RÊD FLÂGS
Red Flags - Episode 55 & 56
(Badasses•Bad•Jerks)
★★★★★★★★★
"Because I'll never say it back, Emory" he muttered.
Emory froze, and she could see her heart falling at her feet.
She could imagine Levi trampling on it, stepping on it and marching it into the puddles.
That blank look is in his eyes as he said it, and Emory couldn't stop another tear which rolled down her red-hot cheeks again.
He looks reclusive and merciless... His eyes are killing her, and for one minute straight, she couldn't form a word.
It felt like all the blood in her system dried up, and her throat started itching from sudden dehydration and the need to cry.
She made to hold his hands again, but he stepped back and turned, breaking her heart more as he started going for the door.
"Xhen...," she called after him, her voice painful, but he didn't make any effort to stop.
"Xhen... please don't leave" she begged when she could already feel his exit at the tip of her sour tongue, but that didn't stop him from stepping out the door.
Emory fell on the bed, sitting sickly as her tears rushed like pounds of rain this time.
Her heart has began beating so fast, so out of control and loud, so she quickly clutched at her chest with her right hand as Tate finally came in with the rest.
"Why is she crying?" Sybil said.
Tate quickly sat beside Emory and brought her head to her chest, petting and cuddling her gently.
"It's ok...you know Fred is in jail, right? Whoever posted those posters wanted to mess with us obviously, but he won't go free I promise you" she said, stroking Emory's hair.
Everyone in the room went silent.
They all know Fred escaped, everyone except Emory herself who they've been keeping it from.
"You told me she'd be fine with him, then why is she crying after he left?" Mr. Carson suddenly faced Rebekah.
Rebekah sighed and went to sit on Emory's other side.
She placed an hand on her shoulder and stroked it. Emory's face is still on Tate's chest though.
"What did he say? Why the tears? Tell me and I promise to do something" she probed, but that only made Emory cry more.
She clinged to her mother, and her tears soaked Tate's blouse.
Mr. Carson suddenly pulled Rebekah away from her, and Rebekah staggered on Nina.
"Sir!" Sybil said.
"Don't caution me! Maybe you should try having a daughter who got raped at eleven by your blood brother! Fred is my junior brother and he didn't only r@pe but beat her. Lizzy betrayed her too, and she's the same girl who gets triggered by nightmares, gets triggered anytime Fred is involved. And now a devilish guy is making her cry? I won't have it!" Mr. Carson directed his harsh words at Rebekah and Nina.
"And are you aware that we'd have lost Emz is Banks wasn't involved?" Nina talked.
"Should I start counting the number of people he killed because of her?" Rebekah added.
"I don't care Rebekah! Nina I don't care! He made her cry and that's making me feel useless! I hate seeing her cry! I hate it! She has cried enough" Mr. Carson said at the point of tears.
Nina gave the man a pitiful look, and Rebekah rushed out of the ward.
Nina rushed after her, and Tate felt Emory's temperature.
"Oh no she's burning up again,.. call the doctor" she said.
Mr. Carson left to get one, and at the same time, Sybil got a call.
She left the ward to pick.... it's Rain.
"Hey girlfriend" she said sullenly.
"Why the bad mood?" Rain's voice came.
"Emmy is not getting better. I think Banks said something to her and she has been crying. Honestly it hurts to see her this way" Sybil replied.
"Banks said something to hurt her?"
"Obviously, though I dunno what" Sybil said.
"Then she should forget about him and move on. Banks is wild and unpredictable" Rain replied.
"I know, but girl... she's in love" Sybil said.
"Gosh... I'd have come to visit but I'm really really trying to settle some stuffs. I'll come when I'm done" Rain replied.
"Sure... ciao" Sybil hung up.
*
"You have long legs so slow down for me" Nina said as she walked behind Rebekah, to the hospital park.
Rebekah stopped beside her Tesla and faced her, looking breathless.
"What are we gonna do?" Nina asked.
"I know how to tackle Banks, but shouldn't we talk about you right now? Is your foster sister mad? Why is she treating you like that?" Rebekah said.
"She's a spoilt only child, so I'm used to her brattiness. Don't worry about me" Nina replied, and Rebekah scoffed.
"Is this really Nina? Where is the no-nonsense Nina who beat up the guys trying to bully us last semester?"
"Sabrina is not just anybody I can beat up and you know it. Her parents brought me up and I can't just throw that in the mud. I'll be fine" Nina insisted
"But...
"Bekah I said I'll be fine" Nina cut her off.
"Fine" Rebekah shrugged in surrender.
