Bloody Hands

Last Hug pt. 2

We just sat and played on our phones.

"You made me curious" Gwen said.

"Am I?" I asked.

"Yeah, first you didn't tell me who you suspect poisoned your aunt, second you didn't tell me why a man was watching us, third why your grandmother went to California. You don't tell me anything and there's a lot of weirdness here"

"It's complicated. I don't know how to tell you"

"You know what's on my mind right now? I have a friend who is a criminal or maybe a mafia and the people around her have to stay away from her because of her enemies"

"You're thinking too far"

"Really, so tell me what happened"

"What should I say? I'm confused. How did I end up in this condition? How did I end up here? How do I get over all this? I'm confused. I'm trying to do something to stop this problem, because this problem is like an endless stream of water, but the more I try the more water comes out and now I'm drowning"

"How could I help you if you didn't tell me what happened"

"You can help me by staying away from this mess"

"What kind of mess are you in?"

"Something dangerous and dark, I guess"

"What you did, Sharon? What you did?"

"I don't know, I feel like, I was lost, I was lost in my own mind"

"You know I will help you no matter how far you get lost. I will help you out, but only if you let me help you, only if you let me help you"

"Thank you, but I can't bring you into this mess"

"We always make a mess, and you always mess up. You are troublemaker"

I smirk. We spent another night in the hospital. I hope Aunt Cate will get better soon. That's all I want right now. I woke up and saw it was 3am. I saw Gwen was still asleep, of course she was still asleep, we'd only been asleep for an hour. I got up from my chair and walked out, cold and quiet. Of course it was 3 in the morning. I was about to go back inside but a man ran up to me and called out to me.

"Ms. Johnson" he said.

I just looked at him.

"I'm David Kaya, I work for Ms. Renaldi" he said.

"So?" I asked.

"Someone has to take over, Ms. Renaldi position and I think the only one who can is you"

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry, I know I came to you at 3am at the hospital, but this is your family business and you have to do something fast. There's a lot to sign and keep an eye on"

"You can't do that?"

"I can"

"So do it, I don't understand this kind of thing"

"But"

"Don't say anything. I took her position and you just have to tell me if there's something I need to do myself, just tell me and you do it"

"Okay"

"How is she?"

"Still in coma"

"Okay, I'll go"

And he left. I went back inside. Gwen was still asleep. What should I do now? Without Grandma or Aunt Cate, this would be difficult. If I have to do something, I will do things right. I'm confused, Oswald won't stop. Who's next? What should I do? Oh, I need an answer.

8 am. My cell phone rings, it's from the lab. They asked me to get the results of the poison and the coffee cup. I was taking Gwen home, and I went there and took the results of the test. I opened the envelope and read the result. There was poison in the coffee cup and it was the same poison in the bottle and Aunt Cate's blood.

"You should start by asking one of her maids" Gwen said.

"Jack" I said.

We immediately went home and looked for Jack.

"You call me Ms. Johnson?" Jack asked.

"Did you make coffee for my aunt yesterday?" I asked.

"Yes, I do"

"So, you poisoned her"

"What?! No, why I do that?"

"You know the answer"

"I won't do that, I swear, I won't"

"So why is there a poison bottle in the kitchen and it's the same poison in the coffee cup"

"I won't do that, I swear"

"Really? I got the proof"

"I've worked with her for years, I can't possibly poison her"

"How I know"

"I swear, I won't do that"

"Who ordered you? How much did they pay you that you dared to do that to her!"

"I swear, I won't do that to her"

"Guys, take him to his place"

They took Jack away. Oh god, what's next? My phone rang, it was Kevin.

"Sharon" he said.

"Kevin" I said.

"Where are you?"

"Why are you asking?"

"I'm in the hospital, I want to see you, but I guess you're not here"

"There are some things I need to do, but I'm on my way there"

"So, am I bothering you?"

