Chapter 9: Chapter 9

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I never meant to cause you trouble. I never meant to do you wrong.

I woke up with the smell of brewed coffee and a blanket on my back. My sight slowly adjusted to the beaming rays of the sun as I stretched my arms.

I sensed the warmth of the air. I looked around. I watched the trees dance with the wind, and the leaves swayed on the ground. It was a scenery I wanted to witness every morning.

For the first time, I woke up with peace. Watching the sun rise gave me hope. It was so steady that I would exchange everything to have this kind of feeling.

I hummed to the tune of Coldplay's Miracle playing on speakers as I continued my dramatic moment.

It was only when I smelled over-roasted coffee that I stopped imagining.

"Good morning, " Loud greeted me with a smile like he didn't reveal something huge yesterday. "How's the view?"

He gently brushed his wet hair with a towel while drops of water still dripped from the side of his neck.

"It was nice," I answered, though I wanted to say it was perfect.

"How's your back? It is numb?" He checked. "Sorry. I didn't wake you up because I was afraid you won't sleep again if I did."

"It's okay."

I was glad that he didn't wake me up because I finally got to sleep. I didn't even know I needed sleep until I got one.

"You should study inside the trailer instead of the porch. I built a study table on the passenger seat. " He pointed inside the trailer. "I'll show you the tricks and secrets inside Lala."

"Lala?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I was eating a Lala chocolate when Dad gave me this trailer van. You know that local chocolate?"

I shook my head.

"Tsk. As expected, you're rich. I'll buy some for you next time." He clicked his tongue.

"I'm not rich."

"Your family is," he said, with bitterness in his voice. "Anyways, you can stay in my trailer van as much as you like. It's the 2014 Unity Murphy Bed Dad gave me before he died."

"Are you trying to make me feel guilty?" I scowled. "You don't have any proof that your parents died because of my parents. The court already imprisoned the suspect for that crime."

"The court proved an innocent being guilty, and I have proof," he seriously answered.

"Where is your proof then?"

"I'll give it to you when you agree to help me take revenge on your family. Did you already think about it?"

"You don't really like me, right? It wasn't real," I asked, disappointed. Why am I even disappointed?

It wasn't because I liked him. He just made me realize that we don't really know people. We only have ourselves to trust.

"I like you, Gabby. It's real," he smiled like he used to. I doubt it. I mean, I was no longer sure what's the truth and the lie in his words. He made me wonder everything about him when he refused to tell me who he was the first time we met.

"But I love my parents, Gab and I will still fight," he said, determined.

"Fight if you know you'll win."

He moved his head sideways. "I will fight even though I know I will not win because at least I've tried fighting for the things I truly wanted. Gabby, that is what you're doing, so don't tell me what to do."

"I know my parents."

I felt the anger and sadness in his voice when he said, "You don't know mine."

"I'm not a lawyer yet," I replied, frustrated.

I wanted to help him investigate and find proof for his parent's case, but what could I do? Should I visit my parents and ask if they kill someone? Should I ask them if they altered evidence and bribed someone?

I don't have access to our hospital files. And, I was afraid to know the truth because I might not take it.

What if my parents really did kill his parents?

What if the one guilty of his parents' death wasn't the one imprisoned, but my family?

"Even if we find proof about it, isn't it too late? How many years had passed? You can't just reopen a case like opening a can of beer."

"If you're in my place, are you just going to stand knowing that someone took the only thing you have?" He bombarded. "If you're me, are you going to stay silent knowing that they imprisoned an innocent being?"

"I...."

"I'm not asking you to fight with me. I'm just asking you to help me make something right," he said, determined.

I sighed. It's even harder than I thought.

"What help do you need?"

"Find the real doctor who operated on my parents," he urged.

"And?"

"And..." He stood up. "Make sure to become a lawyer in the future to save your family because I am sure as hell I'll make them pay."

--

"Coffee?" Var offered me. "You're spacing out. You okay?" He asked, concern.

"I'm fine," I replied.

It was a lie. I wasn't totally fine. I was crumbling into pieces...slowly, bits by bits, and I don't know...

"Hey, you can find someone for me, right?" I turned to Var.

He stopped sipping his coffee. He creased his brows. "If it's a guy that will become your love interest just like the last one, I'll pass," he laughed.

"It's not," I said, seriously.

He didn't look convinced, yet I know I caught his interest when I said, "That person could be a witness or a suspect of a crime."

"What do you mean?"

"Can you help me?"

"Get me the details."

"Are you still going to help me even though I don't have money to pay?"

He smirked. "Have a date with me."

I rolled my eyes. "Do you like me?"

He proudly nodded.

"Like, really like me? No motive and all?" I asked suspiciously.

"What makes you think I have a motive?"

"I lost trust in the people around me," I sighed. "Let's practice later. I'll attend my class."

"Take the coffee," he insisted.

I took the coffee and got out of the club room, but I didn't attend my class.

I went to our hospital. I stood in front of it, waiting for a miracle.

"Gosh, Gab! What are you even doing here? You know you can't go inside." I talked to myself.

I brushed my hair in frustration and stayed there for an hour trying to make up my mind until I saw my mother.

I immediately turned my back. I almost shouted when I bumped into a stranger....no, not a stranger. It's that coffee fragrance.

"Hey, you did not go to school?"

I cleared my throat. "None of your business. How about you? Starting your revenge?"

"I do my internship here," he replied. That's when I noticed him wearing his scrubs.

