Leo gave out a sigh of relief when he went in through the front door and leaned on it after closing it. All he wanted now was to lock himself in the house and never get out at all. His meeting with Kim turned out to be worse than he had expected.
When Leo had told her that they couldn't go on with their relationship, Kim had blown a fuse. And her pretty face had turned ugly in a matter of seconds. He could still remember her face and how angry she really was.
"What happened Leo? Why did you say that? Did I do something wrong to change your mind all of the sudden? Tell me, Leo!" Kim had asked, at a point where tears almost dropped down her cheeks.
Leo couldn't tell Kim the whole truth that he had fallen in love with someone else. The sad look Kim gave him had also made him feel bad. He tried to make up excuses saying that time had finally given him a chance to think about their relationship and that it just wasn't working out. Kim had denied his lame excuse and demanded she know the truth because she didn't believe him at all.
"Tell me now, Leo! Tell me the truth because right now I can't believe such an excuse coming from you. I want to know what you're hiding from me, right now!" Kim had looked like punching Leo on the face when she said all that.
"What do you want me to tell you?" Leo had asked Kim, trying to sound as convincing as he possibly could. "I have thought a lot these past days and I don't feel we can continue with all this."
"What! You're still telling me all this! How dumb do you think I am, Leo? We have been together since we were kids and we know each other very well. We fell in love with each other, and now you're telling me you don't love me anymore?"
"It isn't like that. We can still be friends and nothing more." Leo had suggested, but Kim still hadn't taken it lightly as she shook her head.
"There is someone else, is there? I know there is someone else and you don't want to tell me. Tell me now if there's someone else or else I won't forgive you, Leo!"
Leo had been frustrated and he had told her time and time again that there was no one else. The conversation was going no where as Leo had kept on denying and Kim had kept on persisting. Leo had finally given up and decided to leave. As for Kim, she didn't want him to leave and threatened him if he ever tried to. Leo had rolled his eyes at her petty threats and decided to get into his car. When Leo had turned on his car engine, Kim had stood in front of his car and gave him a warning.
"I'll find out the truth, Leo. And if I find out that you've been lying to me, I'll make sure you and your girlfriend are going to pay! I swear you will regret lying to me!"
For a moment, her threat had seemed real and she had looked like a psychopath in front of his car. But later on, Leo had brushed it off. And when Kim had stepped out of the way, Leo sped off. Now that he was home and was thinking over what Kim had said, he couldn't help but think if Kim's threat was really genuine or not.
He was about to ascend up the stairs when he heard a car coming up the driveway. He looked out of the window and he saw his mother and his aunt, Diana getting out of the car with shopping bags in their hands. As they walked up to the front doorstep, Leo opened the door for them and they got inside thanking Leo for getting the door.
"Well, you're home early, Leo," said Diana. "A boring day at work or what?"
"No, I'm just from meeting Kim," answered Leo.
"That's good, Leo," said Mrs McDonell, looking at her son with a smile. "So, tell us. When will be the date of the wedding?"
"Sorry, mum," said Leo boldly. "But there will be no wedding."
Diana and Mrs McDonell looked at Leo with their eyes almost dropping out of their sockets. The bags from Mrs McDonell's bags dropped to the floor and no one seemed to matter if there were any breakable items in one of them.
"What!" Mrs McDonell almost shrieked and Leo almost held his ear because of her voice.
"You heard me right, mum. There will be no wedding. Kim and I broke up."
"But.....but, you two were the perfect couple," said Mrs McDonell, starting to freak out, "how could this happen? Did she break up with you?"
"No, I broke up with her. Sorry, if it hurts you, mum, but this is my life and I thought it was best for the both us."
"Oh no," Mrs McDonell was really freaking out as she waved her hand in front of her face as she couldn't breathe. "This can't be happening, I can't breathe. Please tell me it's not true, Diana."
"I'm afraid it is," said Diana. "You just sit down, Bertha. You look like a hot air ballon at the moment. You need to calm down."
"How did this happen, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked, ignoring Diana. "Why did you make such a decision? Don't you love Kim anymore?"
"I can't tell you now, mum," said Leo. "All I need is time for myself now. I'll tell you later on, okay?"
When Leo tried to leave to go up to his room, his mother held his arm to stop him. Leo looked angrily at his mother and his mother also gave him the same look.
"You're not going any where, Leo," said Mrs McDonell through her teeth. "You're going to tell me right now what's going on in that head of yours!"
"I don't have to explain anything to you," said Leo. "Let go of me, mum. I'm not going to tell you if you keep on acting like a maniac."
"This isn't you, Leo. How could you make such a decision? Did you bump your head before seeing her or what?"
"You're so unbearable, mum. This is why I don't tell you anything."
Leo quickly got away from his mother's grip and headed out of the front door. Mrs McDonell followed him out of the door and stood by the doorstep calling out to him.
"Leo! Leo! Get back here right now!" Mrs McDonell called out to her son. "If you don't I swear you will not like me one bit!"
