We could pack up and leave our things behind

No fact or fiction or storyline

'Cause I need you more than just for tonight

Chapter 23 – I Went All ‘Romeo’ On ‘Juliet’

“I’m doing everything I can, Leon,” Moira said for the third time. “Megan’s my niece. I’m worried for her and… what she’s capable of but all we can do now is—“

“Then do better!” My voice went up a notch. “I won’t leave Sarah until Megan’s back in some mental asylum where she’s supposed to be. You know what that means Moira? No recording contract. No movie shoot. No world tour. No career for me. For us. So fix this up. Then we’ll talk.”

I hung up before she could reason out. I didn’t want to hear speculations. I wanted results. Sarah was starting to be suspicious because I kept tailing her everywhere she went for the last few days. So far, nothing seemed to be off. But just this morning, someone left a package addressed to her. A battered dead kitten was inside the box along with a note.

You’ll be like this soon.

Of course Sarah was terrified. She was convinced she did something really horrible before the accident; something she couldn’t remember but have to pay for. Emma and Freddy didn’t take it too well either. Who would?

“How’s she?” I said, taking a seat behind the counter while Freddy took out the roast from the oven. “Look. I’ve called Moira. Dad’s been in touch with the private investigators. We’re doing the best we can.”

Sighing, Freddy set the meat on a cooling rack, removed his apron and slumped beside me. “She’s still in shock, Leon. You know how she loves animals. And seeing that…” He shook his head. “Emma’s with her now. Sarah needs some time alone.”

I nodded, my finger involuntary drawing circles on the wooden counter. “I’ll wait until she’s better then. I’ll find Megan and when I do, I’ll make sure she can’t hurt Sarah anymore.”

Freddy didn’t say anything for a few minutes. “Emma thinks you and Sarah need to give each other some space… For the meantime,” he breathed out.

“Space,” I repeated, nodding vacantly. “I can do that.”

“Maybe it’s best for the both of you to be away… from each other. That’s what Sarah’s mom thinks,” he reluctantly added, giving me a meaningful look. “I’m thinking the same thing.”

Freddy was right. Megan targeted Sarah because of me. Being here could put her in more danger. But then I’d never thought of leaving her. Ever. Now, I didn’t know what’s right or wrong anymore. I’d worked my butt off to gain back her trust, her attention, her love. Why should I have to choose? No fair.

It’d been three days that I hadn’t talked to Sarah. Gave me more time to think things over. A lot. I couldn’t even go anywhere near their house now that Freddy straightforwardly told me to back off.

I was in the brink of losing my mind. Didn’t she want to see me anymore? It was either that or Emma was intentionally barring my calls to make sure Sarah couldn’t talk to me. It was like hell waiting for a call that never came. The investigators couldn’t find any trace of Megan either. They weren’t worth paying big bucks at all. I couldn’t wait to be ungrounded. Once I get my car back, I’d be able to do my own search and investigation. Psycho Megan would be caught and everything should be back to normal. Easier said than done.

Right then and there, a plan popped up inside my head. I made a call to Moira. She agreed to arrange everything I needed. It was a gamble but better than waiting. If Megan wanted to find me, I’d let her come and find me.

My analogue wall clock struck twelve midnight. I couldn’t sleep again. After several nights, I gave up forcing myself to. Without a sound, I put on my clothes, slipped into my sneakers and tip-toed out of the house. Wouldn’t want to wake up Dad and the Demon’s spawn, a.k.a. my brother.

I made sure the lights were out in Sarah’s house before I picked up a pebble and threw it on her window. No response. I threw two more pebbles before light flickered from Sarah’s room.

Her window opened but she didn’t look down. Maybe she was still scared.

“Sarah,” I called in a hushed tone. “It’s me. I just want to talk.”

When she leaned over the ledge to see me, a weak smile pulled the corner of her lips. That’s usually a good sign. I took out my mobile phone from my pocket and held it up, mouthing ‘I’m going to call you.’

She nodded then disappeared back to her room. I heard her door creak open and close carefully. Before I knew it, she was back on the window waving a wireless phone. I dialled their house phone number, leaning on the old tree in the front porch as I waited to hear her voice.

“Leon,” she whispered shakily. “What’s happening? Are you okay?”

I smiled up at her. She’d been sent a death threat and still she was worried about me? Predictable. That was just so her.

“What’s so funny?” Sarah asked with a little hint of annoyance.

