The Final Wait

Chapter 29

'Nikolai, is still here—right next door, but do you know who isn't? You. Octavia, you're not here.' Mr Mora cleared his throat. 'You need to be here, for Lucca. You can't live without your older sibling? Don't do the same to Lucca. I love you, my child. Stay safe, and we'll see you soon, okay?'

'Love you too, Papa.' She ended the call, and when she turned around, Ezekiel stood in the middle of the corridor. She pushed her shoulders back and slowly approached him. 'Did you know?'

'N—no, I didn't.' he shook his head and raised his arms when she continued to stare. 'Believe me, Octavia, if I did, I would've told you. Not like that but, I'd make you understand.'

'Understand? What's there to not understand? Lochlan drove into my brother and left him there to die.'

'But he didn't die, and I know Lochlan if he could, he would've helped. He was scared. Anyone would be scared in a situation like that. He would've gotten caught for underage drinking.'

'He got caught anyway.' She raised her index finger and jabbed it in his face. 'My dad told me about the camera footage the police showed him. That's how he got caught, yet he still got away with it. Nikolai is still in a coma while he's prancing around smoking cigs and burning in leather.'

'He didn't get away with it.' Ezekiel shook his head. 'Why do you think Lochlan always needs a ride? His license got suspended. He finished his community service work before summer started and he got expelled from AA.'

'I thought Augustine Academy is for art kids?' she tilted his head. 'What could he do?'

'Take a wild guess.' Ezekiel's mouth lifted as he looked down at her.

'Artist like you? I don't know, he plays the trombone?'

'He used to act.'

'Act?' her eyes widened. 'Wow, really?'

'Yeah, since the academy focuses on art, he had to go back a year when he got into Vega Front High.' Ezekiel frowned. 'He could've graduated with us.'

'I don't know what you want me to say.'

'Nothing, I just want you to understand that Lochlan faced the consequences.' Ezekiel waited for her to nod but she continued to stare. Her arms over her chest and eyes that had a spark from the moonlight. 'Octavia, I'm sorry, for what I said that night. I didn't mean all of that. I was frustrated because I want to understand. You just make it hard sometimes when you don't really open up to me.'

Her first instinct was to fire back at him but she couldn't get her mind off of him the entire time she was away. She wanted to cry in his arms and let his thin fingers stroke her hair. She wanted to watch him paint so she could see the smile on his face when he worked. Yet with everything going on in her family's life, she shouldn't have been thinking of him.

'I—I'm sorry too. I kind of got obsessed with trying to figure out everything.'

'Kind of?' he chuckled when she rolled her eyes. 'See? Knowing the truth didn't bring Nikolai back. It didn't wake him up.'

'Yes, but now that I know everything, I can wait for him to wake up in peace. I've played all my cards. Now I have to wait.' She stepped to the side, so they were arm's length away from each other. It made what she'd say next, easier. 'I've never done this sort of thing before. The only love I've shown were for my family, and I need to do that right now. I love you, Ezekiel King, but I need to learn how to separate that love from family love. If that makes sense?'

'Yeah, yeah, it does. I get it.' he reached up and ran a hand through his locks. Octavia watched his hand and wished she'd been the one to do that. When his hand dropped by his side, he smiled. 'I love you, too. I want you to be happy, and if it means, us taking a bit of time, then... so be it. I'll wait.'