10 La Hōtō

Isabella's crimson eyes gradually started fading to pitch black as she finished her sentence. "Isabella, you good?" Her head slams on the table as she seems to have fallen unconscious. What’s with Isabella and her face getting hit all the time, first the door and then this.

I stood up and walked towards her seat. "pssst pssst Isabella, oi you awake?" No reply, no movement. She's not just sleeping; she's fallen deep in an unconscious state. Did she take some meds perhaps? No, why would she do that, but then what caused this sudden change in reaction?

Did Tyler.... do something? No I was right there; if he had tried something Isabella or I would have noticed it already. Then WHY?? I took a glance towards the table Tyler was sitting on. "hmm wine, napkins, and the beef wellington. The beef wellington. WAIT THE BEEF WELLINGTON!”

I remember Tyler talking about adding something in the beef Wellington, which ended up being served to Isabella. Was it the same waiter who served at their table? Well, only one way to find out. Shifting Isabella in a comfortable state where she looked more asleep rather than a human mannequin, I headed towards the kitchen. I made sure my phone was on record and perfectly hidden in my pocket. Immediately after, I saw a waiter heading out, with a unique red strand popping out of his hair. It was the same one if my memory serves me right; the red strand totally gave it away.

“Hey hey, I have the compensation my boss promised you. Did you do the job?” The waiter looked relieved and took me to a corner. “Phew I was worried he’ll run away, that guy looked a little shady. But yes I added the sleeping pills as requested in that woman’s beef Wellington. How much exactly am I being paid?” I let out a slight smirk and pulled my phone out, clicking the ‘stop recording’ option. “Three? Or maybe four years? Depends on the judge.”

The waiter looked slightly confused as he raised both of his eyebrows and stuttered. “Years..? I don’t get what you mean?” Should I tell him that he’ll probably serve a few years in jail for helping Tyler? I don’t really want to, he’ll probably start begging me to forgive him; similar to what Tyler tried a few moments ago, or tell me to delete the evidence. “Oh I heard you wrong, sorry. And yes about your payment. It’s a little huge in numbers so our boss himself has gone to the bank. He asked me to tell you to go there as soon as possible, he’ll be waiting there with the cash.” The waiter made a fist and raised his arm high in the air. “Disney world…. Anime Cons…Ferrari…HERE I COME BABY!” Taking his apron off, he rushed outside the restaurant after I told him a random bank’s address. “Well that won’t end well….anyways at least now I know what struck Isabella.”

Sure I know what happened to her but…WHAT DO I DO NOW? I can’t just leave Isabella passed out on a table. I headed back and saw Isabella knocked out in the same position I left her as. “Hmmm I should probably call the guard she was with….what was his name? Marsus? Marcus? Yeah something like that. He’ll pick her up.” I picked up her phone sitting idle at the table but it won’t work, you need a password to unlock the phone. What did I get myself into….

I’ll have to take her home until she wakes up I guess but, how the hell do I carry her all the way there. I took out my phone and called the person I knew wouldn’t be too awkward about this.

“Emmaaaaaaa, are you free right now?” I sat down hoping I won’t have to call my brother if Emma’s busy. “XAIN? WOAH rare for you to be the one to call me. And yeah I am free, whatsuppppppp” Well true…I don’t remember the last time I called someone just to have a talk with them, but oh well. “Emma, remember the restaurant named ‘La Hōtō’ a few blocks away from our home? I need you to come there as soon as you can, and in your car if it’s available right now.” A brief moment of Silence is how Emma responded to my request as I demanded her to meet me out of nowhere. “WHAT?? WHY THE CAR WHAT? XAIN ARE YOU HURT!?” For God’s sake what do I do Emma, she’s more annoying than my mom when it comes to worrying about me.

“No you idiot, I am fine. I’ll tell you everything when we meet. When you reach la Hōtō just give me a call.” If I tell her about Isabella on the phone she’s going to ask me a million questions, so let’s not do that right now shall we? “Okay okayyyyyy, I am actually outside buying some tea bags, but I’ll reach there in a minute to pick you up.” Despite how Emma is, she always helps me out. I have no idea why, probably because of her ‘too kind’ nature.

Waiting for Emma I lay my sights on the sleeping beauty before me. There’s something about girls when they are asleep, they look the most adorable, not talking nor annoying you, just being there.

‘Tring tring….tring tring’. I glanced over my phone and saw Emma's call. “Xain! my car is parked right outside the restaurant, where are you?” I took a glance from the roof and I could see Emma waiting beside her car. “Yeah I’ll be right there in a sec.” Am I really doing this? This is embarrassing… Well, not like I have a choice. I put my right arm behind Isabella’s neck and my left beneath her legs. “1...2….3... Here we go!” I lifted her from the seat and carried her in my arms. She was lighter than I imagined. The sweet smelling aroma from her hair was making my nose itch; being sensitive to strong smell is a pain.

I carried her all the way downstairs being cautious so she doesn’t hit her head again. Everyone in the restaurant was glaring at us but they didn’t dare to say anything. I hurried towards the entrance and I saw Emma soon enough. I should have recorded Emma’s reactions, oh boy were they a sight to see. She just switched from being shocked, to confused, to being awkward in the blink of an eye. “Before you make any assumptions I would like to clarify that a guy was behind this, I was just there at the right time and I found her unconscious, we need to take her home. I’ll explain everything in the car.”

Emma was too flabbergasted to say anything and just went with the flow. She opened the backdoor of the car and I let Isabella lay down, putting her phone and purse in the back. Me and Emma hopped in the front and took off back to our home.

Explaining everything from the top from where I left my headphones with her till the end where Isabella fell asleep, Emma was now starting to process what actually was going on. Or I hoped at least. "Oh I see, what will you do with her now tho?" Hmm good question. I had no idea where she lived or who her parents were, so It would be best to wait for her to wake up and ask these things ourselves. "Let's take her to your house cause you know my brother when he starts questioning things he never stops. So we'll wait until she wakes up. After she does, I'll drop her off at her home, okie?" Emma nodded and seemed okay with that plan as we made our way to her house.

"Lay her down in my room's bed, I'll go make us some tea" it's been a while since I visited Emma's house, although it still seems the same. "Oi Emma , reheat this too, we'll eat it together. It would be a waste throwing it away now." Emma took the chowmein's bag from my hands as I made my way towards her room. Laying Isabella down on the bed and covering her up with a blanket, I headed back to the kitchen to see what Emma was up to. I tried to ask if she needed some help but she kept denying it,so I sat at the dining table near the kitchen.

"Hey Xain, I was wondering....do you.. have feelings for Isabella?"

--CHAPTER CONCLUDES--