“I missed you,” I breathed out in relief.

“That’s funny?” She pouted, breathing out grudgingly, making the locks of hair covering her eyes flit aside for a moment.

“No,” I answered quietly taking her in. The shout-out on her blue T-shirt that said Way Smarter Than You with a faded pair of gray sweat pants. Her pale heart-shaped face. The almost unnoticeable freckles on her nose. Her gray eyes which she usually hid under those thick-rimmed glasses because she thought they were weird. To me her eyes were just perfect. Stunning and enigmatic. Like they were always trying to you some secret of the universe that was supposed to be hidden. “I just… I just missed you so, so much,” I added once I snapped out of my private monologue.

“Hmm…”

“Aren’t you supposed to say something back?” I prompted, waiting for her reply.

“Err… yeah. Technically it’s only been four days, three hours and thirteen minutes since we last saw each other…” (Very nerdy but cute) She stopped herself in midsentence, her cheeks turning red as she stuttered, “I-I missed… you too.” She bit her lower lip, giving me a reluctant glance. “I really wanted to see you… b-but Mom wouldn’t let me.”

“I know.” I let out a sigh. I just wished I could hold her. “Things might look really complicated right now but I promise I’ll be back once I fix everything. I‘ll be back for you.”

It took her a while to answer. “W-where are you going?” she demanded hesitantly, clutching the edge of the window so tight. She was freaking out as usual.

“Sarah, I promised to keep you safe, didn’t I?”

“Yes… But—“

“Sarah. Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

“Then, will you promise to wait ‘til I get back? And when I do, I’ll tell you everything, okay?”

“Then why don’t you tell me what’s happening right this second so—“

“Sarah,” I stopped her from rambling. “It’s something that’ll probably make you worry.” (Scared) “You just can’t help but panic and do really stupid things when you’re worried, right?”

“Now you’re making me more worried!” she complained loudly.

“Sshhh… Calm down. You’ll wake up the whole neighborhood,” I said in a soothing tone. “See, you’re panicking again. I’m just going to be away for a little while.”

“You’re making me panic!” she hissed, her breathing ragged. She bent over the window ledge precariously, I was afraid she’d fall over. She tried to control her breathing, a hand on her waist. “Okay, I’m calm now. I think,” she said clearing her throat. “How long exactly will you be gone?”

“A week… or two,” I mumbled hesitantly, flinching as I anticipated a violent reaction. Luckily, she was too stunned to be angry. “I’ll call you every single day,” I went on. “At midnight so your mom won’t know. I promise. I swear.”

When she didn’t answer, I gritted my teeth, trying to hide the unease on my face. Keep it cool. She won’t relax if she saw how worked up I was about leaving. My stomach was in knots. Right now, I just wanted to hit my head. Or break something. But would I go all-out psycho in front of her? Not a chance.

“Sarah…” I murmured, closing my eyes to ease the tension. “Sarah… please say something.”

I heard her sigh from the other line. “Take care for me, will you?”

“I’ll be home in one piece.”

“Why the crucial decision all of a sudden?” Moira asked in a fake casual tone in an attempt to hide the excitement in her voice. She got up from the couch and busied herself behind the makeshift glass counter in the corner of her studio-type apartment in downtown Los Angeles.

I massaged my aching forehead. It’d been a tiring flight. From the airport, I took a cab straight to Moira’s place. Dad had no idea I took off. And well, that I stole some cash from his wallet. And my credit card which he confiscated when he grounded me. Getting caught wasn’t in the plan but in case it happened, I was thinking of pulling off the I-am-of-legal-age trump card. Like that’d actually work.

Arthur Walden wasn’t exactly your typical American Dad. He’d do practically everything to live up to his weird foreign upbringing. Strong family ties. Us staying and growing old and having children and grandchildren in our ancestral home. That kind of stuff.

I’d be toast once he found out so I might as well get to work and fast.

“Didn’t you say Jobs was antsy to get me on a world tour?” I replied with distaste. Jobs was the ‘Big Boss’ of Sonnet Records—one of the largest recording companies in LA if not the whole US. And his first name’s Nut. Okay. Not really. His real name’s a four-letter word that starts with a B and ends with W. Need I say that I hated this guy? “For crying out loud, Moira. I’m saying yes to the offer. Weren’t you the one who was so thrilled about this? World tour. Really exciting,” I muttered monotonously before heaving a big sigh.

