How to Save A Life (Anthony Rizzo)

21- You Have My Word

Anthony

"Gone? What do you mean she's gone" Jon asks as I wipe a tear away.

"I mean that Eddie came to my apartment while I was out getting groceries and threatened to take her back or else he was going to make her and everyone around her lives a living hell" I explain. I wasn't here when he said it, but I didn't have to be.

"I thought I saw her walk in with him this morning but that girl had blonde hair" he says.

"Clara died her hair blonde and cut it so it would be harder for him to recognize her" I tell him.

"Oh god, then I'm not sure what to do. It was one thing to keep her from him, it's another to get her back" he insists.

"Just tell me what to do and I'll do it. Anything" I beg.

"All we can do now is wait. He is bound to make a mistake sometime" he claims.

"And what if it's too late" I whisper.

"I'm sorry Anthony, I'm not sure what to say" he admits.

"Alright. Well if you hear anything please let me know" I say.

"Of course. Hang tight buddy" he sighs.

"I will."

I sit in her corner of her room and look at the paintings she had. This canvas was still wet so I know she left not too long ago. She had the flowers I had sent her earlier this week in the window and was painting that for whichever reason she wanted to. 

I start to go through her paintings and find one I don't ever remember her finishing. It was definitely hers and even had her signature at the bottom, but it wasn't like her other ones. This one had her and I on it, we were standing in millennium park under a umbrella. Everything around us was black and white, but everything under the umbrella was colored. She was kissing me and had her leg kicked up as she leaned against me. The city was dark and stormy but our kiss was bright and magnificent.

That's one thing I regret the most, that I never got to kiss her. I had so many chances, so many times where I thought I would kiss her or that she would kiss me. But I never did, I always choked or something came up. Now she's gone and I don't have a chance to make things right, I might never be able to make things right.

I stare at the picture and couldn't help but smile. Sure, I was feeling bad, but the painting made me feel so good. It represented the light in a dark world, how a simple kiss could alter reality. It was like one of the paintings that she was looking at in the art museum. But this isn't from the 1800's, it was from now and it was relevant, that's what made it so special.

I decide to leave her room for a little, it was kind of really hard being in there when she's not. I take the painting with me and go out to the living room. I find my phone sitting there and see that I had a phone voicemail... and it was from Clara. I quickly pick up the phone to listen back to it.

"Hey Anthony, it's me. I wanted to let you know that I'm fine. I hope you got the letter I left and understand that this is how it had to be. Anything in there of mine is yours. The paintings and the snacks I hid under my bed, all of it. I hope I can keep this phone away from him so I can keep in touch with you but if it's disconnected that means he found it. But until then maybe we can leave each other messages, I don't know. Maybe you don't even want to talk to me anymore, that's okay. I get it. I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay and I love you. Bye."

I wipe away a tear as I replay the message over and over again. Just hearing her voice was making me so happy. I would do anything to have her in my arms again. To keep her near my heart and never let her go.

I call her back but it ends up going to voicemail. I let out a long sigh before saying what I needed to say.

"Hey Claire. Thanks for calling, that made me feel a lot better. It's good to know that you're doing okay and I loved hearing your voice. I did get your letter and I gotta be honest with you, it broke my heart. I think what makes this so hard is that I couldn't save you. I always asked if you trusted me and you always did, but my best wasn't enough to keep you safe.

I just want you, no, need you to know, that I love you. I love you more than I have ever loved anything. I wanted so bad to see you do good, to live the life  you deserve. I wanted to be the one to give you that life.

I hope you know I'm never going to give up on you. I'll be patient. I'll play my cards right until I can have my chance to be with you again. I promised you that everything is going to be alright, and it will be. You have my word."

I toss my phone to the side and look at the piece of art in front of me. I get this urge inside of me to take it somewhere so that's exactly what I did. I put it into the back of my car and drive over to the art institute. I march myself up there with the painting in my hands and walk straight to the front desk. I ask to talk to whoever it was in charge of this place. Once they realized who I was they told me where to find them.

I find a older lady sitting on a bench in the middle of the room admiring a painting. She had on a pantsuit and looked official to me. So I walk myself over to her and stop right in front of her blocking the view of the painting she was studying.

"How may I help you" she smiles. Maybe all the artist types are really nice?

"I have something that belongs in here" I insist and she laughs.

"I have all the artwork I need" she claims.

"Well you need one more" I claim turning the painting around.

She lets out a loud gasp and she puts a hand over her heart. She gets closer to the painting and studies it like a college essay. She lightly runs her fingers over the canvas and looks up at me.

"Where on earth did you find this" she asks.

"A old friend of mine painted it. She has a lot of paintings but none like this one, so it's rare. I can't really get in touch with her now but she left this painting of us behind and told me that I can have it, no charge. But I think it belongs in here" I explain.

"I think you're right" she smirks.