Ch 4

Chiara....you ok"

"Hey"

The voice sounded urgent but she has to bring her brother out of that place...he has to come with her so his screams won't haunt her...he's screaming again....

and he's draining life from her slowly ....

The ice brought her back,

"Ara..snap out of it" Eunice's frantic voice echoed in her ears

She was hyperventilating and her pupils were dilating ,another round of ice was dumped on her ,making her scream.

"I couldn't bring him back ,I couldn't....he kept screaming and I ...I ..." Chiara said through sobs

"Its alright, calm down ,a bad dream " Eunice kept on mumbling soothing words till Chiara sobs settled and her fingers stop clawing her skin

"I'm sorry"Chiara let out

"No worries....do you wanna talk about it"

"No,I'll just rest a while longer"

"Ok"

Eunice left and a smile left Chiara's thin lips. The girl cared but also gave her space,she would tell her in her own time.

A restless sleep overtook her.

She awoke to a delicious smell and went downstairs to find Eunice preparing breakfast.

"You're up,I can't believe u slept on the ice" Eunice chided

"Ice????"

"I dumped loads of ice on you when I couldn't wake you up,you were screaming and sweating and clawing your skin and...

"Yea,yea I get it ,I'll change the blankets. Let's hope it hasn't soaked the mattress"

"Hmmm...."

"I'll tidy up "

"Ok"

"Stop tasting,I bet there'll be none left if you continue... Aren't you going to work"

"I'm going, just wanted lunch to be ready for you"

"Hm,lunch already..."

Luckily the mattress was ok,just the heavy blanket took the burden. After changing it she freshened up and went to get her lunch. Eunice was gone and the house felt lonely.

Her mind drifted to the nightmare , she had it often but it hardly escalated to what happened today. But it was getting near ,the day she feared ,the day it all fell apart, the day the boy turned five ,the boy's last day ,the day she had let her brother die.

After giving chiara a day off,Jack had also taken a day off himself. Going off and around ,he saw her first but had no time to react when she look towards him. Clenching his jaw ,he said a tight hello and attempted to walk past her.

"Jack..."

Her own green eyes were glistening, she dare not tear up and make a fuss here.She reached out to hold his hand but he jerked away. Bringing her hands back to her sides,she smiled sadly,and the last person Jack wanted to see came from behind her and kissed her cheek.

Disgusted, Jack left them and kept walking till he felt tired and decided to take a ride home.

Drowning himself in alcohol he remembered her face and the man's hands as they had seen him. She was startled like the man but there was no regret in her eyes and he had stopped his heart from going any closer to love at that moment. The harm was already done, not to him but the woman he had loved most and he'll never forgive them for that.

He still loves her but sometimes he just can't stand it when she looks at him as he feels the guilt and the blame she never put on him. She stares at him with pain,pity,anger and love all rolled in one.

He won't forgive himself for steering her into their lives. A loving family fell apart because of him and that man who couldn't stay by his mother but had to cheat on her to realize what they had started wouldn't work.

They were the only reasons he got drunk and as he slowly sunk in the pit of drowsiness ,he couldn't think of anything else but his mother's eyes as they had cried out that day.

"Ari,we've got a few days to start everything"

"I know but we can't just leave everyone like that ,I don't want to leave like this....but oh a country would be perfect"

Sometimes being scared of marriage, other times she feels like she's gonna burst with joy but one thing was for sure ,she wouldn't backout.

Few days to wedding, a new scenery, job and a start of marriage life. Hoping, just hoping Chiara would be there no flaunting her happiness in her face but something to jerk her up.

Ari jumped in Luke's life as soon as an opportunity drifted by but soon realised without Chiara ,Luke was empty. Luke became himself but not fully after months and finally he turned to at her where she had been waiting and helping at the same time. That was a year later,two weeks after getting pain out of his body had he turned to her and then after Chiara permission ,he slipped out of her life but still remained her rock per a chance she may ever need him. She played her role but time's up, Chiara is being handed to her new protector unconsciously. Jack would do a great job reminding her that there are people waiting for her to come back.

"Ok,I get it,we'll try to notify everyone we're leaving, we'll come for visits and such" Luke voice penetrated her thoughts

"Hm,alright" she muttered

He stood to chastely kiss her cheek and she giggled.

My soon-to-be hubby.

"I'm home where are you" ,a voice sang ,well Eunice's voice actually

"Here in the study" I screamed

"Didn't know you had a study next there'll be a library"

"Actually there is,someone seems to be in a bad mood"

"Well I wouldn't be in a mood as you call it if I hadn't found out that you...you..." Eunice broke down

"I thought you were just ignoring me when you hadn't called for months as I was new to you but you actually tried to....to..."

"To what", though I dreaded the answer, I kept hoping it was something else she found out

"To what" I repeated quietly

She looked at me then and I saw pain in her dark brown eyes

"Why did you try to commit suicide.....and it was around this same time of the year...."

************†****†***†***†*