XIMENA
Lewis returns to the room where I wait after what seems like forever. I've been staring at my phone, hoping for a call with good news, but it has been still for hours. He takes his seat across me and I watch his face, looking for signs that all is well, but there is no emotion. I find it difficult to believe that he is not feeling anything when I feel as if I'm dying from the pain and the worry.
"Any news?" I ask him, but he doesn't look at me.
"None. The search parties are calling to report which section they have combed, but no sight of them."
Lewis lies back on the chair and tears run down his cheeks. I want to comfort him, but his body language tells me he's better left alone.
"Miss Gaytan, can I talk to you for a moment?" Chief Davids asks from the door opening.
I follow Davids to his office and he invites me to sit. He then grabs a folder while he takes place at the desk.
"It may be completely unrelated. I only wanted to ask if Connor showed you the photo of fire suspect."
"No, he hasn't. I've been around his place a few times, but it hasn't been brought to my attention."
"Don't interpret what I'm about to say the wrong way. I'm just trying to find out what could be the cause of what has been happening in the last months. My theory is that all the events, including the disappearance of Luke and Michael, are somehow related to you."
My body turns cold at his words. "Are you implying that I've played a part in hurting my friends and the people I love?" The words come out controlled, but I can't hide the furious tone.
"The reason of my disclaimer. I don't think you are involved, more like someone wants to hurt you by hurting others."
My eyes widen at his words.
"Take a look at this photo and let me know if you recognize this person," he hands me a print.
The bile rises to my throat and I believe I'm about to pass out after seeing the photo.
"Miss Gaytan, are you alright?" Davids stands up and hurries around the desk. "Do you want some water?"
I shake my head. My throat has closed and I just crumble in sobs. Davids leaves the room and returns with Lewis.
"Ximena, who's the man in the photo?" Lewis asks.
"Damian... My ex."
Lewis face pales at first then looks confused.
"Are you sure about this?" Davids asks. "That the man in this picture is your ex?"
"I gave him that baseball cap. I had the embroidery custom made for him. It was a gift for a book launch."
Davids asks me some follow up questions and on my request, brings up the website of the book gala, where Damian's face is present in many of the event photos.
"Why didn't I thought of this before? He came to see me... Shortly after I moved into Greg Walker's house and he tried... He wanted to come inside forcefully. Brian Connor punched him. He probably knows I went for dinner with Jaden, and that I go often to see Charlie at the café because we are good friends."
"I need you to tell me everything you know about him. Chances are he's the person who took the twins away."
"I'm sure he's involved," Lewis says.
Davids and I stare at Lewis and then follow his gaze to the computer monitor.
"That's Hannah's boyfriend. That man in the photo."
Damian has been closer than I ever thought all this time and I feel terrified. I thought I knew him well, but now that he's the suspect of previous crimes, I don't know if he is also capable of hurting the boys. I tell Davids all I know about him, including his address and phone number. Lewis says he only saw him once at the candy shop, that the boys said often that he didn't want them around. Davids issues an order to arrest Damian, but my hope is dwindling. It's been many hours since the boys got in the car with whom we assume it's him. He could have taken them anywhere.
Lewis walks outside and I follow him. I don't know what I could say or do to comfort him, because God knows nothing can comfort me right now after what I've learned.
"Lewis..." I try to reach out for his hand but he moves it away. "Talk to me. Why the silent treatment?"
"What do you want me to say? To feel? We were not happy, or perfect, but no one ever got hurt around here. Then you came to Lonstino and all these weird things started happening. First Jaden gets framed, then Charlie and Brian could have died and now my sons are likely out there with your ex. None of this would have happened if you had stayed where you belong."
I try to say something, but my mouth has gone dry. Lewis' words sound foreign coming from him, the man who's supposed to love me. I might not belong in Lonstino, but Greenwood wasn't also the place where I felt at home.
Feeling lost and lonelier than ever, I get my keys out of my purse and head to my car, that Jaden kindly brought here. I can barely see where I'm going as the tears keep pooling in my eyes. Once I reach Lewis' house and park, I enter the house to find Greg sitting on the couch.
