The Royal Contract

1068 Let me be your friend

Haley looked at the building before her, staring at the structure she had been her home since she decided to have a relationship with Gerald. It looked the same, but she knew it would never feel the same if she entered his apartment.

She could wait for him, but he would never come home. She had forever lost him, the man that she loved. Slowly, the view before her became blurry, realizing that tears had gathered in her eyes.

It did not take long as the tears rushed down her face like a waterfall. She could not stop it even if she wanted to. Knowing she had lost the only person she truly and fully loved.

“Why?” She shouted as she banged her hands on her steering wheel. “Why did you have to die?” She still could not understand why another person could take the life of another.

She finally allowed the tears to fall freely from her eyes, those tears she had suppressed in front of Mike. This time, she did not have to pretend to be strong as the pain took over her body.

Earlier, she had to act tough before Gerald’s friend. She had to show him that she could handle his death so Mike would take her to him. And she also did not want the doctors to sedate her again.

Finally, she had convinced Mike to bring her to the morgue. “I would like to identify his body.” She remembered telling him.

Unfortunately, the smell of the dead bodies and the chemicals they used to preserve them had been too much for her delicate situation. Once she was inside, it was hard to breathe. But she still tried her best to be strong.

The man in charge pulled a large cabinet that stored the dead body. They covered the body in a white blanket from head to toe. She could see nothing until the man pulled the white linen cover from his face.

.....

It took everything in her not to puke right then and there. The image was just too much for her since she had not seen a dead body, especially a burned one. And the smell was just too awful.

She had to run out of there before she could check the rest of his body. It was just too much. Maybe if she had not been pregnant, it would be different. But she could not take seeing him in that way.

“How could anyone do that to another human being?” She mumbled, imagining him burning alive, shouting at the top of his lungs from the pain.

She had only seen those kinds of scenes in the movies, but she could visualize the anguish that he had gone through. She only hoped the bullet wound had killed him before whoever killed him burned him.

She understood now why Mike was adamant about taking her to see him. It was indeed a scene not for a faint heart. But she was still glad to see him. Still, she wished she could have stayed longer.

“Haley...” She suddenly heard her name. Then, she realized that someone was knocking on her window. “Open the door, Haley.” He kept repeating, calling her name.

She finally realized she had been crying inside her car outside his apartment building. Then, when she looked outside her window, Mike was outside, looking concerned, probably about her.

Quickly, she grabbed a tissue pack on the side of her car and wiped her tears away. Eventually, she lowered her window to talk to Mike, who seemed relieved to see her.

“Hey, why did you rush out of the hospital? And you should not be driving.” Suddenly, he unlocked the car and yanked the door open. Then, he grabbed the keys to her car. “You are not in any condition to drive.”

He pointed at her current state. She could only imagine what she might look like, not caring to look at the mirror before her. But she understood his apprehension since she also believed he might be right.

“I am sorry. I could not stay in the hospital.” She could not stop the image of him lying in that cold storage, lifeless. It was just too much. She knew she had to get out of there.

But going back home was also out of the question.

So, she decided to come here. But looking at the building, thinking of the empty apartment, and knowing that Gerald would not be there did not help with her condition. She was stuck with nowhere else to go.

“Then, let me drive you home.” Mike offered as he took her hand, encouraging her to go with him. “My car is over there. I will ask someone to drive your car back to your place.” He suggested.

“But I also don’t want to go home.” She did not want to see her father, who never cared about her and her feelings. “I have nowhere else to go.”

She could not go to her friends. Not when she was like this. None of them like Gerald for her. She did not want to see them happy that he was gone, especially her brother, Marcus, who had always been vocal about his dislike of Gerald.

She could not think straight at that moment as her mind seemed to run all over the place. Then, she could not help but worry about her unborn baby. How was her child affected by all this?

“Do you trust me?” Mike asked her as he stared into her eyes.

Did she? She had never actually thought much about Mike.

She had seen him frequently with Gerald. She knew they were close friends. But she still did not know much about him. They might laugh about a few things, but they never talked about anything personal.

But if Gerald trusted him, maybe she could also do the same. Besides, she could not think of a possible reason not to put her faith in this man. So far, all he ever showed her was kindness and friendship. He had welcomed her with open arms.

“I guess.” She answered with little hesitation.

“You can stay with me for a few days. Just until you get your situation figured out.” He proposed. “I don’t think you will be alright on your own. So, let me help you. I know that Gerald would not want me to abandon you.”

“Let me be your friend.” He offered.