The Lonely Hearts

Chapter 17

After Ryan dropped Zoyee at her house, she quickly texted Archie-

:Just reached home. Going to freshen up. Talk later.

She placed her phone on the bedside table and headed to the washroom letting the warm water soothe the exhaustion from the long day. When she returned her phone screen showed no reply.  "He must be busy," she told herself glancing at the clock. Their final exams have ended today and everyone deserves a break. She climbed into bed while keeping her mobile beside her pillow and stared at the ceiling for a while waiting for his text. But as minutes turned into hours sleep overtook her.  The next morning Zoyee woke up to sunlight streaming through her window. Her phone was still beside her, untouched. She quickly unlocked it only to see her message from last night still marked as sent not delivered. It had been 14 hours and Archie hadn't even seen it. Frowning she decided to call him. But first she needed to freshen up. Once she was done with her morning routine she sent another text-

:Good morning. Hope everything's fine. Call me or text me back when you can.

When she got no response again, she dialed his number but again she became disappointed. After trying to call him two more times she headed downstairs for breakfast. It was Sunday which meant her mom was home. "Good morning, sweetheart," Siri greeted with a warm smile as Zoyee entered the kitchen. "How was your sleep?" "Morning, mom. Slept really well after a long time I guess." "Hmm the exam must have been exhausting, right?" "Yeah," Zoyee replied trying to hide her unease. But as they say you can hide your emotions from anyone but your mom. Siri also caught it. "Something bothering you?" Zoyee forced a small smile, "It's nothing. Just worried about the orientation program in two weeks. Archie and I haven't started practicing yet. As it is my first time performing on a stage, I want it to be perfect." "Oh, that's all? You'll get it done, don't worry. Now come help me with breakfast." Grateful for the distraction, Zoyee joined her mom in the kitchen. The two chatted about small things as they cooked pancakes and fried eggs together.   "Mom, you were working on a project, right?" So,  how's that going?" "Yeah, it's almost finished. Let's see if my boss likes it or not." "Don't worry, she will definitely like it. You have worked really hard for this project." "Hmm, let's hope for the best.

As they were about to sit, suddenly the doorbell rang. "Were you expecting someone?" "No mom. What about you?" "Me neither. I'll get it," Siri said wiping her hands on a towel. As she opened the door she was immediately engulfed in a bear hug, "Surprise." "Evan!" Siri exclaimed pulling back to look at her son. "Missed me, guys?" Evan said grinning as he entered the house. Hearing this Zoyee came to the living room. "Evan!" she almost cried throwing her arms around her brother. She hadn't seen him in almost four months because of their academic pressure and busy schedule. "I miss you a lot." "Missed you too," Evan said hugging her back tightly. "Wow you just forgot about my existence after meeting your sister?" Siri said with a fake angry tone. "Of course not, mom. Come here." The three gave a bear hug. The three finally sat down for breakfast together. Zoyee couldn't stop smiling at her brother's unexpected arrival. "I thought you weren't coming until next week," Siri said pouring him a glass of juice. "Yup that was the plan but I thought I would surprise my two favorite ladies. So here I am," Evan replied munching on his breakfast. "Best surprise ever," Zoyee replied with a big smile on her face. They laughed and chatted about everything- Evan's study, Zoyee's exams and even their mom's new recipe experiments. For a while Zoyee's worries about Archie melted away as the room filled with warmth and laughter. Midway through the conversation Siri's expression turned serious. "So… how's everything at your dad's place? Is his new wife… treating you um... well?" Evan's smile faltered slightly but he quickly recovered, "She's fine, Mom. A little too nosy for my liking but nothing I can't handle." His mom sighed, "You'd tell me if she wasn't, right?" "Of course, Mom," Evan reassured her, "I'm good, really. And if things ever get too much, I'll just pack up and move here. Simple." Siri smiled faintly but her eyes softened with emotion. "You know you always have a home here and now you're also adult enough to make your own decisions." "I know. Don't worry about me, okay? I'm tougher than I look, mom." The conversation shifted back to lighter topics and the room was filled with laughter again.