"No, of course not"

"Okay, so, I'll be waiting"

"Okay, I'll be there"

A few minutes later, I arrived and Kevin was just out of the hospital. I immediately approached him.

"Kevin, I'm sorry, I made you wait" I said.

"No, I'm fine, it was my fault. I didn't tell you I would come. You look better than yesterday" Kevin said.

"Thanks"

"So, how about your aunt?"

"Nothing, still the same, but I'll talk to the doctor if there's any progress"

"Soon she'll get better"

"I wish, by the way, I had to talk to the doctor"

"Okay, do you need me to go with you?"

"No, I can go alone"

I saw the doctor, Aunt Cate's condition is still critical but it's better than yesterday, the toxins from her body have been completely removed. But they still had to wait until Aunt Cate was past her critical period to check for any defects on her body.

"Why did this happen to her" I said.

"Everything will be fine, it will be fine. I have never met her but I believe she will go through all this. You gotta believe. Don't lose hope" Kevin said.

"Yeah, you're right, don't lose hope" I said.

It's easy to say all that but hard to deal with, just like when someone says you can do it, but can we really? These are just words of encouragement and are not always helpful. Even sometimes we say those words not to encourage but just to look good, a bitter reality. I don't know if I can, but I'll try. I don't know if Aunt Cate will be okay. I can only hope. Oh god.

"You want to stay?" Kevin asked.

"Honestly, if I stay I don't know what to do" I said.

"You wanna go? With me?"

"Where"

"Somewhere, maybe it can help clear your mind"

"Sure"

We left, this whole thing was starting to weigh me down. Every impact of all these problems, I have to think of a way out. There must be something I can do, but what? What can I do? I need them. Kevin took me to a cafe by the beach. The wind was blowing, it was very calm.

"This looks beautiful" I said.

"I know I usually come here when I have a lot of problems" Kevin said.

Flashback to when I was a kid, I was running on the beach and playing with my mom and dad. Daddy holds my hand and walks among the waves, and mom will look at me with a warm smile. Whenever I went too far, my mother would come after me. It was a beautiful time, but it has turned into a sad memory.

"Sharon" Kevin said.

I looked at him.

"You alright?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, why?" I said.

"You look like you're going to cry" Kevin said.

"What? No, I don't want to cry"

"Don't say you're fine when you're not"

"I, yeah, I'm not fine, not at all"

"I understand, it's okay, I'm here for you"

He took my hand and looked at me.

"Thank you" I said.

He smiled. We chatted for quite a while, he told me a few things about himself. His last name is Ross, he works as a section chief at Oswald's company. He said that some investors had withdrawn funds because there was evidence that Harry Oswald was doing dirty business, but that it had all been taken care of. Funny, because he didn't know that I was the one who did all that to destroy Harry Oswald.

"So, you have been alone since child" he said.

"Not really, I live with my grandma" I said.

"How about your aunt? You said you lived with her"

"Yeah, I've only lived with her for a few days"

"And you grandma?"

"She has to be away for a few weeks"

"So, you're alone"

"Right now? Yes"

In the late afternoon, Kevin took me back to my grandmother's apartment. Everything is still the same. I went to my room and took what was left of my things. I saw a photo of me with my mom and dad, the smile of a little girl who didn't know that her life would be so bad. I called David to send someone to pick me up. I went back to Aunt Cate's house. I went to the basement and found Jack.

"Ms. Johnson, please, let me out" he said.

"No, until you tell me the truth" I said.

"I tell you the truth"

"This poison will not just enter the coffee if no one puts it"

"I swear, I didn't do it"

"You want to know why you're still alive? Because I don't know who did it and I will find it hard for me to forgive it"

"Ronald, he told me to make coffee, he brought the coffee to Ms. Renaldi"

"Find him"

Ronald came. He looked at me confused.

"You are Ronald?" I asked.

"Yes" Ronald answered.

"You brought the coffee to my aunt?" I asked.

