Spirited Away To You

Chapter-54

There was a single rose lying on the bare lawn.

I slowly walked over and crouched down to inspect it. It wasn't red. Or blue. It seemed like a mix in between them, that gave it such a beauty and fanciness. Who left it here?

As I stood up smelling the rose, I instinctively looked around the neighbourhood. My eyes fell on our neighbour, Troy's house as I thought if he could leave it here or not.

Since last two weeks, he was appearing to our house often, bringing dishes or coming to learn from Aunt. And for common courtesy, I had to chit chat with him since Aunt also got annoyed by him and his frequent visits.

It didn't take a genius to know he liked me and well, although he seemed like a good guy, I always acted as if I had a boyfriend.

When he once asked me what my 'boyfriend' does, I just said that he is a student athlete at the Princeton University. Well, I just lied about the 'is'. I was glad when he stopped with his wooing after that.

But now I was confused. It didn't seem like Troy's doing since he never knew my favourite flower or even my middle name.

As if on cue, I heard a beep.

My head snapped in a lightening speed, sure that I heard it from the ring. I exhaled deep breaths which condensed away in the cold weather while I looked around.

It was high time that I got inside.

But then, I heard the beep again. Without thinking, I pressed down the stone. A beep was heard from the vicinity.

What the?

I pressed it over again and again, following and trying to decipher where the sound was coming from. The beep was resounding off the corner of the road as it seemed, and it took all my courage to actually walk down the sidewalk at this hour of the night, not to mention the incident I had once encountered.

As I rounded, my breath hitched. There was a figure standing sideways under the flickering lamp post with the ring. I gulped involuntarily as I approached him.

It was a guy which, I could tell by the mop of dark hair on his head and the body structure. When he turned-

"William?" I gasped, my eyes trickling with unshed tears.

I staggered a bit but squinted my eyes to see him properly. He didn't look like his former self. The person standing in front of me was so much more healthier and full of colour, not like the lean and pale Will I knew.

Nevertheless, he was the spitting image of William.

"Sorry, I thought you were someone else," I said sheepishly, turning around to leave.

"Abby?" He breathed out.

I turned back abruptly as a lone tear fell while I stood with my mouth agape.

"You are William?"

My mind was swirling, the tears thrashing against the rims of my eyes. Just when I thought he was dead-

"Sorry, I don't know why are you calling me William, but my name's Xander," he spoke smiling a bit as he held out his hand.

I just looked at him astounded. Why was he now denying that he wasn't William?

I looked back and forth from his hand to his face, trying to figure if he was going just laugh and say it's a joke. But he just stood there, with the same childlike smile I would always see on William's face.

"But you're-" I started but he spoke again cutting me off.

"Sorry, I didn't come here to do any harm," he spoke hastily putting his hands in surrender, "I just came here to thank you, my sister said you were there for me and well these are for you," he said pushing a bouquet of roses into my hands, which were similar to the one I found in the lawn.