Make You Love

Chapter 08

Dedicated to GarimaPandey6

Inside his room, Craig gazed out of the window at the blue Ferrari. He'd recognize the driver anywhere. Isla. He was sure that she'd come to see him, and right then, he wanted nothing more than to snuggle into her arms and have her whisper to him that it was okay. But watching her leave drained him of his strength. He sagged down on his mattress, wishing he could die. She might bitch at him like a lunatic but he still wanted her. Because she understood him. She could tell what he was thinking by taking just a look at his face. Even his mom didn't know him that much. The world seemed to turn upside down around him. He closed his eyes. The rest faded into blackness.

As Isla sped out of the hospital premises, she felt as if she was leaving a major part of her soul behind. Her GPA was probably ruined forever, yet she hadn't seen Craig. When she dashed out of that hall, she'd pined for him. Damnit, she was so close to seeing him. If only Maya wasn't there. If only. But the devil was, and she watched with happiness as Isla surrendered to her threats. Ahead, more and more snow fell. Behind, she was tearing herself away from the object of her desire. Craig.

She drove and drove for kilometers, taking in the familiar sights of the art gallery down the land, and the coffee shop. Now that coffee shop wasn't Starbucks, but it bore memories of their hangouts after school, where they ordered two cups of cappuccino and jested about the latest stunt they pulled on Novah. She wiped the tears streaming down her face with the back of her hand. The last time they came to that area, they shopped for the Halloween party which Isla never attended, because her first period came and her abdomen was punished by cramps.

She cried for hours, writhing on her bed.

"It'll be fine, Isla. Take it easy. I got you", Craig whispered, cleaning the sweat off her forehead with a cold towel to tone down her fever.

"I hate it", she blubbered. She hated being so vulnerable to him.

"Nope. It's totally fine. I think you should think of it as a rite you have to pass through in order to have babies. You want to have babies, don't you?", he abandoned the towel in the plastic bowl, holding her hand instead.

She flushed red with embarrassment, stuttering, "Uh, I'm not pretty sure".

It was the first time anyone had ever asked her that question, and he did it with such love and gentleness that all her fears flew away.

Isla drove to the edge of the patch of woods. Her tears almost blinded her sights as she stumbled out of the car and started jogging down the trail.
"I'm so pathetic. When he needed me most, I left him. I don't deserve to live. I just let his mom scare me away like a rabbit, away from what's mine."

She thought of all the moments they'd shared together, and it broke her heart even more. She gathered speed. Soon, she was running through feet of snow, listening to the padding of her feet. She brushed aside a branch sticking way out of a tree and ran on. Adrenaline pumped in her system. She ached badly for the boy she'd shared her childhood with.

When the tangled web of branches finally cleared, she was jogging up the mountain at the end of the trail. She inhaled the cold air as she ascended higher and higher up into the clouds, letting the thrill envelope her being. The day  after period was over, he'd grinned sheepishly throughout lunch. Her brows had furrowed.

"What are you up to?", she asked.

He'd stared down at his mashed potatoes and gravy on his tray, not wanting to meet her eyes.
"There's this trail I discovered last week. It's not really far from your house, and I'm sure your dad won't mind. It's ok if you don't want to come with me but, I really love the place. And I wish you could come check it out with me sometime".

"Sounds interesting! I'm definitely coming with you", she gushed.

She'd never forget how his face lit up as if her answer was a present to him.

When she took the last steps to the summit of the mountain, she crouched down, scooping a handful of snow and rubbing it on her nose.

"So, this is what your denials have been about".

Isla froze when Peter came into her line of vision. He was wearing the grey hoodie over black pants, finished off with timberland boots.

"What the fuck are you doing up here?", she croaked, turning her body so that she faced him.

"Seriously, Isla? You'd give up your GPA for some piece of shit?"

"Craig isn't a piece of shit", she set her jaw stubbornly.

"His heart is as black as the devil. And he's as ugly as hell", Peter argued. He exhaled.

To Isla, that made sense. If a man was as black as the devil, then he'd be as ugly as hell. Did Peter expect someone as beautiful as Apollos to be in Satan's ugly hell?

"Look", she said, rising up and shuffling her feet, " We can fix this. It isn't what you think, I swear. I'm desperately in love with you. Craig is just my best friend, please. It's you I'm in love with".

He laughed, "You're a liar. A bloody liar, going to hell. I'm done with believing you, Isla. Each time you tell me that you love me, you're running after Craig the next minute. Guess what? I think you both are assholes", he edged closer to her with each syllable, forcing her to retreat to the very edge of the cliff.

Gulping back her tears, she said the next worse thing, "I love you."

His heart froze in his chest, hearing those three words that he wished were true. She'd said them over and over, but saying them this time left a gaping wound in his heart. He realized that, the more he thought about it, the more bitter he would become. If he ever heard her say that again, he'd kill her then commit suicide.

"No. Don't love me, baby. Hate me, for the love of God. I need you to hate me", he gasped.

With one movement of his hand, he pushed her over the cliff. They heard the hurtling of rocks and squishing of snow, as she fell and fell and fell.