Cold ✔

:::::Chapter 19:::::

For a few seconds, I continue to look at my little sister who is standing between Alarick and Charles. When her eyes land on me, she screams joyfully, "Chris!" She runs towards me and hugs me tightly. Anne leaves my arm so that I can properly hug my little sister.

"Christina," I say as I engulf her tiny body in my arms, making sure that she's not a fragment of my imagination. When I pull away from the hug and look at her, a smile automatically appears on my face. Her mere presence is enough to make me happy. "What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I came to see you. I was missing you so much," she tells me.

"I was missing you too," I say as I hug her again. "Where is Mom?" I ask as I look behind her, expecting Mom to be standing in the living room but she's not.

I find Christina avoiding my gaze. "Actually," she hesitates a little, "I ran away from home to meet you. Mom doesn't even know that I'm here."

I'm shocked when I hear that she ran away from home just to meet me. "Christina," I say as I kneel in front of her. "Instead of running away from home, you could've come with Mom to meet me. Now, Mom must be getting worried about you," I try to make her understand.

"I told Mom that I want to meet you but she said no. So, I had no option other than running away from home to meet you," she tells me. After hearing Christina, I am left confused. Why would Mom say no to her regarding meeting me?

I make her sit on the sofa and tell her, "I'm going to be back within a minute." I proceed to my room. I take out my cell phone from my backpack and immediately dial Mom's number.

When she picks up, she sounds worried, "Christina has gone somewhere, Chriselda. I don't know what to do." She sounds as if she's going to cry any minute now.

"Mom, don't worry. Christina is here with me," I inform her.

"I should've known," she says. I can hear realization in her voice. "Chriselda, I'll be there within ten minutes."

"I'll be waiting for you," I say. I need to have a conversation with you, anyway. She ends the call and I go back to the living room where I find everyone, except Alarick, sitting in silence. "Where is Alarick?" I ask.

"He left the pack house when you went to your room," Charles answers.

I go and sit beside my sister. "Mom is on her way to here," I inform her.

"Chris, please don't let Mom scold me," she begs.

"I can't promise you that, Christina," I say.

"Please...," She drags the word while making her eyes big, making her look really cute and innocent. Her innocence always makes me give in to her wishes.

"Okay," I agree.

"Yeah!" She exclaims cheerfully. "I love you!" She hugs me.

"I love you too," I say while patting her back.

●●●●●

When Mom steps foot in the pack house, she immediately goes to Christina and hugs her. "I was so worried about you," Mom says to her, feeling relieved to see her safe and sound. When Mom pulls away from their embrace, she says, "Promise me that you will never run away from home ever again."

"I promise," Christina replies and they embrace again. The sight of them hugging each other just warms my heart.

Someone clears their throat and it's only when I look at the source of that sound that I realize that Mom didn't come here alone. A smile appears on my face when I look at the person who accompanied Mom to the pack house. "Matt!" I exclaim with joy as I run towards him to give him a hug. I engulf him in my arms and then pull away as I grab his shoulders. "It's so nice to see you! What are you doing here?" I ask him.