Chapter 24
Rebecca's POV
Rebecca: Ross?
Ross: What?!
He turns towards me with teary eyes and his voice sounds mad.
Rebecca: I'm sorry.
My voice is shaking and now I can see that he's trying to suppress his tears by blinking his eyes, but it's not helping. He doesn't say anything. He just shakes his head and turns away from me.
Rebecca: ... I love you.
He holds in and for a moment I thought he would turn around and tell me he loves me too and we would apologize and everything would be perfect again. ... But I was wrong. A few seconds later, he closes the door behind himself, leaving me alone and heartbroken in our apartment. I'm thinking about running after him, but that would only cause the situation to get worse. I'm just gonna give him some time alone. He's been through so much and I can't believe I just made everything worse. He thinks that I see Maya as a mistake, but I don't. It's all a misunderstanding and I know it's hard to believe because of my choice of words, but I truly love my little daughter as much as Ross does. She's part of my life. I could never live without her. She belongs to our little family. And now I also lost my boyfriend. Could this day get any worse? I sit down on the couch once again and pull my knees up to my chest. The TV is still on and I take a look at it. The movie from before is over and now a new movie is playing. Home alone. I usually love this movie. I watch it every year during Christmas season, which is why I don't understand why this movie is already playing in November. It has just begun and right now the whole family in the movie is squeezing themselves in the van. A small smile always appears on my face, when the family accidently forgets their son at home. I always find it hilarious, but now my smile disappears again. ... They're losing their child. ... My vision gets blurry and now I can't hold it back anymore. I turn the TV off and place my face in my hands, while loud sobs escape my mouths. I lost my mom, dad, sister, boyfriend and daughter. Can this get any worse? Why did this happen? Why does god have to punish me so hard in life? WHAT HAVE I DONE?!
Ross' POV
I turn around a corner and now I'm walking along the sideway in a nice neighborhood. The rain became heavier and is still going strong, but I don't care anymore. My clothes and hair are already wet, so it doesn't matter if the rain continues or not. After some more feet I finally reach the familiar house. I walk up to the door and look at the name sign. Here live George, Cheryl and Ellington Ratliff. Okay, they still live here. I ring the doorbell and wait for someone to answer. Nothing. I try it one more time with another ring, but still, no one is answering. Great, now the whole Ratliff family has to be out. In the exact moment when I need a small accommodation for the night.
Ross: Alright, guess I'll be sleeping under the stars.
I turn around and make my way towards the small gate which defines their small front yard. At least the rain is slowly starting to slow down and now it's only a drizzle. I'm freezing like crazy and wrap my arms around me once again, trying to heat myself up a little bit. I quickly leave the neighborhood again and walk along the sideway through downtown. Because we already have November, the sun is slowly starting to set and the sky changes it color from bright blue to a nice yellow/orange kinda color. (Picture in media). I stick my ice cold hands again in my pockets of my denim jacket and continue walking. Only a few feet further along the street, I see a brightly illuminated shop. Oh what the hell. I'm life is already a mess. Nothing can get worse now. I open the door and the bell signalizes the salesman that I entered. I go towards the counter with the cash register and grab a package of cigarettes. Nothing can get worse now, I'm telling myself over and over again. I search through my pockets for some cash, which really annoys the salesman, but he has to deal with it now. Finally, I find some dollar and I place them on the counter. I grab the packages of cigarettes and leave the shop again. I'm once again in the park from before, sitting on a bench and examining a cigarette between my fingers.
Ross: I actually promised myself and my family that I would never start smoking. ... But my parents also said they'd be always there for their kids. ... All just broken promises. ... So what does it matter, if one more promise gets broken?
I place the bar of nicotine between my lips and grab the lighter, which I also bought in the little store. I light the cigarette up and take a deep drag from it, before blowing the smoke satisfied into the cold evening air. I can feel the nicotine rushing through my system, slowly starting to erase my sorrows and pain. I guess people are right. Nicotine is really the only legal drug, which helps you forget all the shit that's going on. I take one more drag, before I close my eyes and lean back on the bench with a small smile on my face. ... It seems like hours have passed and I'm still sitting on the bench, already smoking the fourth cigarette. I know it's wrong, you have to tell me that, but for once I felt a sudden peace going through my body. With the cigarette between my thumb and pointer finger, I lead the nicotine up to my lips for the now probably 100th time. This may seem super weird, but I can literally already feel the lung cancer forming. I look around and see that the park is totally empty. Of course because everybody is at home with their family. The nice color of yellow and orange also faded and now the sky has a dark blue color, signalizing me that it's already around 8 or 9 pm. I'm about to close my eyes again, when I see from the corner of my left eye a ray of light pointing into my direction. I squeeze my eyes, so I won't get blinded, followed by my hand going in front of my eyes. I hear shuffling from a pair of feet on the sandy ground and seconds later a person is look down at me.
