Sunflower

Chapter 22

Chris

In the few months since I've been in Australia, I've done a pretty good job of keeping my mind occupied and staying focused. I've just completed an eight week training course and now, I'll start putting my skills to the test. I welcome the busy atmosphere of the corporate world. The long hours too. It's the only reason I'm able to go on anymore.

I have little time to myself these days, but the time I do have is mostly spent drinking. I thought I'd think about Lucy less and less as time went on. Why does it feel like the opposite is happening?

I guess before, I had hope to hold onto. I thought she'd come to her senses and beg me to come back. It wasn't until I moved here that I realized I had to accept that I was very wrong about that. I was probably wrong about a lot of things.

Lucy spent the entire past year of our relationship finding ways to push me away. I chose to overlook it at the time, refusing to believe that something so perfect could end up turning so bad. I never thought she's let me go. And now, all I can do is try to think of where I went wrong. When did things change?

Lucy has been through a lot in the past couple of years. She lost her brother, her parents divorced, she was in a horrible car accident. She started to change after all that, but I didn't take it personally. I was just there for her, whenever she needed me. I had faith that one day, she'd be herself again and things would go back to normal. But maybe I was asking for too much. Maybe I shouldn't have expected things to go back to normal.

So what could I have done differently?

And why am I still thinking this way when it doesn't even matter? We haven't spoken to each other in months. We're so far away from each other. The thought alone makes my heart ache. If she needed me, it would take two whole days to even get to her. Which is tough when we've spent so much time being right next to each other, every single day.

Unable to sleep, I sit up in bed and turn on the television. I mindlessly flip through the channels, looking for something to entertain me when I stop on a photo of Frank Sunday. I quickly turn up the volume and listen as the reporter gives an update on his missing persons case.

"The body was found just two miles away from Mr. Sunday's home in the Arrow Head community of Staten Island, New York. According to the coroner's report, Mr. Sunday has been deceased for at least a year, if not more. His body was identified through dental records. The cause of death, blunt force trauma to the base of the skull. While there have been no arrests in connection with incident, police do have more that one person of interest. Stay tuned for more details-"

I switch to another channel, hardly able to believe what I heard. Frank is dead...

I just knew all this time he was somewhere, maybe Mexico, living off the grid. I never once suspected foul play. And if I did, I would assume that either Lucy or her mom had something to do with it. Lucy's no killer though. If she had done something like that, she never would've been able to hold herself together for over a year. I lived with her. I saw her every day. We shared a bed. If she killed her father, I would've picked up on something.

My heart starts to pound furiously. Because while I can't bring myself to come to terms with it, I know the truth. It explains everything.

Lucy started pushing me away around the time of her accident. That's about the time her father went missing. She started acting different, but not so much that I would've suspected murder. Is that why she broke up with me? Because she was afraid I would find out?

What the hell am I even thinking? Lucy didn't kill her father. I know she didn't.

She may not be a killer, but she's lost someone else close to her. And this time, I won't be there to get her through it. I should be...