the bed to be picked up. Barely conscious I picked him up feeling like he weighed a ton and placed him on the bed where he walked in a circle at my feet laying down to sleep.

"It's so cold outside," Randall complained with a shiver, taking his shoes off before crawling into bed. He crawled next to me with his icy cold hands resting on my thigh sending a cold chill up my spine

"Cold," I shivered pulling the covers closer towards myself

"Sorry," he laughed lightly spooning me

"It's fine," I hummed pulling his arm from my thigh bring it around to my waist enlacing our hands

"Nigh," he whispered kissing the back of my head

"Night," I whispered back

I had quite a peaceful sleep and woke up to find the bed empty, I felt around the bed with my outstretched hand with my eyes closed hoping to touch either lido's fluffy fur or Randall but I got nothing of sort and my heart sped up a bit before it calmed down at the sound of the kitchen faucet running. I groggily opened my eyes getting out of bed at a snail's pace, my brain still lagging, I took a long-deserved shower and did my morning routine. By the time I finished making the bed Randall came into the room looking like the full course meal that he was with just loose cargo shorts, a tank top highlighting his muscular arms and a toned chest along behind him trotted a very exciting Lido who had his tail up walking like royalty. I swear that dog was more human than animal, he was so demanding and just loved everyone especially kids he would never leave them alone unless you took him away from them.

"Morning sleeping beauty," Randall greeted with a warm smile stopping me in my tracks by pulling me towards him by the hand. His hands snaked their way around my waist pulling me closer to him, I wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him down for a savoury kiss.

This was what I need in a relationship, but then why did it feel like something was missing apart from the fact that I still had to have that awkward conversation with him about how I still have a lingering crush on Cole, I knew I shouldn't discuss it now clearly but the way his eye twitched every time the name Cole was mentioned like he didn't like the fact that I had sleepovers with my best friend whose a guy when I'm dating someone. But I also didn't want to have any secrets between us if I wanted this to work out.

But that conversation was for another day because today was going to be a pretty stressful day so I didn't need to add any more stress to my plate. Haley and I were finishing the funeral plans for our mom and Sue wanted to plan Harvey's funeral by herself mainly but with a planner of course she just didn't want us involved because we didn't know Harvey as well as she did, she already cremated him and wanted to have an only family and strictly close friends closed casket funeral. She had it all planned out while Haley and I were still arguing on which flowers to have and what snacks should be there. We were against each other on everything because neither of us knew her that well but that was because she never wanted us emotionally close to her for some odd reason.

Our mother was a bit of a strange woman no offence to her ghost probably floating around here somewhere but truth be told she never liked people except Kyle and her neighbour down the road Paul but everybody liked Paul the guy was hilarious. What I couldn't understand was her hatred towards me and my sister, we atoned for our mistakes yet it was never enough no matter what we did eventually Haley just gave up trying to apologize but I didn't I tried day after day to make her see that I changed that I didn't go back to my old roots but it didn't help in the slightest so her reasons for hating us will be buried along with her probably what she wanted.

If someone told me they didn't like me I would always try and figure out why and how I could change to make them like me it was honestly pathetic but I couldn't control that deep desire to want everyone to like me whether I know them or not that's why I tried extra hard with our ma but to all odds, I failed and I had to just live with it that's what was eating away at me, not the fact that she died that wasn't something that would bring me down that low. Sure I loved the woman but her death wasn't a big issue since she was in her eighties and it was just her time but for Haley, she was still going on about a serial killer trying to murder us if she didn't stop I was going to murder her.