51 SHE'S GONE

"𝑮𝑬𝑻 𝑶𝑼𝑻 !" Anger flickered in her eyes as she gave him a resounding slap, looking at him will only remind her of her daughter and according to his parents, he dragged her daughter outta their house to her doom. What did her daughter ever do to him? When she said she will get married to him he rejected and when she called off the engagement. He suddenly wants her to marry him. "Just get out, get out and never set your feet here, I don't want to ever see you or your shadow here again in my house. You don't have that right."

She pointed at him with all the anger in her, he wanted to speak up but the stare she gave him was slicing him into two. Will he ever make up for what he did? He really deserved her hatred, no mother will see her daughter's killer and welcome him wholeheartedly. Seeing the way she is reacting reminded him of how his own Mom reacted when his brother and wife died.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He hung his head low, can't risk looking at her right in the eyes or he might just die. With the weight on his shoulders, he moved backwards slowly and turned away from them, dashing out of the house, tears clouding his vision.

"Chris!" He heard someone call out for him the moment he was about opening his car door. He turned and saw Fortune running to catch up with him, from the way she was running and all that told him she has cried herself and is really shaken by her sister's death. Fortune have always been his number fan, even though he hurt her sister. She loved him like a younger sister would and he always see her as one. For the first he felt like taking his own life for he took that one person who meant the world to her.

"I'm sorry...for….the…..way…..my mom shouted at you." She stuttered, wiping her teary eyes with the back of her palm. He watched her swollen eyes and her continuous sniffs. "Sorry for the way she yelled at you, she hasn't gotten over my sister's death. It was a big blow to her so what ever she said to you….." He placed one of his fingers on her lips and shushed her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them in a comforting way.

"How are you?"

She gave him a questioning and confusing look, where is that question coming from? She tilted her head in an inquisitive way, urging him to explain himself

"I mean how are you doing?" He squeezed her shoulders more gently. "Are you feeling alright? don't pretend and just vent your anger on me, I don't mind. Come on, say whatever that's on your mind."

She gave him a weak but sweet smile. When she spoke up, her voice was really sour, he could tell from her voice she's been crying her eyes out. "I'm fine, I'm feeling good and I'm not here to blame you for my sister's death. It's not your fault and will never be your fault. Destiny has a way of playing tricks on us so don't play yourself."

"But still I caused her death." He removed his hands from her shoulders and turned his back on her. The memory of how he dragged her sister out of his parent's house came flooding in even when she pleaded with him to let her go, he gave deaf ears to her but he kept asking himself what was he trying to prove that day? Was he trying to prove to his co celebrities and his fans he can choose his own wife or was he trying to prove to the world she's a human like him and deserves some respect. Up till this moment he won't find the answers his heart wants.

Yes Jane is a nice girl but why can't he see her beyond friend level? He tried forcing his heart to love her but he just can't, he gave up on love a very long time ago. It's just a phrase that has no meaning to him and depth too. Just a plain word to him.

"Still I caused her death." He continued, his back still turned on her. "If I didn't drag her out, she will still be alive now, she will still be here with you. Your sister is a nice girl and deserves to be happy, she deserves to be happy and deserves a better man than me. I don't know why she wants me, I'm very bad for her and I proved it by taking her life.."

"Don't talk that way." Fortune walks over to stand in front of him, staring directly at him. "Till this day, I see you as the perfect guy for my sister, I'm not saying this because of your status in the society, I'm saying it because it's true and I know if my sister is here. She will keep choosing you, she saw you for who you're not for what you're. So don't blame yourself but destiny. Like I said destiny has a way of playing tricks on us and death comes to us when we never expected it". She took his hand in hers and stroked it with her other hand, still looking at him. "You're a good man, my Mom or other people might not see that but you're good".

"Everybody has the good and bad side of them and also you're capable of loving someone, don't shun your heart to love."

"Huh?"

He was the one to look at her with questioning eyes this time.

"Yeah I know that." She nodded her head. "I know you're afraid, I don't know what you experienced in the past or how awful your past is but please don't close your heart, I have seen it from the way you care for my sister, when you introduced my sister to the world as your fianceé and they judged her without knowing her, you proved to them you can have anyone for a wife no matter the race or the color. You did that out of love not out of pity, you just don't realize it."

He stared at her speechless, how would he tell her all she's thinking is a pure lie, whatever he did for her sister was out of pity not for love. He never for once had feelings for sister. He just wants her to be happy but he never knew fate has other plans for him.

"And don't worry." She nudged his arm playfully and smiled at him. "I will always be your number one fan, no matter how much my Mom hates you or how many haters you have. You will always matter to me first, your songs inspire me." She fought back the tears welling up in her eyes. "Wherever my sister is right now, I know she's happy and wants you to be happy too."

Her words really touched him, he always seen Fortune as the fierce type but this side of her really amazed him. He drew her close to him and hugged her, he stroked her hair gently while she circled her arms around him, hugging him back. "Don't cry, if you cry you're hurting me over again so please don't cry again and put a smile for me".

"I won't cry I promise." She lets out a chuckle, still hugging him. "I won't."

He broke away from her and placed his hands on her shoulders again. "Good, you're too beautiful and you shouldn't cry or do you want to be ugly?"

She laughed at his joke.

"That's what I want." He smiled back. "This smile on your face...I want it on your face every day and you know what today I declare you the PRESIDENT of my fan club, whenever I want to communicate with my fans or they want to communicate with me, they should go through you first."

She chuckled. "You're very funny but I'm happy to be the president of your fan club, I'm always be at your service. Be good and be strong."

"You too, my number one fan." He ruffled her hair in a playful manner. They laughed at their sillness.

She watched him enter his car and drove off. She waved at him and returned back to the house.

____________________

The day for Jane's funeral came, Chris's parents went to console the family, Vincent was present, Hailey, Ethan and other family members, extended family were all present to pay their last respect to her, Chris was also present. Even his manager, Fiona, Miko including his best friend Adam were all present. Everyone gave their last respect to her and her Mom kept throwing him daggers with her eyes. If eyes could kill, he would be six feet by now.

He knew she asked him not to set feet in her house but he ought to be there to pay his last respect. Seeing her photo hung in front of her coffin made his heart bled more. He won't still believe she's no more. He couldn't see her face because it was all wrapped up but seeing her lying lifeless in the coffin was unbearable for him, he had to rush out. He came out and slumped down on his knees, fighting the tears in his eyes. He looked up to the skies and of course the skies were also not happy, a good person is gone.

"Are you okay, man?" Adam walked up to him.

He ignored him and continued looking at the skies. Adam looked up too to know what he finds interesting in the skies. He was staring at nothing in particular.

"Dude, I know how you're feeling but you need to be strong." Adam joined him, kneeling beside him.

"𝑺𝑯𝑬'𝑺 𝑮𝑶𝑵𝑬!" He voiced out. "She's no more, I hope this is a nightmare. I can't believe she left. Why?"

"I know how you feel." Adam clapped him gently on the shoulder. "But we can't question fate. We just take life as it is, life is a mystery, that we should know".

"God, I feel guilty". He screamed out. "So you're telling me, Jane's no more in this universe?"

"It's hard to take in but it's the truth, we just have to endure the pains".