"Yes" Ronald answered.

"What did you put in that coffe?" I asked.

"Nothing" Ronald answered.

"He lie" Jack said.

"Shut up" I said.

"I didn't put anything" Ronald said.

"You guys are lucky because there are no surveillance cameras here" I said.

Charlie rushed into the room and informed him that Leo Hose had arrived. I immediately met him.

"Good night Sharon" Leo said.

"Good night, Mr. Hose" I said.

"You can call me Leo"

"Okay"

"I was on my way to Paris when I heard the news. I was so shocked, so how is Cate?"

"Bad"

"I hope Cate gets better soon, so are you taking over the business now?"

"Yes, I do"

"You were 18, right?"

"Yes"

"Can you tell me if there's any progress in Cate's condition?"

"Okay, I will tell you"

"Good, I hope she gets better soon and, I have to go. Good luck with the business"

"Sure, thank you"

That is it? He's weird.

"Charlie" I said.

"Yes" he said.

"Did my aunt meet someone that day?"

"Yes, she met Leo Hose"

"Only Leo Hose?"

"Yes, I guess"

"Okay"

When he asked about whether I would take over the business, his face was like he was hiding something. I know it's impossible he could poison Aunt Cate, but I have to start thinking that nothing is impossible, anything can happen and I will find out. The next morning, grandma called me.

"Sharon, how are you?" Grandma said.

"I'm fine" I said.

"I miss you so much"

"Me too. I tried to call Cate but she didn't answer"

"She's busy"

"Well, I understand. She treats you well, doesn't she?"

"Yes, of course"

"Good, I will be back if she treats you bad"

"No, she's not"

"Should I go back?"

"No, we are trying to solve all this and after that grandma can come back"

"I hate this situation"

"Yeah, me too"

"Can you come here? I miss you so much"

"I want to, but I can't, for now it's better for us to be apart"

"Of course, I know that"

"Oh, Grandma, don't say that"

"Well, okay, say hi to her"

"Okay"

Another lie I have to tell. This gets easier. I don't want to lie to her but I can't tell the truth. Grandma will be very worried. I went back to the hospital. She made it through the critical period but she is still in a coma. I hope she gets better soon. At least she can tell me what to do. Gwen calling.

"Morning" Gwen said.

"Morning" I said.

"So, how about your aunt?"

"She made it through the critical period, but she is still in a coma"

"So, so nothing good news in the morning"

"Well, I guess"

"Okay, how about you?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you"

"Hopeless"

"Oh come on, she's a strong woman, she can do this"

"What if she don't"

"What if she did it, keep believing"

"Believe? Believe in what? I can't find something to believe in"

"You can't see it because you don't want it. If you want, you can believe in everything just like when you were a child"

"Are you sure? I'm still the same girl you met in the schoolyard?"

"Of course, you are still the same girl I met in the schoolyard, and always like that"

"Thank you for everything"

"Don't say that, I won't leave you"

"Thank you, to me, you are more valuable than anything in the world"

"Well, that's too much, but I love it"

"That's a little disgusting"

"So, where are you?"

"Hospital"

"Okay, should I go there"

"I think no"

"Why?"

Suddenly, the doctor came into the room. Something happens.

"Sharon, are you still there?" Gwen asked.

"Yes, something has happened" I said.

"What happened?"

"I don't know"

"Oh god, tell me something"

"I don't know, Gwen, I don't know"

"But, okay, I'll be there"

What happened? I hope Aunt Cate is okay. Gwen arrived and we waited. After almost an hour, the doctor came out and told Aunt Cate she was dead, she was dead. Instantly my legs could no longer support my body. I sat down weakly. Gwen hugged me. I couldn't hold back my tears. I cried in Gwen's arms. They took Aunt Cate's body out, her face covered in a white sheet.

"She's gone. She's gone, cause me" I said.

"No, no, it's not your fault" Gwen said.

