Im gonna miss you Isabelle.

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Chapter 24: "I'm gonna miss you Isabelle."

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"Elle?"

I hear a soft voice say. I open my eyes to see Aria standing besides my bed, her worried expression gone once she notices that I'm awake. I sit upright and pat the space next  to me indicating for her to sit down. She smiles brightly then kicks her slippers off and sits down, closing her legs with the blanket.

We sit in silence for a bit until Aria speaks

"I'm sorry Elle... for being a brat that night. I dunno, i just feel like this is my fault, that i did this to you."

"No. It's not you."

"It is me. You were so busy trying to care for me that you didn't even realize that you were sick."

"No Aria, this is not your fault. My symptoms didn't show at first, and when i started getting the headaches, i thought it was just all the stress from school and ma being in hospital, so i did realize it but i thought it was nothing serious but it was."

Aria just looks down

"Aria this is not your fault, and i don't want you to ever blame yourself for any of this okay?"

"Okay." She whispers

There's silence for a another bit

"Aria, there's something i need you to do for me." I say breaking the silence

"Yeah, sure."

I get up and walk over to my dresser, opening up the drawer and taking out a medium sized box, walking back to the bed i slightly lose my balance.

"Elle!" Aria shouts as she gets off the bed

I smile and shake my head.

"Im fine." I say before giggling

Aria places a hand over her heart before rolling her eyes

"It's not funny."

"It is a little bit."

"Maybe just a little bit."

She helps me up and we sit on the my bed once again.

I hand Aria the box. She looks a bit confused but takes the box and opens it up.

"What is this?" She asks picking up one of the four envelopes inside of the box

"There's one for you, ma, Kayla and Zach. I need you to make sure that all of you recieve one. Each of your names are on your own envelopes."

"I want you to give it yourself."

"It's for after Aria, after im gone."

Aria's expression is indescribable, blank, showing no emotion

"I trust you to do this for me."

She nods, then closes the box.

"I'm so blessed to have a beautiful sister like yourself."

Aria smiles

>>>>>>

"Where are you taking me?"

Zach doesn't answer. He just continues driving, not taking his eyes off the road.

Eventually we pull up infront of a Hair salon. Hair salon? Why are we at a hair sa- oh. I know.

"Zach i know what you're doing, and im thankful but you really don't have to."

Zach shrugs before talking

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Zachary." I say in a baby voice

"Isabelle."

>>>

"What's the occasion?"

A lady hair stylist asks as she seats me down on a chair.

"Urhm, i dunno, i guess i just wanna do something different."

"What's your idea of different?"

I sit in thought for a while as she places a cloth around my shoulders

"I got it!"

>>>>

After what seems like two hours, she finally removes the cloth and i look at myself in the mirror. My long light brown hair is now gone as my new hairdo which is now short and blue. Yes blue! My hair now stops at my shoulders, the tips are blue. Woah! This is really different, this is crazy! I love it!

"Thank you!" I say giving the hair stylist a big hug and then walking into the lounging area.

I see Zach frowning down at his phone. What's wrong? I walk over to him.

"Hey could i have your number?" I ask him trying to sound like those girly girls. No offense.

"No." Zach replies still not looking up from his phone

"Oh come on!"

"I said n-"

Zach talks but stops once he looks up and sees me. His mouth hanging open in surprise.

"Can i have your number now?" I ask before giggling

"Wow, you look different."

"You like it?"

"I love it."

>>>>

"I'll wash them, you dry." Ma says to Aria, as she washes the apples in the sink.

Aria nods

"Kayla the sticks!, I'll do the caramel syrup!" Zach exclaims, the smile on his face never fading.

I stand at one of the counters and smile. Ma is washing the last remaining apples, Aria is drying the already washed ones, Kayla is poking sticks through them once they are dried, Zach is heating the caramel syrup in a pot.

I smile even a little more remembering that making caramel apples was on my bucket list. Ahhh Zach, i love him so much.

"Wanna taste?" Zach asks me, pulling me out of my thoughts

I nod politely.

Zach hands me one completed caramel apple

I take it thankfully and take a bite. Yum! The apple covered in syrup is so sweet, so delicious. Can i have five more please!

I moan in delight and Zach chuckles

"It' so good!"

"I can tell, you got a little syrup..." Zach says pointing at my face

I wipe my lips with my hand trying to remove the syrup

Zach shakes his head

"Let me."

Zach steps a bit closer, looking deeply into my eyes then turning his intense gaze to my lips, he moves in closer with his face and kisses my lips gently. The sensation, the feeling, it's still there, just like our first kiss, it just gets better everytime. We continue kissing for a while but eventually stop.

I look at him and see a tear rolling down his cheek, i quickly wipe it away.

"Why so sad?" I ask him, resting my forehead on his

"I'm gonna miss you Isabelle."

Im about to reply but ma interrupts me.

"Time for the pictures!"

>>>

Ma, Aria and i are standing together on the porch, Kayla standing at the front door smiling at us, Zach standing behind the camera about to snap some pictures of us.

"Okay, Ready?" Zach asks looking at me

"No. I'd like a family picture please."

Zach furrows his eyebrows in confusion

"You and Kayla are part of this family and I'd like a family picture please."

Kayla smiles and walks over to join us.

Zach chuckles and sets the timer then runs over to us. We all stand close, smiles on our faces. I smile, facing the camera , Kayla and aria standing on my right, ma standing on my left and Zach standing behind me.

The camera timer goes off and snaps some pictures of us.

