Chapter 33: Farewell
Hoon, Riley and Jay were silent inside the plane that bound to Seattle. It says that the passengers of American Airlines that are going to Seattle are admitted at Virginia Mason Hospital.
Ethan already contacts them on where they will meet. Jay said they're going straight to that hospital to confirm if their fathers were included in the hundreds of passengers that died in the plane crash and its explosion or if they're one of the survivors.
Jay was looking at the plane's window. He was not into himself and he was silent all the ride. As well as Hoon who's staring at the absence.
Riley was sitting between them. She didn't know what to say. It's very complicated to speak at the moment. She knew that her masters were nervous, shocked, stunned, afraid and didn't know what to do. They're all hoping that their fathers survived the plane crash.
When they arrived at Seattle, they went to the Virginia Mason Hospital where their fathers were.
Ethan was standing in front of the hospital and it looks like he's waiting for them.
"Where are they?" Hoon asked him.
Ethan led them to the hallway of the hospital.
Jay seems to know where they will be going so he stopped and asked Ethan. "Wait. Why are we headed to the morgue?"
Ethan faced him. A tear left in his eyes. And then he started to sob and shook his head slowly.
"No…" Jay whispered and ran towards the morgue.
They followed Jay inside the morgue. There, they saw their fathers, lying in their cold bodies. Half of their bodies were burned due to the massive explosion.
The three went next to their father's side and hugged them tight while crying. Asking for their forgiveness, they planned to cut ties with them and ask to come home so they could settle the case at the court.
"This is all my fault!" Ethan shouted and punched the wall beside him. Causing his knuckles to bleed. "I shouldn't have planned this, dad… I shouldn't have told you to come here! I-I'm really s-sorry, dad."
"N-No… t-this is my fault. I'm sorry, dad." Hoon asked forgiveness to his dad while holding his hand. "I'm sorry I l-let you down. I'm s-sorry that I became a bad son. I'm so sorry for everything… p-please forgive me..."
Riley started to cry while watching her masters begging and asking forgiveness to their fathers. She knew it was too late to ask for their forgiveness and make up with them.
But she's sure that their fathers already forgive their sons. That's what fathers do. They always understand their child even if they did something terrible. All they do is to love, protect, give what they want and forgive them.
Her gaze went to Jay who's sitting next to his fathers cold body, staring and remaining silent. His tears are already dried. His eyes were already swollen. But deep down, he's saying something to his father. He just can't say it out loud.
Her eyebrows furrowed when she noticed that Jake was not here. She stepped out for a minute and dialed his number. But she already took ten calls yet he wasn't answering the call.
Where are you now, Jake. Your father needs you.
JAKE WOKE up in a massive headache. He massaged his forehead many times before he opened his eyes.
He was stunned for a minute when he noticed that this room was not familiar to him.
"Oh, you're awake."
A female voice spoke who just entered the room.
He gasped. "Y-You… what are you…"
She chuckled. "Don't you remember what happened last night?"
He gulped and thinked what happened last night. But how much he tried to think, he didn't remember anymore.
"What happened? Why am I here? And… with you?" His gaze went down on his body. "Oh mah god." He glared at her. "What did you do to me?! Why am I dressed up like this?"
Lotte rolled her eyes and placed the Advil and a glass of water on the bedside table. "I guess you really don't have any idea what happened last night, do you?" She smirked. "Okay, let me tell you. You, my friend, just kissed me out of the blue and then you called me Riley after that kiss. Then you just passed out after I asked where you lived so I could give you a ride. But what can I do? I can't just leave you there. Women might feast on your deadly and hot body if I let you there alone." She wiggled her eyebrows.
"So I called my driver to help me pick you up because you're too heavy like a pig. I took you here in my condo because you didn't tell me where your house was." She continued. "And when we helped you get out of the car, you just smelled my neck- oh, and here I thought that you're just going to smell it but you just puked on me, you jerk! I wasn't ready for that! Now our clothes were covered in your disgusting vomit! Then I asked my driver to dress you up in my very oversized shirt and pajamas since I had no men's clothes." Lotte shrugged. "You should thank me for doing that."
Jake sighed and brushed his hands on his face in so much embarrassment.
I will never ever drink again!
He stood up and went to the bathroom to fix himself. Lotte said that there are men's stuff inside that her driver bought from the convenience store.
His face winced when he saw himself in front of the mirror. He's wearing navy green tops and pink pajamas. He wiggled his head and started to brush his teeth and take a bath. There's a men clothes that hung in the shower so he wouldn't have a problem at all.
As he stepped out from the shower, he was drying his hair using a towel when Lotte ran to him and gave him his phone.
