Heartbeat Song

Chapter 56

Matthew

Thirty minutes was not enough.

But as soon as Ross enters the house, Anna quickly collected herself - just herself. I was left hanging. 

"Well, Ms. Sparks?" Ross returns with a bright gleam on her face, completely unaware of what Anna and I been through.

"Matthew didn't like it."  

"I'm sorry?" Ross must've been shocked, or not. I don't know. My full attention is now focused on Anna and no one else.

"I'm sorry about the trouble, but we should leave now."

"Ms. Sparks, I - "

Anna hurriedly exits the house without making any noise. I follow after her.

But before going straight to the car, she stops for a while in front of the house and looks around. 

The house was a big part of her past. For her, the house was like a haven and torture room both at the same time. And this neighborhood...it was like...the entire town was like a living hell for her.

I can see the disgust, anger, and sadness in her eyes. It pains me like an arrow that has been shot straight to my heart. 

I would like to reach for her hands and envelope my arms around her, but I can't and I shouldn't - not now. She's now trying to face her reality by opening up to her past. I know it's not easy. I know it won't be. And as much as I would like to help her right here right now, I can't and I should not. 

Right here and right now, she's trying to steady herself just so she can finally move forward and keep living in the present. 

And I should give her that.

I walk past her and get in the car. 

I wait in silence as she continues to look around. But now, she's not moving at all. All that's moving is her eyes that are now red, her tears are about to come out any moment now. 

She didn't cry before. She managed to tell me all that I need to know about her past, but no single tear has come out from her eyes. It's as if she had already recited the entire story multiple times in her head. It all just came out naturally. If I wasn't looking straight into her eyes all that time, I would've thought that her story was like a memorized declamation piece from her.

She had kept it all together for a long time, and now, the doors are open. 

Damn, I know it's not going to be all okay in just a snap.

It's going to be s****y and it's going to hurt like A LOT.

The crowd around us are starting to increase. Anna is becoming quite a spectacle. The crowd is also getting louder and louder. 

"What's with that woman?"

"Is there something wrong with that girl?"

"What is she doing?"

"Is she here to buy that house and live in there?"

"That's ridiculous!"

"What she's looking at?"

"Look at her, there's something wrong with her!"

"She's looking dangerous, oh! and look at her eyes!"

"It's as if she's glaring at us!"

"Wow, that rude woman dares to glare at us?!"

It's absurd having to hear all of those words, but Anna keeps still and so am I. But after just a few seconds, someone from the gathering crowd came out a strange sound.