Chapter 36: Chapter 36

His eyes stared at me so intensely that he’s probably leaving a hole on my face. I gulped nervously at the sight of that look. This was not going to end well.

“Okay, what do you want to know about?”

“Those guys, three nights ago, they seemed to know you and you seemed to have recognized them.”

A look from him and I knew he suspected something that I’m not ready to tell him yet. I didn’t want to share it with him because I knew he would make me stop fighting and stop accepting the money. I kept his gaze even though all I wanted to do was cower away from his stare and avoided his eyes. It was as if he could see right through me and in that flitting second, I felt truly vulnerable.

I forced my eyes to remain neutral. Not expressionless enough for him to suspect something and not hard enough to tip him off that I was hiding something from him.

The last thing I wanted him to do was stop accepting that money and letting Carla’s soul float away from her body and the life extinguished from her eyes.

The thought was burnt before I can dwell on it and panic. I focused on Adam instead, trying to form a decent sentence to answer his unvoiced question.

“I do know two of them. The short, bald, slimy ass old pervert was the guy that cornered me and Penelope that night after the party while that guy who greeted us inside McD’s was an opponent I fought with once.” I explained to him, my voice low but I made sure that my tone didn’t waver.

It wasn’t exactly lying to him since I did fight him. I wasn’t twisting the whole story; I just cut out some parts of it. I knew this would land my ass in a complicated position because he would eventually find out but I couldn’t afford Carla’s medications to be cut short.

Pio and Cali needed their mother to watch them grow up and teach them the rights and wrongs in this world. Someone needed to keep Preston in line until that day where he would meet a strong woman with a strong morale who can set him in his place.

Last but not least, the man before me. Adam may not admit it but anyone can see the love that shines through his eyes whenever they landed on his mother. I knew that even if he would probably stop accepting the money and realize that he was struggling with the medication bills, he would still fight for the sake of his mother.

He wouldn’t let her leave him and his siblings without fighting for it. He loved Carla and I knew that he would fight for her to his very last breath and that thought made me smile.

“What?”

I shook my head, the small smile still there and he looked at me like I grew another head.

“Anyways, aren’t we supposed to visit your mother or something along those lines?”

He looked at me in deep thought before finally answering. “That depends.”

I felt myself frowning at that, “On what?” I asked incredulously. There shouldn’t be anything more important than visiting your sick mother that is lying on a hospital bed.

“Are you feeling fine?”

My eyes widened and my jaw went slack as I turned to him. This guy must be fucked up in the head or something. He had got to be shitting me.

But you love him.

I was in love with him, an infatuation if you might but I have yet to confirm ‘love’. I mean yes, I cared for the dude, a lot; and it wasn’t why I didn’t want to voice it aloud but it was because I was conflicted.

I had never been in love and obviously, I didn’t know a single thing about crushes and love and relationships. It was a mystery to me.

Denial, denial, denial-

Ugh, so much for the heartfelt talk.

Jumping off the couch and onto my feet, I bounced up and down, trying to prove to him that I was feeling more alive than I ever have.

“I have no idea what you put in that porridge, or maybe it was the cak- whatever it’s called, but I have never felt healthier. Now, let’s go.” I rushed out, pulling him up and practically dragging his ass towards his bike.

He laughed the whole way and picked up his phone, wallet and keys on our way out.

“One, it’s ‘cakwe’. Second, are you sure?” The concern was back and it overlaid the teasing tone he sported.

Nodding, I started dragging him out the door, determined to get him to Carla. “I’m positive.”

***

Adam didn’t even get to cut off the engine before I jumped off the bike and ran into the building, eager to meet Carla again and see how she was doing. The woman was practically a second mother. The last time we met, she forced Preston to offer me some brownies they got from their family’s bakery.

Although I was wary that he poisoned it, I loved the scowl he sported when he had to offer me something and I loved Carla for it even more. She was an amazing woman and I hoped that she was starting to get better.

I got to the administration desk and stood there while the woman behind the counter talked into the phone squeezed between her ear and her shoulder while she typed something in. She was blonde with grey stormy eyes but when she looked up to greet me, there was nothing but kindness in them.