"It's ringing and I think it's urgent."
"Then why didn't you answer it?" he replied.
She stilled. "Excuse me? For your information, Mr. Kisser, I'm the type of person who gives privacy and stays on other people's business so in short, I don't answer phone calls."
He shook his head and checked the caller. His eyes widened when it was Riley. She's calling him over ten times!
He read her latest text message.
'Jake, where are you? Why don't you answer the phone call? We've been waiting for you. Please come here to the Virginia Mason Hospital. It's urgent. And your father needs you here.'
He slid his phone inside his pocket and ran towards the outside. "I have to go. It's urgent."
"Oh. Okay, then. Take care!"
Before he could leave her condo, he faced her and said, "Thank you. I'll be back."
Lotte blushed. "Hmp. Such a flirty."
RILEY FELT relieved when Jake arrived at the hospital. But she's worried about how she will tell him about what happened.
"Hey, why did you call me here? Is there a problem?"
She gulped and took a deep breath. "Follow me."
He did follow her to the hallway going to the morgue. She couldn't see his reaction because he's behind her.
"W-What… the… w-what's going on? W-Why…" His voice broke when he saw his father lying with no life. "D-Dad… No… Dad! Dad! What happened to you?! Wake up! Dad!" He was shouting while crying and shaking his father's shoulders as if he would wake up.
Riley bit her lip when Jake started to cry out loud. Ethan and Hoon approached to console him while Jay was still silent at the corner.
Half of an hour had passed when Madame Lacey entered the morgue, catching her breath. She looks like she'd run all the way here.
"Oh my god!" She exclaimed. "James, Jaime, Sang Hoon, Hee Jeong! What happened?!" She mentioned her lovers' names as she walked towards them.
She stepped out to give them some privacy. She's sure that Ethan, Hoon and Jay will tell Madame Lacey and Jake what happened to them. For now, she will wait for their cue on what step they will do next.
One week later…
Everyone in the mansion was busy preparing the four masters' fathers funeral. Madame Lacey decided to pray and express their sympathies for her lovers' souls at the mansion. Even though they hurted her, she still loved and cared for them. This is the least thing she could do to them and to her sons.
Only closest friends and families are required to attend. Her sons didn't want to have many people at the mansion either.
Riley was busy with their guests when Ethan called her on the phone.
"Riley, where are you? I need you. Come here in the music room." Ethan sounds like he's been tired for a week and lacks sleep.
"Mmm, okay. I will. Wait for me there."
She ended the call and gave the two sets of snacks to their guests that just arrived. She was about to take a step on the stairs when her phone beeped.
'Riley, could you please see me at the library? I need someone who I can talk to.'
The message came from Jake.
She sighed and went to the kitchen for a minute to drink some water. She's about to go to the library when she received another text message. And this time, it's from Hoon.
'Come see me at the greenhouse. I really need someone to lean on. You're the only person I could lean on right now that I'm in pain.'
She blew air and couldn't know what to choose from her masters' order. She didn't know which she would choose first.
Riley understands their situation. She'd been there. It's really hard to cope up, accept and move on when someone you loved passed away. It's like your other wing has broken and torn apart. Like you felt incomplete that someone is missing.
She walked and walked until her feet brought her to the living room. Her eyes caught a man figure, standing in front of his father's funerary urn.
He's wearing a black formal tuxedo that makes him downright gorgeous but his aura could make a person have goosebumps and a shiver down to their spine because of his coldness.
Riley didn't know what possessed her when her feet led her on where Jay was standing.
"I won't ask you if you are okay. It's already written on your face that you're not." She tapped his back softly. "I'm just here-"
Jay couldn't take it anymore. He leaned his head on her shoulder and he cried his heart out.
Riley hugged him and carefully caressed his hair while consoling him.
"Hush, I'm here. Just cry. I won't leave you." She kissed his temple.
"I-I couldn't even say to h-him that I forgive him… I'm a bad son, Riley. I-I didn't deserve to be loved by him. I couldn't even ask his forgiveness for being rude. I-If I only knew that he would disappear like that, then I should have forgiven him and told him that I love him…" Jay was sobbing while saying those words.
Riley kept on caressing his hair. "It's okay… don't say that you didn't deserve your father's love. You just opened your heart to him very late. But I'm sure he forgives you. That's what father's do. They can't stand mad at their children."
She felt Jay hugged her back.
"Thank you… Thank you, Riley."
"No need to thank me. I'm just here for you."
They had their own world as if there's no people around them. But they don't mind. Riley felt happy that Jay accepted her arms for him. And Jay felt overwhelmed when the girl he likes is there for him.
~amph1trite~