A Million Miles || Christopher Velez

Chapter 48: Tears [/]

She stared at him in silence, her mouth moving but no words coming from it. Anaeya closed her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks as she sobbed.

Christopher pulled her in, hugging her tightly as he stroked her head. He backed away slightly to wipe the tears with his palms and kissed her forehead before hugging her again.

"I'm not going anywhere," he murmured, rubbing her back to calm her. "We're going to have to work this out together, okay? We can make it all right again."

"Don't you get it? It can't be all right again." She shook her head, murmuring, "I'm sorry, Christopher. It is all my fault."

"It is alright, you were angry," he replied but she pushed him away. "I understand why you would avoid me. It is all my fault."

"No," Anaeya said, bursting into tears again. She backed away from him and fell onto the floor in a kneeling position before he could catch her.

"Ana? Ana?" he panicked, shaking her by the shoulder. But she didn't react, her hands shaking as she stared at them with a blank expression. "Ana, speak to me!"

"I'm sorry, Christopher," she said, leaning against his shoulder. She caught his hand and pressed it on her stomach. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save anyone. I'm a killer, Christo. I couldn't save what was ours."

He froze. For an instant, everything around them just froze. It was until he heard the door of the apartment open did he snap out of it.

"Ana, what did you say?" he asked, stunned.
But she had already went limp against his shoulder.

Rayna shouted, running towards them. She placed her palm on her sister's forehead and pulled away in an instant. She concluded that Anaeya had fainted because she was burning up and ordered him to carry her into the bedroom.

After that, Rayna shooed him out into the living room. He spent the next few hours pacing the carpeted floors and taking note of the changes in the apartment.

There were more pictures hanging on the freshly painted walls with Erick and Joel in several of them. Jealousy and regret gnawed at him when he realised he wasn't in any picture.

He whirled around and was taken back by surprise.

There was a simple altar at the corner of the room. A crucifix was at the center and a picture of the girls' parents next to it.

He saw that the candle in the canister had died out and came closer, picking up the matches next to it. It lit up, the flame casting a soft glow on the pictures.

"She told you, hadn't she?" It was Rayna. He hummed in response, staying where he was, his eyes on their parents. Then, he looked down at his hand. "Her fever went down."

He let out a breath of relief, turning around to find her leaning heavily against the kitchen counter. Rayna poured a glass of water and downed the contents.

"Why don't you stay here for a bit?" she suggested, breathing heavily. "I admire your guts when Erick said that you ran away from the hospital. You barely recovered and I don't need you to go into a shock as well."

"I don't want to go back to the hospital," he stated, keeping himself firm. Rayna sighed and nodded, gesturing him to take a seat next to her.

He complied, approaching with caution but clearly in a relief from all the waiting. He admitted that it would have been the most dreadful three hours in his entire life if Rayna hadn't come out looking beyond exhausted.

The girl took out something from her pocket and put it into his hands. It glimmered as it caught light. It was Anaeya's rosary.

"The one thing that you should know is that she didn't know she was carrying a child at first. None of us knew until it was too late."

He just nodded, taking in the information that was being relayed.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you," Rayna murmured. "I know it wasn't your fault. Joel told me that someone used a date rape drug on you. He even showed me the reports to convince me. I'm really sorry for what happened."

"It isn't your fault."

"When I heard from Erick that you guys were going to be in town, I almost hoped that you and Ana can be together again. It is just that when I saw you, I felt triggered."

He softened.

The boy had never seen her this softspoken and regretful before. Usually, he would have threats hurled in his face by then. But, here, she was acting completely different and he could see a hint of the family's signature kindness in her expression under all the blazing temper.

Accompanied with a tinge of sadness.

"I wouldn't blame you if you actually did hit me with the shoe," Christopher said, shrugging. "I think I deserved it because I would be angry too if someone hurt my family. You're a good person, Rayna."

She hummed, accepting his compliment. He didn't know why but her smile was a sad one and he sensed that it had something to do with Erick.

Then, her expression turned to one of her serious ones. "Whatever you do just don't blame her," Rayna warned. "Many things happened when you were gone. And that doesn't mean that you should blame yourself too. You were gone because you too have an obligation and a family to care for."

"I will remember that," he assured, smiling. She smiled back. "Does anyone else know about this?"

"Only Joel and myself. Dayana knows just bits and parts," Rayna replied, pursing her lips. "I would have told Erick but I know you would come running to our door."

He frowned but she was right. He would overreact like how he did when Anaeya rejected him outside that very apartment.

"Look, it is not my place to say anything to you," Rayna muttered. He nodded, urging her to continue. "But you should know that she really was heartbroken and she actually said that she has moved on. She said she was over you, Christopher."

At that, Christopher's eyes went downcast. Anaeya wasn't lying then when she said she didn't love him anymore.

The girl crossed her arms and added, "But I know my sister and I am a hopeless romantic. I am not convinced."

He blinked, straightening in his chair. The boy turned around with bright eyes and a million questions for Rayna at the tip of his tongue.

But Rayna had retired to her room.

She was gone.

Wooo.. after what Rayna just said, do you think Christopher has a chance? What do you think actually happened while he was gone?

The next chapter will be up tomorrow! Make sure to drop your questions for the Discussion Panel in the previous Author's Note.

I need help! I have no idea what rank is my book on the tag #christophervelez 😭 It had disappeared for over a week.. what should I do?