WHERE YOU WILL BE,
YOU WILL BE LONELY BABY.
YOU'LL BE SO LONELY
YOU COULD DIE.

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

Single. I'm single now.

I should've seen it coming. Olga, Julien, the alcohol. Austin refused to tell me about the drugging, and now I'm scared for Hugo. At his doorstep, I tap my foot. I knocked minutes ago, yet he was not in sight. Knocking again, "Hugo!!!" I call for him.

He isn't picking up any of my calls, and I'm growing worried. "Where the fuck is he?"

His windows are shut, curtains pulled, and only the outline of the key under the doormat was there. I call Holly instead. "Is Hugo at the hotel?"

"He's not. Is everything okay?"

I tell Holly to call me if Hugo does enter Andromeda, and call Maria.

"He hasn't been here. Oh dear, is everything okay? Where is he?"

Maria's voice is laced with concern, even through the speakers of my phone, I hear the cracks. "He's not home, I don't know where he is but I need to talk to him.... about Olga."

"What about her? They seemed to be having no issue in their relationship, the last time I saw them."

Maria doesn't know about the drugging, nor am I a hundred percent sure, but I have to tell her. Stepping back into my car, I pull up at her house. On one of the stools around her large kitchen island, "I think she's been doing the same to Hugo." I explain.

She stares at me, eyes faltering between my fave and her cup of tea. "My dear! Ottilie, why haven't you told me about this earlier?"

"I didn't know either!" I raise my hands in protest. "I mean, I knew Hugo looked kinda like he did back then, but he was so adamant about being clean! I thought he might've just been tired or something... If I had known Olga was drugging him I would've- of course I- I would've done... done something!"

I don't realize until after I finish my sentence, but my cup of tea had been watered down with salty tears dripping from my face.

Maria walks around the island and places her warm hands on my shoulders, a kiss planted on the top of my head, she sighs. "Ottilie pie, I know. I know darling." She embraces me in her hug and I can't control my tears. "Cry, it's good." She cooes.

"I'm a terrible sister." I sob, hiccups stuck in my throat, my cheeks stinging. That's when I feel her hug tighten, and her head shake. "I couldn't see it, I- I should've just went with my gut- I-"

"You're not a terrible sister." The kitchen falls silent. Slowly, the sun starts to dim, and my chest heaves harshly. "You were just trusting him."

All I hear the the blood pumping in my ears. "I should've done something the moment they asked for fifteen k. I knew it was her, and still didn't do anything because I was... I was too fucking busy worrying about Austin."

I finally said it.

The vulture gnawing at my heart, flocking its wings in the pit of my stomach, eating away at my flesh, it was Austin, and my fears about him. Maybe I'm not one for relationships either.

Maria takes my hands into hers after having wiped the tears off my cheeks. "I remember when you were little, about eight years old, and your father and I bought you this limited edition Barbie doll because it looked just like you." She smiles, hands gently caressing mine. "We brought it home and you were over the moon, showing it to everyone, bringing it to school, and even sleeping with it. You were so in love with that doll, you wouldn't talk to us, you wouldn't talk to Hugo, you wouldn't even eat, all you wanted was to play with it."

My eyes flicker between Maria, and her hands around mine, and I feel the heave of my chest ceasing gradually. I start breathing.

"Until one day, the two of you came back from school." She laughs as she recalls, tittering over the past. "Even walking off the bus, you were playing with that Barbie, while Hugo rushed in crying. Poor him, both his knees were scraped."

As she tells the story, I get curious.

"Your dad and I asked him what happened and he said he fell on the playground, and when he tried to tell you about it, you didn't listen. You were too busy with your Barbie, you hadn't seen his knees. So then, he got angry, and snatched that Barbie out of your hands."

A single tear rolling down my face, my mouth sits agape. Maria's fingers tangle mine, and I feel as though I have always been a terrible sister.

