The Couple novel Chapter 38

Celia

I was scared to see him here, not because I was afraid of him or his other side but because I don’t know what Harris might do. He deliberately took me to the same restaurant as them. He is keeping an eye on me and now maybe even on Chris. I need to send him away.

The way he reacted, I could feel his pain in my heart, I could sense his anger towards Harris. But unfortunately I couldn’t calm him or relieve him. I felt his love when he hugged me and rubbed my back. I melted as soon as he touched me. Only his presence relaxed me. His touch and words did a magic which no one can understand. He gave me the strength which I lost throughout the week. I know I have to protect my love and my best friend with their family who cares for me. I have to help him find the traitor in his pack.

I pushed him away and talked rudely. He tried to comfort me while I only gave him the pain. It hurt my heart so much that my vision became blurry because tears started forming in my eyes. I sent him away but as soon as he left I couldn’t control myself and fell on the floor and my tears flowed down. Soon, I was crying my heart out. My mind was flashing his betrayed and hurt eyes in front of my eyes continuously. I asked for his forgiveness in my heart, I didn’t dare to speak out loud. I don’t know how sharp his senses are. I couldn’t stop myself crying or asking for forgiveness sitting on the floor until my phone rang.

It was Harris. I just hope he doesn’t know that Chris came here to talk to me. I picked up the phone still sobbing and heard him laughing. I was so annoyed that I wanted to throw away my phone again but last time it helped him. He gave me a new phone with a tracker installed to it.

“I was doubting that you must have told your boyfriend everything till now but hearing your cries relieved me. You can’t imagine sweetheart how scared I was for you. You know I was finding my ways with your friend Mary who is pregnant. It would be fun hurting her which might result...” I couldn’t stop myself to hear him complete his sentence. I didn’t even want to think of the consequences.

“No, please don’t hurt her or her baby. I didn’t tell Chris anything. Please don’t harm h...” Before I could say anything else, he again started laughing and hung up the phone.

I looked down at the blank screen absentmindedly for sometime and then dialled for Mary. She didn’t pick at once and my worries started getting worse. I dialled again and again for 2-3 times and then finally she picked up when I was about to lock my apartment’s door.

“Hey Celia, What’s up?” I sighed as soon as I heard her calm voice. I was ready to leave for Dante house without thinking of the consequences until I heard her safe and sound.I leaned against the door and took a deep breath to calm myself.

I unlocked the door and went in before replying, she spoke again without any reply from my side.

“Hello, are you still there?”

“Yeah, I am here.”

“Oh, I thought you forgot after dialing me. So, how come you called me this late? Is everything alright? You are good right? You want to talk about anything you know.” I do want to tell you many more things, Mary but I can’t. I am sorry. I went to the dining table for some water.

“Yeah, just wanted to inform you to keep Chris in control. He came here just to threaten me.”

“What? Threaten you? But he told me he had a date night with Olivia, then how come he went for you. Why would he threaten you, he loves you Celia.”

“Yeah, he loves me so much that he went on a date with Olivia. I know how much he loves me.” I said sarcastically and hung up the phone annoyed. I was thinking that he went out with Olivia as a friend. I was just trying to convince myself that he doesn’t have anything going on with Olivia, that they are just friends but here he is ignoring me going on dates with her. What the fuck, she is married. Is this his love for me?

I threw my hand on the table and sent everything on the floor. I threw a chair in the air, they collided with the wall nearby and broke. I got myself in this danger to save him and his pack for what, for his betrayal. I am suffering here and he is going on dates with his ex-girlfriend there.

I threw my dress away and went to bed naked angrily. I couldn’t bear the clothes anymore. I dropped the ac to the lowest as it was too hot here, I couldn’t sleep and just laid there tossing and turning on the bed all night.

After breakfast, I started writing down the things I noticed yesterday at dinner, like his allergies or his food habits. My dad, being a chef, always said that you can tell a lot about the person and his health. He told me a person with allergies is careful about what he eats and orders one or two dishes in particular every time to make sure they don’t eat anything harmful for them.

I was thinking of Harris and how I could sedate him for my benefit when my phone rang. It was him and I just want him to disappear right now like half of the population vanished from Earth after Thanos snapped his fingers wearing Infinity Gauntlet. I was staring at the phone ringing beside me and the call dropped. I got back to my work when my phone beeped for an incoming message. I checked my phone only to find Jeanne in her balcony sitting on her swing reading a book and sipping coffee. And then another picture popped up with a shooter aiming at her from somewhere far away. Freakingly, I dialled him back but he rejected my call.

I dialled him again but he kept rejecting until the 5th-6th call only to laugh and humiliate me. His laugh wasn’t only daunting but also frightened me thinking what his evil mind can think of.

“I thought we were playing games where we ignored each other. But it seems like you already accepted defeat. Okay, let’s start aga...“

“Please, please, please I beg of you. Don’t hurt her. I am sorry, please don’t hurt her.”

“Next time ignore me and I will send you the body instead of pictures. You’re taking me too lightly and I am not liking it. Let me order them to shoot your best friend so next time you won’t think of anything rebellious.”

“No, No, please don’t let me do anything. I will not do anything stupid from now on. Please, don’t tell them to shoot her.” I begged him and by now I was crying. Between my sobs, I kept repeating ‘please’ and ‘no’. I couldn’t bear the guilt of danger hanging like a sword over my friend because of me.

I didn’t realize when he hung up the phone and I was just left repeating those two words in between my cries. When I got my courage back and went into the bathroom to wash my face and calm myself. I dialled J’s number and to give her a hint that something is wrong so she has to be alert and protect herself as well as her family. She picked up at the second ring and sounded really calm even joyful.

“Hey, vampire girl. You finally got some time for me. So, is it because you missed me or just missed me too much?” She giggled.

“The latter one, I miss you too much.” I chuckled but she guessed something was wrong.

“Are you alright? You just sounded like you were done crying. Do you want to watch twilight?”

“I do.”

“So, your place or mine?”

“I am afraid we can’t meet. I am busy with all the preparations as Mom and dad are visiting me this Monday for 3-4 days. And I also have to take time out for Harris, my new boyfriend.” I hope she gets the hint because my parents’ visit was never an issue for me. When I was studying at NYU, my parents’ visited me many times but I never prepared much or anything special for their visit and Jeanne knew this fact.

“They both are coming finally. Oh gosh, you’re having your first dinner with my family the day they arrive. I don’t take no as an answer.” She was so excited with the news of my parents’ coming. She went off well with my mother from the beginning. I just hope she noticed what I tried to show her.

“I don’t know I have to ask them and Harris too.” I tried to show her that Harris is becoming a danger now.

“Oh, okay, ask them and then let me know how it goes.”

“Yeah sure. Okay then talk to you later. Take care of yourself and your family.” I never asked her to take care. We never do such formalities, even we laughed when friends ask each other to take care of them. ‘If I can take care of myself then why do I need you? Take care of me and I will take care of you.’ This was what Jeanne said when I said take care to her for the first time.