Leo rolled his eyes as he got to his car and went in. His mother kept on calling out to him and Leo turned on the engine to block out his mother's shouting. He turned the car around and drove out of the driveway.
***
The photograph of Carly, Angel and their mother having a good time at the park a few years ago, made Carly realise how much of a fool she has been this whole time. The three women in the picture were so happy and they were united like a real family. But now, they were disbanded. Her mother was gone and the two sisters weren't even talking to each other.
Carly packed the picture frame with the photograph in the card box along with the other memorable items. And as she looked around her empty room full of card boxes, she couldn't help but break down. Even though her mother leaving had hurt her, leaving this house hurt just as much.
Angel and Carly had never known that their mother had mortgaged the house. And when their mother had passed on, the bank had immediately taken the house and that was two days after their mother died and Angel was still in hospital. It was hard for Carly to tell Angel since her sister was still recovering.
Right now, she regretted not telling Angel earlier. It looked like Angel was even more upset than ever after hearing the news and didn't want to talk to her sister anymore. And that hurt Carly even more.
As Carly looked around her room to see if everything was all packed up, she noticed Mr McDonell enter the room. She turned to fully face him and he had a sad look on his face as well.
"I know this is hard for you to deal with, Carly," said Mr McDonell. "I wish I could have helped you if I had known all of this earlier."
"Don't blame yourself, Mr McDonell," said Carly, "all of this is my fault. I should have told either you or Angel to avoid any problems."
"Don't worry about it. I will make sure to work everything out. I did promise your mother that I will help you out in anyway."
"You've done a lot for us. And I really appreciate it."
"I'm glad to help you out. Your mother was a great friend of mine. And I'm glad to help in any way."
Carly gave Mr McDonell a little smile and looked around her room filled with so many memories. It broke her heart to finally leave this place she had called home for years. She felt Mr McDonell place her hand on her shoulder for comfort. She turned to face him and tears welled up in her eyes.
"The truck is outside," said Mr McDonell. "We better let the loaders do their work. Is everything in your sister's room packed?"
"Yes, I packed up stuff in Angel's room and my mother's yesterday. We better leave."
"Yes, of course. They will bring the stuff to our house. Don't worry about it. You just get your suitcases and we will take them straight to my place. Your sister and Eric should be there by now."
"Okay, lets go."
Carly took her suitcase which was right next to the door of her room. Mr McDonell had already left the room first and Carly took her last look at her room and she couldn't help but cry silently as she walked out of the room dragging her suitcase behind her.
***
"I know I'm going to sound selfish when I say this, but I'm so happy that you're coming to live with us, Angel," said Eric as he looked over at her in the car.
Angel, whose eyes were outside the window faced Eric. Eric noticed the heavy bags under her eyes as if she hadn't slept for weeks. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her because he knew how stressed out she was.
"I don't like it when you look like that. You look like the zombie who just came back from the dead."
"Very funny, Eric," said Angel, rolling her eyes. "All I need right now is to find a place to hide and never come out. I'll be a vampire in hiding if I have to."
"That's silly and you know it. All you need is time."
"Time is the best healer for a reason," said Angel, sounding sarcastic.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure you'll get over all this. Since I now have enough time to take care of you now that you're staying with us. Isn't that right, grandma?"
Amanda who sat in between Angel and Eric looked up at Eric and said, "well, you seem eager to make Angel happy and comfortable. I have no problem with that. But the person who should be doing all this is Leo and not you."
Eric and Angel looked at Amanda and then at each other. Amanda looked puzzled as the two shared a look she couldn't understand. But they knew why.
"What? Have I said something wrong?" Amanda asked. "Why are you two looking at each other as if I mentioned a ghost of a dead man?"
"It's nothing, Amanda," said Angel, "but why do you suggest that Leo should take care of me?"
"He was the one who got you in this accident in the first place," said Amanda, "Leo is stubborn and big headed, but he isn't a bad person once you get to know him."
"I beg to differ," whispered Angel under her breath as she remembered the day of the accident.
"Did you say something?" Amanda asked Angel.
"Oh, no. Nothing."
"Anyway," continued Amanda. "You will love our house. I know you will need some adjusting, but you will get over it."
All Angel could do was smile at Amanda, but as soon as she looked out the window, her smile completely faded. She hadn't noticed when the car had turned to enter into a driveway and in front of her stood a magnificent house. Looked more like a mansion. Angel's jaw suddenly dropped. She had never seen such a house ever in her life.
"This is our house," said Amanda to Angel. "Lovely, isn't it?"
"Ummm, yes, it really is," Angel replied, trying not to act surprised.
"Well, I'm glad. Eric, dear, please get out of the car and help us ladies, okay?"
"Alright, grandma," said Eric as he got out of the car.
Angel looked back at the house before her. And all she could imagine was what would happen now that she was going to stay in the same house with Leo. A chill ran down her spine at the thought and she could tell a war would begin anytime soon.