Chapter 24: 24

"What happened?"

"Why are you crying?"

"Did someone tell you anything?"

"Tell me, I will look after it."

"Tell me, Ayla", Jace kept asking, but I froze in that place where my lips were not even moving a bit. I couldn’t move my body. I’m feeling cold but it was not because I was standing in the rain for long, but because my heart was almost frozen.

"Ayla, tell me", he almost shouted.

"Jace, stop this nuisance behaviour." Dad stopped him, but the way he was asking me sure it was driving him insane too. After all, nothing was his fault. For my safety, he even tagged along with me and let me stay with Yona so that I could return home safely as well, but who knows, I will return like this.

"Ayla, tell me please", he asked me again.

I was about to say when I heard the door creaking sound. I know they came too.

"Ayla, you were here? Do you know how we searched all over for you? How could you come home telling no one?" she started nagging, but I again didn’t say anything.

"Yeah, you could have at least told me", James said the same thing, but I don’t know why the hell I feel like laughing a lot.

I want to laugh out loud as much as my throat will start paining, but I was silent.

"What is happening?"

"Yona, didn’t I tell you to look after her? Then how could you let her come home alone? Have you lost it?" Jace shouted again.

"Why are you shouting at me? I was looking after her, but then I went to the washroom and when I came to check on her, she was not there. How could you shout at me when you leave first?" she too raised her voice, but here I’m only watching them.

I feel like I’m inside a zoo for sure.

I started moving toward my room when another zoo member stopped my way.

"Ayla, tell me what happened? Why did you leave without telling us? Tell me!! I know you will, right?" James said, holding my hand, but I don’t know how bad I’m feeling just to get my hand touched mine. It is making me nauseous.

"Leave my hand", my voice was low.

"What?" he asked.

"I said leave my hand", I shouted.

Everyone was looking at me as if I killed someone. But I’m sure it would be better if I could kill without hiding my emotions, but I can’t.

Dad came to me.

"What is going on? I have been looking at you for a while, but you don’t look good at all. Don’t be like this. Tell me what is going on. I will solve but your silence is dangerous, so say it. I will make everything ok", dad was in a panic.

"You want me to say?" I asked.

Everyone nodded.

I walked toward the middle of the room and said, "You know why I came alone from a date when I was supposed to with James or Yona?"

All stared at me.

"It was because I saw my cousin and the one I like kissing in the ladies’ washroom."

The silence was even louder than the scream.

"Had enough? Shall I leave now?" I smiled, to be honest.

"Ayla, it’s not-

Yona came to me but I walked past her.

I could see Jace’s glare on both of them but I sure let him be.

"I told you to take care of her, but what have you done?" His voice was so cold and this is something I’m never experienced either. These broken feelings, these cold vibes, sorrow, and betrayal everything was new for me.

"Why the hell did you do this?" he shouted holding her shoulder but instantly she pushed him away.

"Why the hell are you screaming at me when you are the one who started this?"

"Me?"

"Yes, it is you. It is you who told James to be in a fake relationship with Ayla. It’s you who kept pressuring him to be with her when he doesn’t even love her. Why are you shouting at me when I didn’t do anything, let alone betrayal? When he doesn’t like her it’s not a betrayal", as she finished her sentence I was on the verge of tears.

So brother was no less. Till now I was thinking how he could accept my feelings so freaking easily but I never thought my brother, my cousin will do it. So it is true betrayal comes from family and they did prove it.

"Ayla, wait, let me explain", Jace tried to come after me.

"Dad, could you please book a flight ticket for me?" I said, making everyone stand in their places.

"Flight ticket? Why?" he asked.

"I want to leave", was my answer.

"Leave? Where? Do you want to go somewhere to roam?" He doesn’t know what he is saying, but he is trying so hard to make me say I’m not leaving this place but in reality yeah I’m leaving this place.

"Dad, I know you understand what I’m saying, so get a ticket for me. The sooner the better. I want to leave as fast as possible." I said.

"Baby, listen, we can talk", he came toward me, but I stopped him.

"There is nothing to talk about, dad. There is nothing at all to explain because now I no longer feel like myself. I’m all broken and I’m not blaming anyone. It all happened because of my mistake. If I were not pestering someone who doesn’t like me, then I’m sure I wouldn’t be standing here."

I’m still smiling hard, not letting a single drop of my tears fall on the floor.

"Ayla", the more he is calling my name, the more it is hurting me.

"Yah dad it is Ayla but a dead one", I said and walked toward the guest room.

"I’m sure you will accept my last request", I smiled and left.

Author’s POV

Everything was calm. Mr White looked more fragile than before, while Mrs White didn’t utter a single word all the time.

"Dad, it is not-

He tried to fulfil his sentence, but it was all useless.

"Don’t you dare touch me," he slapped his hand.

"Didn’t you ask me to look at you the way I look at her? Didn’t you see what she said that day? She stopped talking to all of us. And now here you go, destroying her last remaining emotions. Did you feel satisfied seeing her like a living dead?" he questioned.

"Dad, I didn’t", Jace said.

"The first you did, she ended up in a coma for a year with lots of abuse. The second time was not your fault, but what now? Say it’s not your doing too. Did you feel happy seeing her like this? Didn’t you say you loved her a lot? Then what is this? Where did your love go?"

He stayed silent.

"And you James, if you didn’t like her then you could have said that you didn’t have to pretend with her or let her show r or let her see you kissing someone."

He didn’t say anything to Yona.

"At least your brother was a lot better than you", the last statement was shocking.

"What are you saying?" he asked.

"Isn’t Aaron your brother?"

"Yeah, but how?"

"I know about your family and I know what happened back then was not his fault, but I still forbade him from coming near Ayla so that she doesn’t remember those terrible memories, but you are worse. My decision to allow you to come near my daughter made me ashamed. I didn’t know you were such a scoundrel."

"I’m sorry", his voice was low.

"Dad, please try to convince her to stay here. I swear I will do anything. So please", he said, but a slap landed on his face.

"Enough of your nonsense", it was Mrs White.

"Today you made me lose my both child."

"Mom, what are y-

"Yeah, you heard it correct. Today I lost Ayla. I saw the look in her eyes explaining how much pain you gave to her and from this moment I decided you are no longer the Jace I was so proud of."

"Mom"

"Don’t call me anymore. The Jace I liked was cute who I used to feed because he was slow, but you are no longer the child of mine. He was not scheming, but you."

"I do not know how he could do this to your sister. If you could have explained things, she would have understood. If this guy could have said he doesn’t like her, then she would have let go of her feelings, but you guys have to choose a way where we can’t even retrieve her back. I do not know how he could be like this when you used to like her a lot."

The night again became the way it was on a bloody night.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay