All About Me (36 page)

I hang up and try to think straight for a second. She wouldn
’
t go back to Gargle, she must be still in Braxton. She is fragile and lost in pain.

I drive around to the centre of town and start walking, checking bars and restaurants. I
’
ve known India all my life and I have no idea where she could be right now. It
’
s sunny weather and people are out. I walk around in the main square for a bit, wandering, searching in the streets. There is no sign of her. After half an hour I jump back in the car and drive to campus. The exams are over; it
’
s early afternoon. The hallways are empty. I ask about India in the canteen, but there are only a few people around, and no one has seen her. The security guard is useless, telling me to get lost.

Haunting memories and feelings are roaring through me. I want to scream, but India won
’
t listen. I know her too well; she
’
s made up her mind. We were supposed to be happy right now. Instead she is running away from me, broken for the second time. Hours pass and I hear nothing from Dora. India
’
s phone no longer rings, but goes to voicemail. If I don
’
t hear from her by the evening, I will have to call her mother. This is the last thing I want to do. Mrs. Gretel doesn
’
t know about our shaky past. She doesn
’
t know what kind of arsehole I became because I couldn
’
t deal with all the shit that had fallen on my shoulders.

I drive around town until six, to the places that we have been together and meant something to us.
 

Fuck, why did I not see this coming?

MacKenzie always made India
’
s life difficult.

I get back home and hide the cash. This isn
’
t over yet. MacKenzie and Sam, they
’
re going to pay a high price, but I can
’
t worry about this when India is gone. Close to seven, I walk around campus, desperate to find her. I have no choice. I
ha
ve to call her mother by ten o
’
clock if India doesn
’
t show up. I go back to the gym and look there, but the building is locked. Once I look around the empty building in Braxton University, my whole self-control goes out the window. When I
’
m just about to get back to the car and give up my search, I walk into the last person that I want to see right now.

Evans, with a miserable look on his face.

“
Morgan, how unlucky,
”
he mutters, trying to pass me. I
’
m just about to snap some unfriendly remark when an idea pops into my mind.

“
Listen, Russ, I need to ask you a question and please, man, try to be honest.
”

He stops and turns around. Surprise builds up on his face.
“
You want to ask me a question?
”

I approach him, pushing away the ego. Right now I have to find India. That
’
s all that matters to me.

“
India is missing, someone fucked me up and she doesn
’
t want to see me. Have you seen her?
”
I ask.

Evans narrows his eyes even further. He exhales and moves in front of my face.
“
What the fuck did you do to her, Morgan? Another prank? Another pathetic bet?
”

“
I haven
’
t done anything wrong. Someone set me up and she believes that I
’
ve been faking it this entire time in order to win another bet. Fuck, I wouldn
’
t ask you, but I
’
m worried sick about her. I need to speak to her and explain.
”

“
I don
’
t want to listen to your excuses. You should have treated her better right from the beginning,
”
he snaps.
“
I haven
’
t seen her, but I
’
ll make sure that she stays away from you once I do.
”

“
You son of
—”

“
What are you going to do, hit me?
”
he asks, breathing into my face. I clench my fists, staring at him. The challenge is there and I fucked up big time. It
’
s obvious why he doesn
’
t want to help me. From now on I
’
m on my own, so instead of plunging my fists into his face, I walk away.

Chapter Thirty-five

Bridge.

Present: in hell

I was the one that took India away from Evans, so I can
’
t push him to help me. He is right. I don
’
t fucking deserve her. After all the pranks and humiliation, she is right to stay away from me. For the first half of the semester, I crossed all the lines, made her feel worthless just because I needed to feed my own ego.

When I get home I pace around the room for a good half hour. Then I call Jacob, but his phone goes to voicemail. Two hours pass and it is close to ten o
’
clock in the evening. I
’
m on the edge of wrecking my whole room. I reach for my phone, shaking and searching for India
’
s number. It goes to voicemail.

“
India, oh God, please, baby, you need to believe me. I didn
’
t do any bet. It was MacKenzie, she sneaked into my apartment when I passed out. Please call me. I love you.
”

I have no idea if she is going to get that message. Every single muscle in my body is tense, my stomach heaves and I
’
m just inches from throwing up. My future with India has been ruined now. Everything that I ever wanted has turned to dust.

Her mother will have to find out what I
’
ve done to her. Eventually she
’
ll get to the bottom of what that bastard Christian did to her. Then the lies. Mrs. Gretel is going to hate me for the rest of my life, and she will keep India away from me. The repulsive, dark shadows from the past are wrecking me slowly and I don
’
t even want to fight. Christian
’
s plan has finally worked out. He has come back from hell just to complete his mission.

