Chapter 32
“June, what are you doing here?”
“I came to see Lola. I had been calling her, and she was not picking up, so I was worried that she lived alone.”
“You’ve met Lola?”
“When we met, she was at the mall doing some shopping, so I knew she was new in town, and we immediately exchanged telephone numbers. Because she is pregnant and lives alone, I became concerned when she did not answer the phone when I contacted her.”
“Well, I came to drop this off for her. Let’s head in.”
June and I headed toward the door. We rang the doorbell a couple of times, but no one answered. Even June tried to get in touch with her via phone, but she did not pick up her phone. I was forced to take drastic action and smash the door in. I gave the door a few good kicks, and it eventually opened. June and I went inside together. The house was huge, and we didn’t even know where to start looking for her. I’m confused as to why she would get such a big house for only herself to live in. Because the property contained a large number of bedrooms, we were forced to break apart in order to search in all of the different areas. After our search, we were unable to locate her, and we began to question whether or not it was appropriate for us to break into her home. But then we noticed that the fireplace was lit, and as we drew closer, we saw that Lola was perspiring heavily while sitting on one of the chairs, which indicated that she had a fever that was rather high. I used one of the blankets to wrap her up, and then I took her to the nearest hospital.
Where the fuck is her husband? Her ring looks very expensive. The cost of the home she purchased is significant. The cost of the vehicle she is driving is significant. Why on earth would her husband want to leave her all by herself when she was carrying not one but three babies? Does the man even know the whereabouts of his wife? Is Lola running away from someone? Is she running away from her husband?
A lot of thoughts are going through my mind. I don’t know if I should protect her or ask her what’s going on. But it is all too soon. Will I be in trouble for caring for her? Lola looks harmless. I will have to get her to tell me her story because she can’t continue to stay alone in her condition.
~Lola~
I turned my head to look outside the window. In addition to the heavy rain that was falling, the wind was howling, and then a violent bolt of lightning suddenly erupted in the sky. The weather was becoming increasingly dangerous. I sat up and pulled the blanket over my head. I had the impression that I wasn’t the only one in the room. I whirled around to face two of my new friends. I turned my head in every direction. I was in bed, but not mine. I looked at the two people who were busy examining me as though they were all doctors. Even though my mouth was parched, I was still able to speak.
“Where am I, and how did I get here?” “What time is it?”
Why is June here? Where am I really?
As I continued to examine my surroundings, I realized that I was not in a hospital but rather in a house that was not
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Chapter 32
mine.
“My house,” Mason announced at long last,
Why am I dressed like this, and how did he get into my house in the first place? Who took off my clothes? I glanced at the clothes I was wearing while giving Mason a dubious look. On the other hand, June’s response came rather quickly.
“Don’t worry, I changed you. Why did you move to Ozark, and why are you staying in that big house alone? We know you have money because you purchased that house, your expensive wedding ring, and, of course, you drive an expensive car. We are not in a position to pass judgment on you. We just want to know what is going on with you. If we didn’t care, we met a woman at the mall. Anything could have happened to you today. But my brother and I are not like that. We check on people every time as though they were our patients”
As I looked at the two of them, I couldn’t help but feel defeated. I’m not sure how I feel about talking to other people about the challenges I’m facing. I’ve always been one to listen to people’s problems, but never once have I ever told anyone my problems except for Dante. Of course, I never told him how I felt or that I was still clinging to the promise that we made to each other 16 years ago. I never told him either of those things, I waited for him to tell me he felt the same way. Unconsciously, tears started rolling down my cheeks, and I immediately broke down and started bawling uncontrollably.
“I… I just don’t want any of it. I just want to put the whole thing behind me. The promises, everything I want–none of it. I just want to live peacefully. Is that too much to ask?” I broke down in tears, completely oblivious to the fact that I was sobbing in the presence of two people I had only just met. I am aware that they have a lot of questions, but I am still undecided about whether I want to talk about the stupid promise that I have been clinging to for the past 16 years. I acted both foolishly and stupidly at the same time. June made her way over to where I was sitting and gave me a hug. The important question is, to what extent am I able to be open about Dante and myself?
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Chapter 33
