Rancorous

Chapter 33

PRESENT

Brevin

I woke up, the warmth of Coval's body in my arms reminding of me of what happened last night. What I'd done. A heavy weight settled over me and my heart throbbed painfully. Images of Coval's tear-stricken eyes and the pain she let out flashed through my mind. I held her tighter without even thinking. Tears welled in my eyes and I forced them shut.

This is what I wanted all along. And yet, I still felt empty. Maybe, even worse.

I glanced down at her.

Coval looked so peaceful asleep, but her eyebrows were pulled together. Like she was dreaming of something distressing. I ran my thumb in between her eyebrows before I could question my actions to smooth the stress and she seemed to find alleviation and calmness at my gesture.

I glanced at the clock on her bedside. 6:02 am.

My private plane would be departing in the next hour and a half.

I went back to look at Coval as my thumb continued to caress her rosy cheeks. A thought began pouring in my mind.

Mrs. Imani had told me that she wrote me more letters than just one. She had even admitted to it last night in the midst of her tears.

Could it be true?

Gently and carefully, I got up from the bed and made sure Coval was still asleep. Having her so close to my chest, it seemed like her body heat seeped through me, reaching my heart. Now, my arms felt useless, my body losing and missing her warmth, and it seemed like my heart dissipated the heat and froze ice cold. 

I watched as she shifted a little at the loss of my contact, but remained lost in her dreams.

"She wrote you a letter everyday after school, and on the weekends as well. She did so for a whole year and 2 days. And you returned all of them."

"I wrote you so many letters, and you sent them back."

My chest felt deprived of oxygen and I inhaled a sharp breath. I rubbed my face in frustration and confusion. I paused my hands halfway down my face, my gaze remaining unblinking as I turned to my left.

Her closet.

I opened the doors and walked in. Her clothes was neatly hanged and organized by tops and bottoms the same way they'd always been when she was younger. Her shoes were arranged with their respective pairs on the ground.

I ran my hands on the shelves above the clothing racks and found nothing but dust on my fingers.

Then, I recalled how Coval always kept her most prized possessions at the bottom behind all her shoes. She always hid her favorite legos there when her cousins came over to play.

I kneeled down and reached behind her shoes. I frowned when I couldn't find anything, until my fingers hit a rectangular hard object. Gripping it, I brought it out into the light.

It was a wooden box. My heart began to thump so harshly, I wondered if Coval could possibly wake up from hearing it. I absentmindedly held my breath as I opened it, thankful that it didn't have a lock and key.

Envelopes. With my name on them, written by Coval. I picked up the first one and blinked.

There was definitely over 50 letters in the box.

Was I dreaming?

I teared one open and read it.

My eyes widened.

Grabbing another envelope, I teared into it twice as fast and read it. My breathing became labored and I opened another letter, then another.

My heart sank with letter after letter, word after word.