Paper Hearts

𝔽𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕥𝕙 𝕠𝕗 𝕁𝕦𝕝𝕪

Chapter 21: Fourth of July

It was about five days since they'd been on the road after the time they spent at the campsite. Mateo drove around the city, showing them places they might've not seen before. Most of the places, Lex was unfamiliar to as he'd always been in his room or Sam's or his boyfriends' place.

The three guys each bought each other gifts from the places they went and even bought their friends gifts, too. By the time they could finally be at home, they were all exhausted to the bone, sleeping most of their way back. Mateo dropped each of their friend's home, dropping Fern and Lex off last. Lex kissed Mateo goodbye as he hopped out the van, grabbing his bags and walking up the pathway to their door. 

He was so happy, spending so much time with his boyfriends and finally being back home to see his family and his little niece. He's missed them so, so much.

He noticed a big patch of what looked like water and it looked fairly fresh, but he thought nothing of it, assuming that either his sister or brother had something to do with it. Maybe he'd ask later. He tried the doorknob, and to his surprise, found the door unlocked, which was a little unusual, but again, he thought nothing of it.

Inside, the house was a little dark, all the lights were off, and the place was cold and silent. The place didn't look too dirty, but it wasn't all that clean either. "Hello?" He closed the door behind him, walking tepidly towards their living room. "Nathan?" 

For a second, he heard the slightest of movements and then, the sound of someone sobbing and crying. Panicked, he dropped his bags in the hallway and speed-walked to where the cries were coming from. Maybe Anastasia was hurt. His baby, he needed to know if she was okay.

Instead, when he reached his living room, he found Nathan holding a wailing Lexis to his chest, his own face looking distressed. The living room smelled damp and the two looked so untidy, dishevelled clothes and hair and tear-stained faces. "What- what happened here?"

"Lex!" Lexis wept, jumping out of her husband's arms to hug Lex tightly. He was confused but also highly concerned. Rubbing her back to calm her down, he shot a questioning gaze towards Nathan who only averted his gaze to the floors.

"Where's Anastasia? I don't hear her." He dreaded whatever they might say but he waited until one of them said something, but his question only earned him another pained sob. "L-Lexis? You're making me feel very anxious. What-" He swallowed thickly. "What's going on? Where is Anastasia?"

"She-" Lexis cried harder against his chest. "I- she's... she's gone."

Lex's arm went limp, hanging like heavy lead by his sides. "What- you... what do you mean?" He knew the answer, but he hoped that whatever his mind was conjuring up was just lies, that she might be gone, as in, she went somewhere for a while. 

"She's... dead." Nathan whispered, sitting back on the couch with his fingers tugging harshly on his hair, his own tears falling. 

Lexis pulled away from Lex, watching the tears pool in his eyes. She put her hands on his shoulder, a crazed look in her eyes. "Lex, Nathan won't listen to me. Take me to the police. I killed her, Lex!" She screamed in his face. "Ran over her like the heartless bitch I am! Lex, please, let them lock me up! My Anna, she's gone." And she started to sob again, falling to the floor at his feet.

Lex took a step back. She... she ran his Anastasia over? Why? His hands shook at his sides, a wave of nausea washing over him too fast for him to comprehend. He felt so, so sick. "It wasn't her fault." Nathan whispered. "We'd gone on a date yesterday, left her with a babysitter. Lexis was driving and didn't see the kid run for her bike." He sniffed. "It wasn't her fault."

It wasn't her fault. 

Who was her babysitter?

Did that even matter?

"Lex, don't listen to him, please!" Lexis shouted at him in hysteria, "Take me in. I know you want to. I know you can. Do it Lex. Do it!" She was hitting her fists at his chest as she got up. Lex stumbled around, holding onto her elbows tightly. 

He couldn't handle this. What had come of his family now? If only he hadn't gone on that road trip, his Anastasia would've still been alive. Still breathing, laughing, and he would be happy to have arranged a doctor's appointment or something so she could finally get her glasses. He remembered her excitement when she could finally see colour. He wanted to exprerience her seeing colors everyday. Why?

Why did his baby have to leave so early? Four-years-old. Why was the world so cruel. He suddenly remembered something. "The wet patch outside, what is it?"

"It-" Nathan started. Swallowed. Inhaled. Exhaled. "It's where she died. Her neck snapped open and there was too much blood. It had to be washed away." His heart rate escalated so quickly, and the sick he'd tried to supress came up too fast, he thought he wouldn't make it to the bathroom in time. 

Everything he'd eaten that day came up and out into the toilet. Heaving everything up, he felt so weak and the acidic taste in his mouth made everything all the more bitter. When he glanced in the toilet bowl, it all looked like blood and gore, like he'd vomited his intestines.

He almost fainted, blinking rapidly and looking at the bowl again. But there was no blood, no gore, just vomit and chunks of food he didn't want to see again. He flushed the toilet, getting up and rinsing his mouth out, but the tears never stopped, not even for a second. 

With the weakness he was feeling, he struggled but found himself in his room, locking himself in there and jumping into his bed, numb and feeling horrible. He still felt sick, he still felt weak, and he still felt the pain of his losing his baby. His sobs bounced off the walls of his room, amplifying his pain as he felt how lonely he was in his room.

But he didn't want to see his sister's pain-stricken face.

What was happening in his life?

He finally found happiness, and then it was snatched away from him. He hoped his little angel found herself in someplace where she could be forever happy.