She looked to be in her early thirties and when she offered me a smile, laugh lines were carved in the edges of her eyes and mouth. I smiled back at her in an attempt to be nice.

“Good morning, how may I help you?”

My eyes dropped to her name tag that has ‘Mira’ engraved on it. “Hello, Mira. I’m a friend of Carla Jones, do you mind directing me to where she is?”

Mira offered me a soft smile and I knew she was going to turn me down. “Sorry sweetie, but no visitors allowed except for family. Maybe you can-” she was cut off by a deep voice and a hand landed on my shoulder, squeezing it a bit.

I leaned back discreetly, loving the familiar warmth of the embrace and my stomach tingled oddly.

“It’s alright, she’s with me. I’m Adam Jones, Carla’s son.”

Mira’s kind smile grew at the sight of Adam. Well then. I guess Adam has a charisma that charms even woman in their thirties. Wasn’t she married?

Oh look, jealous Cassandra had made an appearance!

You’re going crazy, Case, I muttered to myself, appalled by my own mind.

“Oh, alright then. Just sign here.” Mira took out a thick, book and pointed to where Adam should sign, offering him a pen, “and your mother is in room 204. She moved into the room a night ago. It’s in the left wing, 2nd floor and down the hall, to the right.”

She offered both of us a smile Adam took my hand in his and guided me through the hospital. I looked back only to see that Mira was still staring. I offered her a small smile and wave, silently imagining her head being bitten off by a sea monster in my head when I realize she was staring at Adam’s ass.

Talk about pervert.

I turned around as a shudder ran down my spine. What the hell did I just witness?

Adam pulled me into the elevator when it opened with a ding. He turned to me and when he saw the face I made, he frowned. “What?”

I shrugged. Oh nothing, just that an elderly woman was staring at your ass and now, I have the desire to chuck my pocket knife that’s sitting snugly on the side of my shoe and under my jeans at her.

He decided to drop it and only then did I realize that he was still holding my hand. All murderous thoughts flew out the window as I tried to look indifferent so that I wouldn’t give anything off and get to keep on holding his hand.

Cassandra, you sneaky little bitch. My conscience cackled inside me and I bit my lip. I’m a teenage girl with raging hormones. Sue me.

The elevator doors finally slid open and we stepped out, continuing the hunt to Carla’s room.

As we neared room 204, gleeful squeals could be heard from outside the doors. Adam’s lips quirked in amusement while he rolled his eyes at his siblings.

“You can never get peace and quiet when those two are around.” But even as he said that, no one could deny the spark in his eyes when he talked about his little brother and sister.

With one push on the door, the noise escalated tenfold. I laughed softly at the sight of Preston on the floor with his little sister on his back, yanking his hair while his brother tried to poke his eye.

Carla and Jerry was sitting on the bed, watching their younger kids torment their eldest son. The love and pride that shone through their eyes were very much visible and it made me think towards the day that I have kids of my own.

Carla looked pale under the plain white sheets that covered her up to her abdomen. Her eyes were slightly sunken and her cheeks looked hollow, causing her cheekbones to look more prominent than the last time I saw her.

Jerry was right by her side, sitting on the edge of the bed with one foot crossed under the other. Their hands were entwined and it reminded of my own hand that was still joined with Adam’s.

Carla’s eyes immediately flew towards us when she heard the door open. She immediately cleared her throat, causing the kids to halt their fooling around and look at their mother only to switch their gazes towards Adam and I.

Ah shit.

I turned beet red in a nanosecond when Preston’s stare zoned in to our hands and Cali approached us. I didn’t remember ever talking to her so when she sauntered over, I knelt in front of her and waved.

When she was a foot away from me, she waved back shyly and I smiled at her, beckoning her to come closer.

Cali was beautiful and even though she seemed to be about 7, I have no doubt that she would catch guys’ attentions like honey does to bees.

She had Carla’s brown hair and green eyes like Adam’s. Her skin was fair. Her brown hair stopped on her mid-back and some strands were braided. She had slight freckles under her eyes that made her look all the more adorable.