>

After the whole photoshoot, we put the photos in a album, sat down and just laughed and enjoyed the moment. Then Zach basically dragged me out of the house and into his car.

"Let me guess, the orphanage?" I ask buckling my seatbelt

Zach just pecks me on my cheek and starts the car

After a while of driving i get sleepy and push my seat down, i lay down and close my eyes.

>>>

"Baby?" Zach whispers placing his hand on my thigh

I open my eyes and see that we have arrived at the Orphanage. It's a small house with a big playground.

"You ready?"

I nod and unbuckle my seatbelt, then get out of the car, i seem to slip because next thing i know im lying on the floor.

Zach jumps out of the car and runs to me.

"Shit!"

I giggle at him

"This isn't funny. You could have gotten hurt or worse"

"I'm fine Zach."

Zach picks me up and carries me on his back. We walk towards the house and once we reach the front door, Zach puts me down.

He knocks on the door and a elder lady answers the door. She gives us a smile then tells us to come inside.

We walk in and i look around, i see four little kids playing on the carpet in the living room, they seem so happy. I smile at them.

"I forgot the caramel apples in the car, im gonna go get them quickly." Zach says letting go of my hand

I nod and Zach walks back out of the house.

I stand there awkwardly and watch the little kids playing. They're so young, probably like younger than six.

"Would you like me to introduce you to them?" The elderly lady asks, interrupting my thoughts

"Yes please." I say politely

"Jade, Hailee, Josh and Kyle, I'd like you to meet Elle."

How'd she know my name? I look down at the two girls and two boys. They're all so cute. Jade has beautiful brown skin and bright green eyes, her black hair in braids. Hailee is fair with brown eyes, her light brown hair in braids too. I look at Josh, he has light skin, dark blue eyes, freckles on his cheeks, his dark brown hair hanging on his shoulders. Kyle has darker skin than Josh, he has dark brown eyes, and blonde hair.

They stare at me for a while then get up and hug me.

"Hey guys!" I say hugging them back

"You're so beautiful."  Hailee says

"Not as beautiful as you." I say kneeling down infront of her, giving her a smile

"Who wants caramel apples!" Zach yells as he walks in

"I do! I do!" Josh squeals happily

I watch as the four kids run towards Zach to claim their caramel apples. A giggle escaping my mouth. I love kids!

>>

"It's my turn to seek!" I say, closing my eyes and starting to count.

I hear their giggles fade as i get closer to ten.

"Ready or not here i come!"

I open my eyes and look around the living room, under the coffee table, behind the sofa but i they're not there. I make my way to the passage but stop as i can't help but overhear Zach and the elder lady talking.

"How are they? Louis and Caroline?" The elder lady asks

"They're good, barely at home." Zach replies

How does she know Kayla's parents?

"And how is school Zachary? Still such a top student?" The elder lady speaks again

Okay im confused, the lady seems very strange anyway I'll just ask Zach later.

I walk into one of the bedrooms and search under the bed and spot Jade.

"Gotcha!" I exclaim

Jade giggles and gets out from under the bed

>>>

"It's time for supper kids!" The elder lady calls them

The kids gets up from the sofa and walk to the kitchen leaving Zach and i alone.

Zach rests his head on my lap, and i play with his hair.

"Zach?"

"Yes baby?"

"I overheard your conversation with Miss lang earlier, how does she know Kayla's parents?"

Zach sighs and sits up

"What's wrong?"

"I wanna show you something." He says taking my hands and getting up from the sofa. I Follow him into the passage and then out by the back door.

Hold up. How'd he know that this door leads to the backyard.

We walk over to a bench. Zach point's at the bench.

I look at the bench and analyse it for a bit. I see names carved into the bench. I see names like 'Leah, Troy, Ronald' i see other names too, i see Hailee's, Jade's, Kyle's and josh's names too, and then i see Zachary. Zachary? My Zachary? Zach was at this Orphanage?

I look at Zach and he nods.

I bite my lips trying to hold back the tears.

Zach sits down on the bench and pats the space besides him indicating that i should sit down too.

I sit down and hold his hands

"After my dad and mom passed away i was brought here, i stayed her for a whie until Kayla's parents adopted me. It was hard to adapt at first but I've got some good memories here." Zach says smiling at me

"I love you Zachary." I whisper

"I love you too Isabelle." He whispers back before leaning in and giving me a quick kiss.

I start to feels drops of water falling on my face and jump up. It's gonna rain.

"I think we should head inside again." I say getting up from the bench but Zach pulls me gently back.

"It's gonna rain." I state

Zach just smirks. Oh i know that look.

Next thing i know we're dancing in the rain, our bodies soaking wet aswell as our hair.

"You're crazy!" I say laughing

"Am i?"

It takes a while for me to realize that dancing in the rain was on my bucket list. I giggle. I did something crazy with my hair, i had caramel apples, i took family photo's, i visited the orphanage even danced in the rain. I did all the things i wanted to do and that's all thanks to Zach. I love him so much.

"What's number six?" Zach asks

"You'll know soon."

>>

"I'm feeling kinda tired." I say once we have stopped dancing.

"Yeah it's late, we should get you home."

"Thank you Zach, for everything."

Zach smiles and kisses me on my forhead.

Zach walks back in and follow him but lose my balance and slip on the wet grass hitting my head really hard. Clumsy me!

"Owww!" I say holding my head

Zach runs to my side, a panicked expression on his face.

My vision starts to blur.

"Shit!, baby! Elle!, can you hear me?!"

Is all i hear as everything fades away.

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A few more chapters to go!

Thanks for reading.

Keep going

Stay beautiful♡

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