Page 128 of From Me to You

I nodded as I hugged her back. I didn’t feel a thing.

The next week passed by in endless days of agony. I didn’t do anything except stare at the wall. I wouldn’t eat anything. I couldn’t. I didn’t even cry. I was dead.

Aunty M was so worried when I wouldn’t eat—she even threatened me that she would call Jay. I panicked and begged her to never call him. She reluctantly promised me but only if I ate.

So, I did. I scarfed down a few mouthfuls for every meal. All of them tasted like cardboard. But I did it for Aunty M.

I was barely hanging there. I had lost too much weight, and I didn’t even remember when was the last time I brushed my hair. Everything felt like a chore. An inconvenience. Because he wasn’t here with me.

I saw him in the media—there were several photos of him. He looked so beautiful, but his eyes had the same cold expression from when I last saw him. It looked like all the excitement, joy, and life were stripped out of him.

I touched his face through the tiny screen. If I wasn’t staring at the wall, I was staring at his face. I went through all the pictures I had of him. My Jay. My beautiful, beautiful boy. God, I missed him so much.

The album was officially released, and I listened to it on repeat. It was constantly playing in the background. It was a huge hit. It broke so many streaming records, and the guys even announced a headlining tour promoting it. I was happy for them. He deserved it more than anything.

I sighed as I looked at the photo of him getting out of Arcadia that was just posted yesterday—he was drunk. The whole gang was with him. A tall redhead clutched his arm as they made their way to the car.

The headline read, ‘The lead singer of The Four Foxes, Emerson Jayden Jameson, aka J.J., is seen getting out of the exclusive Arcadia with a mysterious redhead.’

My eyes burned when I read that. At least it wasn’t White. But it killed me just the same. Was it possible to be killed when you were already dead? I wanted to scream at all of them. That was my man. But I couldn’t. Instead, I am stuck in a four-wall bedroom with an empty heart and soul as life played games with me.

I hated it. I wanted it to all end.

“I told you to stop calling me, David,” Aunty M hissed.

I frowned. Who was David?

Then I remembered that vague phone call that Aunty M got all those days ago. She mentioned the same name then, David. I recalled how she completely evaded all my questions about him and that we even had a fight.

Who was David? And why was he calling Aunty M? It made no sense.

“I have paid you the money this month, so I don’t understand why you are still calling me,” Aunty M continued.

“Interest! You are increasing the interest. I can’t fucking believe you. Fine, fuck. Fine, I will make it happen,” she said, throwing the phone on the couch.

“Who was that, Aunty M? And please don’t lie this time.”

She was startled as she turned back. “Evy, honey. I thought you were sleeping.”

“Who was that, Aunty M?” I repeated.

She sighed. “I took out a loan a while ago from that guy, and now I have to pay it back.”

I frowned. “A loan? For what?”

“I needed the money, Evy. Please just let it go. I am paying for it, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Is that why you were picking up all those shifts and working yourself to death?”

She sat on the couch and patted beside her. “Yeah, it was hard then with everything. But now Liam doesn’t let me pay rent or anything. So, it’s a bit easier.”

I placed my hand on hers. “I could have helped you. You know I picked up the part-time job for that. I could do it now.” Honestly, it would help me take my mind off Jay, but I knew that was impossible.

“It’s okay, honey. The pay is better, so I could afford the payments.”

“But I heard you. He increased the interest.”

“Don’t worry about that. I make enough to cover that. I don’t really have any other expenses.” She shrugged.