Lost ✔️

Chapter 23

"Why don't we have a chat now, huh?"

The stranger. He knows?

*****

A guy wearing black sweatpants and a large black hoodie with a black mask covering his face lunged towards the balcony. He actually had the hints of slight muscle under that large hoodie.  But Chris was surprisingly faster. He got hold of the guy and both of them tumbled towards the balcony.

Stephanie could not move from her bed and so she just remained sitting unable to see or help. She heard some struggle, a few punches and grunts. A few seconds later, Chris stumbled back with his lip bleeding heavily.

Stephanie quickly limped to get the medical kit despite the pain. She ignored it and went to the bathroom. When she returned with the medical kit (Damn! It was heavy) Chris was sitting on the bed, a hand on his lips and his eyes unfocused. Like he was in some kind of deep thought.

"How did he escape?", she asked.

"The guy is some kind of ninja. Simply jumped of the balcony! As if his bones are on some kind of a temporary leave", he said, unhappily.

Stephanie asked the question on her mind slowly and carefully while applying some medicine to his lips.

"But how did you know him?"

Chris just shrugged and looked at her.

"Well, I saw him take a vase of greenery from your balcony when I was- Wait.", he stopped suddenly.

His gaze intensified on Stephanie and she shifted uncomfortably on the bed. She already knew the question about to pop from his mouth.

"How did yo-"

"I knew. From the start."

"What?"

"The vase he took? He saved my life with it."

Chris looked at her as if she had started speaking a language unknown to the human world. In short, dumbfounded. That's what he was. 

Stephanie sighed.

She told him everything from the beginning. From how she sensed him to the end of the ongoing day.

After she finished, she strangely felt light-hearted to be opening up in front of someone. That someone being Chris.

As Chris stood up, Stephanie's heart started to pound harder. She was suddenly scared of being alone. Out of nowhere. She got so used to feeling safe and protective that after the last two days incidents, she was very scared. Because she remembered all those things that she tried to forget from her unforgettable past.

It was like God was playing a game of dice with her life. Throwing certain rolls of good luck before returning to the chains of bad luck. She looked at Chris as if he would disappear just like the roll of good luck.

"Could you stay with me? Just until I sleep?", she implored him.

Chris looked at her in disbelief. She already knew she was asking a lot from him but she hoped he would stay.

"Are you kidding me? You thought I would leave you after you lied like this to me? Oh no", he said. He was hurt that Stephanie lied to him after all the times he said not to.

"I'm--- I'm sorry. I know you don't like being lied. But I was worried too. About what she might do to you if she found out that you knew about everything."

Chris huffed and stood facing the curtains. Stephanie simply smiled. She was just grateful to have him beside her.

Later, Chris tucked her carefully into bed and lied beside her gently, putting an arm around her waist. He played with her hair as she dug into his side. 

"I feel like snuggling into your armpits. Can I?", she whispered.

Chris laughed loudly.

"Oh sure! Lucky for you, I had a good bath so now my armpits smell like roses. Go on!"

So she did. It felt warm and cozy but it didn't have the smell of roses. That was sure. Nevertheless, Stephanie stayed that way. 

"Tomorrow you're moving out with me to my apartment. Then we will visit the hospital. No arguments at that.", he announced.

Stephanie remained silent. She quietly went to sleep. That night her dreams were free of loneliness, grief and any fear.

*

"Stephanie come sit on daddy's lap", the big old man patted his thighs and smiled at her.

Stephanie quietly went and sat on his lap. His strong arms caressed her delicate cheeks and he smiled at her ever so sweetly!

"Today daddy will share a piece of his wisdom with you", he said. 

His deep voice struck a musical chord with Stephanie's heart beat. It made it even more pleasant to hear him. 

"When daddy was younger, he was very sad. He didn't grow up comfortably. Then he married your mother and was happier. After two years, you came into the world and daddy was the happiest. Daddy has now come to realize something today."

"A time comes when a person is happy. Not because of materialistic things but just because he was grateful to be alive."

He stopped and looked at Stephanie for a while. She nodded her head, egging him to continue.

"After an age of limitless confusion, sadness and depression he was finally happy and liked the way the things were. So Stephanie, you have to always overcome all your problems in life by removing them from your path. Remember this always okay?"

Stephanie smiled and hugged her big old man. 

A little far away, Brian was looking at them and listening on to their entire conversation, both jealousy and anger coursing through his veins. 

"Wait until our parents are away. Then aunt Angela will love only me and not you", he muttered and ran away.

*

*****

Gosh! I hope you like it. I would definitely like some feedback on how I've done so far. If it went boring at some point and blah blah blah!