I Didn't Know I Loved Him Until He Showed Me
Chapter 38: Devastated
Today was the day that I'd be moving out of the hospital and moving in with Ethan's family. His mom and another doctor had done a check on my spine and they said that it was fine and that I could go. Eth and Elli had packed all my clothes at my house and moved it to their house. We had packed all my stuff in the hospital room and we were now on the way to his house. When we arrived, I looked at our house and found my mom's car in the driveway. I sighed and hopped out of the car. I groaned as my back muscles stretched. "You okay?" Eth asked. "Yeah, just a bit sore," I told him. He put a hand to my back and started rubbing. "You should get that checked out," Elli said. "I"ll check it later, if you want." I nodded and said, "Okay." "Good," Eth muttered and took my bag from me. Eth and Elli took my bad from me and carried them into the house.
"So, you can stay in the guest room or my room," Eth said. "The bathroom's just down the hall upstairs and you're free to do anything you want in the house," Elli added. "Yeah, just feel at home," Eth told me. "Okay. Thanks again, you guys," I said to them. After that, we got all my stuff settled in Ethan's room and it felt like I was in my own home again.
[A Few Weeks Later]
I was sitting at the window with my favorite book in my hand when I heard a deep rumble of an engine outside. I looked out and saw a black hummer. A man in a military suit came out and I put my book down. "Dad," I whispered and stood up. I quickly skipped out the door and I heard Eth call after me. The man was at my door and my mom had already answered. I slowed down and watched as they talk. My mom screamed and she fell to her knees. She started sobbing and the man kept apologizing. I felt my heart drop into my gut and I stopped breathing.
My mom's eyes met my own and she stood up. "You! This is your fault!" she screamed and ran to me. I stopped walking and she sent a punch right into my jaw. I fell on my back and I grunted as a shock ran up my spine. "You did this!" she screamed at me and tried to send a kick into my gut but the man pulled her back. "Stop!" he screamed. Eth came to my side and helped me up. Mom kept screaming threats at me and blaming me as the man held her back. "Stop it!" Ethan said to her. She was now screamed at the both of us with tears screaming down her face.
"Let go of me!" she screamed at the man. He slowly and reluctantly let go of her and she stomped in front of me. "I hate you. You're the reason my daughter and husband are dead. You should be dead instead of them! You are not my daughter and you will never be!" she screamed and ran back into the house. Those words was like a knife to my heart and I held my breath. I could feel the tears threatening to spill from my eyes. "Hayles, are you okay?" Eth asked me. I nodded and swallowed. "How's your back?" he asked. "It's fine," I whispered. "Hayley?" the man asked me and I nodded. "You're Anthony's daughter?" he asked. I nodded again. "Can we go inside?" he asked and gestured to the house. Ethan and I nodded and we made our way to the house. With every move I made, my back ached in protest. Ethan noticed this and he kept asking if I was okay. I told him yes but I knew something wasn't right.
When we were in the house, we sat down on the couch. Ethan and I sat across from the man. "I am Sergeant Bill Walters. I was in the stationed with your father," he explained. "Where is he? How is he?" I asked him nervously. He looked down at the floor and when he looked back up, I knew it wasn't gonna be good news. "I'm sorry but he was killed in action," he said. The tears finally spilled out and I couldn't hold them in anymore. "No," I cried and dropped my head in my hands. Sobs racked my body and I felt Ethan pull into his chest. I held onto him like he was the only thing that kept me living.
"I''m terribly sorry," he said again. He said and sat up straight. I didn't even wipe my tears away since I knew more would be coming. "Did you get his body?" I asked. I wanted to give him a proper burial. "No, we didn't. Unfortunately, he died in the hands of the terrorists and they disposed of his body. We were not able retrieve it," he said. I whimpered and I looked down at my feet. "I am truly and deeply sorry for loss. Anthony was a great friend of mine and he told me a lot about you. He said that if something were to happen to him, his possessions would go to you and your mother. We would have to take a look at his will though," he stated. I nodded and thanked him. "I'm sorry for asking but is your mother always like that? Does she always hit you?" he asked. I shook my head while Ethan said yes.
"Sorry. I'm Ethan Parker, a close family friend and neighbor," Eth said, introducing him. They shook hands. "She's always like that?" he asked again. Ethan answered for me and nodded. "Ever since her dad left, her mom took out her anger and depression on her," he explained. "Damn," Bill said. "I am going to do something about this." "No! Please don't!" I exclaimed, panicked. "Why not? What she's doing to you isn't right!" he said. I shook my head and begged him again. "Why?" Ethan asked me. "Because she's the only family I have left!" I cried. The room went silent and after a while, Bill broke the silence. "Your dad wouldn't have wanted it like this," he said to me. I nodded and said, "I know but I can't leave my mom. Not after what's happened."