?: Ross, what the heck are you doing here? Are you nuts?
Ross: What?! Who the hell are you?
?: It's me, Ellington. Ross, what are you doing here? Why aren't you home?
Ross: Just leave me alone Ell.
Ellington: Not until you tell me what's up.
Ross: Like you care. How did you even know I was here?
Ellington: Can we talk about it later? Come on, you're coming with me.
He grabs my arms and is about to pull me up, when I push his hand away and stand up myself, only so I can look him directly in the eyes.
Ross: No I wanna know Ell. Who told you? How do you know?
Ellington: Rebecca called me, okay? She was worried sick and-.
Ross: She called you?!
Ellington: Yeah, she told me you suddenly left and she asked me to go look for you. I'm just glad I found you, so now I can tell her that you're okay and that I'm gonna bring you home.
Ross: No, I don't wanna go home. I can't.
Ellington: Why not Ross?
Ross: We had an argument and I can't sleep under the same roof as Rebecca for the night.
I turn around and am about to leave, when Ellington grabs my arm once again and swings me around.
Ellington: Ross, what happened with you? Why do you have such mood swings and why are you smelling like a package of cigarettes? Were you smoking?
Ross: Like you care.
Ellington: Ross, give me the package.
Ross: No.
I still hold the half cigarette from before in my hand and reach it up to my lips, but Ellington catches it away and throws it onto the floor, before stepping on it.
Ross: Hey why'd you do that?
Ellington: I remember, that you promised your family you'd never start smoking.
Ross: So? Mom and dad also said they'd never leave me and do you see what happened?!
He doesn't response. I got him.
Ellington: But still Ross. Do you really wanna risk your health because of some problems that are happening now in your life?
Ross: SOME PROBLEMS?! For god's sake, Ellington, my daughter got kidnapped! I don't even know if she's still alive, so don't come and tell me that there are "some problems" in my life. I know that myself. I don't need a smart ass like you.
I try to free myself from his grip, but my yelling and the nicotine made me weak, causing me to crumble down in his arms and my tears start floating again.
Ellington: Hey, shhh. Calm down. Everything will be alright.
Ross: How do you know? Why is everyone saying that, even though they have no idea?
Ellington: Ross, we'll get the 7,500 $ and then we're gonna save Maya. She'll get out of this. Alive.
Ross: It just hurts so much Ell.
Ellington: I know buddy. I know. And for now you can stay at mine till you and Rebecca solve your disagreements, alright?
I just nod and Ellington helps me up again. He runs his hand through my blonde messy hair, which is still a little wet and tries to make it like a little more like hair and not like a swab.
Ellington: Come on, we'll go home.
I start walking ahead and Ellington follows behind, but he suddenly stops me again.
Ellington: Ross?
Ross: Yeah?
Ellington: Please?
I turn towards him with a confused expression, wondering what he wants, but then I see him standing there with his open hand stretched out towards me and with a patient face. I sigh and grab the package of cigarettes from my pocket and throw it into his palm. He shows me a satisfied and proud smile and goes over to the next dumpster to throw them away. Then we make our way over to the exit and towards Ellington's neighborhood. ... Well, this turned out different than I thought. I actually thought I would be spending the night on the street like a long time ago, but gladly Ellington showed up, even though Rebecca set him up to find me. I still hope that Ellington was able to convince Rocky and Riker to help us. If not, then I really don't know what to do. Maya, stay strong my little girl. Daddy's coming for you. You're gonna be saved, without getting hurt. I know you will. I'm having high hopes.
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two chapters on one day, I'm one fire! hahaha anyway, how do you like the story so far. next chapter coming up soon.
xoxo
Love you <3<3<3