Heartless People

TWENTY-SIX

Hearts can break. Yes, hearts can break. Sometimes I think it would be better if we died when they did, but we don't.

—Stephen King

LUCY

Wiping my face over and over again didn't help. Nothing seemed to dull the pain, or stop the tears. I sat on the edge of our bed waiting for my Wife. She
was going to be here at any moment, and I needed to be strong for her, but the damned tears wouldn't stop falling. When the door jiggled, I sat up quickly with my hands at my sides.

"Did you see the news? Mila and Lauren are insane. Im famous babe well, my gun and my altered voice was. Who knew it would be so easy to—" she paused as she took off her shoes and looked me over. "Whats wrong?"

I said nothing, choosing instead to move towards her I before gripped the sides of her face and kissed her deeply. She pulled me to her, and wrapped her
arms around my body before she pulled back and smiled.

"What did I do to deserve that? Let me know so I can do it again!"

I didn't want to do this. I couldn't do this to her. She had lost the man who took her in and treated her like his own daughter all his life—she had lost her real
father. The tears returned as I bit my tongue. Mila had said on the phone to just spit it out, that it was going to hurt no matter how I delivered the news, but I didn't want to see her in pain.

"Lucy, talk to me please," she whispered, as she placed her hand on my face. "Did I do something? I know I've been overprotective, but I can't help it, I
just worry about you—"

I placed my finger on her lips and took a deep breath. "Mila and Lauren are coming back tomorrow morning."

"What? Why?"

"Baby, Im so sorry. Michael's gone," I allowed the words to rush out.

Her eyes widened as she took a step away from me.

Everything I'd been told spilled from my mouth. "Avian tried to have Clara and Ethan killed, but Michael pushed them out of the way andand took a
bullet he never got back up. Mila—"

"Stop!" Veronica screamed at me.

I tried to reach for her but she pushed me away while shaking her head.

"What are you saying? What? I don't-I don't understand. I spoke to him and Clara a few hours ago. Why are you saying this?"

"Veronica."

"No, this is crazy. You're wrong." She snapped at me as I moved to her once more, this time I pulled her into my arms. She stood stiffly. "You're wrong."

Her body began to shake as she held onto me. "You're wrong. I can't lose two fathers, Lucy."

But she had and I wished I were wrong. I really did, because all I could see were dark days before us.

How did this happen?

CHRIS.

I needed to see her. It had been only a couple of hours without him and it still felt as if I'd just been told. It burned to think about reality. My throat felt as if it were closing, like my heart crawled through it, just wanting to be expelled. My eyes ached, and I wanted to rip them out if only to alleviate the constant stinging. Mila had taken Mom and Ethan home, leaving me with Lauren  and Kain.

None of us spoke. We simply sat in our private waiting room in silence before I couldn't take it anymore. I had to see her.

We refused to leave without our father. We refused to let him stay there without us in a cold box as if he were no one. It wasn't right. I had planned to stay at the hospital all night when Mina called for the ninth time. Im not even sure why they bothered to leave her a phone, but I was sure it had to do with Avian—the fucking bastard. I was going to pull his lungs out of his ass.

The longer I thought about him, the more I thought of her. I had to see her, I had to know if she knew about this if this had been a part of her plan all along.

Lauren didn't even seem to notice as I took my leave, she just sat there with Kain, who stood at her side like a fucking rock. It didn't even seem as if she were
breathing. I didn't want to leave her, but I needed to know.

"Clara, stop, please!" I heard Mina's strangled scream as I walked towards the basement. There, on the bed, she trying fight off my mother who was on
top of her. She continuously punched her, and her fists were covered in blood as they slammed into Her face.

"You bitch! I welcomed you into my home, my family, and this is what you do? This is all your fault! Im going to kill you! Im going to fucking kill you!
How dare you! You filthy cunt! Die! Just DIE!" She pulled her arm back and punched her one last time, until finally, I lifted her off of Mina. Still enraged,
she struggled out of my grip and smacked me hard across the face. With tears in her eyes, she glared at me.

"This is your fault!" she screamed at me, before pointing to Mina, who now had a busted lip, a broken nose, and cut forehead. "You brought this trash, this snake, this evil whore, into our lives, our family. She wanted all of us dead and now shes getting her wish. For once in your goddamn life, Chris Jauregui, stop being a disappointment! I've always been on your side, I've always wanted
what was best for you, and this is how you repay me? By destroying me? I can't even look at you. How could you do this to me?!" She spat at my feet.

"Clara, come on," Mila whispered, but she refused to move. With a sigh, Mila pulled out a needle and stuck it in her neck. I went to help, but Mila shook
her head before she wrapped my mothers arm over her shoulder and moved towards the door.

I don't understand. Whats wrong with her? Whats going on? I haven't seen anyone in days. Not that I want to see anyone in this stupid fucking family.

"No one has anyone given me anything to eat—"

Something inside of me snapped. My hands were around her neck before my mind even made a conscious decision to move. I gripped her neck as tightly as I could.

"My father is dead and you're upset because someone didn't give you snack?" I asked her, feeling surprisingly calm as she struggled against me. Her
nails scratched my arms as tears flooded her bloodshot eyes. Instead of the absolute dread I envisioned feeling when this day came, an unnatural calm took over my entire being. I felt nothing but an urge to rid the earth of this disgusting virus I'd blindly inflicted upon my family.

"Chris..this..not..like...you-" she choked out.

"You don't know me," I said, surprising myself once again with how unaffected I felt. Pushing as hard as I could onto her neck, I felt something snap, not within me as I was used to when dealing her, but I literally felt and heard the harsh and sickening snap as her windpipe finally collapsed under the pressure of my grip and she stopped fighting. Her body went limp and I stared into her cold, empty eyes. There was hardly a difference now than there was last week.

That was it.

She was gone.

Just like that, nothing fancy, not by Lauren's or Mila's hands, but by my own.

And I didn't regret it. I felt absolutely no remorse as I looked at her already cooling carcass.

"I'll handle this, Chris, now go to your mother," Mila said from behind me. "She'll awaken at any moment, and right now she needs one of her children."

I gave Mina one more look before getting up.

Mila grabbed my arm before I could leave the room. "We will have our revenge, I swear it, Chris."

I wasn't sure how to reply as my heart tried to escape by way of my throat once more. Heading to my parents room, I walked up the stairs and it was
as if someone was physically trying to pull me back. Perhaps it was Mina's demented soul. Or maybe I was just damned.

Walking into the room, I stared at my mother as she gripped onto what I guessed was my fathers pillow. It seemed as though she was trying soak up whatever essence he'd left behind. Taking a seat at the side of the bed, I didn't even try to stop the flow tears.

What happens now?

-//-//-//-//-//-//-//-//-//-//-//-//-//-//-//-//-/-/-

So Mina's gone for good!

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