"I understand. I should be leaving soon. I am so sorry for your loss, Hayley. Please contact me if you need anything," he said, getting up. He left us his number and his address. I nodded and stood up too. Ethan followed as we walked to the front door. A pain shot through my spine and I bit my tongue to keep from saying anything. "Please call me or you can come over. I've given you my address. My wife and I wouldn't mind," he said. Ethan and I thanked him and after we said goodbye, he left.
I could finally show that I was in pain. I grabbed onto Ethan's arm and he looked at me worriedly. "Are you okay?" he asked. I shook my head. "My back," I told him. Eth nodded and he helped me sit on the couch. "I'll be right back. I'll call Elli to check on you," he said. I nodded and he went upstairs to get Elliot. When Elliot came down, He could see that I was in pain straight away. He sat beside me and asked how I felt. I told him and he made me lift up my shirt. I heard him mutter a curse and I looked at his face nervously.
"When you fell, a nerve was touched but thankfully it didn't do any damage. Unfortunately, it's gonna be hurting for a few days," he told me. I sighed and nodded. "Is it going to get worse?" Eth asked him. He moved his hand and I felt him touch certain parts of my back and a few times it hurt so much that I cried in pain. He apologized and pulled my shirt back down. "Possibly," Elli said and shook his head. "But we can get painkillers. I'll get them for you later." I nodded and thanked him.
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When his parents came home, we explained what had happened and we told them about my dad. They were both upset and they even went over to check on how my mom was doing. They said that she wasn't doing to well and that she was drinking her sorrow away. They also called Sergeant Bill and they talked to him for a while. They arranged for us to have dinner with him and his wife on Sunday. After that, we had dinner but we barely talked. We were all upset about the news and we weren't really saying anything. After dinner, Aunt Anna checked my back and she gave me some medicine.
I didn't really feel up to doing anything else so I went straight to Ethan's room after saying goodnight to everyone. Ethan followed after a few minutes and we both stayed in his room. I had changed into a pair of pajama pants and one of Ethan's shirts. I was standing in front of the mirror in Eth's bathroom, trying not to cry when he came in. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to his chest. I leaned against him and closed my eyes. I laid my head back on his shoulder. "How are you doing?" he whispered in my hear. I shrugged my shoulders and sighed. I felt him place a kiss on my neck and I opened my eyes.
Ethan was staring into my eyes and before I knew it, he leaned in to kiss me. I kissed him back with all I had left in me and I turned around. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he placed his hands on my waist. He pulled my closer to him and held our bodies close. At that time, I felt so much love for him but at the same time, I felt all the sadness and all the other emotions hit me. The tears finally slipped out of my eyes and I pulled away from Ethan. I hid my head in his chest as the sobs shook my body. I whimpered and he hugged me close. "He's gone," i kept repeating. "He's gone."
Ethan pulled us to his bed and he made me sat down on his lap. I hid my head in the crook of his neck as I cried and he rubbed up and down my arm to soothe me, all the while whispering comforting words. I didn't want me to see him like this but I couldn't stop. All the sadness and hopelessness hit me and I couldn't keep them away. It felt like my world was finally falling apart. I kept myself together because I had hope that my dad would come back and that my mom would go back to normal but that hope was all shattered now. I knew that Ethan's family and Leah would always be there for me but the reality hit me that I would never really have a family with my own parents anymore.
Thinking that my dad was dead was impossible. I couldn't come to grips with him. I knew he was gone but I just couldn't or more of didn't want to believe it. The fact that his body wasn't even found made it worse. We couldn't give him a proper burial and we couldn't see I'm again. I cried my heart out and Ethan was there to comfort me the whole time. Not even for one second did he leave my side.
Finally at around 2 AM, I finally stopped crying since I was too worn out to do so. Ethan and I were lying in bed and he had his arms around me. My crying had lessened and turned into quiet sobs. "You'll be okay, Hayles," Eth said and kissed the side of my head. I didn't say anything, I just pulled myself closer to him. I could feel that he was the only thing keeping me together. "I love you," I whispered. My voice was hoarse from all the crying. "I love you too. I always will," he said and I fell asleep listening to his heartbeat.