"Should I follow you to Banks?" Nina asked.
"No. Just stay with Emz" Rebekah replied, and Nina nodded.
Rebekah jumped into her car and drove out of the hospital.
*
1PM*
Since driving is the only way to detox, Levi went for a drive immediately he left the hospital.
He almost drove all the corners of Terraverde, and the image of how Emory looked when he told her those pricking, hurtful words are still intact.
The more he visualizes it, the harder he curses himself.
He's not the type to let his father's words get into his head, and he's not the type to take Xavier's harshness to heart, but maybe he's right about one thing.
His curse... What if she dies like the other females?
What if he loses her?
He'd run mad... He won't survive it and he's so f+çking sure about it.
Hell, he'd kill every single soul in this city for it and then kill himself as the big bonus.
At least, he'd die too and meet her in the pit of hell, but where is the fun in fire?
Where is the fun in flames?
He might be used to darkness and chilliness, but she's too fragile for it.
She might act and look tough, but he's the only one who knows the degree of softness that's wrapped under her hard girl persona.
Rather than lose her, he'd rather let her go, though it's a stupid thing to do.
He's overlooking the tag.
His head was bubbling with the thoughts as he came down from his bike in front of his satanic-like Loft in the middle of the empty street.
Immediately he removed his helmet and hung it, he received a mail, so he retrieved his phone.
Master X: I'll drop the key and the address at your mansion.
Nothing like a victorious expression or an excited gleam in his face as he read.
Three years ago when Master X told him to start protecting Emory, he blatantly refused, but as a cunning man that he is, Xavier trapped him with an irresistible offer...his mother's grave.
Levi has no idea where Xusan was buried. Only Master X knows the location, so he had to do the job to find out.
Now that his protection job is over, he got his reward, but isn't he supposed to be happy?
At least, he won't be caught up protecting a particular girl again or playing her shadow.
Maybe happiness is overrated. He's not feeling anything at all as he opened the door, stepping in.
His instinctive self felt another presence immediately, so he spun around and grabbed whoever it is by the neck, slamming his back on the wall and turning on the lights with it.
It's a female... Rebekah.
"I should change the door password " Levi said, letting go of her before walking down the center.
"Been waiting here for hours, what did you say to Emz?" She asked, walked faster after him.
He started climbing the stairs without replying, so she jumped over the rails and blocked him.
"Move out of the way, Rebekah" he coldly said, his eyes still.
"No, Banks,no. You know her condition so you're the last person I expected this from. That girl gas been crying since you left and she won't eat nor talk to anybody. Her condition is getting worse and worse! You shouldn't have made her fall for you when you knew you'd end up breaking her." She said boldly.
"Rebekah..., I won't say this again" he warned.
"Banks please I can't lose another friend. You're the only male she trusts, and...
Levi dragged her out of the way at this point, then he resumed climbing the stairs.
"Banks!!" She hollered after him.
*
NINA'S PLACE*
Nina was already weighing what's waiting for her as she came out of her cab in front of the house.
She took a deep breath when she got to the front door, then she let it out before opening it.
She stepped in, meeting the parents in the living room with Sabrina whose neck is still so red from Rebekah's grab.
"Everyone's home" Nina said with an awkward smile, and Mrs. Young stood.
"How dare you touch Sabrina? Look what you did to her neck!" The woman accused.
"What!" Nina gasped.
"What?" Mrs. Young glared.
The husband just sat, enjoying the show with his usual look.
"I didn't do that to her neck" Nina said.
"You already inculcated the habit of lying? Have you forgotten how you grabbed me by the neck after I told you to carry my bag for me?" Sabrina flared.
"We both know I didn't do that" Nina insisted, and Sabrina started storming to her.
Nina shifted back, stumbling on a couch in the process.
She fell on it and went down from there, hitting her head on the marbled floor.
Her forehead skin broke, and blood trickled out of the wound.
Mother and daughter broke into a fit of laughter.
"See? Karma works faster these days. C'mon get up and go wash the cars!" Mrs. Young shouted, and Nina stood, holding her bleeding head
She returned outside and wiped the blood on the wound with her top, though it kept bleeding.
The doorman joined her with a water bowl shortly.
"You have rich friends, Nina. Why don't you go stay with one of them. You've been suffering since your day one in this house, and we both know it'll only get worse with Sabrina" he said pitifully.
"Bekah is a princess, and I won't be accommodated in the palace. As for Emz, her parents are just ok, they're not very rich to take in another girl. I'll be fine" Nina replied.
"Poor you" the doorman said.
