BLEEDING [✔️]

BLEEDING - 27

"They have grown much more stronger than our last meet." Clara stated, surprisingly in calm voice with her eyes  trained on the projector that was displaying the images of the attack of The Mafias at their hideout.

"They had Chloe. Now they even have that guy." Annoyed, Lewis spoke. "God knows what they would have done with her. I need to find her."

" Oh ! I see so even after all this all you care about is the girl." Sarcastically, she remarked.

"Shut up, Clara. She has nothing to do with all this. She is innocent."

"Don't feed me crap, little brother. I know you're head over heels for that girl."

"Just fu**ing find her." He retorted and left the cabin.

Lewis exited the building, got inside his car and immediately rested his head against the steering wheel. Ever since, Chloe was taken away he was anxious. He wanted to keep her far from Sam but his plan backfired and now he didn't know where and how she was. His inner whirlpool of questions was drowning him with no answers that could help him resurface.

"I am gonna find you, Chloe." He whispered, looking at their picture that he had taken someday during their break. And then, he ignited the engine of his car. Engine came to life with a loud growl and he drove away in the eerie darkness of the night.

Back at the house, Markus, Chloe and Sam were yet again seated together after having their dinner.

"You should get some sleep." Markus said to Chloe, who was sitting beside him.
"I am not sleepy." Softly, she replied. "Moreover you both need rest more than I do." She added.

"I am just fine." Sam replied almost immediately. He was again seated in the same way as afternoon, with his eyes closed and head resting against the headrest only this time his hands were folded under his head.

"And I already had a lot of rest. Fu– I have started to miss the world." Markus spoke, suger coating his words efficiently. Chloe chuckled.

"Since none of us is sleepy, why don't we play 20 questions."

"I have a better suggestion." Markus smirked impishly. "What ?" Confused, Chloe asked.
His smirk widened, "How about drink and strip." Shock crossed her face as soon as those words left his mouth. Her pupils dilated and brain stuttered for a moment unable to form any coherent sentence while her mouth dropped open slightly.

"N..n...no I am not playing it. I'll better go and sleep." She began to rise up from her place when Markus gently held her hand and pulled her down again.

"Calm down, Chloe. I was just kidding. We know it's not the game for you. Let's play 20 questions. Fine ?" She smiled and nodded.

All this time Sam had his eyes trained on her, and there seemed as if he was trying to take a look at her soul. The only time his gaze broke was when she turned her head towards him and asked, "Will you join us ?" He had closed his eyes again and mumbled, "hmm."

"Alright you go first." Markus said to Chloe. Chloe thought for a moment, then asked, "What are your hobbies ?"

"First question and you're not gonna like the answer." Markus warned her playfully. Chloe sighed, "Tell me."
Recently, she has been a part of lot of things she doesn't like and yet her optimistic self found a reason to be happy. She glanced at Sam from her peripheral vision and smiled shortly.

"Fighting and shooting." He said. She exhaled a short breath.
"Okay.." was all she replied, "...and yours ?" She asked Sam.
"Same" he answered. She did not understand what to say, sensing her loss for words Markus muttered, "Alright, my turn, so you ever got a boyfriend ?" At first, Chloe was surprised by his question and in an instant her cheeks turned rosy.
"No." Meekly, she mumbled.
"Seriously...that's quite hard to believe." Markus exclaimed.
"I was quite a nerd back at highschool and college and got only a few friends." Chloe told them.

"And you both ?"
"Another answer, you aren't gonna like nevertheless I am gonna tell you that I prefer having a little fun with the interested party." Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion as it took her a moment to understand the actual meaning behind "little fun" and once she did understand, she sighed.

When it was Sam's turn to answer she could feel her heart thumping loudly in her chest. If only one could hear it, her heartbeats would have felt like an echo of a name within the walls of an empty palace.

And finally the moment came and he responded, "No." The two letter word was enough to calm her down and she was feeling as if a great burden had been lifted off her shoulders. She smiled. Her smile didn't go unnoticed by Markus and he smiled just the same.

"So, my turn..." She trailed off and started to think, "...When are your birthdays ?" Merrily, she asked. Upon hearing the question, smile that graced Markus' face began to drift off. Chloe noticed the abrupt change is his expressions and her own smile shortened and she turned to take a glimpse of Sam, who looked calm at first glance but if observed carefully, his body had tensed. And then, he stood up and returned to his room.

Chloe had a look of disappointment as she turned to face Markus, "Did I ask something wrong ?" She asked, feeling genuinely guilty. Markus placed a hand on her's and said, "You didn't ask anything wrong Chloe. It's just that he doesn't like talking about his birthday and about me. My birthday falls on 5th of August. And yours ?" He asked the last question in an attempt to relax her.

"September, 24th." She replied.
"Great, we'll celebrate it then meanwhile go take some rest now." She nodded and he stood up to leave.

"Should I go and apologize" She asked his retreating. Markus turned, "He'll be fine. Go and rest." She gave him a nod again.

Around an hour had passed, since she had been in bed but sleep was nowhere to come. She just kept tossing and turning on the velvety mattress. She truly felt repentant for her naeivity that had caused him pain.

Finally, she decided to go and apologize to him if he was still awake. With bare soles, she silently walked towards his room. Yet again her heart was pounding as if it would come out any time. She stood still at her spot and repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to reduce her nervousness.

When she neared his door, she found it slightly open. She remained rooted there thinking if she should knock or not when almost inaudible whimpers followed by subdued whispers and sighs reached her ears. Upon hearing the sound, she gulped. A small part within her was telling her to return but she opposed it and decided to peep inside.

There was almost no visibility inside the room because of the darkness. The only notion of light were the feeble beams of the moon entering through the closed window.

From her viewpoint, she saw him laid down side ways with his arms stretched out, holding his phone in one of his hand while he traced something, she couldn't see with his free hand.

He kept on repeating something she couldn't make out until few minutes later, his grip around his phone loosened  and there was pin drop silence.

She concluded that he was asleep and lightly held the knob and opened the door a little wide. She looked inside, and found him sleeping peacefully.

With heartbeat accelerating at the speed of a jet, she tip toed inside his room and carefully walked by his bed.

She watched him sleeping soundly in the presence of the glittering moonlight. She heard his soft breaths and noticed that there was not a single furrow etched across his face, he seemed to be at rest. Her lips curved up into a small smile.

She observed their surrounding and saw an empty bottle of alcohol. Her eyes flickered between him and the bottle and her smile vanished and it looked as if she was going to tear up anytime. She saw his phone, different from the one he gave her to talk to her parents, flipped on the bed and as much as she wanted to see what was inside she couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

Before any sound could escape her lips, she covered him with duvet and existed the room, but not before giving him one last glance.

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