Caught In Your Chaos ✓

Chapter Seventy

"I hate them so much," I gritted, taking a seat beside Jake. The words came out as a surprise for me, and I felt the same burn in my heart. The way Brinda's body spasmed with pain as Jake carried her down the stairs of the Retirement home had started the fire. She had a seizure when she somehow got hold of her son's childhood picture from an old trunk. Hatred was what I felt for the ones who were responsible for her son's demise. That hatred only set its root deep in my heart every time her body convulsed in my hold and the way Jake's face twisted as she cried in agony.

The whole ride to the hospital was full of nerve-wrenching helplessness. It was even more excruciating to see that Brinda wasn't the only one suffering. Jake was pretty shaken up too. Even when we brought her to the hospital and she was under immediate attention from the medical staff, he didn't regain his calm. His forehead glistered with cold sweat, and his entire body was trembling when I held his hand. He momentarily stopped pacing across the hallway outside Brinda's room when I ran my hands through his tense shoulders.

Maybe that was also one of the reasons for the fire in my chest. But the moment I said those words, Jake's body went rigid. His dark eyes reflected a spiral of emotions, pain, disappointment, and something I couldn't grab at that instant. He pulled himself out of my hold, maintaining that intense gaze with me.

"You hate them?" Jake's voice was deep but shaky. He possibly felt more anguish than me. He might be good at hiding, but I read it all over his face how much troubled his soul was at that moment. That's what I thought.

"Of course, I hate them a lot. Because of their recklessness, a mother lost her son, and look where they got her. I'm sure they must be enjoying their lavish lifestyle while Brinda has to go through this pain every day." I spat, crossing my arms across my chest. "Don't you hate them too? You seem closer to her, and given the bond you two share, it must be hard not to feel like I'm feeling right now."

He didn't say anything, but his jaw locked, and his eyes turned a shade deeper. "I hate them too, Amy," he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. His eyes were tear-soaked when they met mine. He laughed through his tears. "I hate the person more than anyone could imagine. I loath him with all my heart."

The next second, his tensed back faced me, shutting me out. I was about to place my hand over his shoulder, but he turned towards me almost immediately. "I will drop you back to the apartment."

"What about you?" I asked but didn't receive a response. By the time I could register his snappy behavior, he was already halfway down the corridor. There was certainly something going on in his mind, something I knew wasn't pretty. I had known him enough to envisage his grimaces. I followed him nonetheless.

The ride back to his apartment was quiet. Jake held the steering a little too tightly. I could feel the coldness in his aura as if he had put on some blanket around his whole existence. Suddenly, Jake felt too far away to reach. I knew he was hiding so many emotions underneath his undulating façade. His eyes were no more showing any other emotion other than agitation.

As soon as we reached the high rise, he shut off the engine almost mechanically, still maintaining his icy cold composer. He was waiting for me to step out but hadn't said a word. Very carefully and in a calculative way, I placed my hand over his knuckles, rubbing them softly. But like all the other times, he didn't relax under my touch. Instead, he tensed some more. His eyes flickered towards our connected hands for one second before he pulled his hand out of my grasp.

"Go upstairs, Amy," he said in a voice devoid of all emotions. "Get some sleep, and don't forget to lock the door."

I watched him in confusion. The guy had earnest mental issues. He either behaved too good to be true or too rude to be dead. I wanted to snap at him, but I was too drained to handle his mood swings. "And where exactly are you going?"