"You two fought for a good two hours, until Hugo pulled the Barbie's head off, and broke the arms and legs. You started crying, your father yelled at the two of you, but Hugo only smiled. He looked at you and said "Now you can play with me." And that was it. Hugo wasn't angry at you, he wasn't angry at the Barbie either... He just wanted your attention."

I scoff, clearing my throat. "Just sounds like I've always been a terrible sister."

Chuckling, "My little Ottilie pie." she held my face, thumbs wiping my watering lash line. "All it means is that you were, and still are, your own person. You fell in love with that Barbie, because you're a human being, and human beings get caught up in things sometimes. That doesn't make you a terrible sister. What matters is later that day, you tended to his wounds and placed band-aids on his knees."

I look down, hiccup after hiccup, and sob again.

"You're not a terrible sister, and I know that because every time Hugo talks about you, even when gossiping, he mentions how much he loves and appreciates you."

"He does?" I see the twinkle in her eyes as she grins, and nods.

My body ceases. Maria and I catch up quickly, and start brainstorming. Where could Hugo be? Where does he go when he's not home?

"Maybe they're at Olga's?" Maria suggests, "Do you know where she lives?"

I shake my head, hopeless.

She takes out her phone, equally hopeless, and begins scrolling through Olga's instagram to see if Hugo's with her.

Bingo.

Maria turns the phone screen to me. Olga's story is her with Hugo, and the next one is a screenshot of their new app... My blood boils, and my lashes flutter with anger. Snatching the phone out of Maria's hand, I hit call on her account. My teeth digging in the flesh of my cheek, I wait. Feet tapping, breath hitching.

As impatient as me, "Not picking up?" Maria questions, but her eyes widen as soon as I straighten my back and take a deep breath.

"Give the phone to Hugo." I say without letting her finish on the other side. "I need to talk to him?"

"Ottie!" Olga chimes, her pitch screeching in my brain. "I thought it was Maria calling-"

"Give. The. Phone. To. Hugo. Now." The minute I start speaking through my teeth is when she drops the act and hands the phone to my brother, who I am about to chew up.

"Hey sis-"

"Who gave it?" I cut him off, stern.

"Who gave what?"

Making sure he hears me sigh deeply, "The fifteen k, who gave it?"

"W-what? I- no... no one- we don't have it yet!"

"I saw it on her story, the app, someone clearly gave you the fifteen k. Who was it?"

I have no time for bullshit, nor do I actually need to ask who it was, because I already know... Though I want to trust that small head in the back of my voice, and I hope I'm proved wrong.

"You put it in your story?!" I hear him whisper on the other end, arguing back and forth with Olga.

"To promote it!" Olga whispers back.

"Hugo!" Even Maria is startled by the way I hollered. I shut my eyes and keep my composure... Or at least I try to. "Either tell me right now, or I'm finding out myself. Who gave you the money?"

Many seconds pass, exhales and grunts heard through the phone, Hugo clears his throat. "Austin."

"I knew it." I whisper.

"Ottie l-listen! I swear I didn't force him, he just called me up last night, I think he was drunk, and- and told me he wanted to do something good! Please-"

With a single button, I shut him up. Face buried in my palms, I look up at my step-mother, tired. "I told him not to give Hugo the money... I told him- he knew this was Olga's doing and still gave in to them."

No words were leaving Maria's mouth... She was just speechless as me. All she could do was carress my shoulders comfortingly.

-

Maria following behind, I burst into Andromeda. Just then, the elevator doors open, and out walks him.

Austin fucking Butler.

"Why did you do it?" I immediately shove him. Punches thrown at his chest, he looks at me like I'm crazy. "Why did you give him the money?"

Maria tries keeping me back, while Austin drives me crazier. He stands there, no reaction. I want to punch his throat... He looks like he wants to cry.

"I fucking told you not to give him money! Why the fuck did you give him money? You knew it was Olga that asked for it! Why did you do it?"

He gulps. Austin takes a step back and looks down at his shoes. "I messed up again, huh?"