*
TERRAVERDE PALACE, 5PM*
Immediately Rebekah stepped into the palace, she knew something was up.
She could feel the tense air on her skin, but it's none of her business... Thank you very much.
She has plans to change her clothes then go back to Emory in the hospital.
"Your highness" a maid suddenly came her way, bowing respectfully.
"Yes?" Rebekah frowned.
"His Majesty wants you at the throne room" the maid said, still bowing.
As expected.
Rebekah gave her her bag, then she head slowly to the second royal wing.
It's in the king's chambers, secluded from the other wings, and it's the biggest and poshy.
She opened the door to the throne room and walked into four prickling eyes.
The king's bulky frame is seated on the throne, his big belly filling most of the chair.
That belly deserves a fan base of it's own.
Beside him, there's Elsa who's looking so innocent with her charming smile that only an idiot would fall for.
There's a teleprompter in front of the room too, and a video of what Rebekah did to Sabrina earlier in school is playing.
Phew! How fast news travels.
"Do you have an explanation for that?" The king questioned.
"She deserved it" Rebekah replied point-blank.
"You're a princess, Rebekah! When will you start behaving like one! You're the same person who joined a frat club, you're the same person who sneaks out of the palace and now you're beating people around? How do you think your mother will feel if she's watching you from up there?" The king blasted
"Do not call my mother's name! If I can even go back in time I'll kill Sabrina this time cos she's in the wrong! I'm not a weak @$s princess and I won't allow anyone mistreat my friends! I won't be a coward like you!" Rebekah snapped defiantly, and the king spranged up in total fury.
"Anyone out there?" He ordered, and three guards in suit came in.
"Take her to the restraining room, and she's not allowed to come out till I say so!" He ordered.
Before the guards could move an inch to her, Conrad came in, and Rebekah bit her lip inwardly as he stayed in front of her.
"Conrad!" Elsa spranged up.
"You're not taking her" Conrad told the guards, pushing the closest one away with his leg.
"Take the two of them" the king said in finality, and more guards rushed in.
Like twenty of them.
"And you're not taking us" Conrad smiled confidently.
*
A PRIVATE DINNER*
Several sweet delicacies decorated the wide table, and there's a tiramisu cake in the middle of it all with a burning candle in the middle of it.
Fred is by the right side of the table while Rain is by the left, both dressed heavily.
Rain is wearing a black dress while Fred is in a suit. His silicone mask is on though.
At the same time, they stood and leaned to the middle of the table where the cake is.
"May we never go apart again" Fred said.
"May we remain happy forever, and may mum's spirit continue to rest in peace" Rain added, and they jointly blew out the candle before returning to their seats.
They picked their wine glasses and clinked, drinking afterwards.
"Can this week get any better for me?" Rain said happily.
"I haven't even done anything for you..." Fred smiled.
"Really?" Her face lit.
"Sure, daughter" he replied, and she drank her wine.
"You said you have a plan on Emory... you're not telling me anything" she whined.
"Just calm down I have everything covered. Right now I need to get another girl with the same size, height and body proportions as her. Once I get her, I'll tell you everything" Fred replied.
"I have her other cousin Sybil at the palm of my hand already, then Omar and Romeo are like my puppies... Just blow the whistle and they'll follow, I can't wait to get rid of everyone and move to Paris with you" she said.
"Soon" Fred nodded.
*
GUEVARA HOSPITALS*
"See? Where are the two friends? Rebekah and Nina, where are they? They left since hours ago and didn't return, and they claim to be her friends?" Mr. Carson said.
He's with Tate in the ward, and Emory is in bed, unconscious again.
Her tears made her condition go sooo bad, so she was sedated, and she looks too sick.
She's even on blood transfusion right now.
"Just calm down ok? Maybe something held them down" Tate said.
Mr. Carson wiped the tears in his red eyes and left the ward.
Tate was about to follow him when she received a text from the same number, and her fingers were shaking as she clicked.
~I can still remember tearing into your pu+$y so deep, and I also remember how you were begging me not to stop. Such a slutty woman. I bet your husband will kill himself if he finds out, that idiot loves you too much. And the interesting part is that I f+çked mother and daughter...I'm a legend, don't you think?
She quickly switched off her phone, her body shaking as she rushed out of the ward too.
She went to a restroom to calm herself, pouring water on her face before coming back.
Getting to the ward, Emory is gone from the bed.
She gasped, stopping on her tracks.
Mr. Carson came in, and his eyes widened.
"Where's she?" He asked.
"I went to the restroom and she was gone by the time I came back!" Tate replied fearfully.
