"Maya!" I shout as she takes off on a run down the hallway. In the distance, a door slams. But I keep on going until I reach a closed door- the only closed door in this corridor.
In her haste, she didn't lock it. Or perhaps she didn't want to lock it. I push the door and enter. My eyes grow wide as I see her scrunched in a corner, sobbing her heart out. Her sorrow has reached an all-time high, at about 80%. For Maya, a generally happy person, to feel this much, it has to be painful.
"Maya, I want you to know that you're amazing, and don't worry about anything right now. Nothing is worth you shedding tears over, but if you choose to, it's okay too. You're one of the kindest people I know with a golden heart, Maya, and nothing will change that, not your parents' identity or family issues. I believe you can get over this, okay?" I crouch down and spill everything on my mind without a filter.
The old me would have jumped at this chance, cruel though it is, to make more money by playing on her feelings. The present me, though, just feels a deep sadness and pity for Maya.
Maya looks up. Her eyes, which are a beautiful green without her purple contacts, are rimmed with tears and her face is puffy. "It isn't that. I always suspected I wasn't from the family- they were so adamant on never letting me take over their law firm and lots of other stuff..." she lets out a choked sob. "But Remi knew...all this while..."
I ease myself into the corner she is curled up in and put my arms around her, squeezing tight. "Remi's a damn jerk. Screw guys."
Maya laughs through her tears, wiping them away. "Angel, that damn jerk loves you, and I can see why he would."
"He never showed it. Anyway, this is about you. Are you feeling better?" I mumble.
She nods. "Are you going to ask me for money again?"
I sniff dramatically. "Oh, don't mention my poverty!"
We break into identical smiles and I see her sorrow dissipate slightly. It's a good sign and it encourages me to continue cheering her up. "I'm sure Remi and your parents love you, okay? Your birth doesn't define you."
Maya smiles wanly. "Yup."
I hug her again. "You're awesome."
"Yup," she says, but her voice is small.
"I think you need space to cool off. I'll leave you here for a while, okay?" I tell her in my gentlest voice.
Maya nods and manages a smile. "Love you, Angel," she whispers.
I blow her a kiss. "Love you always, Maya."
When I leave the room, shutting the door behind me, I see Remi pacing in the hallway, his head hanging low. His sorrow is just as high as his sister's, and this makes me unbelievably sad. Why can't the world be happy? Why is everyone so depressed? Having the ability to see sorrow is both a blessing an a curse. It is a double edged sword that ends up hurting me more than it should.
Because imagine this. Imagine yourself being in a room with dozens of people, and seeing that they're all sad. Imagine seeing that scene wherever you go in the world, your whole life. Surrounded by a sea of grey. The worst part is seeing your own sorrow when you look into a mirror, and all you see is the grey pulling you down and consuming you until you do not know who you are anymore.
Somehow these feelings I am having now comes out wrong and translates into anger. Anger which blazes out like a fire when you add too much fuel to it. "We need to talk." Without waiting for a reply, I grip his arm painfully and practically drag him to his room, overcome by blinding anger.
Once in the room, I am unable to hold back the flood of rage that explodes from me like a volcano. "Did you really lie to your sister?"
Remi laughs bitterly. "What a low opinion you have of me. To answer your question- I indeed lied to her."
"Remington, how could you do this? Can't you see that she deserves the truth more than anything?"
"Don't be a hypocrite," Remi seethes. "I hate hypocrites. Don't you think I deserve the truth from you too?"
Ice grips my heart and holds my bleeding organ in its cold hands. Stalling, I say "What?"
His eyes are awful to look at. They burn through my soul and I feel like he knows every shameful thing I've done just to earn money in the past. What's worse is that his blue eye turns a vibrant dark blue, almost indigo, even, and his grey eye looks almost black.
"I'm not an idiot," he says in a quiet, dangerously calm voice. "Our relationship was a lie from the start. You came in trying to take my money. It's always been a damn game for you, Angel. You never once cared, did you? I'm revolted by how money-minded you are, Angel."
"It isn't that," I say, tears pooling in my eyes. I hate this arguing with Remi, but neither of us can seem to stop. "I paid for Evangeline's funeral and...and repaid her adoptive parents for raising her. I need money...because I'm in debt."
His gaze sharpens. "Is that true?"
I nod vehemently. "I know I lied to you. I know it was wrong, okay? But...but I don't understand how you kissed me and then ran away!" I meet his gaze with a fierce look. "Explain yourself."
He shakes his head, and quietly says "A mistake. It was all a mistake. I never really meant it-"
I burst out "Do you know how happy I make you? You can't even understand your own feelings. You were always gloomy and sad but cheered up around me. Can't you see that?"
