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2. 4. Paparazzi
"Grandma", Cole's voice barks from beside me jostling me into action.
"Oh my God", a faint plea from Justine is like a noise in the background as I reach mom in time.
The moment I reach her, I'm shouting again.
"What the fuck happened?", I exclaim, despite the presence of a child in the room.
I look at the blood mixing with the pool of water along with the shards of glass from probably a broken glass bottle around mom and dread fills my lungs.
My eyes take in the edge of the counter that's covered in mom's blood and my own blood runs cold.
Shit.
"We don't know. She came in to get water and we were all in the living room when we heard the crash", replies Liza, frantically.
Her hands are shaking as she looks at mom.
"Jason, we need to take her to the hospital right away", Ben's voice breaks through my head's frantic
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Than There Was Us 2. 5. List It Out
You would think the days after that would be smooth for me.But no, they weren't.From taking care of mom to avoiding Justine and her devil-of-a-kid, Cole. It wasn't easy, especially if you put work in the mix.Meetings, appointments, clients didn't care about who I was and if I was transitioning back to the American lifestyle. They only cared about work.Were it not for Ben, I would've been roadkill by now.Two weeks of work. With mom's incessant bickering and Justine's to-and-fro comings and goings.Honestly, I have no idea what's going on in her head. Either of them.Mom wants to drive me mad and Justine won't stop staring at me.I've been giving the latter a bit of a cold-shoulder. But I will definitely snap at her if she doesn't stop looking at me.Lately, Justine has been visiting us every day in the morning before I leave for
Than There Was Us 2. 6. 1. It's Real
Silence and then there's noise, deafening noise. Ringing in my ears as I trip back on my seat in disbelief.This can't be.He's clearly kidding me.But... he doesn't seem like it.Somehow, the words seem unreal and yet so much real than anything I've ever heard before.Something inside me wants to believe it to be true, just so there is nothing in between us. Just me and Justine. But somehow that part of me that says it's not true seems almost delusional."What?", I whisper, swallowing hard.Ben looks anguished, like he wants to be anywhere but here at the moment."He's been dead for two years, Jason", he looks away at last.That's when it comes out of me. This uncontrollable laughter I can't seem to get a hold off."Clinton's dead", I laugh out again even more louder than the words I just spoke."T
Than There Was Us 2. 6. 2. Disaster
Next morning I wake up to the sound of birds chirping.Peering open my eyes, I come face-to-face with a bird cage that I'm definitely sure wasn't mine.I pull back just in time before one of the birds in the cage, jump over to my side and peck my nose.If the pounding in my head's any indication, I know I've done something I'm going to regret.Sitting up I realize I'm in a sort of a studio apartment. With tall windows behind the bed I'm sitting on. A slanted ceiling closing in front of me and immense sunlight shining on my back.That makes me realize, I'm not wearing a shirt. Wooden flooring but nothing else in the room except for the birds, the bed and two nightstands beside it.I walk towards the only door in the room and open it. It's an open space. Tall ceilings and an open kitchen, in an open living room and paintings on every freaking wall that's
Than There Was Us 2. 7. Fuck You, Clinton
To say, I was in a phase for a while would be an understatement.I blinked at the cameras, the flashing lights, blinding smiles send my way and the people I didn't remember much, now seemed blurry to my memory.But I nodded their way, smiled at their mentions, answered what I thought was polite enough for them and the only one holding me throughout it was Olivia.Bless her soul, she was really into this.When I asked her about it, she only said, 'I always give everything my best'.And that was it. She matched my vibe, complimented me the way she should've as my date. Light hearted jokes and all smiles despite her playfulness.An aristocrat American indeed.But she wasn't Justine.Who I still hadn't spotted in the party. Nor Ben.Liza and Camilla by the bar, donned in beautiful gowns.
Than There Was Us 2. 8. I Did It
The rest of the evening was very uneventful. I hated every second of that party.I felt like the most lonely person I've ever felt in a while.So, I left the party as soon as possible. Not telling anyone about my whereabouts.I just wanted to be alone. And I made sure nobody could find me while I practically spend a week maneuvering around every other person possible.Keeping myself to a minimum as much as possible.In my week of isolation, I took my time investigating into Clinton's death further.In the midst of my research, I got worried calls from Mom, Ben, Justine, Olivia and even Liza. But I hardly paid it any attention.For some reason, being alone and taking it all in sounded way better than to actually face any of them.I knew I was acting like a brat but I did have all the right to do so. They had time to process his death, I didn't.
Than There Was Us 2. 9. Unfamiliar
And so forth, for another week I was MIA. To be honest, nobody even bothered to contact me this time.I would sniff, smoke, inhale the hell out of my stash of pills and weed. The high of the drug would make me feel better for a while like it always does in the beginning.But sooner it's effect deflates, coming back with twice the pain and the hunger for more. You can't help but keep consuming it until it consumes you.Luckily for me, I had been through a dozen of these phases and came out of them, not stable but stable enough to know when I need to stop.To say, it's not easy would be an understatement. Every time it's twice harder than the last time and had I been my younger self, I wouldn't have been able to get out of it without someone's help.Thankfully, I'm not that person anymore. I'm a changed man. My self control has exceeded in the past few years and to say I'm proud would not do me
Than There Was Us 2. 10. Everything Was Okay
The moment our lips made contact, I lost sense of everything. Something snapped in me in a way that made me take every last bit I could take from those lips.It was everything.My hands went around her waist and I pulled her against me, not letting anything come between us. The thought she might've pushed me away didn't even strike me for a second because she was giving me all of her like I was giving it to her.The heat of it ringing in my ears. Her moans, her gasps, her sharp, laboured inhales of breath, I swallowed every little bit of them.Her fingers in my hair. Twisting, taunting, pulling me closer like I was the air she needed to breathe.My own hand on her cheek, holding her face to me, guiding her. We got lost to the point we didn't realize who was chasing who with their lips. Our eyes closed, her body snug against mine, our noses dodging each other's if only for our lips to meet again
Than There Was Us 2. 11. Conundrum
Inhaling it in, I let it wander down and about before blowing it out.The wind whips past me as I stand alone in the empty graveyard with just a cigarette in hand.I smoke occasionally but today I needed it. Hopefully, I don't make a habit of it.I look down at the headstone I'm standing next to and the flowers in front of it. I had read somewhere once that poppies were a sign of peace after the end of something.Pretty ironic but I didn't know how else I would've done justice to the situation.Clinton's grave was the last place I wanted to be right now.I had avoided Justine for the better half of a month, it was pretty easy considering she wanted to avoid me too.I had caught upto the work, I had made sure I was upto my neck deep into work this entire time. If only to avoid Justine or even let the thought of her enter my mind.It was until Ben sto
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- Than There Was Us E P I L O G U E
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- Than There Was Us 2. 25. 2. Baiting The Pawn
- Than There Was Us 2. 25. 1. Anxiety And Angst
- Than There Was Us 2. 24. Rely On Me
- Than There Was Us 2. 23. Bring Me Back
- Than There Was Us 2. 22. Aftermath
- Than There Was Us 2. 21. Dilemma
