The Architect's Son

Chapter 01

"Where are you going?" Nikki asked me as I'm sneaking out of the door. She's staying with me at this moment because I insisted her to do so. I don't want her to have an opportunity to think of something stupid again, so I let her stay with me to take a better look on her and to make her mind occupied especially on what happened the day before. The situation she's in right now stressed the hell out of her and she didn't know what to do about it.

"I just have to run some errands. I'll be back before dinner." She stared at me. She's reluctant yet there's no way she would do the asking this time. I turned to her and squeezed her hand. "I got to go. Promise, I'll be right back, so just stay here, okay?"

"Okay." She mumbled and bowed her head. "Just be quick then." She demanded.

"Yeah! I will." I waved at her goodbye. "See you in a bit." And wish me luck. I thought to myself as I headed outside.

I know she's been scared for the last few weeks. Especially when she learnt about her pregnancy. Nikki is my best friend since we were kids. Aunt Noreen and my mom were best friends since childhood. And that goes to us now. From the moment we've seen each other, we both have that gut feeling of comfort. Even though our parents were both gone, we still have each other's hand and got each other's back. Aunt Noreen passed away 14 months after my Mom died because of a car accident. They're the ones who comforted me at that time, and Nikki, as a kind of person everyone wants to have, never leave my side. She's so good on her own way. I might say considerate, appreciative and understanding. Though Nikki is the one who seems to be a little weaker than me. She seems to be the very soft-hearted, a light-headed mind and a very down to earth person. That's why I love her to the moon and back. And I know she feels the same way too. And with that, I have this sense of responsibility to take good care of her, as she is so fragile in everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything.

Lemme tell you something.

She's so depressed when her mom passed away a few months back. Looking for some comfort, she dated her college crush, and after four months of sweet talking, she'd gotten herself pregnant. And the guy being a jerk, is nowhere to be found. And that alone adds the depression she's been having through. Feeling the pain of losing her mom that she loves so dearly, and the guy she wished to give her the love that she thinks she's been looking for, is a real score of her severe depression that makes her commit suicide. Thanks to God, I came earlier to her apartment that day and managed to bring her to the hospital. So afraid of what my best friend did, I took a week of vacation at work as an accountant to assist her. I'd been crying the moment I'd seen her on her bathroom, unconscious, until she'd been admitted. I don't know what to do if something bad happened to her. That terrifies me the most. I felt guilty that time, 'coz I don't know what's happening to her at that very moment.

I'm holding her hand when she regain consciousness. Tears dripped on her cheeks upon seeing me.

"Ellaine?" she said in a low voice as if she's not really sure of who's the one beside her.

I held her hands so tightly. "Why did you do that?" I asked, can't help the agony in my voice.

"I'm so sorry Ellaine. I-I don't know what to do. I-I.." She started crying her heart out.

"Hey.. It's okay. What's the matter?" I asked, squeezing her hand.