♡TO CAPTURE YOUR HEART♡

제18장

♤THIRD PERSON PERSPECTIVE♤

As the clock struck 5 pm, worry began to mount at the Thatcher residence; Artemis hadn't returned. "I've called him ten times, and it goes straight to voicemail every time. This isn't like Artemis at all." Amethyst sobbed, her distress mirrored by Brynleigh. "He must be out there somewhere. We must go find him; he can't be far away." Dion and the others nodded in agreement. They quickly donned their coats and stepped outside, with Arreitty locking the door behind them. Amethyst led the way to her car, followed closely by Arreitty and Brynleigh, while Dion and Kiyoto hopped into Mrs. Thatcher's vehicle since Dion's car was in the garage for repairs.

Amethyst, Arrietty, and Brynleigh opted to turn right, exploring that section of Edinburgh, while Dion and Kiyoto veered left. This way, they could cover more territory. "He went to the hospital to find out why Wolfe had blocked him, so I suspect Wolfe is involved in why Artemis hasn't returned home yet. If I come across him, I'll make sure he pays for it; he's always been a source of pain for my brother, and I won't stand for it any longer." Kiyoto remained quiet in the passenger seat, unsure of how to respond or what action to take in that moment.

"Who is this Wolfe guy, anyway?" Kiyoto enquired after a brief pause. "He's a childhood friend of ours." Dion replied. "We all attended the same preschool and primary school together—Me, Artemis, Amethyst, Orpheus, and Emerald. But he only went to secondary school with Artemis and Amethyst." Kiyoto nodded, grasping the information, and then asked Dion to describe his appearance.

"He frequently changes his hair colour but usually opts for darker shades like black or brown. Honestly, I have no idea what his current hair colour is since I haven't seen him in quite some time. Standing at about 190 centimeters, he's a bit shorter than the rest of us. He prefers to keep his hair long, never cutting it too short, and often ties it back, allowing either a single strand or a couple of strands to fall over his face. And let's not forget, he has striking jade green eyes." Kiyoto nodded, feeling a twinge of jealousy as he listened to Dion describe Wolfe, especially the fondness in his voice.

Kiyoto chuckled, "You really like him, don't you?" Dion halted the car as the traffic light switched to red. "Feeling a bit jealous?" He playfully prodded, and Kiyoto quickly nodded, a slight pout forming on his lips. "Well, he was practically family to me while growing up, so naturally, I have a soft spot for him. He feels like a brother." Dion admitted, and Kiyoto felt a wave of relief wash over him when Dion referred to Wolfe as a brother.

"He has gone too far yet again, and I'm fed up; at this point, I can't see him as anything resembling a brother." Dion gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning pale. 

Kiyoto pondered, "Perhaps there's a justification." He made a right turn, steering the car down the road until he parked outside the St James Quarter shopping centre. Unfastening his seatbelt, he glanced at Kiyoto, an eyebrow arched in curiosity.

"What justification could he possibly have for continually hurting my brother and getting away with it?" Kiyoto let out a heavy sigh. It was the first time Dion had spoken to him in that manner, and it unsettled him. Maybe he should have kept his thoughts to himself.

"I believe we should be cautious about jumping to the conclusion that Wolfe intended to harm Artemis. It's possible that the times he did hurt him stem from some personal struggles he's facing. If you come across him, I recommend approaching him calmly. If he chooses not to engage, it could further suggest that he's hiding something significant." 

Kiyoto presented a compelling argument that left Dion speechless and defeated. Following this, Kiyoto unbuckled his seatbelt and exited the car after Dion. "Let's check out the whole centre; he might be here or he might not." Dion suggested, Kiyoto nodded as he followed him into the shopping centre.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of Edinburgh, Amethyst, Arreitty, and Brynleigh had already explored several stores. "What if he's at a pub or a restaurant?" Brynleigh suggested, which prompted her mother and cousin to nod in agreement. Without a moment's delay, they made their way to the nearest pub they could find.

As they stepped into the pub, the overwhelming mix of alcohol, stale breath, and sweat nearly drove them back out the door. However, their resolve to find Artemis kept them rooted in place. If he wasn't around, they could always explore another pub or maybe even a restaurant.

They made their way through the crowd, scanning the pub for any sign of Artemis. After a frustrating forty-five minutes of searching, they sighed in disappointment, unable to find him. "Maybe we should try that restaurant over there..." Brynleigh began to propose, but her suggestion was interrupted when Amethyst's phone unexpectedly rang from the back pocket of her bell bottoms.

She swiftly picked up the call and pressed the phone to her ear. "Did you locate him? Great... No, I'm not heading home just yet; just tell me where he is, please... Thanks, I'll bring them back to the house. You make sure to get our brother back safe, alright?" Amethyst ended the call and slipped the phone into her pocket before facing the mother and daughter. "They found him; he's at Panda and Sons. That's where Dion and Artemis had their twenty-first birthday celebration, remember?" Arreitty nodded, clearly recalling the pub Amethyst mentioned. 

Even though Arreitty wasn't at Dions and  Artemis's birthday bash, Amethyst had sent her a flood of videos and photos. The reason for her absence was twofold: she was in New York, and Brynleigh was only nine at the time, which was back in 2007. Plus, Brynleigh had school the next day, and no kids were allowed in the pub after a certain hour, which unfortunately coincided with the party's timing. 

Arreitty also didn't have anyone available to look after her daughter, and it wouldn't have been fair to leave her with someone on such short notice. However, the videos and photos from the twins' twenty-first birthday made it clear that the celebration turned out to be a fantastic event.

In the pub, Dion and Kiyoto stood on either side of Artemis, who was in such a bad state that it pained Dion to see his brother like this. Artemis was mumbling incoherently, his words a jumbled mess, and every few moments, he sniffled, revealing the tears that had been streaming down his face. "Excuse me?" Dion called to the bartender, who had been serving Artemis for nearly an hour.

"Yes, how can I help you?" The bartender replied, placing a freshly cleaned glass on the counter. "Do you know how much my brother has had to drink?" Kiyoto exchanged glances between Dion and the bartender, who nodded in response. "If I remember correctly, he's had fifteen and a half pints." Dion let out a deep sigh as he slipped his arms under Artemis's armpits to lift him.

Artemis began to squirm and thrash, prompting Kiyoto to step in and assist. Together, they managed to carry the intoxicated man to the car they had arrived in. "I'll drive; you take the back seat to keep an eye on him." Kiyoto instructed. Dion nodded and climbed into the back, strapping Artemis into the seat after a considerable struggle.

He quickly fastened his own seatbelt. "Are you ready?" Kiyoto asked, and after receiving Dion's confirmation, he started the engine and pulled out of the parking space, heading home.

In order to understand why Artemis was drowning his sorrows in alcohol, they would need to wait for him to be sober, a process that could take quite a while. However, those who truly care for him are more than willing to be patient. 

♡END OF CHAPTER EIGHTEEN♡