"Any news about the boys?" He stands up and follows me to to the bedroom. "Where's Lewis?"
I don't answer as I grab a suitcase from the closet and start throwing my stuff in it.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" He gets in between me and my task and holds my arms.
I just crumble and he holds whatever is left of me in a hug.
"Why are you packing a bag?" Greg asks in a soft voice while caressing my hair.
"I'm going back. This is all my fault. Damian has been behind everything that's happened, including taking Luke and Michael away. Lewis doesn't want me and if I go back to Greenwood maybe Damian will get what he wants and will leave everyone else in peace."
"Damian? As in your ex?" He asks and I nod.
"You can't leave, Ximena. I don't know what went down with Lewis, but I'm sure he didn't mean anything he said. He's as scared and hurt as you are, as we all are. I surely don't know what I would do without you. You are my family, the sister of my dreams and I love you. It would hurt me to lose you. Stay a bit longer until we know more."
I've been trying to stay strong for Lewis, even though the tears would betray me from time to time. Now I let my raw emotions out while Greg whispers soothing words and rubs my back to comfort me.
Greg's mobile phone buzzes on the table and we stare at it. He grabs it and reads the display.
"Lewis. Hello? ... Oh God, oh thanks God! ... Are they okay? ... Yes, she's here. I'll bring her to the station right away. They found the boys wandering around and they are okay. Let me bring you back."
Relief washes over me and new found anger fills my heart, because Damian better not go unpunished for what he did. I get in the car with Greg and he tries to distract me with some light conversation. I try my best to answer him, but he knows I'm just trying to be polite. I don't know how I will react when I see Lewis, but at this moment, the boys are my priority. I want to see them well and safe. After Greg parks the car, I want to run inside, but he holds my arm.
"Remember. He was hurt and didn't mean what he said."
We enter the station and I walk towards the room I've been waiting at previously. Lewis paces the place and startles when he sees me.
"I'm so sorry," he holds my hands in his as he looks into my eyes. "You didn't deserve any of those words. I don't know what got into me. I regretted everything instantly. Please forgive me..."
"Let's pretend it didn't happen. Where are the boys?"
"On their way. The police found them almost at the town limits. They were patrolling the area just in case a car matched the license plate of Clara's. The boys matched the description and when the police asked them their names, it was confirmed that it was Luke and Michael."
"Redmont, Miss Gaytan," Davids calls from the door. "The boys are in the kitchen. Do you mind if I ask them some questions while they eat? Apparently they have been complaining the whole car ride that they are hungry."
The whole idea makes me smile because I know how desperate they get when they are hungry.
"Dad! Mom!" Michael says when he sees us coming from the hallway.
A police agent serves them a cup of instant soup and I prepare for the complaints, but they must feel so hungry since they gladly accept it.
"Boys, can you tell us who came to pick you up at school?" Davids asks while opening a notebook.
"That guy, the new boyfriend," Luke shrugs.
"Did he say anything before you guys got in the car with him?"
"That Mom asked him to pick us up because she was busy and couldn't come. I said that we weren't going to mom because the police says he can't. He then said that Ximena sent him. I didn't believe him," Michael says.
"Then why you got in the car?"
"Because he said that he knew her and told us everything that Ximena does," Luke says. "He was right. She writes stories in her computer with a red pen in her mouth and drinks a lot of coffee. And she smells like roses, eats chocolate bars and watches cartoons. I believed him."
Davids looks at me and I nod. "Where did you go then?"
"I don't know," Michael says while trying to lick the rest of the soup in the cup. "He wasn't driving to our house. It was more like how Dad drives to go to grandma. We said we were hungry and thirsty and he stopped at a gas station."
"That's when I stopped believing him and said to Michael that we had to get out of the car. We hid behind trash cans. It was kind of funny, how he was walking around the car and pulled his hair," Luke mimics what happened and laughs.
"Was it this man?" Davids shows him a print of the photo I showed him before online.
"Yes!" They shout in unison.
Davids leaves us alone with the boys and I feel far from calm. This time Lewis is the one who places his hand over mine. Damian needs to pay for his actions.