Chris And Hazel - Volume 1 Chapter 37

‘WE both…? Chris what’s going on here?’ she asked growing restless with each passing moment.

‘Dad, that’s enough! I have never regretted having you in my life please don’t make me’ he said storming off.

‘…I deserve that! after all I haven’t been the typical dad for him in the last six years and now when I want to make things right…it keeps backfiring’ His dad said looking into a distance his thoughts fogged with despair.

‘Mr. Finch?’ Hazel called out trying to pull him back from his thoughts.

‘I have to go’ he said turning away trying to hide away his pain.

‘Charlotte, have you seen Chris?’ Hazel asked catching her breath.

She had searched the whole house since the moment he stormed off but in vain.

‘No, don’t tell me he disappeared somewhere’ Charlotte said annoyed.

‘No he had a clash with his dad and I didn’t see him after that’ she answered looking around the place.

‘I knew it! I shouldn’t have trusted him’ Charlotte said rolling her eyes.

‘What’s wrong Char?’ she asked unclear of what Charlotte just said.

‘Haze, I need to tell you something!’ Charlotte said looking at her.

‘Later, Char! I need to look for Chris’ Hazel replied still looking around the place.

‘It is about him’ Charlotte spoke out trying to grab her attention.

‘Ohh…Do you know where he is?’ Hazel asked looking at Charlotte.

‘No’ she answered as Hazel’s question seemed irrelevant to the topic she was gonna talk about.

‘Then we will talk later’ Hazel said walking away.

She knew it was wrong to blow off Charlotte like that but Hazel knew what Charlotte was gonna tell her. She knew Charlotte was looking out for her but still it was important to hear it from Chris. And considering the way he looked after he fought with his dad, she wanted to be there for him she doesn’t care if people call that foolishness but she wanted to be there for him at that moment.

‘This girl…never listens’ Charlotte said disappointed as she saw Hazel walk away paying no heed to what she was about to say.

‘Rob, do you know where daddy went? Did he tell you guys anything?’ Hazel asked bending over to the kids who were playing in their room.

‘…He said he was going out and will be back soon and we should stay close to you’ Aurora answered looking at Hazel.

‘Did he mention where he will be going?’ Hazel asked hoping that she would get any kind of hint from them.

But their blank expressions conveyed that they didn’t have a clue.

‘…Look here! I have to go out now but make sure you stay close to your grandmother, ok?’ she asked looking at the kids.

‘Ok’ they replied obediently.

Hazel got down from the cab and rushed inside, hoping to find Chris.

‘…you found me’ Chris said with an empty smile without turning back to look at her.

‘Why are you here?’ she asked walking over to him.

‘I don’t know…I just drove here’ he answered moving aside as she sat next to him.

‘How did you know?’ he asked looking at her.

‘It wasn’t a lucky guess, I had to search in other places too’ she answered looking at him.

It was clear from Hazel expression that she was so glad to have found Chris. Chris figured out from her reaction that she was very much worried about his all-of-a-sudden disappearance and only after finding him she was able to relax.

‘Don’t be so nice to me, Haze, I don’t deserve it!’ he said as his eyes wavered from hers.

‘Chris, look at me!’ she said as she held his face with her hands gently.

‘It’s gonna be fine, ok? Just don’t hold back anymore…and I promise whatever the reason it is I won’t go away. No matter how stupid or childish the reason might sound…I just want you to tell me everything. I won’t forgive you right away but I still won’t let you go, okay? Just trust me’ she said looking directly into his eyes assuring that it was okay for him to tell her everything, it was her way of telling him that she will not give up on him, no matter what.

Chris slowly took her hands off his face and enclosed them with his hands. He took a deep breath before turning back to face her;

‘When I first met you, we were just in your junior year. You didn’t look any different than others…but when I started talking to you and got to know certain things about you…I knew right away that you were different, different than anyone I ever met. You cared for everyone you knew. But I felt different when I was around you. You gave me butterflies but at the same time you helped me calm down, before I realized…I was in love with you. But I didn’t know how you felt about me, I was waiting for a hint from your side but you behaved the same with everyone, you cared for each and every one and that made me think that I was just assuming things. While I was still trying to figure out my feelings for you, Ryan came into the picture…I hate to accept it but he was tough competition. I warned him several times, at first I didn’t know why but when he didn’t give up…I got furious and was about to hit him one day but thankfully Ed was there to stop me. I told Ryan to stay away and promised him that I wouldn’t tell you about him at all. But once I was gone, he leaped back into the picture.’

