When Angels Fall (Fallen Angels) (17 page)

Kevin looked over at Mark with an exasperated expression. “They’re not dating and he did it because of what her friends did. I would’ve done the same thing. And you would, too, you know it.”

“She isn’t ready for that yet anyway. I told her how I felt and she still isn’t sure about me. I just wish she would answer her phone.” Nick looked at his phone and thought about trying again.

“She might have gone to bed, or if those great friends of hers showed up, she’s trashed,” Kevin suggested.

Nick sent her a text, and then got ready for bed. He knew the next few days were going to be long ones and he wanted to be prepared for them.

Just before he fell asleep, his phone vibrated.

Wish you were here.
The text from her read.

If only she knew how much he wished he could have been.
Do u need 2 talk?

Not sure, just want to sleep.

Try to sleep, babe. I’ll be with you tomorrow. I’ll get you through this.
He wanted to get dressed and go there now. Something told him she really needed him. Then, he realized he called her ‘Babe’ and felt stupid.

Night
, she sent back and that was it.

He almost wanted to stay home from school but didn’t know if she would. It was a distraction from what was going to happen later that night. Getting into homeroom, he noticed her empty chair. She still had a few minutes. Gabbie leaned over and motioned for him to come closer.

“Have you heard from Chloe?” She looked concerned.

 
Nick was a little surprised Chloe hadn’t called her. “Just a text, last night. Millie died and they sent us home early yesterday. I’m worried about her.” He heard the late bell and still no Chloe.

Sister Mary Margaret had started class and Gabbie sent him a note.

Okay, here is the deal. Today is the day her mom died and also the day she tried to kill herself last year. Now that Millie died, I am really worried about her. Keep texting her and see if you get anything.

He looked over at her and Gabbie’s hazel eyes seemed to be pleading with him. He took out his phone and texted her, hoping she would answer him back.

By lunch, neither of them had heard anything.

Tiffany was rolling her eyes as she listened to Gabbie’s concern.

Robyn came up and snickered as she looked at Nick. “Wow, no Chloe today. Did someone check her house? She might’ve tried to off herself again,” she said and laughed.

“You cold-hearted—” Nick started.

Tiffany spoke up instead. “I would be really careful if I were you. See, it seems you like to tell stories and share secrets. You forget who I am. If anything has happened to Chloe because of your lies, you will really regret it,” Tiffany warned her. It wasn’t often that she threatened. Usually, Tiffany struck first and warned later.

Something in what she said must’ve scared Robyn, and she left without another word.

Nick looked at his watch again and wondered what he should do. He glanced over at his brother, who had listened to everything that was going on.

“Go, I’ll cover for you,” Kevin said, throwing his keys at Nick.

Without another word, he raced to Chloe’s house.

Nick’s heart was pounding when he got there. He looked around to see if there was another way to get in, just in case something was wrong. He hit the doorbell repeatedly, and then knocked on the door. Yeah, it was overkill, but if she was sleeping, it would hopefully wake her and if—he didn’t want to think about the other option. After about five minutes, he finally heard the lock turning and the door slowly opened.

Chloe peeked out, blinking at the light that streamed into her house. Her eyes were red from crying and she looked like she hadn’t slept. “Nick?”

He didn’t say anything; he just grabbed her and held her tight, breathing a sigh of relief that she was okay. He didn’t even care that she had stiffened in his arms. He was just glad that she didn’t push him away. “Christ, I was so worried about you,” he whispered, not wanting to let her go.

She pulled away and shut the door. She was dressed in her pj’s still and her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. She looked tired and a little withdrawn, but he thought that would happen with everything that was going on.

“Haven’t you slept?” Nick asked.

“No, it’s been almost three days now. I was going to go to school, but then I thought I would try again to take a nap. What time do we have to go tonight?”

He took her hand and pulled her back into his arms.

 
Finally, she rested her head on his shoulder.

 
“Not until about seven. What did your stepmom say when you told her about Millie?”

Chloe pulled away and started to walk out to the den. “Nothing. I didn’t tell her. She and my father left this morning to go to Aruba for a few days. She said they needed a break and this was the best time to take it. She left last night.”

He couldn’t understand why they would have left her like this. When she had told him about their wedding and that she was not a part of their lives, he thought it was just Chloe being jealous of her father’s new wife, but this didn’t sound right. “Why didn’t you tell me that last night? I would have come over and stayed with you for a while.”

She sat back down on the couch and covered herself with the blanket that laid there. The TV was on to some kind of family movie that she went back to watching. “I just figured that you wanted to be alone, too. Do you think families are really like this? I mean, look at the way that stepmom is taking care of her husband’s kids, like they are her own. It really isn’t like that in the real world.” She was pointing at the woman on the screen, who was hugging her stepdaughter at a wedding.

Nick took off his blazer and sat next to her.

