Chapter Seventeen- Haunted
Jackson and I ended up dating for just a little more than a year; but we broke things off after we finally grew apart from being so busy all the time. I surprisingly wasn’t that extremely sad over the break-up, I knew that it was time to move on with my life and start focusing on my career in law.
I’m now twenty-two years old and happily single. I’m still living in the same apartment in Sydney, except now, Jess moved in with me after moving to Sydney as well to go to university. We have a cat.
Somewhere along the lines of growing up, I forgot about Melbourne and most of the people who I knew that lived there…except my family, of course. The Janoskians were now nothing but a distant memory to me. I didn’t even think about Luke anymore- which I was surprised about. I went from thinking about him for pretty much the entire day, to him barely even crossing my line of thought. I was finally over him. I was almost sure that I didn’t want to get back together because to be frank- I’d forgotten the person that he was because we hadn’t spoken for more than four years.
I walked into my white kitchen, opened up the stainless steel fridge and poured myself a glass of iced tea. Jess walked in at the same time and sat on the stool at the breakfast bar.
“What are you up to today?” She asked me, while I handed her a glass of iced tea.
“I’m not sure yet, what are you doing?” I took a sip of my drink and leaned against the counter.
“Ahh you know, just going to sit on the couch and eat chocolate while crying as I watch soppy romance films.” I laughed and set down my glass on the counter
“Okay, well you have a blast doing that!”
“Oh, I will Dakota. I certainly will.” I shook my head while chuckling and went to answer my phone which had been ringing for at least fifteen seconds now.
“Hello?”
“Kota!” It was Matt, and he sounded really stressed out and tired
“Matt! What happened?” I started to get nervous, thinking that something really bad happened to either him or Chantelle or another member of our family.
“Chantelle’s going into labour- you promised you’d be here to see your niece, so you better catch a plane!” I could sense the nervousness and excitement in Matt’s voice as he awaited the birth of his first child.
“What?! That’s great! Look, I’ll do my best to get to the hospital as soon as possible.”
“Okay- but hurry!” I laughed at how frantic he was being. I don’t think he knows how long labours can go on for.
“Sure Matt- see you then!” I hung up my phone and rushed to my bedroom to pack a small suitcase for my trip.
“Where are you going?!” Jess shouted after me as I ran past her
“To Melbourne- my niece is about to be born!” I heard Jess squeal and say her congrats.
I packed my Country Road bag with extra clothing, make-up, shoes and some baby gifts for Matt and Chantelle. During this time- I got Jess to organise me a flight to Melbourne and a taxi to pick me up and take me to the airport.
All up, it took me almost six hours to make it to Melbourne and find my way to the hospital where my entire family and some family friends were crowding around the small baby who was being held by a very tired looking Chantelle and a very proud looking Matt. The hospital suit was filled with balloons that said, ‘It’s a girl!’, flowers and little gifts and cards.
As soon as Matt saw me, he ran over and hugged me.
“You made it!”
“Of course I did! I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” I smiled up at him. He was glowing with joy as his little baby girl stirred in her sleep.
“So, what’s her name?”
“Olivia” He smiled at Chantelle and she smiled back.
“Olivia Chapman. It’s cute, I like it!”
I placed the decorative box of baby clothes and toys on one of the bedside tables in the room and stood at the edge of the hospital bed where Chantelle was cradling Olivia in her arms. I looked at my niece properly for the first time. She was the most tiny thing I’d ever seen. She had Matt’s hazel eyes and Chantelle’s dirty blonde hair. She was beautiful.
I started to make small talk with Chantelle as family members and friends came in and out of the room. Some people I knew, and some I weren’t familiar with so I just guessed that they were from Chantelle’s family and I hadn’t met them yet. But then people that I did know came in the room. I stood there shocked, with my mouth gaping open as I tuned out of Chantelle and I’s conversation when no other than Gina, Beau, Jai and Luke walked into the hospital room carrying flowers.
For a split second I caught Luke’s eye. And my god, I wish I didn’t. Because in that one second that I looked into his eyes, hundreds of memories flooded my brain; the good times and the bad. But most of all, I suddenly remembered what we had as a couple. How we’d always cuddle up to one another while watching our favourite Disney movies, how he’d give me piggy back rides when my feet got tired or how he’d kiss me out of the blue whenever I babbled on for too long.
I quickly looked down, not wanting to feel those feelings anymore. As far as I was concerned- Luke and I were nothing. But those memories were haunting me. The four of them came and admired baby Olivia. Gina, Beau and Jai all came over to me and hugged the death out of me, while telling me how much they all missed having me in Melbourne. Jai and Beau were exactly the same- just more grown up. Luke didn’t come over to me, nor did he speak to me. He stood there looking at me with an expression on his face that I couldn’t read. Like he was trying to make a decision on something, but he was having a hard time with it. I looked out of the window- taking in the views of Melbourne. Even though I wasn’t looking directly at him, I could feel Luke’s eyes on me the entire time. The same eyes that I used to look into and a huge wave of happiness would wash through me as he would say ‘I love you’. But those days were long gone.
“He would try to take away my pain, and he just might make me smile, but the whole time I’m wishing he was you instead.”
