Overdraft | SEQUEL

twenty three

selyse moretti

My eyes were dragging me down, begging me not to open them. When I opened them, it meant a new day had officially started and it meant the terrible events that happened yesterday were going to pour into today. My body was sore. My eyes hurt from all the crying I did when falling sleep. I really wouldn't call it sleep either. More like me staring at the wall, completely paralyzed.

I willed myself to open my eyes when my stomach was being squeezed. The sun was ruining my vision, but I felt the heavy weight around my waist be an arm. Jack's arm. Jack's normal routine consists of him waking up way before me. He wakes when the sun does but nothing has been normal lately.

My nausea was getting worse and I couldn't stay in Jack's arms any longer, no matter how badly I wanted to stay here.

Sliding out from the bed, I felt the cold breeze from the window brush against my naked body. I rushed to the bathroom and fell to my knees. I coughed up the vomit, surprising even myself. My morning sickness has been getting worse and it had to be the stress. Wedding stress and now trauma stress.

I went into the suitcase and brought out shorts and a t-shirt. Thankfully the least of my concern was my hair. It has been hidden in my bonnet for the past two days. Heading down the stairs, I got to the kitchen where only Chloe was. She was wearing attire identical to mine. Small shorts and a shirt. She had two mugs, swirling around a teaspoon in each of them.

"Rise and shine," Chloe's smile was a half smile. A smile that could comfort me and sympathize for me all at once. I want to give her the same smile. But I couldn't. Every time I stop thinking in the present, I think about all the bodies. So many bodies. So much blood. I applaud her for being able to put on a brave smile after what we've both been through. "The guys got some of the security to buy groceries for breakfast," she handed me a mug that had tea.

"What are we going to do about Hailey? Because I don't really have a plan, to be honest," Chloe breathed out. I sighed, my hands going onto the cold marble island. She looked down at the ground. I couldn't even begin to imagine how scared Hailey must be.

I remember what it was like when I thought my father had died. Your mind goes into its isolated state where you think the world is out to get you. You start to lose passion to live and you think it's easier to just shut down and give up. I wouldn't wish those emotions on my worst enemy. I didn't want that for Hailey. Not to mention she was flustered about whether she lost the baby or not. I wanted to say I could be there for her. But I refused to make a promise that I couldn't keep. It's like reliving my father's death for a second time along with the deaths of every one else who was there. I'm scared about the headspace I might fall into.

We remained quiet. Attempting to figure something out until the entrance of the house opened with two guards. I looked down at my tea.

They set shopping bags on the tables. I was worried about their choice in groceries. No man in Jack's world seems to know anything about cooking, let alone grocery shopping. I guess Jack is an exception. His cooking is my favourite.

"Finally. I refuse to have tea for breakfast," Chloe muttered under her breath.

I helped her remove the groceries from the bags when they left the kitchen. The kitchen had a variety of viable ingredients to make anything that we pleased. As much as I love Chloe, she made it very obvious that she had no idea what she's doing. But she was still eager to help and was a good partner in assisting me to make breakfast.

"Do you guys need an extra hand?"

We turned to Hailey who had finally made it out of bed when we were halfway through making breakfast. She didn't let her face reflect the loss she had encountered. She looked good and did her best to remain positive. She was strong. Stronger than I was in this moment.