After breakfast Zoyee excused herself and tried calling Archie again. This time the call didn't even go through. It said 'out of reach'. Her heart sank. Archie had never done this before. He always replied even if he was busy. Worry and negative thoughts began to creep in. Just then Evan knocked on her door. "Hey, you okay? You've been checking your phone like a creepy person since I came." Zoyee hesitated but eventually opened up. She always shared everything with her brother and he already knew about Archie. "It's Archie. He hasn't replied to my texts or picked up my calls since yesterday and now his phone's out of reach. It's so unlike him." Evan leaned forward. His tone was serious, "Have you tried going to his place?" "Honestly, I didn't think about it." "Don't worry, if you can't reach him by this afternoon, we'll go to his place together," Evan reassured her. "Thanks but you don't have to accompany me. You just came home this morning. You might be tired and..." Evan cut her off, "Of course I have to. You're my sister. If you're worried, I'm also worried. Besides, I wouldn't miss the chance to meet this guy who means so much to you." Zoyee smiled faintly, "Thanks, Evan." "Anytime. Now don't stress too much. We'll figure it out together." "Hmm alright." By afternoon Zoyee couldn't take the silence anymore. She and Evan headed to Archie's apartment. "I don’t know his flat number. I just know the building," Zoyee said as they arrived. "Let's ask the security guard," Evan suggested. They approached the guard and Zoyee showed him a picture of Archie. "Excuse me, do you know which floor or flat he lives in?"
The guard nodded recognizing Archie instantly, "Oh yes, I know. But he is not here right now." "What do you mean by that?" "He left yesterday afternoon with a backpack and some friends in his car. Looked like they were going on a trip." Zoyee froze. A trip? Without telling her? Her chest tightened as confusion and hurt flooded her. "Thank you," Evan said sensing her distress. He led her away gently. "Come on, Zoyee. Let's take a walk to the park nearby and have some ice cream. "No, Evan. I'm not feeling good. Let's go home." "You'll feel better trust me. You need a break now. This time Zoyee nodded silently, letting him guide her. She couldn't understand why Archie hadn't mentioned anything to her. It wasn't like him.

Sitting on a park bench with a melting cone in her hand, Zoyee stared at the ground. "Why didn't he tell me, Evan? Was he mad at me?" she finally asked. Her voice was barely above a whisper, "Did I do something wrong?" Evan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Hey, don't jump to conclusions. You don't know the whole story yet. Maybe it was a last minute plan. Maybe he thought you'd be busy after exams. There could be a hundred reasons, Zoyee." "But this is the first time he's ever ignored me like this," tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Evan's eyes soften immediately. He knew that because of her parents, his sister always was afraid of trusting someone let alone falling in love. But this time she took the risk. That's why, she is in this vulnerable state but he couldn't stand seeing her kike this. "Listen, if he's the guy you think he is, he'll have a good explanation and if he doesn't…" Evan's tone grew firmer, "...then he's not worth your tears." Zoyee nodded but couldn’t shake the heaviness in her chest. The only thing she knew was that she wouldn't be able to rest until she got answers. For now all she could do was wait and hope that Archie had a good reason for his silence. "Now finish your ice cream, girl. It's already melting." After sometime the siblings came home but Zoyee was still upset and that couldn't be ignoed by their mom. "What happened, Zoyee?" Siri asked but Zoyee straight went to her room as if she didn't hear her mom. "What happened to her?" she asked Evan as soon as he entered the house. "Ohh, she... no no, actually we had a small fight over which ice cream flavor should we have. Yeah... that's it." "Oh you kids! When will you become mature?" Siri scolded Evan. "Sorry mom. Ww won't fight again." "Hmm that's better."

[A.N. : Hello guys. How are you all doing? I hope you will enjoy this chapter. The story has almost come to an end. A few more chapters left. Do comments and let me know if you're enjoying this or not. As it is my first time trying to write something, so feel free to give any kind of advice. Don't forget to vote this chapter. If you have not read the previous chapters, then kindly read them too. I will try my best to give update by next week. Till then take care. xoxo]