"Wow!" I sarcastically replied. "Be friends with your enemy."

"Are you going to warn your family about me? That's why you're here?"

I stared at him blankly. I thought of that. I wanted to because they were my family. But...why? Why am I hesitating?

"What are you going to do if I tell them?"

He shrugged. "You won't, Gabby."

"How sure are you?"

"I'm not," he smiled before walking away.

Damn! I hate him!

"Gabriella?" I lifted my head when I heard a familiar voice. "Right! You're Gabriella!" she said happily.

"Nurse Louisa?" I creased my brows. "Omg!" I stood up to hug her. It's been years since I last saw her. "I'm sorry. I didn't recognize you."

"Well, I aged. You know, your mother is giving me so much stress," she whispered and laughed a little. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." I managed to smile. "Barely..."

"Do you need any help? Just tell me. Do you still have money?"

"No, I'm okay," I assured her. "I will be okay."

"You miss your family, huh? That's why you're here?" She held my hand and caressed it liked she used to when I was still a kid.

I remembered playing hide and seek with her in the hospital. She was the one who always looked after me whenever my parents were inside the operating room. She took care of me when I was sick and wounded.

"I don't know," I replied. "Maybe..." I sighed. "But, I don't miss me, me when I was with them."

"Are you happy?"

"It's hard. I won't lie," I tried to stop my tears but ended up sobbing on her shoulder. "It's..."

I wanted to cry for help. I really do.

"Sssh, Gabriella! You can do it, okay? You already started," she whispered.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to cry," I wiped my tears. "I'm just passing by."

"I know you, my little Gabriella. Want do you need? Let me help you."

"Uhm, actually..." I hesitated. I know her, but could I trust her? She's been working for my family for decades, and if Loud was telling the truth, she might also be one of the people who hid the truth.

"No, nothing."

"Are you sure?"

I hugged her. "Yeah. Thank you. I'll see you around, Nurse Louisa." I gently kissed her cheeks. "Please, don't tell anyone I came." I bowed down and quickly walked out of the hospital ground.

I wandered my way. I felt lost. I stood in the crowd and tried to find any direction, but all I did was count every second that passed. I was waiting for a bus, yet I ignored every bus that had stopped in front of me. Deep down, I know I wasn't waiting for a bus.

I was waiting for him...for that everglow.

And, I hate him because every time I felt sad, he would always appear in front of me like he had some kind of telepathy...like he knew that I was sad.

Just like now...

"Do you want to do something that would make you feel better?" He smiled.

He was glowing again. It felt real, the smile and all, that it made me wonder, what's the lie?

"I don't know what would make me feel better," I replied blankly.

"I know." He pulled my wrist, opened the door of his car, and drove.

I was spacing the whole travel, and I only got my senses back when we stopped in a mall.

"I brought your guitar," he told me. I didn't even notice that in the backseat a while ago.

Damn! I hate this feeling! I wanted to be gone just for a day, but where would I go?

Should I go on a trip?

Should I go missing to know the real people who care for me?

"Want to play the guitar?" he asked me.

I stared at the yellow guitar case he gave me. I liked it. Now, I don't know. All I could think about is how to trust this guy in front of me again. Or maybe, how to know if he was telling the truth?

"What are we doing here?" I said, bored.

He ignored me and went straight to the center. He opened the guitar case, picked up my guitar, pulled the strap of it around his shoulder, and placed the case beside him.

"What are you trying to do?" I creased my brows. "Don't tell me you're going to sing here?"

He nodded with a smile, then started strumming the guitar.

***Oh no, I see

A spider web it's tangled up with me

And I lost my head***

I watched him sing with serenity written on his face. He looked calm and peaceful. He was glowing when I first met him. It was like he owned everything in the world. He was happy.

***And thought of all the stupid things I said

Oh no what's this

A spider web and I'm caught in the middle

So I turned to run

The thought of all the stupid things I've done***

He was....and now...he might look happy and serene, yet a part of me could feel the sadness of his heart. I hated it. I could now see the real him, the Loud behind those smiles.

***And I never meant to cause you trouble

And and I never meant to do you wrong

And ah well if I ever caused you trouble

Oh no I never meant to do you harm***

And slowly, my heart ripped apart.

How could he still manage to act like everything was okay when clearly it wasn't okay?

It's not okay to stand in front of me and smile at me. It's not okay to ask me for help to take revenge against my family because I might betray him. It's not okay to give me home. It's not okay to give me a glow every time I need it because he also needs it.

***Oh no I see

A spider web and it's me in the middle

So I twist and turn

Here am I in my little bubble ***

It's not okay.

I slowly walked towards him. People started to gather around us as he continued to sing. Some even left coins and paper bills on the case. If this is a normal day, I would be happy to sing because I could earn money with just that.

But this isn't a normal day where money makes the world go round. It's a-not-okay-day, and I want to make it okay. No, I want to make it better.

"A hairbrush, a new set of books," I told him. "Those are the things that make me happy."

His mouth hung a little, and his fingers froze.

"And I don't just want to become a lawyer. I want to become a prosecutor." I smiled as I offered my hand to him. "So, let's make a deal."

"What deal?"

"I will become a prosecutor, and you will become a cardiothoracic surgeon."

"That's not a deal. It's the future we both wanted." He clicked his tongue.

"Okay, how about this?" I offered my hand to him again. "Let's make my family pay their debt, Lauyton."