Capítulo 40: (The Justice Was Served)
Calum sat in his car, windows open, struggling to process everything that had just happened. Seeing her like that had left him shaken. The realization that she had forgotten about him was a painful blow, a gut-wrenching reminder of how much things had changed. Her genuine, affectionate smile was gone.
Despite the pain, something inside him felt satisfied by their encounter. Maybe it was because he had hugged her, a dream he never thought would come true. He could still smell her sweet vanilla scent lingering on his shirt, the addictive fragrance of her hair. He smirked, tightening his jaw. More than anything, he was happy to have seen her. He couldn't wait to see her again, and just as he had promised, he would be waiting for her. He wanted to fast-forward time, impatient to see her tomorrow. Calum had long ago stopped thinking of Mariana as the daughter of his mortal enemy. He had moved on. He hoped she would someday forgive him for killing her father. He knew she would understand why he had to take him out of this world.
A lot had happened to Calum, but Trae still hadn't returned. He had said he'd be back in a moment, but for Calum, that moment felt like an eternity. He had no intention of telling Trae about his encounter with Mariana. Trae would either laugh at him or get angry, and Calum didn't want either reaction.
"Hey bud!"
He heard Trae's voice, followed by the sound of his arms reaching through the car window, offering him a bottle of beer.
Calum had no choice but to take it, setting it aside. He wasn't planning on drinking it just yet.
"You won't believe who I met at the store," Trae exclaimed, his voice brimming with excitement. "One of the captains of a big cruise ship, a pilot, a pregnant woman due in two months, a father of five, a prostitute, and the cashier was hot. Her name was Veronica."
Calum's forehead creased in annoyance. His face was a mask of frustration.
"So you talked to everyone in that store? That's why it took you three hours to get out?"
Calum was right; Trae had indeed talked to everyone.
"Yeah, what's wrong with that? I'm not like you, a loner, an introvert!"
Trae's laughter, a sound Calum hated, only fueled his anger.
"Come on, Trae. We have a lot of things to talk about."
Calum's face pleaded for Trae's cooperation.
"Yeah, I know. You're apologizing to me about your idiocy days ago, go on."
"Apologize?" Calum shook his head, confused.
"You're the one that needs to apologize. You fucking punched me in the face. And guess what? My idiocy killed Eagle." Calum proudly stated.
Trae laughed, his white teeth flashing as he slammed his hand on the car door, emphasizing how funny he found the situation.
"What's so funny, Trae?"
"Your reaction was crazy," Trae answered, before getting inside Calum's car. He sat beside Calum in the passenger seat.
"For real, I missed you, bud."
Trae patted Calum's shoulder and grabbed the beer he had set aside. He used his teeth to open it and took a large gulp.
Calum had expected this, so he didn't say anything about Trae drinking the beer he had given him. He always did that, and Calum was so used to it already.
"You told him everything, Trae. You told Jack, everything."
Calum glanced at Trae, who stopped gulping the beer. A loud burp escaped his mouth before he spoke.
"Yeah, and that saved your ass."
He wiped his black, bald head. He was wearing a green t-shirt that made him highlighted in Calum's sight.
"Your idiocy almost got you killed, Calum. And by the way, I have to tell you I'm sorry. I'm sorry about Mariana."
As soon as Calum heard him apologize for Mariana, he avoided Trae's eyes. He looked at his hands on the steering wheel. He didn't respond.
"I'm sure Jack already told you about her situation. And I assumed you wouldn't do anything stupid to get close to her, Calum. You need to stay away from her. Just accept it, she's not for you. The world is doing its best to keep you apart."
Trae spoke without knowing that Calum had already found a way to be closer to her. In fact, he had already hugged her, so Trae's assumption was wrong. It was too late to remind Calum of that now. The way Trae spoke those words brought back the memories of what had happened earlier. Calum closed his eyes and smirked. Trae was wrong; the world was doing its best to bring them closer together. Calum was certain of it.
"You never even congratulated me on killing Eagle. Aren't you happy I made it?"
Trae stared at him intensely. Even though he wasn't looking at Trae's face, he could feel his gaze piercing his soul.
"You don't know how happy I am, Calum."
Those words were genuine.
"I felt like justice had already been served. I know that Adrianna, my wife, and my son are happy in heaven now. I don't owe them anything anymore. I've forgiven myself, and I hope they've forgiven me too."
Calum noticed a shift in Trae's spirit as he spoke those words. They were heartfelt, and they affected Calum deeply. Trae's energy seemed drained, the grin on his face vanished.
"My mother," Calum continued. "I know she's happy already, I can feel it."
Calum felt a heavy burden lifted as he sighed, uttering those words.
Trae patted him on the shoulder. They were both victims of Eagle's wickedness, and they were freed by his death. The heavy burdens they had carried for so long were gone. They could smile and laugh genuinely now, knowing that justice had been served for their loved ones.
"Anyways, what do we need to talk about, Crow? We need to talk about Crow, right?"
Calum shook his head and smirked. Finally, Trae had come to his senses, and their long-awaited discussion about Crow would begin now, after everything that had happened.
***
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder