WonderLust

Chapter 5: Past in the Park pt 2

"That place is terrifying. No wonder why Edith is so upset when she visits her grandmother." I rubbed my arms as a cold chill goes through my body. My arms rough with my hair being on end.

Arthur looks down in my direction. "Your telling me.. I felt someone watching me the whole time." His unerved expression changed as a thought crossed his mind. " I'm sorry now that I think of it, I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Arthur Hawkins, but you can just call me Arthur. What's your name?"

I already knew so much about him from Edith's account. He didnt seem so bad but I couldn't help but feel insecure being he had so much history with her.

"Kat. My names Kat." I keep it short I didn't want to give him much.

"How peculiar never heard such a name.. is it short for something?" Of course this could've been me but the way he said it sounded so judgmental, I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes.

"Katherine, if you have to know, but only my father calls me such."

There was a silence before one of us spoke again, a very awkward silence.

We sat at a bench in the park just across from the hospital. Both of us taking each opposite end trying to be as far away from another. Me, as to not give him the idea were chaps and him, I'm guessing he's trying to stay out of my way.

  He looked nervously at me and then quickly back to the ground. I felt I was starting to get too obvious with my...annoyance about him.

  "Look, I'm sorry, you must be having a hard time with all this as well being....the circumstances."

  He sighed, looking to the ground. Edith and her grandmother were such an escape for me. Even during the whole..situation. She still treated me like her own. 

  "I know you were betrothed to Edith, Arthur." I regretted saying that right as it came out of my mouth. Yet I really wanted to know what really happened so I waited to see if he would tell me more.

  He sighed again. "So Edith told you. I guess I shouldnt be too surprised being your her friend now."

  "Best friend actually." I scoffed.

    He ignored my comment and continued with a far-eyed stare.        
  "So yes, her and I were betrothed. I hated the day our parents announced it. We were never the same after that."

   "What happened?" I hugged my legs up to my chest. My feet hanging off the bench. 

  Arthur started to figdet, he was definitely uncomfortable and distraught thinking about it.

   "Hey, its okay you don't have to tell me. I just wish I knew why this effects you two so much." I put my hand on his shoulder trying to reassure. 

   "It's because Edith is gay." He blurted and then quickly covered his mouth.

  "What?! No. S-she would've told me." I stood up, feeling the goisebumps on my skin as the wind got colder and the feel of hurt rushed over me.

   "Look Kat I'm sure she had some reason. Of why she didnt tell you. I mean I only knew because I was there when she found out." It quickly went from me reassuring him to the other way around.

  "No. I don't believe you. I don't even know you?! I'm going to ask her myself." I stormed through the asylum doors and straight to the secretary. I could feel Arthur right behind me but didnt acknowledge him in my rage.

  "Where is Edith Everlocke?" I tried to sound calm but I could hear the bitchyness in my voice.

  The secretary eyed my up and down, clearly noticing.  "Is she a patient?"

  "No she was visiting her grandmother. She got called in and told to-"

  She cut me off, assumingly not wanting me to waist my breath. "Visiting hours ended half an hour ago. I'm sorry but she wouldn't be here." 

  "But I didnt see her walk out. Where wouldve she gone?" I looked at her accusingly hoping she'd have a good answer.

  She just continued to do her paperwork. Not looking up at me. "There's multiple entrances and exits, she must've used one of them, now if your not a patient or a member of staff I have to ask you and your husband to leave."

   I looked back at Arthur in disgust. "He's not my husband hes-"

  She once again eyed me and gave the hint she didnt care.  I visibly scoffed as Arthur and I stormed out the main doors.

  "So what now? Where could've Edith possibly gone?" Arthur started to pace back and forth. At this point his stress was even more visible with his disheveled clothes and hair that was once nicely combed that was now going all directions.

  "Why are you freaking out I'm the one who's supposed to be upset right now." I crossed my arms as I continued to watch him pace.

  "GET OVER YOURSELF!"

  "Excuse me?" Everything seemed to go silent.

   "You're so selfish! This whole time Edith has been worried her grandmother might die, and your making a contest out of who's her best friend!"

  I could feel my heart drop to my stomach. My palms sweaty and clamy. "You're ridiculous! I care that Edith is hurting right now! I'm hurting too, I just found out I don't actually know my best friend at all and I've been lied to this whole time!" 

   "WELL SHE LEFT ME AT THE ISLE!" 

   The sound of his voice echoed around us.  Breaking the little bubble of jealousy I had around me. "I-i didnt know." 

  He didnt reply, instead he just looked at me with wide, exhausted eyes. Almost mortified he blurted it. 

  The silence held for what felt like multiple long moments I had to break it somehow.

  "I guess we both have issues with Edith now..."

  We both nervously laughed at each other. Unsure what to do with the situation we got ourselves into.
 
  "Even if we are and or were mad at her. We need to make sure she's okay. I'd never forgive myself if she got hurt and we never even tried to find her." Arthur said looking back to the asylum. "But where do we look? I doubt she went home."

   "How about we ask her grandmother?"

  "How are we supposed to do that? The secretary wasn't nessisarily friendly."

  "Who said we have to go through the secretary?" I smirk deviously.

  Arthur looked at me as if I were crazy. "What are you suggesting?"

  "You arent the only person everyone knows."

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Heh..so its been awhile sorry I was just g r a d u a t I n g. Anyway hope you like this chapter if so vote and comment❤ and pls let me know any suggestions and ideas you have!

Oh and p.s. get ready for a hell of a rollercoaster😺