Thank you if you are reading, it means a lot to me! This is kind of a filler chapter again but don't worry because Ethan and Rachel will soon meet (finally, right?!).
I hope you all enjoy :)
(not edited..)
TWENTY-SIX
"Sebastian!"
I winced at the loud voice, mumbling under my breath incoherently in anger at being woken up abruptly. Sebastian and Logan were having a shouting match once again and it was probably about nothing. I opened my left eye hesitantly, grimacing as the bright light reflecting off the hospital walls shined into my tired eyes. I squinted and looked around the room with my right eye still squeezed shut and my head resting on Ethan's bed but grew confused when I couldn't find the faces to match the voices to. I could hear Logan shouting, but where was he?
I stood up and released Ethan's warm hand from mine before stretching. I winced as I heard multiple joints click - I must have been sat down here for longer than I had thought. As my eyes traveled around the room I realised that the clock said it was now 14:50, school would normally finish in half an hour so I should probably start leaving now so that my father did not get suspicious. Luckily, the school understood that Ethan was in hospital and both his parents and Robyn had written letters to school to explain my absence – if they had not, the school would have contacted my father and I would have probably been forced to move schools or leave school completely...
With a departing kiss on Ethan's forehead, I ambled out of the room in search of Logan and Sebastian who I could no longer hear bickering. As soon as I exited the room I saw Mr and Mrs Miles sat on one of the new cushioned chairs that had replaced the uncomfortable plastic ones that were previously there when Ethan had first been admitted here. Mrs Miles, or Avia as she keeps on insisting I call her by, was curled up into Mr Miles' side (I should also start calling him David) with her head resting on his shoulder. They both looked up as the door shut behind me and smiled sadly at me – they could probably sense my emptiness without Ethan. I said a brief goodbye, telling them that I would be back in a few days – it was Friday today which meant that I couldn't use the 'I'm going to school' excuse to come to the hospital over the weekend. I walked down the hall and turned a corner to see Sebastian spinning around with what looked like a phone in his hands while Logan was throwing punches... I will assume that Seb stole Logan's phone again.
"Boys!" I yelled, making them both freeze and stop what they were doing before turning to face me, sheepish grins on their face.
"Rachel... You're awake." Seb said as I took a few steps forward and crossed my arms against my chest and nodded.
"That would be correct. What are you doing with Logan's phone?" I hoped that my voice sounded stern; in reality, I was trying my hardest not to laugh at the two acting like children.
"I-I, um..." Seb stuttered, laughing nervously.
"I was texting someone and he stole it." Logan mumbled, sounding like a young child whose sibling had just taken his favourite toy away from him.
"Sebastian, give the phone back please," I said as he nodded sadly and handed the phone back to Logan. I started laughing and uncrossed my arms, "You two are such children."
"Hey!" They both cried.
"I'll leave you two now, I need to get home but I'll see you in a few days. Don't forget to call me if there's any news."
They said their goodbyes in return and nodded before walking in the direction of Ethan's room – I don't think I could handle Ethan being here without those two idiots. I checked the large clock on the wall and realised it had been ten minutes since I last checked the time and rushed out of the hospital before waiting impatiently at the bus stop; I needed to be home really soon.
***
I tied the ribbon around the letters from Ethan as it was previously and placed them back into their hiding place as I realised that I had yet to find the letters that my father had hidden from me. I had to find them. I needed to read them before Ethan woke up – if I still didn't have them and he found out, he would keep asking questions which may lead to the truth. I can't ever let the truth come out; it would destroy everything good in my life.
Cautiously standing up, I put my ear to the door and listened out for any sign of my father. If he was home, I wouldn't be able to sneak into his room in fear of being caught... I didn't know how bad the beating would be if I was caught.
Once I heard no noise I hurried across the hallway to my father's bedroom and slowly opened the door, closing it softly behind me. Looking around the room, I had no idea where to start – last time I searched and saw no sign of the letters anywhere.
For the next ten minutes I lifted up the mattress and the pillows, opened cupboards and boxes, looked behind paintings and under other papers all around the room – but no hope. I sat down on the bed and sighed, holding my head in my hands to try and calm myself before the tears fell. "They're only letters" you may be thinking but no – not to me – those letters are the only thing left to link me and Ethan together until he wakes up... they're the only things holding me together.
Then I had another idea – I was so stupid. My father has a small office at the end of the hallway; one that he often stormed into when he had finished hurting me or when he had received bad news. I stood up quickly and rushed out of his room, ensuring that everything was left as I had found it, and walked towards the tall, intimidating door. I was nervous as I had never been allowed to enter his office, even when I was a little girl and my mother was still here, and I do not know what lies behind the door – what would I find?
I opened the door slowly, warily searching around the room for anyone or any cameras that my father could have had installed – this office always sounded important so I would have thought it would be harder to get into. The room looked very professional; I assume that this had to do with the business my father used to be a big part of.
In the middle of the room was a medium-sized circular table with 6 wooden, sophisticated chairs scattered around it – this must have been a meeting table when this room was actually in use. On the other side of the room was a wooden desk, which must have been made with the same dark oak as the meeting table. Files and papers were scattered over the desk and it seemed as if he had been busy in here recently; maybe Avia and David wanted him to become a partner in their business or something. I don't know how these things work... All we are taught in school is how to analyse poems that we will never look at ever again or how to simplify long algebraic expressions.
