THE LOVE & THE LUST

Chapter 3

(Liam's POV)

The steady pounding of my footsteps echoed in my ears. I felt a bead of sweat roll down my forehead and splatter to my chin. The soles of my shoes hit the reeds, as I keep running out of breath. I don't know where I'm going or why I'm running. Not so far from my sight, I saw a brick-built house in the middle of the lawn.

I strode my tired feet towards the house but I saw two dead bodies in front of the door, their pale body was a bath in blood where their heart has been stopped for how many hours ago.

I don't know why I'm not scared or surprised to see a dead body. Instead, I walked past them and turn the knob of the wooden door to see the space empty inside. As soon I put my step inside the house, I heard a whistle. A loud whistle that seemed to be about to explode any minute.

I followed the whistling sound that leads me to the kitchen. It's the kettle, the spring in the air inside the whistle, opening reverberating like the air in the neck of the kettle while it was sitting on the fiery stove.

I saw my father sitting and leaning helplessly on the corner of the refrigerator with a gun in his hand, drawing a blank stare in the air. My mother was lying on the floor, bathing in her blood, lifeless.

Meanwhile, I smelled something burning. It smelled like a heated soldering iron or as if some rubber was being burnt. After a while it suddenly got hot. An extreme heat that was coming inside the house thwarted me instantly. It was excruciatingly hot and I felt my whole body slowly burning.

The whole house was on fire but why am I not afraid? I just stood there staring blankly at them.

Then slowly, a girl cried silently in the background. They are much more likely to wail, cry, mumble, or other distressed noises than someone who is crying. She is crying in pain but the noise is slowly getting louder and louder and louder---

I gasp as I woke up while catching my heavy breathing, sweat all over my face, and it dripping down to my neck. I sat down and suddenly I felt a tingling pain in my head. I touch my forehead and a bandage wrapping tightly in my head.

Damn... My head hurts as hell.

I looked around me, a place full of noise, the walls painted dirty white, and people sprinting from here to there as if they are busy for a day. Where am I? Hospital? I was lying on a small bed with wheels at the corner in the hallway,

I noticed myself, my clothes are torn and had black and red stains all over my white polo shirt, the same as my denim pants. Wounds on my arms, legs, and shoulder, maybe in my face too. My whole body is aching.

Shit!

The car accident!

Claire? Where is she?

I examine my surroundings thinking that she must be just next to me, but can't spot her near me. I couldn't see her so I got off of the bed, I slanted my back on the dirty white walls to support me to stand and slowly walks into the crowded hallway to search for Claire.

The whole place is full of noise. Someone is crying, someone is almost screaming in anger and annoyance, and someone is asking for help from nurses and doctors. The whole hallway is a mess from people sprinting from the places. I touch my head unknowingly to ease the painful rigidness.

I ceased when I heard a woman's crying voice. A crying sound can be noticed as she is in pain, sadness, and anger. Her voice is somewhat familiar that it caught my attention. I reluctantly followed the woman's voice, and it leads me to the emergency room.

I see Claire's best friend crying.

She's crying to death as she fell on the white tiles floor, lowering her head, as her shoulder waved and shook while letting out her sadness in cry. The tall man wearing casual clothes, squares down in front of her, and hugs her tight while caressing her back.

I felt pain in my chest. I felt hurt by what I am seeing. I... I can't take it... when she cries like that. It's too painful to watch.

I looked at the people behind her, I'm surprised to see Claire's parents, they were crying in sadness too. Wailing all over outside the emergency room echoed, you can feel pain, sadness, angry in every sound they let out coming from their lungs.

Is... Claire... Okay?

Did she survive?

She survived, right?

But...

Why... Why are they... crying?

Did... She doesn't.. make it?

I looked away from them and lowered my head as I shot my eyes closed to keep my pace trying to control my tears but... I failed.

Tears dripped off the end of my nose to freely flow down my face. I cover my eyes with my hands to hide this feeling of guilt. I hide the tears that keep rushing down to my nape like a stream that is out of control.

My conscience slaps me straight to my heart.

It's all my fault.

(Amythest's POV )

I woke up crushed in my white covers as my phone rang, I rub my eyes trying to open them slowly and I stared into the darkness. I look over at my clock hanging on my white painted wall which marked 4:00 am. Who would call this early?

I sat down on my cozy bed and lazily stretch my arms to reach my phone from my small bedside table with a side drop-leaf and a small drawer. I answered the call, it was Claire's mother.

"A-Amy." I open my eyes when it was the voice of Claire's mom on the other line.

She's crying as she has heavy breathing. What's going on?

The news I got was like nothing I’d ever heard before. My eyes widened and my heart skip a beat making my body shake in fear as tears escaped from my eyes like a river flowed down to my cheeks. I slammed the phone down in shock, I couldn’t believe it.

Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I jumped out of my bed making me almost fall to the ground as my legs weakens.

When I hastily opened my door, my brother is standing still in front of the tv while his gaze is on his phone in his hand. He raise his head and looked at me, his eyebrows are drawn together. Without hesitation, he grabs my jacket on the couch and the keys.

We drove to the General Hospital and Medical Center and spurt inside the hospital's emergency room. I saw Aunt and Uncle bawling to their lungs in front of the emergency room.

Aunt gave me a look that I don't want to hear. She slowly shakes her head. What does she mean by that? Did she not make it?