My heart feels hollowed out already, with nothing in it. Dully, I wait for Remi's answer, but I don't expect anything comforting from him anymore. All I feel is a numbness spreading across my mind and my heart.
"I don't understand. How can you know something like that? My feelings are my own," he returns in that infuriatingly calm voice.
"That's because I can see your sadness!" I yell.
The second after I scream that, silence pours into the room. I step back, eyes wide with horror. What have I just done? I've just told him the secret I've never revealed since the age of nine- except to Jay.
Because it makes me a freak; when I tried to tell people they were unhappy and offer help, they slapped me away, retreated from me, mouthing the words "monster" and "freak" under their breath. I watched them leave, one after another, without comprehending why they didn't like me seeing their sorrow. After that, I never told anyone again, except Jay.
Remi looks at me in what I think is repulsion and something akin to disgust. "You can see my sadness?"
I expect him to call me "monster", "freak", "abomination". But the blow does not come, and instead comes something much worse. Disappointment. He averts his eyes and walks to the door, pausing by the door handle for a split second. "I can never understand you, Angel. You've kept numerous secrets from me. This cannot go on."
I falter, and the world crashes onto me. Whispers from the past curl aroud my neck, strangling me.
worthless.
monster.
freak.
Callously, Remi says "I never loved you, Angel. Don't delude yourself."
Lies. They're all lies. Jay saw it, Maya saw it, I saw it. And yet he denies it.
So I play along. "I never want to see you again, Remington Tryston." I am proud that my voice does not shake and remains steady and strong.
He shuts his eyes momentarily, then grasps the doorknob. "We're over. Whatever we had, it's over."
What did we have anyway? A relationship built on lies. We both did nothing but lie continuously to each other, and look how it has turned out. I lied to him about my aims for getting close to him, and never told him about my ability. He fooled me into thinking we had something more when we didn't, and lied to Maya, his sister.
I leave the Tryston household that very afternoon, determined never to come back. I will not degrade myself by spending time with that imbecile brat Remington.
I hate him more than I hate tomato sauce.
---
"I don't understand," Jay says. "All the signs pointed to you two being in love. I mean, you had such great chemistry! Always teasing each other and bantering, yet always looking out for each other."
"Jay, have some tact," I sigh. I flip over on my bed and stare at him. "I feel like just now was what an actual break-up feels like."
He says nothing, letting me rant on. "I swear Remi is such a jerk. He shouldn't have led me on this whole time. I know I was wrong too but just let me vent my frustrations on him. Well, as I was saying, Remi even lied to his sister about something as important as her birth parents. It turns out her mother had an affair with another guy and brought home Maya. And also Louise Tryston- that's Evangeline, I told you the other day- she was taken from the family because she had dyslexia and ADHD and the crazy mother didn't like that."
Jay's only comment is "Dyslexia and ADHD is a sign of a demigod. I've always said that but no one listens."
My dam of emotions breaks, but I contain it viciously, and finally admit "I can't bear this humiliation and pain anymore. This cursed town holds too many painful memories. I'm going to move to the city."
Jay looks at me in alarm. "You mean, you're going to New York?"
I nod. "I bought a railway ticket and am going tonight."
He is stunned and I can't blame him. But I have to do this. I cannot stay here and endure meeting Remi when I'm going grocery shopping or grabbing a burger. The truth is, I'm not humiliated.
I'm utterly heartbroken.
---
Boss gives a squawk of protest when I tell him I'm leaving tonight. He doesn't seem to care much, though, and simply says "Very well, quit then. Thank you, Angel." And continues playing his Candy Crush. That temporary Boss I had seen back then when he threatened me with jail is gone; it seems that was only a fleeting show of strength.
"Hope you survive without me," I sigh as I step back onto the streets, leaving the bar (which is a restaurant in the day).
Jay is waiting for me outside and he offers me his hand, purely in a platonic way. I take it and am comforted by the touch, but my traitorous heart is wishing the hand holding mine is Remi's.
Three hours later, I have waved goodbye to Jay, who's really the only one to see me off, and settled down in a window seat on the train. Familiar scenery flashes by, until it is replaced by unfamiliar houses, and unfamiliar streets and buildings. Sitting in the train alone on a dark winter night, I can't help but weep over the ruined relationship with Remi.
Sometimes, two people just aren't meant to be. Like Evangeline and me, Jay and me, and Remi and me. The common thread running through all of these would be me. Maybe I should rephrase the above sentence. Maybe it should be:
Angel isn't meant to be with anyone.
Readers: Just the epilogue left:)) Another dissatisfying chapter, to me. Ugh. But I tried my best so I hope you guys found it okay...
Vote and comment please! Thanks.