Unrealistic Reality

Chapter 39: Unrealistic Reality

When everything clicked in my mind, I had a feeling I would collapse. I didn't set a foot into my mom's room since she died. Her smell, her clothes, just everything that was from her was in that room. I couldn't get a grip on my feelings and I really needed someone to help me. I knew Jamie was home and available, but I didn't want to let him feel this pain too. I grabbed my phone and called Charlie.

"Hey babe" he picked up the phone. The butterflies in my stomach awakened by his words. He was just too cute.

"Hey" I whispered back.

"What's wrong?" his concerned voice asked me. I tried to put my feelings into words, but all I could do was choke and break down crying.

"Chloe, are you alright?" he asked. When I didn't react, I heard him stand up and he yelled in the phone, "I am coming right now! Stay where you are." He hung up the phone while I said on the ground with my head on my knees. I couldn't do this. I wanted to give up, but I knew that if I did, everything I did was for nothing.

People died for us, for me, and I had to go on and honor their deaths.

Whatever it takes.

I heard faint footsteps on the stairs but didn't react as I knew it was Charlie. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw his face in front of me. He lifted up my chin and looked me in the eyes. When he saw the tears, he understood. He pulled me in his chest and I cried in the crock of his neck. "Shh, baby, it's okay. It's all okay." He soothed me. He slowly made circles all over my back and kissed my hair. When the tears dried down, I sat up and looked him in the eyes.

"Thank you for always being here when I need you the most." I said, and kissed him slowly on the lips. He immediately responded and pulled me closer. The kiss was slow and passionate, with no rush, only our feelings spoke. My head was one big mess, because I thought I was stronger than this. I thought I didn't need to cry, I just had to be hard and move on. But I can't. My mother is dead, gone forever. The realization hit me way too late, and I pulled back of our kiss.

Charlie looked at me with questioning eyes, but I avoided them. "My mom is dead." I softly whispered. Charlie nodded his head and threw an arm around my shoulder.

"I know."

I didn't even react, I only stood up and walked to my mom's room. An unknown force pushed me that way, knowing I need a little push to do the right thing. In a haze, I opened the door and walked to my mom's desk. I didn't take up my surroundings, I only focused on the box. When the small black box was safely in my hand, I turned around and faced the room.

It was still the same. The only thing that changed was the red stain in the carpet. It gave me the creeps and everything that happened that night came rushing back into my mind. My cover that was exposed, the look on Mark's face when he told me he would get back it me, my feelings when I rushed to home, when I found her lying on the ground.

I looked at the stain with nothing but an empty mind.

Suddenly, something snapped in my mind and anger blinded my eyes. I ran through her bed and threw all the blankets and pillows off of her bed. I grabbed the desk and turned it around, making a huge noise when all the stuff fell on the ground. I walked to the wall and punched it to no end.

My knuckles were bleeding, but I didn't care. I needed to release my anger. I took a step back and heard the glass break. I looked down and grabbed the photo. It was a picture when Jamie, mom, dad and I were together in Spain. We were so happy, as a real family. I put my hands over the figures of mom and dad, knowing I would never see them again.

I looked at the photo and made my decision. Let hardship defeat me, or let anger fuel me. I looked at the photo one last time and threw it on the ground, breaking the glass into a million pieces, just like my heart.

This felt great.

When I turned around, Jamie and Charlie stood by the door, looking at me with wide eyes. I picked up the box and walked past them, ignoring them completely. They followed me to my room and sat down on my bed.

"I can't believe you have so much anger in your small body" Jamie said to me. He still looked at me with wide eyes full of proud, love and sadness. I nodded and turned my attention back to the box. I opened it and immediately saw the letter, but I ignored it for a minute.

There was a small, silver necklace laying there and I recognized it as the best. It was my mom's. She wore it when she married dad. She told me that when I would marry, she would give this necklace to me and wanted me to wear it. I grabbed it and held it up. The little heart shined in the light and I laid it down on my hand.

Jamie came closer and looked at it. "I remember this." I could hear his voice break, but he held it in. I looked up in his teary eyes and he smiled at me.

"Can I put it on for you?" he asked. I nodded and put my hair high. He put it on, leaving his finger trail the silver a little bit longer.

When he was done, he looked at me and pulled me in a hug. "You look exactly like mom, with the same shining blue eyes and golden blond hair. You can be proud Chloe. I know I sound like dad right now, but it's true. You are so beautiful, and you don't even know it" he whispered in my ear. A big smile came onto my face and I kissed his cheek.

"I love you Jamie."

"I love you too. But hey, why did you need that box?" Jamie asked curiously when he saw it again. Charlie stood beside me and looked at me with questioning eyes.

"The next letter is hidden in here."

~

I sat on my bed, with Charlie and Jamie right next to me. We were all curious about what kind of information would be in the letter this time. I slowly opened it, but before I could read it, Jamie pulled it out of my hands and stated to read.

"Lies are beautiful things. You can use them every time you are in trouble, and everyone will believe you, but only if you are good at it.

And let me tell you this, I was the master of lying.

I lied every day, every hour, every night, even now I could be lying. But that's for you to find out. If you are smart, you would go back to the beginning. Back where everything begun. When did I lie to you? When did I speak the truth? How do you know it's actually me?

There is only one way to find out.

Follow your heart. Follow what you think is right, and you will find the next and last letter. When this is all over, you will know the truth. There are no more lies, no more stupid broken promises.

There will be only truth left.

Your path will be lead, but only if you look close enough you will find your true way."

"Seriously?" Jamie exclaimed. "I am beginning to get sick and tired of this shit. I want it to be over, so that I can kill the person who killed our dad." He turned to me and Charlie and scowled.

"I will not rest until that bastard is in the ground, rotting in his own guilt and blood." Jamie's words made me smile. I was so proud of him. I grinned evilly at Jamie and he stared back at me.

Then my eyes met Charlie's. He wasn't focussed on us, but on his phone again. My laugh faltered when his eyes met mine.

He wasn't happy or angry. He was sad and I couldn't seem to figure out why. He turned to me and grabbed my hand.

"Chloe, your anger is getting out of hand. Please, be sure to control it, or it might not end well." He stood up and looked down at me and Jamie.

"I have to go. I see you guys later."

Where is he going and what did he mean?