‘Well he did love me for six years’ Hazel said interrupting him.

‘That’s what you think! I could say that he loved you truly but he didn’t wait. He had other girlfriends too but once he knew I was out of the picture he just wanted you back…but he was a good guy’ Chris explained quite annoyed because Hazel supported Ryan.

‘…Okay!’ Hazel said dragging her sentence not wanting to make Chris angrier.

‘Since I couldn’t figure out whether you liked me or not, I was too scared to propose. I didn’t want to lose your friendship too’ he continued after a short pause.

‘But then…I came to know you liked me too. I was overjoyed but life had other plans’ he said stopping.

Hazel felt his hand shivering; it grew from warm to cold in a few seconds. Chris’ face grew pale. He tightly clenched on to her hand before continuing;

‘You know that I had a brother, right?’ he asked composing himself.

‘Adam Finch?’ she asked to be sure.

‘Yeah!’ he said nodding slowly.

‘He is in abroad, right?’ she asked remembering the situation where Ed told her that Chris’ brother went abroad for business.

‘…No! He died!’ Chris spoke out his voice conveyed how miserable he felt saying it out loud.

‘Chris…?’ Hazel froze up listening to his words.

‘It was a car accident. He wasn’t just a brother to me, Haze! He was much more than that! He was my moral support, my best friend! When I heard the news, I was shattered to pieces. I blamed the entire world for that accident. He always looked out for me, when I wasn’t interested in dad’s business he took over for me sacrificing his passion. He Died…he just went away…forever, why didn’t he fight to live? He was selfish! He died in a moment but I have been dying from that very moment till now. All of us were devastated, my dad left abroad because everything here reminded him of my brother and my mom wanted to be there for him so she left in a few months too. So, automatically I had to take over the business…I didn’t have a clue Haze! I still haven’t come out from the loss… but no one ever cared, all they wanted me to do was stay strong. All the responsibilities fell on me and the worst part was I lost my sister-in-law in the same accident…she died along with my brother.

She had two six-month old infants but by god’s grace they weren’t in the car with them, they were with my mom’

‘Rob and Aurora…?’

‘Yeah! We later came to know from the police that it could’ve been a framed accident…meaning that my brother and sister-in-law were killed on purpose…’ he took a deep breath stopping as his vision blurred again.

‘My world burned down to ashes and we weren’t supposed to let out any information to the outside world, not until the investigation was officially over and hence we had to keep it under wraps. We informed our business partners and family friends that he went abroad when questioned about him… in fact, the day you confessed to me was the day I came to know it was definitely a murder…and our lives were at stake too and at that moment the only options I had was to lose you forever or break your heart and I chose the latter. I am sorry Haze, I just wanted to protect you the entire time but I ended up hurting you…’

Hazel wiped off the tears streaming down Chris’ cheeks. She wanted to comfort him but didn’t know how. She had never seen Chris in such a state before…he was known to be strong amidst the situation. But maybe this is what happens if they be strong for a long time. Hazel eyes were filled with tears just by looking at Chris.

‘I had no one to lean on to; I only had Rob and Aurora! I couldn’t hire a nanny or someone to take care of them for safety issues. I sent mom to go stay with dad while I cleared off the mess here. It wasn’t easy Haze! Most of the nights I just wanted someone to just tell me that they were there and everything was gonna be fine but…and I even thought of calling you and Ed but I was being closely watched and since I was new to the industry it was very hard for me to differentiate a friend from a foe. I shouldn’t make any more mistakes, because I couldn’t afford to lose any more lives. And the worst day of my life was when I almost lost Rob and Aurora once…’ he stopped as Hazel’s phone rang.

Chris looked up at her and nodded slightly telling her it is okay.

‘It’s my dad’ she said looking at her mobile’s screen.

‘Go on’ Chris said taking his hands off hers.

‘Dad…?’ Hazel answered the call.

‘Hazel, where are you?’ her dad asked as soon as she received the call.

‘I am outside’ she answered looking at Chris.

‘But, it’s kinda late and soon me and your mom will checking in with the hotel so come back fast’ he said getting serious.

‘What do you mean come back fast? I came back to my city, dad!’ she answered unsure of what her dad was talking about.

‘I am at Chris’ house’ her dad answered clearing the air.

‘But… why?’ she asked surprised by their sudden arrival.