Moira came back with two mugs of coffee. Espresso with latte and two sugars. Just the way I liked it. She handed me the bigger of the two mugs, giving me a furtive look.

“What about Megan?” She raised an eyebrow.

“That’s the whole point,” I said in a matter-of-fact tone, taking a sip from my cup. “Exactly why I need a press con ASAP. That’s where you come in. You’ll negotiate with Jobs so I can make demands. Plus, he needs to get every camera on the face of the planet into one place so I can broadcast my upcoming world tour and let everyone know where I’ll be for the rest of the month. And when I said everyone, I mean Megan. If she wants me, she’d come and get me. Simple as cheese in a mouse trap.”

My manager stared into her cup for a while, seeming to think of it. “That sounds a bit dangerous, don’t you think?”

“If her head’s really that messed up, maybe. But if we want to find out, we’ll have to catch her first.” I glanced up wearily at her. “So, are we going to be several million dollars richer or are we still going to pretend that you haven’t already decided to do this?”

“I’ll get an appointment with Jobs first thing in the morning,” she replied resignedly. “I’ll get you a cab. You should head home and get some rest. You look awful.”

Mechanically, I ruffled my hair. “Nah, I’m going to crash here for the night. Dad’s probably going to look for me there in the morning.”

The truth was I didn’t want to go home to my house in Sta. Monica. Being there alone would just remind me of the time Sarah came with me to LA for the first time. Missing her was the last thing I wanted. I might be tempted to take the next flight to Boston so I could get home to her. Yeah, I was that desperate.

My plan had to work first. I’d only breathe freely once I was one hundred percent sure that she’d be safe.

For now, Nathan would be her unofficial bodyguard. As much as I hated to owe my brother anything, (or the fact that I’d wanted to bust his big head off for the last few weeks) someone had to look out for Sarah while I was gone. I wasn’t sure if that was supposed to reassure me or make me dead worried.

Before snoozing, I called Sarah like I promised. I didn’t want to stay long on the phone. Might make me miss her so bad. I just wanted to check if anything off happened today. Ask her about her day. Tell her (for the nth time) that I was doing okay though I wasn’t really sure.

“There will be a meteor shower at three,” Sarah mentioned, sounding hopeful. “It-it said so in the news. Do you want to watch it together? I mean… with you and me on the phone.”

“That sounds really cool,” I breathed out, gazing through the window outside. Tall buildings. City lights of all colors. Head and tail lights like little fireflies flitting to and fro the skyway. A dead starless skyline. That was all LA had to offer for tonight. Moira should really get a new place with a better view. “Although, where I am now, it’s kind of cloudy so I’m not really sure if I can make out anything,” I continued wryly.

“Then I’ll… tell you about it,” she stammered. “If I see it, I’ll tell you how it looks.”

“You’ll do that?”

“S-sure. I—“ she started, seemingly at a loss for words. Then she finally said, “I really wanted to… watch it with you so...”

“I like the sound of that,” I murmured, smiling at the window.

I must’ve dozed off smiling. My face felt stiff. I could still hear Sarah’s breathing. Like she was sleeping right beside me. And she was whispering my name as she slept like an angel.

“Leon… look at that one. Leon… Leon,” she mumbled quietly in her sleep.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. Surely it was just a dream. But she just seemed so near. Felt so near I could almost touch her face. I woke up on the couch in Moira’s apartment. My cell phone was still pressed on my ear and from there, I could hear Sarah’s voice. I wanted to watch her. To know how it’d feel sleeping beside her, with her in my arms. The feel of her soft skin. The scent of green apples from her hair. It seemed so long ago it hurt.

I glanced at my wrist watch. Twenty minutes past three in the morning. Looked like Sarah slept through the meteor shower after all. To wake her up or not to wake her up? Nah. It’d get her all bummed in the morning but she seemed to be watching a pretty cool meteor shower with me right now. In her dream.

“Make… a wish,” she murmured mindlessly, followed by her peaceful, quiet breathing.

“I already got my wish,” I said to her. “Good night, Sarah.”

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Okay. Thursday as promised! Thanks to those who have voted and commented on the last chapter. Read them all. Been a lurker for days with my phone. XD Thanks guys. I am worthy *bows* I am not *raises hands* So here it is. Expect another update on Tuesday :)

Goth Goth Loli Loli,

~shim :)