Love? Maybe! Lust? Definitely!

Chapter-16: Aw hell!

I woke startled by the doorbell and landed on the floor. "Oww. What the hell?!"

"Mmphh. Shut up" Radhika mumbled and snuggled deeper into the blankets. Rubbing my butt I scrambled off the floor and thundered down the stairs, as the doorbell rang insistently."Alright alright!! I'm coming!!" Where the F*&% is Brandon?! Why can't His Highness ever get the door? As you can see, not a very happy, morning person. "Charlie???!!!", I said, gaping at him and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "What are you.... What time is it?!"

"I'm sorry. So sorry. It wasn't my fault. I couldn't do anything. I'm so sorry..." He rambled, tears falling fast down his face. I doubted he could even see clearly through the tears. "What?! It's alright Charlie. Come inside. Calm down and tell me what happened!!" I tried consoling him, patting his arm awkwardly and leading him inside to the couch. Radhika stood halfway down the stairs, looking mighty confused. "What's going on? Why is Charlie here at this God-awful hour and where the hell are your parents, Lea?" "RADHIKA! Come help me out here. I have no idea what to do!" I exclaimed, running to the kitchen for some water for Charlie.

When I got back, I saw Charlie still sobbing and Radhika sitting uncomfortably in the couch next to him. He kept muttering "Sorry. So sorry" Radhika kept saying "It's okay. Tell me what happened.." But I don't think he ever heard her. Her patience was wearing out. Now here's the thing, Radhika doesn't like not being heard. "WILL YOU PLEASE JUST SHUT UP!?" She yelled. The sobbing stopped, and Charlie looked at her, eyes wide, awe-struck and just a tad bit scared. "Good. Now tell me what happened" I smiled, inwardly. Sometimes the best medicine is a good slap to the face. Metaphorically I mean. Okay maybe sometimes literally.

"Here, drink this. And start from the beginning", I said crossing my legs and sitting on the other side of Charlie. "Leandra? Radhika? What are you doing here? And where am I exactly?"

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Dr.Bell said "He's going to be just fine. Sometimes, he gets pieces of his memory back. The night of the accident, was pretty much a blur to him for years. He must have been wandering around all night. It's a good thing you knew him. I've had to deal with much worse. People who didn't know him very well, called the cops and I had to deal with all the drama. If you don't mind, I'd rather you let him sleep it off here. Moving him now, would disturb him".

Dr. Valentina Bell, our town's leading psychiatrist and one of the youngest women in the country to make such progress with the human mind. Mr.Dunham stood to the side, grimacing and looking super pissed. "I'm taking him home. If You had listened to me earlier and let me move him to a different city, none of this would be happening. But noooooo! You insist on letting him stay in the same city his mother died in and let his faulty memory attack when he least expects it. I refuse to let him stay here any more. I'm taking him home and that's final" he fumed at Dr. Bell.

"Mr. Dunham. If I may? Charlie is a good friend of ours. If its a few hours sleep he needs, he can stay here, can't he? We really wouldn't mind. In fact we'd love to have him here." Radhika piped up, putting on her best doe eyes and good-girl smile. I joined in, "And we promise we won't disturb him and we'll take care of him if he needs us to. Please don't worry Mr. Dunham. We really do care for him." Mom and Brandon stood away from us all and hadn't said a word since she dialed Dr.Bell. Mom spoke, "Mr. Dunham. The children are right. He needs uninterrupted sleep and he can get that here. I'll make sure my children don't make noise." Pfft! As if we were five year olds. Okay maybe Brandon mentally was. At the moment, he stood leaning against the doorframe and examining the faces of The Hulk and Captain America printed on his shirt.