Sybil came in holding the water flask she went home to get.
"Where's Emmy?" She asked.
The couple rushed out of the ward, running around the hospital in search of her, but no success.
Mr. Carson was already crying so much by the time the search ended, and the hospital literally turned upside down.
"Find me my daughter please!!! Find me my Emory!!! She was on the bed I swear!!!! She was unconscious!!!! It better not be Fred!!! It better not be him! Find me my daughter!!!" He was holding every doctor he comes across.
Even the patients in each ward came out to watch the chaos, and it became crowdy everywhere as the cops were contacted.
Hyce and Isaac came out of Isaac's mother's ward, and Hyce couldn't believe his eyes when he saw what's going on.
"Aren't they Emory's parents?" Isaac said slowly.
Hyce quickly dialled Levi's line.
"Arsehole where the fûck are you... Emory is nowhere to be found!" He shouted.
Levi hung up without saying anything, and Hyce scoffed.
"That fuçking bastard!" He rushed out of the hospital, and Isaac followed him.
*
TERRAVERDE CITY, 7PM*
A bus came to a stop at a bus station, and people who're coming down at that stop started trooping out.
The night air is chilly and eerie, and it's stronger than usual.
Among the people coming down from the bus, a pair of small bare feet stepped out too, and immediately the legs stepped down, the bus moved, leaving just the person at the station.
She's wearing a hospital uniform, and her hair is disheveled. Some of it even got tangled in her shirt buttons.
She looks miserable as the air carried her hair, blowing it around her face... Her pale sick face.
It's Emory.
She looked at the bench at the station and contemplated sitting on it, but she changed her mind, her eyes lacking life as she walked down the road.
The small stones on the road were stabbing her fragile feet as she walked, but she wasn't even feeling it.
People are rushing out of the street since it seems like it's gonna storm, and cars are moving too fast.
She didn't wait for the green light before crossing the road, and she almost got hit by a car.
"Come back to your senses, young girl!" The driver yelled, but she doesn't answer as she crossed to the other side where the Fancy Chic chocolate shop is.
The one Levi brought her to the other time.
She stood in front it it, watching the closed shop for a while before walking further, the breeze almost making her fall.
She walked some minutes till she got to the bridge where she ate the ice cream that night.
She stood by the rails and couldn't stop her tears.
If she knew, she wouldn't have formed a strong bond with him, she wouldn't have tried to tell him about her feelings.
She wouldn't have let his handsome face and attitude deceive her.
She wouldn't fall.
She looked down at the water, and her eyes dwindled, but she doesn't stop looking.
The blowing breeze got madder, and then hard rain strokes began hitting the ground.
Within two minutes, the rain turned heavier, and the wind turned crazier too.
A heavy rainstorm began, but she still didn't move from the bridge.
The street around is dark and mushy and wet and silent.
It's like she's the only one left here.
The flood from the rain swept past her legs, and she almost slipped.
She didn't, but then something else happened.
A really heavy thunder clapped in the sky, and the rail in front of her tore apart, falling into the river below.
Her heart ripped, and she almost fell with the rail into the river, but a protective hand gripped her, and before she knew it, she was hauled away from that side completely, and she found herself facing a human chest.
An arm is holding her waist securely, too.
The scent is enough to confirm who it is, but she looked up nevertheless, and the moment their eyes met, her lips parted.
"Xh...en"
"What the f+ck did you think you were doing? You wanna f+çking die? Were you planning to fall into the damn river with the rail? Stop right now, Noah, f+çking stop it!" He yelled, and her tears came again as another thunder boomed in the sky .
The storm get heavier too...it's like this bridge would fall off.
"Noah...you called me Noah...Don't do that" she shivered.
"Noah" Levi replied.
"It's Emory " she sniffled, trying to free herself.
He held her tighter.
"Noah... Noah... Noah, Noah, Noah, Noah... Noah...
"Stop it!!!!"
"Noah!!" He snapped, their bodies soaked.
"I hate you... Xhen. I hate you" she muttered.
"I like that. That's what I get for the bullshit I said in the morning" he said.
"Bull...shit?" She stuttered, hope filling her eyes again.
"Truth is...if you decide to burn the world today..." He smiled despite the sadness in his eyes.
"You'll burn it for me?" She mumbled.
"No. I'll hand you the matches and watch you set the world on fire, then we can watch it burn together, little fox. You've always been mine" he said, rubbing her ear.
"Xhen" she whispered, looking speechlessly stunned.
"F+çking Noah" he replied, and then his lips came crashing on hers in the most dominating kiss ever.
TBC.
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