Till The Count Of Five ✓

Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Faulty lives. Laughable, I know but I could only cry.

Kiara

15th May 2019, Wednesday
20:30

I stepped inside, dragging my upper body by my legs, feeling sick. My breaths were erratic and the driver had already asked me if I needed help. What had I done? What had I done? Nolan's passive rage rang through my ears. His accusation, so true, it hurt to even think about it. No. No. It isn't true. None of this is. I leaned against the wall for support.

"Kiara, sweetheart." Papa rushed to me. "Are you okay?"

I nodded as he steadied me. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the hospital?"

He shook his head. "Morning shift."

"Mehak and Hardik–"

"I know, I know. Calm yourself. Breathe."

"They're–" I choked on my saliva and a tear fell down my cheek.

"They'll be okay. Everything will be okay," he said, engulfing me in a hug. I sobbed into his shirt and he murmured in my ear, "It'll all be fine." His hands rubbed circles on my back and my cheeks began to cool down.

I remembered I had fallen once in kindergarten and he had the first person to rush to me. I had screamed and ran farther because I was scared that he'd use one of those big injections to heal the wound. Now, I would give anything to stop this by just an injection.

"It hurts so much, Papa. Ash's gone, Shay's not showing any improvement. Now these two. It hurts to see us all break again and again."

"Keep trying, Kiara. Keep trying. That's the only thing we're capable of doing."

I nodded. "Where's Mum?"

He glanced down at me. "Ash's house."

I thought for a moment and tilted my head. "Can we–"

"No," he said. "You're staying here, having dinner and then off to bed."

"Papa."

"Kiara."

"Please."

He sighed. "What will you do?"

I glanced at him. What would I do? "I don't know."

He shook his head. "I was going to go anyway to pick up your Mum."

20:40

Both of them stared at my puffy eyes while Papa shrugged. He wasn't being helpful. I gulped and looked around the room. The tight feeling in my muscles was beginning to fade away, replaced by her memory. My gaze finally landed on the open door of her room. She never liked open doors, a huge reason why her room was upstairs, another reason why her silent smiles did not strike odd to anyone. Now they were so quiet that even a sharp breath echoed through her room, her majestic kingdom of paints and stuff she'd prefer not to tell. I always wondered what else could be there. Did it still smell of her? Did she leave the bedsheets dirty or had she chosen to make her bed? Had she beenstill dressed in white or had she change?

"Kiara." I was snapped out of my thoughts by Miss Apte.

"We should go now," Papa said.

"I was hoping you could stay for dinner."

My parents exchanged a look that ended with a glance at me. I raised a finger and mumbled, "Can I go to–?"

Papa sighed, Mum stiffened and Miss Apte nodded. My feet moved on their own, walking up the stairs and to her room. When I looked back, I could see them trying hard to not turn their heads.