On the right-hand side of the room behind the meeting table was a tall, wooden bookshelf that was filled with title-less books that appeared to be important. However, they also looked as though they were unnoticed and became part of the rooms decoration compared to how they once would have been picked up and cherished. I gently ran my hand over the large bookshelf as I slowly paced the room.
On the wall to the left of the bookshelf and behind the circular table there was a detailed map pinned onto the wall, with red pen circled around multiple locations – some had crosses on and I don't think I wanted to find out the reason why. I don't know where the location of the map is. I had never seen these grounds before or even heard of the places and they all have such weird names for towns or parks; like, "Blue Moon Pack" and "Green-River Pack". I bet that they aren't exactly attracting tourists with their strange names. Why did they all have 'pack' in the name, anyway?
I stopped getting distracted and started searching in the drawers of his desk for the letters – they had to be here somewhere...
"Aha!" I whispered to myself as an envelope came into view. I turned over the crumpled envelope and smiled in relief when I saw the easily recognisable handwriting of the man I had learned to love – there's one... where would the others be? There had to be at least two more unless Ethan truly never did write to me during this period of time. I heard a car pull up on the driveway outside and quickly shut the draw and exited the room with the envelope in my hand – I'd be back to look for the others another time.
***
"Where have you been?" A sickly sweet voice came from behind me as I turned my back to shut the front door.
"I had to help a teacher after school." I replied in fear, recognising the voice as my fathers.
"Look at me when talking to me," he growled out, losing his patience. I followed his orders and turned to face him, my back now to the door.
"You have a visitor." He continues, his voice sounding cheery although I could hear the anger laced in his voice and see it blazing in his eyes.
"Oh who is it, father?" I asked timidly, scared of who would come to my house – it couldn't be someone that I know, right?
"He claims his name is Logan." He stated before storming off into his office upstairs – a room I was never given permission to enter but one that I had been in recently and hoped he hadn't realised. Although he walked away, I knew that I would be punished later when Logan was no longer here.
I placed my schoolbag down, under the table by the door and took off my shoes before stiffly walking towards the living room. Why would Logan come here? As I entered the living room I saw Logan sitting down on the couch, looking around the room awkwardly; as soon as I entered his vision he immediately stood up and walked over to me.
"Rachel!" He exclaimed, hugging me.
"Um- Hi?" I said, although it sounded like a question due to my confusion.
"Can't I be happy to see you?" He asked with his eyes wide in fake shock as he placed his hand over his heart.
"Not this happy, no... What did you want?" I questioned, pulling Logan back over to the couch. I sat down next to him and turned to the side to face him.
"Okay, you got me. I have something really really really important to ask you."
"Does it have to do with Ethan?"
"Oh, um no..." He replied before staring at a point over my shoulder.
"Okay... So..." I trailed off after Logan was silent for a whole minute.
"Oh!" He snapped out of his trance, "I... I need your help."
"With..." I inwardly laughed at how awkward Logan was being – what could get him this worked up?
"HowdoIaskagirloutonadate?" He asked speedily, causing me to not understand a word he said. I stared at him before he sighed and spoke slower, "How do I ask a girl out on a date?"
I burst out laughing, not able to hold it in any longer – Logan was worried on asking a girl on a date? Before, I thought him as the typical high school player that had women falling off of his arms; but now, I saw him as the shy outcast who had never even spoken to a girl before.
"Stop!" he whined, furrowing his eyebrows and pouting his lips like a little child. "I don't want to scare her off, okay?"
"Aw Logi bear... just ask her. The asking doesn't have to be special, as long as you have a great date planned," as I finished talking Logan's eyes widened. "You do know where you're taking her, right?"
"Yes..." He trailed off in a lie and I giggled.
"What does she like?" I questioned.
"She likes music... She's got an attitude. I don't know." He sighed, defeated.
"That's okay – you can find out more about her on your date," I suggested. "You just need to put some effort and thinking into the date, that would impress her more than anything."
"But I can't think of anything... I'm not creative in any way."
"Okay let's think... you could have a picnic?" I suggested.
"No that's too cliché, I don't think she'd like that."
"You could go bowling; that's only slightly cliché."
"I'm not sure..."
"You said she likes music, why not take her to a concert or go to the record store in town and make a date there."
"Yes!" He cried, rushing over to where I was sitting, "you are a genius! Thank you!" He hugged me tightly as I laughed at his enthusiasm.
"Are you going to tell me who your mystery girl is yet?"
"Okay, I guess," he started, "Her name is-" And that was when my father came back down the stairs, an obvious – to my eyes, anyway – fake smile plastered on his face.
"Can I speak to you?" He spoke through gritted teeth, gesturing to the open door of the living room.
"Yes, I'll be back in one minute Logan, sorry." I excused myself and followed my father outside, shooting Logan another small smile.
"Who is he?" He sneered in a hushed voice so that Logan could not hear our conversation.
"We were paired up for a project at school." I lied, hoping that he would believe me. He took a small step towards me and began to speak before Logan walked out of the living room and interrupted,
"I have to go now." He smiled sadly.
"No, please do stay." My father replied – another fake smile making an appearance.
"It's okay, Rachel has school tomorrow anyway." Why did he say that? He usually has amazing hearing and hears anything I mumble so how did he not hear me say how I knew him – from school! I hoped that my father did not notice what Logan said...
"Oh? Do you not have school Logan?" Shit.
"Oh no – I graduated two years ago." Double shit.
"Oh really?" he smiled at me, his evil eyes sparkling with an unspoken promise that we would be 'talking' about this later.