Chapter five:

It has been two hours. Mum is still unconscious and I'm sitting on the chair and writing the chapters. My head is hurting from continuously staring at the screen and not being able to get enough sleep.

I am not tired, just frustrated.

I look back at mum. It looks like she is sleeping peacefully. The doctor said that there is a minor improvement but he didn't elaborate about it. My fingers are typing words but my eyes are fixed on mom.

I sigh and put the laptop away. I want to stay with her all the time but Charles banged me on the wall and ordered to stay here for the minimum time since I have to write the book. Big old brother.

Charles was held back a year because of his poor learning skills. He doesn't like to use the term 'dyslexia.' I doubt if Ellie knows about it. The teachers helped him immensely and it worked. He showed great improvements in the upcoming years.

●●●

I flutter my eyes open and Charles's face is staring back at me. "Go home!" He orders while stepping back from me. I rub my eyes while my vision cleared. The hospitals bright light goes into my eyes making me blink rapidly.

"I want to stay."

"No, no. You're not. You dozed off while writing your next chapter," he tells me before adding. "And please change the name of one character. Change it from Chuck to Charlie or Charles."

"It's not like I'm writing about you. Why do you hate that name anyway? You never told me the reason." I ask curiously.

"Liam used the name Chuck when he secretly wanted to meet my mum."

I groan at Liam's name. That bastard. I don't know anything about him. Not do I care. I hope he is rotting in hell. I throw the laptop in my bag and glance at mum before leaving for Charles' penthouse. I look out of the cab's window. My phone buzzes.

"What up, dude?" Wes says.

"Going to the penthouse from the hospital," I say wryly.

"How's she?"

"Hasn't responded yet."

"Oh, okay. Also, there's something you need to know. I proposed Selena and she said yes. We want to get married in the next two months," he says and I could imagine a smile on his face.

"Ah, finally!"

"Do you know any good wedding planner?" He asks.

"Why in the world would you think I'd know one?" My voice is slightly annoyed.

"Um, I don't know. Your characters were getting married and you were writing in the point of view of the wedding planner so you wanted to know how it's done."

"My book is in third person POV and they die in the end." But then Fiona's word ring back. "Um, actually Fiona is getting married in a few weeks and her wedding planner is quite good at it. I'll ask her and give your email ID."

"Yeah, okay."

I reach the penthouse and ring the doorbell. I forgot the spare card in the house but I'm pretty sure Ellie or the servants are there inside. Ellie opens the door and enthusiastically jumps to hug me. I shrink at her hug.

She has developed this new habit to hug everyone when she is happy.

She pulled back and clapped her hands. "Wes and Selena are getting married! Wahoo!"

"Yeah, Wes told me." I walk in.

"Why is there a disappointing look on this handsome face?" She asks while closing the door.

"This is my stoic look. It's not like you haven't seen it almost all the time," I say while throwing my bag on the couch while taking a seat.

"Yeah, but shouldn't you be happy?"

"I am but that doesn't mean I should necessarily show it," I state.

"You're stupid, Caleb West. Also, there's something you should probably know." She sits across me and her smiling face has turned into a serious one.

"What?" I question.

"I'm not completely sure but think I saw Amber Night," Ellie says in a low voice.

I clench my jaw. "You probably did. She sat beside me on the flight."

Ellie had a jaw-dropping expression on her face. "What the heck? Did she talk to you? What did she say? Why did she move—" I intervene her.

"Cool down. We didn't talk and she refused to know me." I don't bother telling her that she changed her name because I'm pretty sure they will go looking for her.

Ellie, Charles, Selena, and Wes didn't give up searching her for almost a year. They thought that she said it so that her sudden moving from town wouldn't hurt us. They thought she lied but I knew the real Sloane. Her so-told story.

"Then she must be someone else with the same name."

"Why do you simply not believe what she said that evening?"

Ellie sighs. "I know you don't believe her words either. It was me who cut the last thread by asking about Mr. Bernard. And I think it's my job to weave it."

"Don't even try, Ellie. And does that mean you'd rather keep the truth away from me just so that Amber wouldn't say what she had said?"

"Not exactly. But maybe, just maybe she would've stayed. We could've talked about it. I'm pretty sure she wasn't pretending to be friends. She wouldn't pretend to love you."

"Stop, Ellie. Please stop. I don't want to hear anything about her."

"But you love her!" She whisper-yells.

I get up. My veins bulge out in anger. "Why does everyone keep saying that?! For fuck's sake, Ellie, I've told this a hundred time and I'm telling this again. I HATE AMBER  NIGHT. I DO NOT CARE ABOUT HER!" I yell and begin to walk away.

From behind, I hear her scream back at me, "Keep assuring that to yourself when deep down you know, you very well know that you wished for her to stay. You wished for it to be other way around. You loved her more than anyone else in the world!"

And the worst part was, it was true. I loved her but not anymore.