"She's g-gone, Amy!"

My heart hammers in my chest as anxiety fear attacks me. All of a sudden, my knee feels weaken, I slumped into the dirty white floor as I leaned forward, and placed my head in my hands, huge body-shaking sobs racked my body.

I screamed the word 'no' for hours until my voice was gone. The pain was like fire burning in my legs. It blew up in my head with a terrifying blankness. It was nauseating. I started to quiver. The pain felt like a hot, sharp knife, covered in salt, slicing through my skin and into my muscles and bones, as though my leg had been frozen and a bolt of lightning had struck my body from head to toe.

"N-no..." Tears won't stop streaming down my nape.

Why?

Why her?

If... If we didn't quarrel last night, will she be here now? If I didn't open up about Liam, she might be alive now.

Suddenly, Aunt collapsed. Uncle carried her to a near-empty room and laid her down on the bed.

This is too painful for us. She just celebrated her birthday yesterday. Why does it have to be Claire died in the accident?

I rush out of the room and leaned on the wall, lowering my head. I can't breathe. My chest was battered that it was hard to breathe. My throat was stuck as it was hard to swallow my saliva. I can't believe that my best friend is gone. The person I rely on was gone.

Uncle came out of the room

"I-is... Is she a-alone during t-the a-accident, Uncle?"

"Sh-she's with Liam, h-he survived."

What? He survived? Why it should be him who survived?! Why not Claire?

My lips tighten as my jaw tenses and jut forward slightly. I breathe much faster than normal. I can feel that I'm burning up inside.

He's the reason why we fought, why Claire had to drive a car that late at night, why she is gone now.

I run and searched every room to look for Liam but I didn't see his shadow. Is he in a different hospital?

I curl my hands into fists as my eyes are blazing in anger.

This is so unfair to Claire!

***

A week after losing Claire are otherworldly. I help Aunt and Uncle welcomed their visitors, relatives arrived from all over, and friends were scattered through the places where the funeral was held. Claire's relatives moved across the country, for how many years to be exact, but it wasn’t until today that they decided to visit. Sadly this is the day of Claire's funeral.

Nothing we do at this moment, aside from hurting ourselves or others, is wrong. She will be forever gone, it's her last here with us. I still can't believe that we ended up taking care of her funeral.

I touch the necklace on my neck. I failed to give her the necklace that she wanted for her last birthday. Instead, I made her cry on her last day.

Everyone came. Everyone, except him... Her boyfriend, Liam. I haven't seen him since the accident. Does he not have a conscience? He's the boyfriend but he's not showing up to his girlfriend's funeral.

He's a jerk!

I cried again at the thought that I won't see her for the rest of my life. It's hard to accept the truth as she was gone.

Minutes later a hearse and three limos arrived at the house. The family filed into the vehicles while the drivers loaded the hearse with numerous roses. Claire loved roses; they were red, and she loved anything red.

The family arrived at the funeral location where the service would take place. The atmosphere not only looked gloomy but felt gloomy, even for Claire's parents. Everywhere I looked there were no smiles… depressing. I hate this, why did she have to die? I thought momentarily before I took my seat at the front.

It was a sunny day, with birds chirping and flowers blooming. Claire should have seen this beautiful weather.

On each side of the casket sat two large candles. Both were, of course, red candles. Above the casket were the roses brought from the house. And in the background, faintly playing, was Claire's favorite song.

I decided not to see Claire's one last time. I don't want my last memory of her face will be in the casket. The casket was closed, and pallbearers carried it on their shoulders to the hearse. Friends and family followed.

As the casket was lowered to the ground, many tears were shed. Her mom, dad, and brother burst into tears as they have to finally say goodbye to their beloved daughter. Kian, her brother, granted to attend his sister's funeral for the last time.

I will be going to miss you my best friend, my sister, my other half. You always stay in my heart no matter what. I love you so much

***

It's been a month since Claire left us. I still can't get over and move on from her death.

I can't focus on my work for a month. My boss scolded me for being unproductive these days. I want to take a vacation but I can't go wandering alone. Claire is always with me whenever I take a vacation leave.

My tears flow down to my cheeks, I wipe them immediately. I remembered her again. This is hard to forget. So hard to let go. So hard to accept.

A knock on the door makes me immediately fix myself and my boss's secretary, Lia, entered my office.

"Amy-- you okay?" I smile faintly at her trying to bring the inside corners of my eyebrows up.

"What is it?"

"Time for the meeting for the collaboration with The Campbell Cocktail Bar, did you forget?" I took a glance at my calendar beside my laptop on my table. Damn! I forgot.

"Well... It slips into my mind. Ahmm, now?" she nodded. "Let's go."

I stand up and followed her to the conference room. We entered the room as everyone was waiting. I bowed to them to apologize for being late. I didn't bother to look at everyone's face inside as I headed to an empty seat.

The meeting started and I stretch my arms to grab the documents on the table in front of me to read them silently. I need to focus as this is important for the Manila Hotel.

"Mr. Liam Mondragon here agreed for collaboration..."

Liam? I suddenly tilt my head to my boss who just spoke while looking in my direction. I took a glance to my right, at the person who is sitting beside me.

LIAM!?!

I examine the front of the documents in my hand to see the name Liam Mondragon CEO of the Campbell Cocktail Bar. I let in a heavy inhale as I was astonished to see his name and him sitting beside me.

Why him?