My fists stop mid-air, though momentarily, because as soon as he starts snickering I slap him on the cheek. "What's fucking funny? Breaking up with me? Or giving money to my brother's girlfriend, who just so happens to be your ex? Hm?"

The space between us grows, nothing physical about it, it is all in my head. He cracks his neck, sucking air through his pearly whites over the sting I gave him. "She's nothing to me. I was trying to help Hugo-"

"And I told you the app wasn't Hugo's plan!"

"How would you know?!" Austin snaps at once. He throws his head back, grunting deeply.

"I just fucking do! Okay? He's my brother, I know he's not the type for ideas like that! It was Olga that manipulated him-"

"Oh really??" Austin takes a step closer and I feel my breath hitch. My heart hurts a little, cracks are starting to form around it.

Between us stands Maria, "Settle down, please."

But Austin does not. "If you know him so well you would've fucking seen it!"

"Seen what?!" I shove his shoulder.

Gulping, "That he's on fucking drugs!"

"Stop it right there!" Maria warns him, finger in the air. She holds the both by the arm and drags them into the employee's room before the customers start making their way down to the reception hall. "You two are grown enough to talk it out!"

"Yet he isn't grown enough to be honest about his issues." I shrug.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Austin juts his chin at me, and for a second I feel as though neither of us are in love.

I step closer to him, the tip of my finger against the middle of his chest. "You think I'm dumb? You think I don't know what you and Hugo have been doing? I've dealt with this shit my entire life, Austin, I know an addict when I see one. Both of you are fucked."

He can't seem to respond. Instead, he scratches the back of his neck.

"I know Hugo's on drugs, but what I didn't know, until I asked Julien-"

"You talked to Julien?" His eyes widen immediately.

I shove him back, sighing, "Listen to me! I had to ask Julien because you weren't fucking telling me anything about your life! If I hadn't asked him, I would've never found out Olga was drugging Hugo!"

Shame, guilt, apology, I could see it all written on his face. Austin turns pink. His eyes flicker back and forth between my glazed ones.

My mouth opens, but, closes again when I hear the reception bell ringing. When I open the door, "Speak of the devil." I whisper to myself. Maria and Austin look over my shoulder, and the taller one steps out of the employee's room.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" He slams his palms on the reception counter, looking Julien dead in the eye.

"I was bored so I thought I'd stop by to see how you two are holding up." Julien grins from ear to ear. "And? Everything smooth sailing?"

Swift, aggressive, Austin holds Julien by the neck and drags him outside, throwing him by the dumpsters. Maria and I rush after, trying to stop him, but it's too late. He swings and Julien grunts on the floor, eyebrow bleeding already.

The two hurdle... as men do, and break skin. Neither of them notice my veins popping around my neck and temples. I hate it. I hate this. They're thrown from dumpster to dumpster, shirts ripped in the process, while Maria watching with her mouth ajar, I squeeze in between the two, shoving Julien to the ground. "Leave us the fuck alone!" I kick him in the stomach, gasps from the other two stand behind me.

Though it isn't over. I turn to him. "You are-" I shove him back, "the most-" again, "arrogant fucking person-" one last shove until he's trapped between two dumpsters, back against the wall, "I have ever fucking met! If you'd just told me about the drugging, and the deal with Hugo, and the reason you're at Andromeda, I would've still loved you! You fucking idiot! Why did you break up with me?! You had me!" I yell, and I yell good. Like I never yelled in my life before, and kick him between the legs.

Austin grunts, bending forward in agony, while I leave for the door. "You two are some of the dumbest men I have ever met, and I've been to Texas!" I say lastly, and storm inside.

Lifting his chin, Maria forces Austin to look at her. "You're pretty, but not pretty enough to make a woman cry." She spits in his face and follows me.

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

IN THE NEXT CHAPTER

Priscilla's first mediation session

Hugo and Ottie have a heart-to-heart

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