She seemed preoccupied with the movie and just intently watched how the family acted. When he touched her shoulder, she jumped. “Chloe, are you okay?” He didn’t like how she was acting.

“I’m just not used to people touching me. I mean, I’m okay with hugging my friends quickly and even you when we were dancing, but not like you’ve been lately. I don’t know how to react to that,” she said softly, while wringing her hands in her lap.

He pulled her to him and guided her into his embrace. When she started to tense up, he whispered, “Hush.” After a few minutes, he felt her sigh softly and relax in his arms.

*
   
*
   
*
   
*

 
A few hours later, Nick turned off the car and took a deep breath. He glanced over at Chloe.

“Don’t let go of my hand,” she all but begged. “I haven’t been here in six years, and the thought of going back in there is so hard—too many memories. Promise you won’t leave my side in there? ”

“I promise,” Nick vowed. “Just tell me when you are ready.” Then gently, he took her hand.

Chloe swallowed hard and stared at the door of the funeral home. Closing her eyes, she whispered, “Let’s go.” It was time to go back to where her loneliness began, but this time, for a different reason.

Inside, they were met by a large group of family and friends of the Daniel’s. They had seen them sometimes, coming in to see Millie. There were some small children clinging to their parent’s’ hands. There was a guest book at the door along with a prayer card with Millie’s picture. The prayer was called, ’A Peak into Heaven’.

 
She watched as Nick signed their names in the book, and as he was about to lead her in, she stopped him.

As if he could read her mind, Nick seemed to know right away her thoughts and took her into a sitting room.

She felt like she was ten years old all over again. She didn’t know if it was the sickening smell of the flowers or the dated 60’s furniture, but nothing about the place had changed in six years.
 
“Oh God, this is so hard,” she sobbed, wiping tears from eyes. She felt herself panicking suddenly. As she glanced at the couch, she could almost see the ghost of her ten-year-old self, sitting and waiting for someone to tell her she could go in to see her mother.

“If you can’t do this, Chloe, we can leave. Millie knows how much you loved her.” Nick’s voice brought her away from the memory.

“What?” She was confused by what he’d just said.

“If you can’t do this, we can leave. Chloe, are you all right?”

“I haven’t been here since my mom died and it’s just hard to go up there again. I have to. I can’t let her go without the crown. Just don’t let go of me.” She tried to find the strength deep inside of her to pay her respects.

It seemed like forever before they made their way to Millie. Passing a huge arrangement of overflowing pink roses that were placed in a delicate crystal vase, Chloe dared to touch one of the silky pink petals, feeling the softness of its texture. It reminded her of Millie’s soft, flawless hands.

And then, there she was, so small and frail, nestled gently with her favorite dolls, in a satin-lined coffin that was a little too big for her wilted little body. It was then that Chloe saw the pictures of the fairies she had drawn for Millie, almost dancing among the flowers as if they were beckoning Millie to come and play. Chloe felt his arm go around her waist as if to let her know it was their turn to approach her lifeless body.

 
It was seeing her like this that made Chloe break down. She put her hands to her mouth, trying not to let her sob escape her lips

Nick held her, unable to look at Millie himself yet.

Shaking, she pulled away from him and gently placed the silver-and-rhinestone jeweled crown on her head, in the blond wig they had put on her. Pictures scattered throughout the home gave a vision of a child with long blond hair and dancing blue eyes. It was not the little girl Chloe had come to know, the sickly one with nothing but a few strands of hair that were so brittle they felt as though they would break if you touched them.

Slowly, they knelt down at her side, and instead of seeing Millie, she saw her mother. Chloe closed her eyes quickly and laid her head on her folded hands.

*
   
*
   
*
   
*

Nick thought of his father’s words, on how hard this could be. The last time he’d seen Millie, she was so weak, and now here she lay, lifeless. A child angel forever, dressed in a lacy white dress. For a moment, he could almost hear her sweet little voice asking him to play ‘Over The Rainbow’ for her again.

It was then everything he’d held back came out. The tears he’d tried to hold back, so that he could be strong for Chloe now escaped him. He felt each drop as they fell onto his neatly folded hands and burned as they ran down to his sleeve. The softness of Chloe’s hair touched his cheek as she rested her head on his shoulder.

 
The warmth of her hand laid on his as she whispered to him, “We have to go.”

All he could do was nod and help her to stand up.

They had paid their respects to the Daniel’s, hoping to avoid the recap of Millie’s final days. Mrs. Daniels hugged Chloe tightly, looking glad that she’d been able to come. There were no words that needed to be spoken.

Chloe’s gesture of giving Millie the fairy crown was all that needed to be shared. When asked if they would be returning in the morning, Chloe nodded, unable to say no to this woman, this mother who had loved her child and now longed to hear her laughter. Feeling the warmth of Nick’s hand on her back, she was more than happy to finally be done with the place and the ghosts that lived within its walls.