[AU] An Anxious Relationship (5 of 5)

Mr. Johnson walked into the two’s bickering and announced the arrival of Carla’s sister. She changed her mood quickly and was like an excited kid who waited for mommy who finally arrived. Piers wasn’t obliged to follow because the butler said it was a private meeting; he opted to return to his room and space out for the rest of the night.

“Sister dearest!!” exclaimed Carla, before jumping on her tired sister. “Don’t become all friendly, you little sneak. I had to cancel my meetings just to see you.” her sister laid shame on her.

“Really? That’s so thoughtful, as always from you, Ada. And I bet the felony charges were the sincerest thing you could do for me.”

“You were running into places even I couldn’t dig up, I needed a boost.”

Carla stuck her tongue out at her and sat with her back straight and her legs crossed. “But you could’ve just have one of your agents drag me to your place in London. So what are you really here for?”

Ada placed her gently cared hands on top of one another and sat straight herself. She had that calm yet serious look on her face, the kind that Carla doesn’t like; because this look was always followed with a query which she had to answer responsibly.

“Our position in New York is not look well. I need you to go there and fix things and maybe stay there for the time being…”

Carla bit her lip, took a deep breath and exhaled. Leaving, is that really what she needs right now? Well, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea now, would it? Everything here is just making her brain explode, especially Piers, yeah, especially him.

Piers was allowed to go home, and someone will drive him back to the institution where he can ride the bus back to the city. Raccoon is safe now, after finding out the cause of all the riots was just a group of kids who thought it was funny to ‘be in’ with the rest of the destructive population, the others were easily tracked down and put to justice.

She was waiting for him outside the car. He got on and so did she, without saying a word. Her face was so fresh that he felt uncomfortable. “I’m sorry about last night.” Piers started. “About what?” she asked. “I shouldn’t have treated you like that. I was just so mad for some reason. Seeing you smile because of that other guy, it just made me really crazy…”

“…I don’t really care about that, you know. A matter so cloddish shouldn’t take up so much of my time.”

“Can you just talk to me like I matter, damnit?”

She pulled over on the side of the road. Piers bumped his head because his seatbelt was loose and let out a disoriented groan. “Look, kid. You seem sweet and you might even be good for her, but the fact that you didn’t argue to stay over, make up with her and smooth things out before leaving made me think otherwise.”

He realizes that she wasn’t Carla and might just be the sister the butler kept on going on about. She told her to get of the car. The prison is just a few meters away, he could walk it and suggested to him that the morning sunlight is good for him.

“Carla doesn’t need losers like you who run away whenever it gets too abusive. That’s why I’m taking her as far away from you as possible.”

“You can’t do that!”

“Watch me.” Ada stated and drove away.

…how long has it been?

Piers gets up like he usually does around four in the morning, goes out for a jog, eats breakfast and goes to work, but without seeing or hearing from his neighbor, Carla. It’s been a week since he’s been like this. Working hours he doesn’t need, making sure he’s always busy all the time that he doesn’t even have time to hang out even with his fellow policemen. It was one Saturday night that Claire caught him clocking out early like he’s supposed to, so she took the opportunity and asked her to the pub around the block.

“Piers. You haven’t been yourself recently.” Claire started. The bar tender served them both a pint and a basket of cinnamon pretzels. Piers just stowed away with his silence and drank from his mug. “I can say that because I picked you to be in my team for a reason, and that reason is that you’re very exuberant aside from the fact that you’re a great shot. So what happened to that Piers I saw on day one?…Piers.”

“She’s gone, ma’am. And I didn’t even try to stop her.”

“Who?”

“Carla, that wild hurricane who came into my life without permission and left me thrashed.”

“Why is she gone?”

“Her sister took her to New York. I never even said a proper good bye. But maybe it’s just what I deserve.”

“She’s not gone, Piers. She’s still here.”

“Ma’am, I know all that she’s always with me in my heart thing. But that doesn’t change the fact that I might never see her again.”

“No, Piers. She’s still here. I saw her with a moving car this afternoon. They stopped a bit in front of the building, like she was waiting for something, and then just went away.”

His eyes widened and his heart started to race; hearing that there’s a remote chance that Carla is still here in the US made his breathing difficult. He placed a dollar on his tab, grabbed his coat and ran out. It couldn’t be helped, Claire thought.

‘Please be there, please be there.’ he begged in his mind. There wasn’t any moving truck in the vicinity unlike what Claire told him but maybe, he thought, she asked to be left to pick up some things. He bolted to his apartment floor and found her door open, more so he heard a woman’s voice. “Carla!” Piers shouted. Inside the room as he set foot in it was definitely woman but it wasn’t her; it was the land lady. “Oh dear, oh dear.” the young lady was mumbling.

“Where is Carla? Did she just leave?” Piers demanded.

“Do you know the woman living here?”

“Yes…sort of. Is she still here?”

“No, she left a while ago, but I think she’ll be back.”

“Why?”

“She forgot her ticket.”

The lady waves a plane ticket in front of his eyes and without hesitation, grabs it. She tried to take it back but he insisted that he’s been tasked to retrieve it for her. He uses the same method they did the first time they met, jumped out of the unfinished fire exit and rode Carla’s bike to the airport. Luckily, of all the places, she would pick the one airport in their city.

He finds her, just in time before she was about to get into the cab that she hailed. Piers swooped in front of her, closed the door and told the driver she won’t be needing a ride to anywhere. His sweat flowed like there was a small raincloud on his head and breathed hard like he was being chased by a bull. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Carla saw the tickets in his hand and tried to grab it, not saying anything, but she was unsuccessful. The final call for her flight was being announced all over the airport, the final reminder for a Miss Carla Radames to report to her proper terminal before it closes. Piers raised the papers in front of her and tore them apart. Her initial reaction to his stupidity always hurt, the cut which had just healed on his cheek was reopened.

“You can hurt me all you want if that’s what would make you feel better, but I’m never gonna let you go again. And I don’t care how scary your sister is, I wont let you leave me again.”

“Why are you doing this?”

Without a word, he cuffed their hands together and kissed her mouth passionately. “I love you, I think. So you can’t leave me.”

Her face lit up. It took him a while but its better late than never. “You do know I can get my ticket reprinted and still leave your ass here, right?”

“They won’t let a cuffed person inside, I’m a cop. They’ll believe me.”

“And I’m a beautiful lady with a fine knowledge in cutting up body parts.”

“You wouldn’t!”

[THE END]