Chasing Isla ✔

Chapter 45

Thomas and I jump out of Hanks car slowly. 

"Hey" Laura greets as wrapping her arms around me, as we stand in the parking lot. "It's so sad" she pulls away as a shiny black BMW park beside us.

The three of us glare at the family that hopped out of the car. I only recognized the youngest girl and the man in his twenties.

He was tall, dark, and hot. She was average height, pale if anything, and well my brother thinks she's hot.

"Hey, babe" Thomas gives her a quick peck on her lips.

"It is good seeing you again Emma" Salix smiles as me.

Salix was a smouldering guy with caramel skin, chocolate brown eyes, and a buzz cut. The guy wore a simple black suit.

"Hi Mr and Mrs O'Donnell" Thomas stands up straight as Willows parents stand beside her.

They were both Caucasian. Her dad was like 6'3, with shaggy blond hair and fair skin. Her mum was probably around 5'6 with mid-length light brown/reddish hair.

"Its good to see you again Jacob" Her mum gives him a small nod.

"Is this outfit okay?" The other woman asks.

Willows sister Avery is 5'6 and half Chinese (which I know from Thomas). She had beautiful brown eyes and fair skin. She wore a black pencil skirt, with a black button up shirt, she was in her mid-twenties.

"Its fine Avery," her mum tells her.

This is the first time seeing Willows whole family in person. 

"Look who decided to make an appearance" Thomas points across the parking lot to Ely who stood beside Kyle.

"Looks like they made up" I point out.

Uh yes Ely. I haven't spoken to him since I was drunk at that party.

"The service is about to start" Salix informs us.

"We better get inside than" Avery agrees as we begin making our way to the doors.

I search the crowd with my eyes. I don't see Tommy anywhere.

"Can anyone see Tommy?" I question.

"There's his mother," Willows mum tell us "excuse me" with that she leaves our sight.

"Poor Mrs Orton" Avery sighs.

How does Willow and Tommy's parents know each other? Is it because their kids are friends?

"How does your mum know Mrs Orton?" I ask curiously.

"They go way back," Avery tells me as we stand beside the entry.

"There's Mr Orton" Salix gestures to a man in a suit who stood in the distance.

"This is depressing" Laura sighs.

"Its a funeral what did you expect?" Willow snaps.

I hate funerals. I never got to go Liam's because we were almost immediately placed into the program.

"I'm going to go give my condolences" Salix informs.

"I'll join you" Avery nods.

"Yeah, we better too" Willow glares at Thomas who nods.

The four of them leave our sight just as Kyle approaches Laura and me.

"Well?" Laura adjusts her posture.

Kyle shakes his head "He's not coming" he sighs.

"What do you mean?" I furrow my brows.

How can he not go to his brothers funeral? It almost killed me not being able to attend Liam's.

"I tried calling him for over an hour then eventually, he sent me this" Kyle flashes us his cell phones screen.

Stayed up rewatching freaks and geeks. Super tired.

"No" Laura shakes her head violently in anger. "Willow!" She cries as storming away.

Why is she going to Willow? I could go to his house and talk to him. Maybe I could convince him to come here?

"What if I talk to him?" I suggest.

"And say what?" Kyle raises a brow "You know what he's going through?"

I look down in sadness.

"Stop crying!" Hank orders as I sat in the passenger seat of the car.

It was the first day of school after Liam had died two weeks prior. I was now Cara Johnson.

"Dad" Thomas begged from the back seat.

"I said stop crying!" He screamed at me as tears rolled down my cheeks. I glared out of the windowsill, as he screamed at me from the drivers seat. "Right now! I want you to stop right this fucking second!"

That was the last time that I sat in the passenger seat of a car that Hank was driving. Excluding the time Thomas went missing on the weekend of the dance marathon.

He wasn't being cruel. He was being cautious. Hank had convinced himself that the only way not to end up like Liam was to be as careful as possible.

That meant not having any connection to our old lives. That includes forgetting about those we left behind, and never revisiting memories.

"Maybe I can help" I say in a hushed tone.

"How?" He folds his arms just as I look up at him.

"Alright, I'm on it" we hear Willow cry as storming through the church.

So that means she's going to find Tommy and force him to come here. She may scream at him or something. 

"Will-" I begin to protest.

"He'll be here" she declares as exiting the church.

I sigh. "Do you think she can get him here?" I question.

"I hope so" Laura sighs.

***

"Well?" Thomas whispers as Willow takes a seat beside him.

"Take a look," she tells him.

Thomas and I simultaneously look behind us, where we see Tommy walking down the aisle, in a suit.

His eyes are red, and his nose pink. His black tie was loose, and his jacket was wrinkled. He looked like shit. I recognize the look on his face too well.

Suddenly I'm standing at the front of a crowd three years earlier - glaring at the hole in the ground.

My boyfriend stood on my right, and my little brother on my left. If I were to cry then I would freak the kid out. I had to be strong for him. Afterall, I'm all he had left.

"Hey" Liam squeezed my hand "no worries"

I gave him a small nod before glaring at Brandon. Only ten-years-old and now a orphan.

"Thomas, would you like to say a few words?" The Minister questions from the altar.

Tommy shakes his head slowly before taking a seat beside Willow, as his mum takes the Mic.

I don't listen to what she says. Instead, I glare at Tommy who sat in mourning. He reminds me so much of Brandon. Shaken up and helpless, and there's absolutely nothing that anyone can do.