Mr. Dunham looked between Dr.Bell and my mom. Sighing, he took his coat off the coat rack and let it hang over his right shoulder. "Walk with me", he said looking over his shoulder at Dr.Bell. "I'll come back in the evening. I have loads of work to do today and I don't need this right now. If he wakes up before that, one of you can drop him home" he said gesturing to me, Radhika and Brandon. "It would be our pleasure. Take care and have a wonderful day!' Radhika called after him cheerily, her grin spreading mischievously from ear to ear. She spun around and grabbed me by the shoulders. "As I said last night. It's time you spent quality time away from Pike." Giggling, she dragged me by the arm and bounced up the stairs gleefully. I rolled my eyes. Whatever it was she was planning, meant absolutely nothing good for Pike, ergo for me. Sigh... It's gonna be a long long day.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"So it's an absolute coincidence that HE should show up at YOUR door. Of all the houses on this street, YOURS!" Pike yelled, prodding me in the shoulder every time he said 'your' "I just can't believe the nerve of that guy. Showing up at your door early in the morning. He probably thought it was safest then. 'Cause I wouldn't be here." he continued pacing round my room, fuming. It was a miracle I didn't see smoke rising out his ears. Radhika lounged lazily on my bed, examining her nails completely disinterested in Pike's furious tirade. "Yupp" she replied, popping the 'P'. "Completely coincidental. And a damn lucky one too. The poor guy needed a friend. And maybe his sub conscious led him here."

Pike turned his glare at her, not that she noticed. "You probably had something to do with it for all I know. Maybe, you set it all up. Are you trying to get Lea hurt? That guy is psychotic. Has today not been proof enough? He's gonna hurt her and you're going to be behind it. Does that somehow make things interesting for you?"

"Actually you know what guys. Just please stop it. I need a break from your fights. We get it! You hate each other. But I love both of you, and if you want to be part of my life, you're gonna have to learn to accept it. And by 'it' I mean each other. You don't have to like each other. I'm just asking you to tolerate each other while I'm present." I intervened, collapsing onto my football bean bag, between the standing Pike and the lounging Rats.

"And yes Pike. It really was a coincidence and I don't even care anymore whether you believe it or not. The fact that you keep doubting and hating Charlie for NO reason whatsoever, is starting to piss me off majorly. And what is with you? You're always angry. Ever since...." I threw up my arms. "Gawd! Ever since last week I guess. You're never this way! What's going on? Either you tell me or you stop taking your angry out on me. Pick one!" I finished firmly. I was at my limits.

"I'm sorry, Piggy. I didn't mean to hurt you. I've just been stressed. Worried about you. And .. Charlie. I don't know Lea. Something seemed off about him. I mean come on! Hasn't that much become obvious to you now? That guy has issues. I don't know of what sort. But We don't know everything and I just don't want you to get hurt.", Pike said, lowering his head and running a hand through his messy hair. He looked sorry at least so, I guess he really was. "He can't stay here, however. And if he stays, I stay. You need..." His eyes darted to Radhika's raised eyebrow. "You girls need someone to protect you in case things go bad." he finished.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

This is bad. This is very very bad. What do I do now?! Leandra just can't stop can she? I don't want to hurt her! Of course not. "Then why do you feel like strangling her at the moment" A small voice whispered in my head. Grrr!! Why does that girl drive me so insane? She JUST DOESN'T KNOW WHERE TO STOP!!! I feel like screaming!! But I can't. I can't let them know. I can't let it show. "Keep the mask. She'll be yours soon. if it killed her to be yours, so be it. But she'll be yours no matter what."chanting to myself, I smiled the smallest of smiles. Nobody would know.

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A/N: Sorry!! I really am! I couldn't upload through the app yesterday. It's faulty. And I wanted to recheck all the mistakes I'd made while typing on the app and correct them. Spacing seems to be a huge issue there. Anyway. Enjoy. And folks? I'm goin abroad in a few days! (YAAAY!) So I will try and upload anytime I get Wi-Fi. It's too expensive to get a data pack on my mobile and travel abroad. My network provider is kind of a really rich beggar, and tries to steal from me every little paise he can. Singapore, here I come !! :D