The Cole Album || #wattys2019

34.

Adam:

"I don't blame you... Nor hold you guilty," Christina said after she heard me rambling.

"Thanks," I said wiping a tear.

"You fell hard in love with this girl you told me about. There's no problem with loving," she said.

I looked at her. She smiled.

"Come on... Get up and wash yourself... I'll send Mila up. Ok?" she asked me.

"Thanks..." I said. She smiled and blew a kiss towards me and then left.

I closed the door after her and thought.

When Anna left, there was a searing hole in my chest. Carved viciously with molten words.

Why does she deserve to be happy? I am gonna go up to her face tomorrow. Clear this shit out.

Sighing, I got up and closed myself in the bathroom. I turned the knob to the maximum and cold water cascaded on my head. The moment it touched my bare skin, a shiver ran down. The people here need heaters 24×7.

I wore a bathrobe and walked out.

The room felt empty without Christina. It's weird how everywhere I go, I find a sister who is so naïve yet so intelligent.

Clara was supposedly sleeping so I wasted no time before climbing yo in bed. The moment I shut my eyes, Mikalya walked in.

She removed her heels and walked barefooted not to wake me up. She tiptoed to my side. I closed my eyes. I was gonna play along. She bent down and pulled the duvet up to my chest and tucked it beneath my hand. She kissed my head before she got up. I pulled her hand towards me.

"I knew you were acting," she said.

"No.. You didnt," I said.

"This is the trick Christina did when she was 4,"she smiled.

"She didn't do this," I said pulling her over me and kissed her lips. She giggled as I put her down next to me on the bed.

"This bathrobe is scrawny," she said snuggling.

"It's better than me naked," I chuckled. She looked up at me wide-eyed. Silently biting her lip, she took herself away from me. Then, she screamed.

"God you are childish!" I said as she tossed me a pair of shorts.

"What are you looking at? Do you want to see me naked?" I teased her. She picked up a pillow and threw it at me.

"Mila..." I said as she ran into the bathroom, flushed. She bathed as I changed. Then, I sat down.

"Adam... Can you help me?" she asked timidly.

"Tell me," I said leaning towards the door.

"I forgot to bring my clothes or the towel in hurry... The bathrobe is outside... Could you hand me?" she asked.

"Umm.... No," I said.

"Adam please?" she asked.

"I am coming in," I said twisting the knob partially.

"Please Adam," she said.

"Alright," I said as I handed her a shirt and a pair of shorts.

"Adam..." she said.

"Hmm," I said.

"My bra," she said.

"Nope," I said sitting down. She pleaded for a while before she came out. Her back faced me.

She bent down to take her bra from her bag and then went away.

Girls!

Clara:

I got back into the room after bidding Ethan goodbye. I sat down on the floor as tears dripped onto my dress. I got up and wiped my tears. I had built myself up and I wasn't gonna break down again.

There was a pang of something. I trusted him even after he broke my heart.

Wasn't I Dad's brave girl? Why was I crumbling?

The door opened as Nick walked in.

"Nick... You," I said getting up and wiping the tears.

"Anna is calling me?" I asked.

"No... I fail to understand you. Even when you are crying, you are thinking of Anna... She is asleep... I came down to see you... Are you alright?" he asked putting his hand on my shoulder. His touch was strong and protective.

I crumbled. He held me up, hugging. I hugged him.

"Why? Why me? What did I do?" I said sobbing as he ran his fingers through my hair.

"You didn't so anything wrong. And from what I see, he regrets it... Every second," he said drawing circles on my back as he spoke. My ear was on his chest.

"I can't blame him... He didn't do anything wrong. All the shit is happening due to my naivety... If I didn't fall for him..." I said crying.

"There are certain conditions, phases, that are hard to ignore... Think of what you learned from this..." he said.

I spoke nothing. This was just gonna be another page of my life. Nick was right.

I just hope for a better tomorrow.

Annalise:

"Is she alright?" I asked as soon as Nick walked back in.

"She fell asleep while hugging me... I tucked her in," he said.

"Thanks," I said.

"No problem... She is my sister as well," he said sitting down next to me.

"Anything else bothering that CPU of yours?" he asked.

"I was too rude to Emmet," I said.

"Anna..." he said but his phone rang. He sighed as I scrambled to hand it to him.

"I am sorry," he said. I kissed his cheek and then, laid down on the bed. Forcing my eyes shut, I slept. I acted.

There were thousands of swirling words and memories gnawing me and somewhere, a heart beated and a mind was still thinking of this.

Probably a few metres away.

Probably.