“I don’t bite,” I chuckled and she blushed, walking over. Meanwhile, Pio who was already fond of me, barreled over with his arms stretched out, calling out to me to catch him a second before he launched his small body into my arms.

Fortunately, nobody got hurt. Unfortunately, I ended up sprawled on the floor with Pio sitting cross-legged on my stomach, peering over with a concern face.

“Are you okay, Casey?” He asked in a small voice and I swallowed the urge to groan when I saw his worried face, trying to not dampen the boy’s mood.

“I’m fine, little guy.” I wheezed out, setting my elbow on the floor and sat up. I let Pio slide onto my lap and hauled him up into my arms so that I can face Cali who stood there awkwardly.

“You must be Cali,” I put on my warmest smile that always did the trick for kids. She nodded shyly.

“She’s my sister,” Pio piped up, not wanting to be left out and I let out a small laugh at his response, nodding. I stretched a hand out and she looked back at her mom who nodded with an amused smile. She looked back at me uncertainly but shook my hand.

“I’m Cassandra, but you can call me Case,” I introduced and she inspected my face with large doe-like eyes.

“Are you Adam’s girlfriend?”

I heard Adam choke on air behind me and I almost followed suit but caught myself and coughed awkwardly instead. A laugh from Carla made me sent a joking glare at her. She raised her hands in surrender, gesturing to her daughter as if to say that she had nothing to do with it.

“Err- no, sweetheart. I’m his friend.” I tried to coax her into believing my words but it was all in vain by the way she was sending scrutinizing gaze towards me and Adam.

“But you’re a girl doesn’t that make you his girlfriend?”

I was conflicted as to how I was going to answer that question. She’s got a point and how old was she again? 7? She couldn’t possibly have known anything about those stuffs, right?

Lucky for me, Adam interrupted and dealt with his sister, saving my butt and explained our — Well, whatever it is that we’ve got going on between us.

Carla caught my stare and she motioned for me to come to her. I carried Pio, settling him on my hip, and strolled over to where she was sitting.

“Hi Carla, how are you feeling?” I asked her softly, sitting down on the stool beside her bed and setting Pio on my lap while he played with a strand of my hair, busying himself.

She chuckled, gesturing to her body with her hand, “I’m breathing.”

I laughed weakly with her and she caught on, reaching out and caressed my face in a motherly way.

“Don’t worry about me dear, if it’s my time then I’ll go. We can’t escape death and I’m not scared of death. When the time comes, I’ll welcome it as it an old friend.”

Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes and her gaze flickered towards Pio who was sitting on my lap then at Preston who was on his phone, playing something that suspiciously looks like cooking mama and to Cali and Adam.

“All I’m afraid of is my kids’ future and how they’ll cope after I pass,” she sighed, turning to me. “I’m sure that Jerry is going to take good care of them.”

I watched as her husband gave her a small smile and a reassuring squeeze of the hand before she breathed in the air and closing her eyes. Opening them once more and looked into my eyes, “but I’m just worried for them.”

I pursed my lips, not liking how this conversation was turning out. She was talking like she was about to die and the way she’s looking at her kids and her husband, the way she breathes the air, it was like it was going to be her last time doing all those things. It was as if any second now, she’ll close her eyes and take that final breath.

Suddenly, she angled her body towards me and dropped her voice and I know what she was going to ask before she said it.

“You remembered what you promised me, don’t you?” Her forehead creased and the worry lines made themselves visible under the lit light bulb.

I nodded solemnly and she sighed, “Thank you.”

Just like that, it was as if nothing happened and half an hour later, Adam and I had to go back home because we had some assignments and projects to finish for tomorrow. After saying goodbye to the rest of them, we exited the room quietly.

The door closed shut with a silent click and Adam turned to me only to frown once he caught a glimpse on my face.

“Are you okay?” I nodded and plastered a forced smile. Adam’s frown deepened but he decided to drop it. I gave out an inaudible sigh following him to the elevator. I dug into my pocket and felt for the soft surface of the object, reassuring myself that I still have it.

I didn’t know what this had got to do with anything but I sure as hell didn’t want to find out.