"It is, it is my fault. She warned me but I didn't listen and now she's gone"

"Don't blame yourself, Sharon, don't"

She hugged me. I guess all that was left was Gwen. After the funeral, I went to the graves of my mom and dad. I sat by my mom's grave and wept.

"Everything I do is just causing problems and I can't fix them. I spoil everything, everyone close to me is always in trouble, and in the end they will leave. Mom, if you were here, I need you. I can't go through all this, I need you, I need you mom, please, comeback"

Suddenly, I heard a voice, he called my name. I turned around.

"Kevin" I said.

I wipe my tears.

"It's okay, you don't need to hide your tears. I know you are sad. I understand this must be very hard. You can cry but you have to stay strong, you are not alone. I am here with you. I will help you through this" he said.

"You don't know how I got through all this without them. How can I stay strong through all of this. You don't understand" I said.

"I don't understand, yes, I don't understand, but I will be with you. You can say all you want to say and I will listen to you, you can cry, you can scream, I will listen to you, I will do that if it can help you"

I couldn't hold back my tears. He hugged me. At 10 pm, I came home. No one here, quiet. I went to Aunt Cate's study. The room was still the same as before. On the table there was a photo of Mom and Aunt Cate when they were young, they were smiling and hugging, and on the wall was a picture of Mom, Aunt Cate with their parents, my grandparents. The next day, Aunt Cate's lawyer came to ask me to sign a few things. What will I do now? I haven't even told grandma what happened. How could I tell grandma? She would definitely panic and it would be bad for her health.

Charlie came up to me and told me that the guy I sent to spy on Leo Hose had found something. Leo Hose met Harry Oswald. They chatted for quite a while. He gave me a tape between Leo Hose and Harry Oswald.

"So, Cate is dead" Oswald said.

"Yes" Leo answered.

"I wonder after Cate's death what that girl can do"

"She could do anything, she was hard to stop and control, Cate herself admitted. You have to be careful with her. She's a dangerous girl. Like her mother. Like all Renaldi"

"She's the one who has to be careful. She doesn't know who she's up against"

"At least I warned you"

"The only thing you should warn about is that girl. She thinks she can get away"

"I know you want to kill her, but you have to be careful, this is going to be more difficult. She has everything it takes to protect herself. I'm sure that girl will use all of that"

"You don't believe me"

"Of course. Maybe I helped you get rid of Cate, but I can't help get rid of Sharon, so I'll just warn you"

"Okay, so, you can't help me, I will do it myself"

I stop the record.

"So those guys behind Aunt Cate's murder and they want to kill me, let's see what that bastard Oswald can do. He will realize everything Leo said is true" I said.

"What you gonna do?" Charlie asked.

"I'll show them what I can do, I'll take it slowly like Aunt Cate always said. I will give them their share one by one"

"So, what should I do?"

"I have to prepare for college. I promised grandma, but that doesn't mean I will let them. I will send a special gift to them. I forgot one thing. Let go of Ronald and Jack and say sorry"

"Anything else?"

"No"

"Okay"

Charlie left. My phone rings and it's Kevin.

"Good morning"Kevin said.

"Good morning" I said.

"How was your sleep?"

"Not really good"

"I see"

Charlie comes back and tells him that Gwen is coming. I asked him to take Gwen to see me.

"Are you busy?" Kevin asked.

"No" I said.

"Looks like you're still quite sad"

"Of course, just yesterday her funeral was done"

"I didn't mean to upset you"

"Hi Sharon" Gwen said.

"Gwen" I said.

"Who is that?" Gwen asked.

"Hi Gwen" Kevin said.

"Kevin?" Gwen said.

Gwen looked at me with a confused look.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it" Kevin said.

"It's okay" I said.

"What happened?" Gwen asked.

"Nothing" I said.

"Nothing means something" Gwen said.

"Gwen" I said.

"Okay" Gwen said.

"I have some things to do, maybe I'll call you later" I said.

