Irrevocably (COMPLETED)

CHAPTER TWENTY

ZACHARY

This isn't my Persephone.

She was sporting a pixie cut, It suited her, yes. She lost weight; she was as pale as a ghost. And I never thought losing her was the lowest I've been but seeing her this way took the life out of me. The pain was clearly evident on her face and so was misery. She had a few bruises on her arms and I could see there were some new cuts on her arms and that was the final straw: WHO THE HELL DID THAT TO HER?!

I couldn't control myself, my feelings. In general, I couldn't control my whole being as of the moment. I walked slowly to her and she just looked at me with those big wide eyes when I was only a few good steps from her she started heaving heavy breaths and just shouted her heart out. She got up on her bed with the baby in her arm and cowered to the corner of the room and rocked herself murmuring

"no one will hurt you baby" She whispered to the baby

A few moments later, Geraldine barged into the room with two nurses ready to take me away. But she didn't do anything but she directed her eyes to Marissa

" MARISSA! I told you don't go near her yet! She's fragile!" She hissed at her and told the guards to escort her outside the room

Geraldine went to Persephone after the Nurses took Marissa out of the room while I fell unto my knees settling on the floor while I watched her cry and hugged the baby tightly while Geraldine tried to calm her down.

"Peony. I'm here, Gigi is here. No one is going to hurt you and your baby okay?" She said and Persephone darted her eyes at me then to Miss Sarah and shook her head as if to say she wasn't believing us.

"Honey look at me, hand me, Zander. Please Peony "She pleaded

She handed her the baby reluctantly. Miss Sarah stood up and placed the baby in front of me.

Except, it wasn't a real baby. It was a toy.

God must really hate me; he's been playing games on me these past few months.

The thought of not having a child with Persephone killed me. I hoped, I did. I really thought we could really start anew

But no, everything was in shambles and even I myself didn't know how to stand up from the marble floor. I was stuck looking at her.

Finally, Geraldine got Persephone to stand up and lay on the bed. She took the baby away from my sight and turned her back on me as she lay in the bed.

"shhh, baby "she shhh'd the baby as if It was making a noise.

"Mister Larson? May we?" she said as she gestured to the door as if to say we should go out. I nodded still looking at her. I stood up shakily. And followed Geraldine in the hallway. She led me to the backyard and we settled on the bench.

I was still a mess and I couldn't function well. I couldn't stay here. As she made herself a tea

"I-I have to go, Geraldine," I said as I hurriedly stood up

"You know her don't you?" She asked me

I wanted to tell her: YES! THAT GIRL BACK THERE IS MY WORLD.

"And you are fighting an internal battle whether to ask me why she ended up here," she said as she sipped her tea beside her

Damn, she's good at reading minds.

So I answered her without having to speak. I was still caught up in the situation a while ago.

"But first, who is she to you," She asked me and looked my way.

"My world apparently, We've been Best friends since college." I simply told her

"Hmm. Friendship what a nice thing isn't it?" She thought to herself.

"She was brought in here a month ago, and she hasn't made progress since. I believe she never will...unfortunately" She said sadly

"What happened to her..." I choked "Please let me know." I finished

"A nurse working here saw her, Philip. He said she was lying lifeless on an alley and almost naked. She was raped. When he rushed her to the hospital it was too late. She lost the baby she was carrying. And the next thing we knew was she was out of her wits. The first thing she did when she woke up was to scream and to cry." She stopped feeling pity for Persephone she was having a hard time telling me the story

Trust me when I say I wasn't also having a swell time listening. I couldn't absorb the fact that that shit happened to her.

"She kept telling me to bring her home that she was sorry. She kept pleading me to tell someone she's sorry. And then suddenly she calmed down and looked for her baby. We tried to tell her it didn't survive. That it's gone. But she didn't respond to that well instead she tried to kill herself by overdosing. That poor girl" She said

And I just wished to God after hearing that to end me already.

"My heart hurts for her every time she carries that doll with her. A woman's greatest dream is to build a family she could call her own. No one visits her, no one reaches out to her except Marissa. She deserves so much more I just wish I could bring back the Peony-" I cut her right there

"Persephone. Her name is Persephone Argos." I muttered

"Oh, so It's Persephone. I thought it was Peony. She kept murmuring her name but we didn't catch it clearly. She needs someone right now and maybe that could be you, Mister Larson. Bring back the old her, I have a hunch you need her as much as she needs you." She says smiling slightly at me

"I'm not the right person to do that. I have..done things to her. I could never forgive myself for that too.." I said as I sat beside her slowly.

"Both of you need saving. But I guess, she needs you now. Maybe this is where you right your wrongs. And I bet you will bring her back" she said

It baffles me how blindly this woman is trusting me with Persephone. I had no energy left in me to argue, to hell with it! I am bringing her back I owe her that much. And I love her too much to keep her here.

"I need to go I'm sorry.." I said "I-It's just too much for me right now... I'll come back tomorrow" I said and walked away.

I headed straight to the parking lot and went in my car. I didn't move an inch. Everything was catching up on me. It's because of me she's there.

If I could have given her the life she wanted

Given her the love she needed.

Treated her the way she should have been treated.

Stopped her from walking out of my life.

I could have avoided this, her mom is going to be digging up my grave once she sees her daughter.

Then I realized, Geraldine mentioned no one visited her. No one came for her that must mean in the game Leslie and I were playing- I found Persephone first which means... I won.

But it didn't feel like I won over Leslie. Leslie swore to keep her daughter away from me once she finds her. Right now, I feel like Persephone is still lost, that I still couldn't find her. She was in front of me a while ago but it felt foreign. I'd make sure I take her before Leslie does. I'd be damned if she goes out of my life again. I had a child, we had a child. And then a bastard took our baby away from us in the most horrendous way possible- I'd make sure, I'd kill him. I don't care if I have to get blood on my hands, but that sicko deserved it. I'd make him suffer a hundred times more.

With everything bottling up inside of me, I started punching my steering wheel and I didn't care even if it stings. This wasn't half of what Persephone had to go through. The loneliness, the desperation and the anger I was feeling were all getting to me and I just started crying and just started saying sorry's. Hundreds. Thousands. Millions of sorry's all for her. ALL FOR HER

I'd bring her back.

I will and I can.