Fuck, I
’
m losing my mind.

I run downstairs and start demolishing the kitchen, roaring as the pain keeps pulsing right through me. I
’
m losing the ground under my feet; everything is falling apart. Then I hear my phone vibrating. It
’
s a text message and I have to read it a few times to understand what words are written on the screen.

Taunton Bridge, be there now.

The message is from an unknown number. I stare at it for a few seconds and then I grab my jacket and car keys. I know that bridge well, but right now panic strikes me like a thunderstorm, because I don
’
t get this game. Someone is asking me to drive there. Is this about India?

It
’
s already dark outside and it
’
s pouring rain. I wipe the rain off my face and push my foot down, accelerating through the streets like a maniac. Regret blinds me, but that message is in my head. Is India there? Lost and broken because of me? If anything happens to her, I
’
m going to regret how I treated her for the rest of my life.

The bridge is only ten minutes away from the house, but I have to park in one of the back streets. That part of town seems deserted, the silence broken by the driving rain. It rings in my ears. I lock the car and run from there as water drenches me. My breathing is wheezy, heavy and troubled. As I reach the bridge, the river current is fast underneath and for a split second I can
’
t see anyone. On the other side, right at the end, I finally get a glimpse of a silhouette.

Thunder and lightning crashes through the sky, lighting up the world as I spot her, standing there with someone else. I scream, but she can
’
t hear me. My legs pound against the ground, splashing the water. My clothes are soaked right through and my pulse races out of control.

“
India!
”
I shout as I run towards her. She is standing by the pillar and she isn
’
t alone. Evans is beside her with his hand on her shoulder. Fuck, this is like a real nightmare, because she isn
’
t even looking at me. I was right
—
Evans is in this. He couldn
’
t let go of the fact that India chose me.

“
Fuck! I knew you had something to do with this!
”
I bark, closing the distance between us. India turns to face him. She doesn
’
t even acknowledge me, but stares blankly at Evans.

“
Why did you bring him here, Russell? He is a monster. He bet money over me!
”
she screams into Evans
’
s face.
 

I take a step forward.

“
No, don
’
t you dare come closer. You
’
re a liar.
”

“
India, I didn
’
t sleep with MacKenzie. She sneaked in the house and set this all up. Sam spiked my beer. The money is fake. My love for you is real!
”
I roar, wanting to take her into my arms and make her forget that I ever inflicted any pain on her. Rain runs down her face, she is shivering and I have no idea how long she
’
s been standing here. I glance at Evans, but I can
’
t deduce anything from his face.

“
Lies, always lies. I saw the picture and the note. You
’
re worse than your rapist brother. You raped my soul!
”

I walk to her and touch her arms.
“
India, I love you. Please let me take you home. MacKenzie is trying to pull us apart from spite. I have done not
—
”

“
Let go of me, let
—”

“
India, he
’
s right. Please listen to both of us for a second,
”
Evans says, cutting her off. Lightning breaks over the sky, spreading thundering noise. Her eyes are so empty, moving to Evans.

“
You son of a bitch,
”
I roar pushing towards him. I
’
m ready to kill that bastard.

“
Oliver, calm the fuck down! She came to me; MacKenzie saw me this morning. She said that I have a free hand with you, India. She said that she took care of everything.
”

I let go of him, taking long, deep breaths.
“
India, please, you have to believe me,
”
I say.
“
I know I
’
ve hurt you in the past, but I
’
m fucking in love with you.
”

“
Russell, what are you saying? Is he
…
is he telling me the truth?
”

Evans exhales, darting his eyes away from her.
“
We met earlier and then I understood what MacKenzie was talking about. I found you on this bridge half an hour later. I
’
m sorry, but you should be with Oliver. I
’
m sorry that I
’
m not him.
”

India looks at me again and hides her face in her palms. I embrace her, my arms pulling her closer. Russell looks at me with a slim smile. He finally understands that she was never his, that she never let go of her feelings for me.

“
Thank you. I do love her and I
’
ll never let her out of my sight again.
”

He nods, walking away, leaving us as the rain keeps pouring down. I feel her pounding heart and then take her face into my palms.

“
You
’
re my shining star, India, and I love you.
”

Then I kiss her.

Thunder crashes and she wraps herself around my waist whispering,
“
I love you too.
”