"Okay, talk to you later, bye" Kevin said.

"Bye" I said.

Gwen smirked and looked at me.

"Don't say anything" I said.

"Oh, come on, tell me everything" Gwen said.

"I'm not in the mood to talk about that"

"Okay, so you'll keep that sad face on, actually I came here to cheer you up. How about we taking a walk. Maybe that will help, or we can go to the cafe we ​​used to frequent, or we can go wherever you want"

"No, I just need a little time to get back through everything"

"You need some rest"

"Yeah, I need it"

"Alright, just call me if you need someone, I'll be here in seconds"

"I need you right now, please stay"

"Okay"

"You remember when you asked who killed Aunt Cate"

"I remember"

"Leo Hose"

"Who is he?"

"Aunt Cate's partner"

"You have the proof"

"Yes"

"So why didn't you go to the police?"

"The police won't be able to do anything, this is different. I have to solve it myself"

"How?"

"I don't know"

"Okay, you have to tell me everything, right now. So I can help you"

"No, you can't help me"

"So who can help you if not me"

"No one, no one can help me"

"There must be someone"

"No one Gwen, no one. You don't know what I did to make all this happen, you don't know the cause of all this. No one will be able to help me. I made a mess and now I have to face the repercussions"

"I know you always mess up, we all mess up. But I know you'll take care of all this. I know that, but let me help you"

"Thank you"

"Cheer up a little, I'm sure they don't like you in this condition. They may be gone, but their love will always be with you"

"I miss them"

"That's normal"

"Normal?"

"You don't have to remember all those bad memories, you have good memories with them. Remember that, make it a reminder that you had a good time with them. I want you to do one thing. Forget all those bad memories, you have to move on with your life"

"How do I forget it? My father died in an accident. I found my mother lying bloodied in the kitchen, my aunt passed out in front of me and she died. How did I forget all that? I want to but I can't"

"If you can't forget it, then stop living in it, you are always stuck in all of it and in the end it affects you, affects your every action and ends with you blaming yourself"

"What should I do?"

"I guess only you know what you have to do, but one thing is for sure, move on with your life, live for the present. I know wounds are hard to heal, but you can try to heal, you will surely find a way"

I think Gwen is right, the more I sink into the past the more I can't see clearly. But it's too late to stop. I looked at Gwen.

"Can I hold you?" I said.

"Of course you can" Gwen said.

I hug her. We chatted for quite a while.

"So you met him in front of a bar, he ask to drive you home. And suddenly he is always on your side?" Gwen said.

"Yes"

"Is that weird?"

"I know"

"I don't know if he is just someone who fell in love at first sight. But be careful, he could know where you are and your friends, so suddenly. I wish he's not a stalker"

"I wish"

Gwen decided to stay the night. Lunch time, all quite good. Gwen and I went for walks and spent time together. We sat in the garden and chatted. Suddenly, Charlie ran towards me and told me that someone was watching us. Gwen and I immediately returned home. On the way home, they still followed us until, not far from the house, they disappeared.

"Who are they?" Gwen asked.

"I don't know" I said.

"How do you not know they are after you"

"I really don't know who they are. This isn't the first time this has happened and you know it. Maybe they're someone Aunt Cate knows"

"So why are they after you? Why do they seem like they want to kill you?"

"If you want to kill someone you will always find a reason"

"I know you're hiding something, so tell me, what's really going on?"

"I'm also trying to find out what's really going on. I don't understand either, just like you. I'm confused too"

"Okay, I'm confused, you're confused, we're both trying to figure out what's going on, but I know you know a few things from this damn situation. So tell me what you know"

"Nothing, I have told you everything"

"Oh my gosh"

I don't think this is going to end well. Oswald is looking for a chance to kill me. Alright, I'll show him who he's up against. I'll just raise my guard. I won't do anything for now, I'll bide my time to take him down without causing a mess. This f*****g game will be more difficult.