When A Heart Stops – Chapter 4

Copyright © 2021 by Loudest Thoughts

No part of this work is to be copied or distributed without the prior written permission of the author.

 

CHAPTER 4

 

James hit his steering wheel and set off the alarm. He realised people were staring at him, so he drove off.

“Jewel, I’d teach you a lesson.” He wiped his teary eyes and drove on.

His phone rang at that moment.

“Dad, I’m on my way home.”

“What happened?”

“Happened where?” James shot back.

“Jewel!” You tracked her to the Vuitton hotel an… ”

“Yes, her car was parked outside, but there was no sign of her,” James told his dad while trying to hold back his emotions.

“Now you believe me.”

“Let’s talk when I get home.” He quickly said that and hung up the phone.

James pulled over at the side of the road.

He picked up his phone and dialed Jewel’s number.

“Come on, Jewel.” “What are you doing in that hotel?” He scowled.

James started his engine and sped off, heading home to see his dad.

 

********

“You should have answered.”

“And tell him what?” Jewel asked Ginger.

“I’m not sure; maybe tell him you’re with me.”

“You seem to forget that you were erased from everyone’s lives.”

Ginger painfully swallowed her saliva. “But you didn’t.”

“That should tell you I’m stuck with you.” Jewel tried to make light of the situation.

“Thank you, Love, but I insist you call him.”

“James would be fine.”

“James?”

“Ginger, just let it go.”

She raised her hands up. “I give up, sis.”

Ginger squinted her left eye to check if Jewel was watching her make faces.

Their room was quiet for a while, and you could literally hear a pin drop.

“Urgh.” Jewel squirmed and reached out for her phone.

“He’d most likely no…” Ginger was saying when Jewel spoke up.

“Babes, I missed your call.”

“Where are you?” James asked over the phone.

“Emmm, just out with a few friends.”

“Friends?” James asked.

“Yeah, an….”

Ginger motioned for her to put him on speaker just as she was about to say something.

“I called your friends, Jewel.”

“They are new friends, whom I met a while ago.”

He let out a low groan. “Alright, when are you coming home then?”

“I’d call you up when I get home.”

“That’s a long way home, so I’ll see you in the morning.” He stated flatly that Jewel could not read him over the phone.

She has always been able to read James, even over the phone. But on that particular day, she seemed lost.

“Sorry…”

“Have a good time,” James concluded and hung up.

Jewel stared back at the phone in her hands.

“Is everything okay?”

“I hope so, Ginger.”

“Your guy sounded weird earlier.”

“Exactly my concern.” Jewel retorted.

“I think you should go home.”

“It’s a long way home, Ginger.”

“What did you say?”

“James doesn’t like it when I drive late at night?”

“No, what you said earlier.”

“It’s a long way home,” Jewel repeated.

“Yeah, that.”

“What about it?”

“He said the same thing,” Ginger countered.

“He, who?”

“Your boyfriend!” She exclaimed. “How did he know?”

“James probably just guessed.” She smiled.

“Does he do that a lot?” Ginger asked inquisitively.

“Not really, but can we start making some plans for the days ahead?”

“If you say so, babes,” Ginger said, standing up grumpily.

She slowly walked to her window, scouted for a while, and then walked back to her bed.

Jewel looked on and smiled. “You are being paranoid.”

“Better paranoid than dead.”

“That’s enough,” Jewel hit her gently.

They talked for a while before nightfall. Jewel left at dawn and promised to be back.

****************

She opened the front door gently and crept in so no one would notice she had just come back.

Luckily for her, the lights were off in the hall, so she kneeled down and struggled to take off her shoes.

“Where were you yesterday?” His hoarse voice thundered from behind.

“Gosh, Dad. “You scared the heck out of me.” She stood up immediately, stumbling a few times.

Then the lights came on.

Jewel turned around and feigned a smile.

“Sorry, but your mom said you left early and were unreachable the entire day.”

“Yes, and last I checked, I’m not 5 years old anymore.”

“Got it.” Mr. Knox mumbled and walked away, sipping his coffee.

It appeared he just came out of the kitchen, and while heading to his room, he turned off the lights.

Jewel finally succeeded in taking off her shoes, and she chuckled.

She was headed to her room when she bumped into her mom, giving her a weird look.

“What?”

“Are you cheating?” Her mom asked.

“What!” Jewel exclaimed.

“James seems to think y….”

“So, he ran to you again?” She let out a soft sigh.

“Sweetheart, you left home in a hurry, and no one h…”

“And you both thought I was cheating.”

“I never said that.”

“Mom, I can’t do this now.” “I need to rest a bit before work.”

She rushed off into her room while her mom called after her.

Jewel shut her door and slumped onto her bed.

Elis stood in the middle of their hall, staring at Jewel’s door.

“She’s you.” Elis saw her husband staring at her.

“I know Knox.”

They both laughed hilariously.