Lost

Chapter 12

I walked into Crystals new job. She got fired for jumping over the counter that day. It's unsanitary.

Ever since Angel moved out I've been talking to Crystal to check on Angel. Last time I was here she told me that Angel wasn't acting the way that she usually does.

I walked over to the counter that Crystal usually works at. She wasn't there. Angel must've come.

I went to an empty spot and sat down. I looked around at all the people. There was only a couple more people who were sitting alone, the rest of the people had someone to talk to or laugh with.

"How you doing?" I jumped a bit. I looked at the other side of the table. Angel sat at the other end of the table smiling.

"Good. How are you?"

"I've been better." Her smile got smaller. "Crystal doesn't work here anymore, if that's why you came here." She looked at her fingers tapping on the table.

I looked at her confused. "Why?" She looked up at me with her eyes wide open and she stopped tapping the table.

"You haven't heard?" She looked at me shocked. I shook my head 'no'. She grabbed her phone out of her pocket. She scrolled, tapped and then handed me the phone. I took the phone and looked at what she put up. "She stopped her life." I looked over at her. She stared out into space, tears beginning to steam down her cheeks.

I looked back at the phone. I tapped the photo of a note.

'Sorry for doing this. My life has no meaning without my love. She has always been so perfect, I don't know how I thought it would ever last. I hope this doesn't make her take her life too. She needs to continue to live. Jason, I need you to take care of her, better than I could or did. Here is the ring I was planning on giving her on her birthday. I love you babe. Take care.'

The ring was in a light blue velvet box. The box was wide open and showed an engagement ring.

"I'm the reason why she did that. She took her life because of me." I looked at Angel and set the phone on the table. She was still staring.

"Angel, I'm sure it wasn't-" She interrupted me.

"I told her last night that I don't, I couldn't be with her anymore." She finally stopped staring and along with that she stopped crying. She laid back. "I'm back to my old ways of trying to get sympathy from you." She wiped away the dried tears laughing. "And she wanted to marry me," she said still chuckling. "I didn't take the ring as you can tell. I don't deserve to have it." She bit her lip.

I went over to seat right next to her and sat down. She sat down on my lap and cried some more into my shirt. I rubbed circles on her back. We didn't move for at least an hour. Eventually she fell asleep. I got up and held her in my arms. I brought her to her car. It was already dark out. She woke up just as we got there. I set her down on her feet.

"Want me to drive you home?" She dug her keys out of her pocket and handed them to me. She slowly walked over to the passenger side of the car. I went to the driver side and got in. She got her seat belt on and stared out the window. I got my seat belt on too and drove away.

"The last words I heard Crystal say were 'I love you'." She smiled. "I bet the last words she said or thought were all the swear words she knew." I laughed.

"Why do you think that? I never heard her swear. Then again I didn't hear you swear before the day I met her."

"When I did that I was still upset and afraid that I would get in trouble for you kissing me. I was amazed that I didn't."

"So where do you live?"

"Where you live." I drove out of the parking lot.

"Now you have to hang out with us?"

"Yeah. Until I save up enough money to find somewhere to live." I shook my head. "What?"

"Your still trying to get away?"

"No. I'll stay until I find a nice place."

We sat quiet. I watched the road, thinking hard. "What if I find one?"

"What do you mean?"

"If I find one will you live with me?" I kept my eyes on the road. She stayed quiet. Every now and then I would hear her mouth open then shut immediately after. I waited for her answer while I slowly drove home. When we finally got home she answered me.

"Of course." I got out of the car and went and opened Angels door. "Thank you." She got out and I closed the door behind her.

"Ready to go surprise everyone?" I smiled brightly at her. She rolled her eyes and dragged me inside.

"Hey Jason! What took you so long?" I heard Tom run to the door. I smiled and took my jacket off.

"It took me so long because I brought someone back." He ran into the entry and just stood in the middle of the hall. His face lit up. I looked at Angel. Her face lit up too.

"Hi Tom." She knelt down with her arms spread wide open. Tom ran over to her and gave her a hug.

Even though she practically whispered to him everyone heard her and ran in.

"Oh my god," her mom whispered. "Angel!" Her mom and dad ran over to her and created a group hug. I awkwardly stood in the corner and watched them give each other hugs. They all backed up a bit.

"What took you so long to come and visit?" She tensed up a little bit. Then I realized why. They didn't know about Crystal.

"A friend of mine wanted me to be with them all the time. After a while it seemed harder to get up and go anywhere without her."

"Aw. Our baby found a love?" I could see her struggling to keep a smile on her face.

"Guys, she's tired. We should let her go rest." She gave me a smile. Mom and dad walked back to the living room. Tom walked with us.

"I'm sorry about Crystal." Angel looked at Tom.

"It's alright. Mom and dad don't know do they?" Tom shook his head 'no'. "Okay." Tom walked into his bedroom. We continued to walk to Angels old room.

She ran into her room and jumped onto her futon. She scrunched up her nose. "It smells like you." I laughed.

"What did you suspect when I've slept on it for at least four months?"

"Five months." I smiled. "Just a guess." I went and sat next to her. I stared into her eyes, smiling at her. "What?"

"How could a guess be so correct?"

"Shut up." She shoved me away. Once she figured out that she couldn't she just scooted herself back. "Neither you nor Tom told them about me dating Crystal?"

"Nope. I didn't think you would want me to."

"You thought that I would want to?" She made her eyes wide.

"I guess I'll tell them if you'd like." She smiled happily and gave me a hug.

"Thank you." She continued to hug me so I hugged her back.

"You really don't want to tell them do you?" She pushed herself away.

"No."

"Okay. Tomorrow morning I'll tell them." I laid down and slowly fell asleep with Angel right next to me. At some point I grabbed her and held her close to me. I didn't want to lose her.